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| Photos from the 2000 Academy Awards Ceremony of the Best Original Song nominees |
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.
The Preface
Here we are at the end of regular coverage of Best Song. It's sad to think that it's already over. It's been fun listening to hundreds of songs that have enhanced my understanding of what The Academy Awards are, as well as given me a deeper appreciation for various artists along the way. In Part 1 of 3 for my recap, I will be taking a look at the numbers and lists that have been made over the course of this column. I will be highlighting the highs and lows of my quest as well as personal insight into each section. Unfortunately, this doesn't include any nominee that didn't make either Best Loser or Best Best Song list (though please look through my many columns for the various hidden gems). Make sure to also come back next week when I'll be listing songs that should've been nominated. There's a lot of fun to be had with that one.
The following is a ranking of every decade according to how high or low each song was placed on my personal list. The top 10 would receive 10 points with each set of 10 receiving one less. After that, I organized by which decade had the most points. This will hopefully provide context for my general preference for each and every decade. Also listed is the highest and lowest ranked song of each decade.
1. 1990's
High: "When She Loved Me" - Toy Story 2 (#1)
Low: "That Thing You Do" - That Thing You Do (#59)
2. 1960's
High: "A Town Without Pity" - A Town Without Pity (#4)
Low: "Star!" - Star! (#65)
3. 1970's
High: "The Rainbow Connection" - The Muppet Movie (#5)
Low: "Ready to Take a Chance Again" - Foul Play (#56)
4. 1980's
High: "Somewhere Out There" - An American Tail (#6)
Low: "Endless Love" - Endless Love (#73)
5. 2000's
High: "That's How You Know" - Enchanted (#17)
Low: "Vanilla Sky" - Vanilla Sky (#70)
6. 1950's
High: "That's Amore" - The Caddy (#3)
Low: "Strange Are the Ways of Love" (#73)
7. 1940's
High: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" - Buck Privates (#15)
Low: "The Woody Woodpecker Song" - Wet Blanket Society (#78)
8. 2010's
High: "The Moon Song" - Her (#25)
Low: "Pi's Lullaby" - Life of Pi (#35)
9. 1930's
High: "Carioca" - Flying Down to Rio (#14)
Low: "I've Got You Under My Skin" - Born to Dance (1936)
The following is a list of songs that in hindsight I feel like I rated far too low on the list. Some were by immediate reaction while others got lost in the fray. They are presented in alphabetical order.
1. "Ac-Cent-U-Ate the Positive" - Here Comes the Wave (#43)
2. "Cheek to Cheek" - Swing Time (#39)
3. "Come Saturday Morning"- The Sterile Cuckoo (#45)
4. "Georgy Girl" - Georgy Girl (#41)
5. "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" - Orchestra Wives (#40)
6. "Papa Can You Hear Me" - Yentyl (#34)
7. "Ready to Take a Chance Again" - Foul Play (#56)
8. "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" - Mahogany (#33)
9. "The Trolley Song" - Meet Me in St. Louis (#42)
10. "Zing a Little Zong" - Just For You (#55)
The following is a list of the music that I consider to be ranked too high on the list. This is largely due to either initial favoring and later disinterest, or simply benefited from poor ranking in other areas. It will be presented in alphabetical order.
1. "Pieces of Dreams" - Pieces of Dreams (#30)
2. "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" - Thank Your Lucky Stars (#38)
3. "The Sweetheart Tree" - The Great Race (#13)
4. "Wild is the Wind" - Wild is the Wind (#31)
BEST BEST SONG
The following is a list of categories related to the Best Best Song rankings.
Top 10
1. "Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
2. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
3. "My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic (1997)
4. "A Whole New World" - Aladdin (1992)
5. "The Way We Were" - The Way We Were (1973)
6. "The Way You Look Tonight" - Swing Time (1936)
7. "The Morning After" - The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
8. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
9. "Swinging on a Star" - Going My Way (1944)
10. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Bottom 10
1. "I Just Called to Say I Love You" - The Woman in Red (1984)
2. "Sweet Leiulani" - Waikiki Wedding (1937)
3. "We May Never Love Like This Again" - The Towering Inferno (1974)
4. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" - Flashdance (1983)
5. "Man or Muppet" - The Muppet (2011)
6. "The Lullaby of Broadway" - Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
7. "I Need to Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
8. "Let the River Run" - Working Girl (1988)
9. "The Continental" - The Gay Divorcee (1934)
10. "On the Atchinson, Topkea and Santa Fe" - Harvey Girls (1946)
Best Decade
The following is a ranking of every decade according to how high or low each song was placed on my personal list. The top 10 would receive 10 points with each set of 10 receiving one less. After that, I organized by which decade had the most points. This will hopefully provide context for my general preference for each and every decade. Also listed is the highest and lowest ranked song of each decade.
1. 1950's
High: "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera") - The Man Who Knew Too Much (#10)
Low: "Secret Love" - Calamity Jane (#64)
2. 1970's
High: "The Way We Were" - The Way We Were (#5)
Low: "We May Never Love Like This Again" - The Towering Inferno (#79)
3. 1990's
High: "My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic (#3)
Low: "You Must Love Me" - Evita (#60)
4. 1960's
High: "Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's (#1)
Low: "Call Me Irresponsible" - Papa's Delicate Condition (#70)
5. 1940's
High: "Swinging on a Star" - Going My Way (#9)
Low: "On the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe" - Harvey Girls (#72)
6. 2000's
High: "Lose Yourself" - 8 Mile (#12)
Low: "I Need to Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth (#75)
7. 1980's
High: "Under the Sea" - The Little Mermaid (#11)
Low: "I Just Called to Say I Love You" - The Woman in Red (#81)
8. 1930's
High: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz (#2)
Low: "Sweet Leiulani" - Waikiki's Wedding (#80)
9. 2010's
High: "Let It Go" - Frozen (#39)
Low: "Man or Muppet" - The Muppets (#77)
Too Low
The following is a list of songs that in hindsight I feel like I rated far too low on the list. Some were by immediate reaction while others got lost in the fray. They are presented in alphabetical order.
1. "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" - Arthur (#65)
2. "The Continental" - Swing Time (#73)
3. "The Last Time I Saw Paris" - Lady Be Good (#34)
4. "Mona Lisa" - Captain Carey, U.S.A. (#42)
5. "On the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe" - Harvey Girls (#72)
6. "Thanks for the Memory" - The Big Broadcast of 1938 (#33)
7. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" - Song of the South (#56)
Too High
The following is a list of the music that I consider to be ranked too high on the list. This is largely due to either initial favoring and later disinterest, or simply benefited from poor ranking in other areas. It will be presented in alphabetical order.
1. "Into the West" - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (#40)
2. "Lose Yourself" - 8 Mile (#12)
3. "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" - Love is a Many Splendored Thing(#30)
4. "Talk to the Animals" - Doctor Doolittle (#23)
5. "We Belong Together" - Toy Story 3 (#44)
BEST LOSER
The following is a list of categories related to the Best Loser rankings.
Top 10
1. "When She Loved Me" - Toy Story 2 (1999)
2. "The Green Leaves of Summer" - The Alamo (1960)
3. "That's Amore" - The Caddy (1953)
4. "A Town Without Pity (1961)
5. "The Rainbow Connection" - The Muppet Movie (1979)
6. "Somewhere Out There" - An American Tail (1986)
7. "The Circle of Life" - The Lion King (1994)
8. "The Man That Got Away" - A Star is Born (1954)
9. "Ben" - Ben (1972)
10. "You've Got a Friend in Me" - Toy Story (1995)
Bottom 10
1. "I've Got You Under My Skin" - Born to Dance (1936)
2. "Remember Me" - Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (1937)
3. "I Poured My Heart Into a Song" - Second Fiddle (1939)
4. "The Woody Woodpecker Song" - Wet Blanket Policy (1948)
5. "Dust" - Under Western Stars (1938)
6. "Julie" - Julie (1956)
7. "Ole Buttermilk Sky" - Canyon Passage (1946)
8. "Strange Are the Ways of Love" - The Young Land (1959)
9. "Endless Love" - Endless Love (1981)
10. "Waltzing in the Clouds" - Spring Parade (1940)
Best Decade
1. 1990's
High: "When She Loved Me" - Toy Story 2 (#1)
Low: "That Thing You Do" - That Thing You Do (#59)
2. 1960's
High: "A Town Without Pity" - A Town Without Pity (#4)
Low: "Star!" - Star! (#65)
3. 1970's
High: "The Rainbow Connection" - The Muppet Movie (#5)
Low: "Ready to Take a Chance Again" - Foul Play (#56)
4. 1980's
High: "Somewhere Out There" - An American Tail (#6)
Low: "Endless Love" - Endless Love (#73)
5. 2000's
High: "That's How You Know" - Enchanted (#17)
Low: "Vanilla Sky" - Vanilla Sky (#70)
6. 1950's
High: "That's Amore" - The Caddy (#3)
Low: "Strange Are the Ways of Love" (#73)
7. 1940's
High: "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" - Buck Privates (#15)
Low: "The Woody Woodpecker Song" - Wet Blanket Society (#78)
8. 2010's
High: "The Moon Song" - Her (#25)
Low: "Pi's Lullaby" - Life of Pi (#35)
9. 1930's
High: "Carioca" - Flying Down to Rio (#14)
Low: "I've Got You Under My Skin" - Born to Dance (1936)
Too Low
1. "Ac-Cent-U-Ate the Positive" - Here Comes the Wave (#43)
2. "Cheek to Cheek" - Swing Time (#39)
3. "Come Saturday Morning"- The Sterile Cuckoo (#45)
4. "Georgy Girl" - Georgy Girl (#41)
5. "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" - Orchestra Wives (#40)
6. "Papa Can You Hear Me" - Yentyl (#34)
7. "Ready to Take a Chance Again" - Foul Play (#56)
8. "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" - Mahogany (#33)
9. "The Trolley Song" - Meet Me in St. Louis (#42)
10. "Zing a Little Zong" - Just For You (#55)
Too High
1. "Pieces of Dreams" - Pieces of Dreams (#30)
2. "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" - Thank Your Lucky Stars (#38)
3. "The Sweetheart Tree" - The Great Race (#13)
4. "Wild is the Wind" - Wild is the Wind (#31)
FAVORITE SURPRISES
The following is a list of the songs that I enjoyed discovering on this list. While there's a ton of great songs, these are the ones that made a big impact on me without any previous anticipation as to what they sounded like. They are presented in alphabetical order.
1. "Belleville Rendez-vous" - The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
2. "Come Saturday Morning" - The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)
3. "The Green Leaves of Summer" - The Alamo (1960)
4. "It Goes Like It Goes" - Norma Rae (1979)
5. "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" - Orchestra Wives (1942)
6. "The Man Who Got Away" - A Star is Born (1954)
7. "Never on a Sunday" - Never on a Sunday (1960)
8. "Pass That Peace Pipe" - Good News (1947)
9. "A Town Without Pity" - A Town Without Pity (1961)
10. "Zing a Little Zong" - Just For You (1952)
I want to say thanks again to those who have been supportive and have left feedback. I have enjoyed doing this column and I'm saddened that this is the end of regular coverage. As I mentioned at the top, I am doing two more installments of this recap. If you feel bad that this wasn't more wordy and opinionated, please feel free to come back in two weeks where I will share all of my closing remarks. For now, this is pretty much a pure version of the lists I have compiled over the past 82 weeks. It's quite impressive. I would've done plenty different, but that's the price you pay. Still, it's quite an impressive list if you ask me. See you next week.
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