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- “White Christmas” from “Holiday Inn” (1942), by Irving Berlin. It always feels strange watching the “Holiday Inn” scene where Bing Crosby, playing a songwriter, teaches this song to Marjorie Reynolds as something that had recently come off the top of his head, because implicit in the scene is the idea that “White Christmas” was written by a human, not God.
- “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. When you think about it, both of these two top-tier Oscar songs are ditties about the weather.
- “When You Wish Upon a Star” from “Pinocchio” (1940), by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington. The great triumvirate of movie “wish” songs is completed by Jiminy Cricket’s opening and closing anthem about wishing to be real… something we could all aspire to.
- “Theme From ‘Shaft’” from “Shaft” (1971), by Isaac Hayes. And now, a different kind of wish fulfillment: that you could be a “private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks.”
Mar 13, 2023 · (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) By Jen Yamato Staff Writer. March 12, 2023 7:56 PM PT. Do you know ... naatu? The academy proved it does Sunday night when the heel-tapping “Naatu Naatu,” from...
Mar 13, 2023 · In a field full of heavy hitters — including Lady Gaga, Rihanna and perennial nominee Diane Warren — RRR 's "Naatu Naatu" won best original song at Sunday's Academy Awards, becoming the first...
- 5 min
- Stephen Thompson
- 10 2016: "Writing's on The Wall"
- 9 2020: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
- 8 2021: "Fight For You"
- 7 2022: "No Time to Die"
- 6 2017: "City of Stars"
- 5 2018: "Remember Me"
- 4 2015: "Glory"
- 3 2023: "Naatu Naatu"
- 2 2014: "Let It Go"
- 1 2019: "Shallow"
'Spectre'
One of five nominees in 2015, including "Earned It" from Fifty Shades of Grey, Spectre's original song, "Writing’s on the Wall," won the Oscar. This win was not a surprise as part of a long lineage of well-known songs written for James Bond films. Despite reaching #1 on the UK Singles Chart, it received mixed reviews compared to previous Bond theme songs and did not perform very well on American charts. Chosen in favor of Radiohead's proposed song, "Writing's on the Wall" was co-written and a...
'Rocketman'
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and featuring Taron Edgerton alongside John, "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" won for Rocketmanin 2019. The song beat out four other nominees, two of which were Disney songs. "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" is a quintessential Elton John song; it’s fun, happy, energetic with a good beat, feels retro, and of course, has a piano solo. As it was written for Rocketman, the song is about Elton John’s career and how he has found redemption and freedom. It has a total...
'Judas and the Black Messiah'
Co-written and performed by H.E.R., "Fight For You" from Judas and the Black Messiah won in 2021. The song was also nominated for a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Grammy. "Fight For You" only plays during the film’s ending credits and appears on its soundtrack. However, the song's weight is still felt by its subject matter of racism, police brutality, and the need for justice. The themes behind Judas and the Black Messiah, which tells the story of Fred Hampton and the Black Pant...
'No Time to Die'
The eponymous theme song for the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, beat "Hear My Voice" from The Trial of the Chicago 7 and three other nominees back in 2022. The third Bond song to ever win an Oscar, critics praised the orchestral ballad performed by Billie Eilish and written by her and her brother, Finneas O’Connell. With a clear R&B influence, the romantic, dramatic, and suspenseful song perfectly fits Bond's storyline in the film, which has a betrayal and dark secrets at its core. It's a me...
'La La Land'
In 2016, La La Land had two songs nominated for Best Original Song, with "City of Stars" declared the winner. The song was written by famous songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and composed by Justin Hurwitz, who also received an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film. "City of Stars" also won a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and was nominated for a Grammy. The song is featured twice in La La Land, the first time sung solely by Ryan Gosling alone on the Hermosa Beach pi...
'Coco'
Beating out another Pasek & Paul creation from The Greatest Showman and three other nominees, "Remember Me" from Coco won in 2017. Written by Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, "Remember Me" also won a Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Grammy. This Oscar win also gave Lopez the honor of being the first double EGOT winner, winning each award more than once. "Remember Me" is rooted in the sound of traditional Mexican music yet is heard in...
'Selma'
In 2014,Selma's theme song "Glory" easily won the top spot. It also won a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Grammy while charting in the top 50 on the BillboardHot 100. Co-written by the track’s performers John Legend and Common, alongside Rhymefest, "Glory" incorporates beautiful orchestration with incredibly powerful lyrics. The song starts with a simple piano accompaniment under Legend’s emotional vocal and slowly builds as a backing choir comes in, the beat accelerates, and Com...
'RRR'
Beating out heavy hitters like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, the international hit song from RRR, "Naatu Naatu" took home the Oscar during the 95th Academy Awards. The song by M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj, and Kaala Bhairavamade history by being the first-ever song from an Indian film to win an Oscar, and also the first that was written and performed in Telugu. "Naatu Naatu" had an important Oscar win, and it's well-deserved, as anyone who has heard it knows that it's impossible not to dance alo...
'Frozen'
There were only four nominees in 2013, but it is no surprise that "Let It Go" would come out on top. Written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and sung by Broadway legend Idina Menzel, "Let It Go" became a cultural phenomenon that has continued to dominate a decade later. The song also won a Grammy, charted in the top 5 of the BillboardHot 100, and has been translated into 44 different languages. "Let It Go" has become iconic not only for its catchy sing-along quality, but also for i...
'A Star is Born'
After A Star is Born's release in 2018, its hit song "Shallow" took the world by storm and was the clear winner of Best Original Song. Written by Lady Gaga and a few other songwriters and sung by Gaga and Bradley Cooper, the song won a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Grammys. The song became an international hit, landing at #1 on multiple charts, staying on the Hot 100 chart for 45 weeks, and becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. "Shallow" appears...
Mar 10, 2023 · The 15 Best Oscar-Winning Songs of All Time. Academy Award-winning tunes from 'The Wizard of Oz,' 'A Star Is Born' and more. By Aly Semigran. 03/10/2023. Lady Gaga poses with the Best Original...
Mar 5, 2024 · 1. Judy Garland: “Over the Rainbow” Well, it’s hard to argue with this one. “Over the Rainbow” — no, there’s no “somewhere” in the official title — won best original song at the 12th Oscars,...
