Best Song: 50 Songs That Should've Been Nominated

Scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

R.I.P. Prince (1958-2016)

Prince

On April 21, 2016 musician and actor Prince died of influenza at the age of 57 at his home in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a man of many talents and over a career spanning more than 40 years, he became well known for his prolific output and ability to blend musical styles while singing sexually charged music. His flamboyant style and androgynous features helped to make him one of the most distinct and successful musicians of all time, earning more than 100 million record sales worldwide. While his later career featured various lawsuits that even included him changing his name to a symbol and "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince," he remained just as vital, refusing to give up on his artistic passions. He leaves behind an exhaustive body of work and a career unlike any other.