The Oscars haven’t even taken place yet, but they’ll already
be remembered for the rescinding of Best Original Song nominee “Alone Yet Not
Alone.” Late last month, the Academy revoked the sole nomination garnered by
the Christian film of the same name. The reason? The Academy said nominee Bruce
Broughton had used his influence as a former Academy governor and committee
member to influence voters to nominate his song. So while this year’s Best
Original Song category has already gathered its fair share of infamy, I thought
it be fun to look back at my favorite tracks that actually did win the Best
Song Oscar. Hope you enjoy giving my picks a spin, and do feel free to share
yours as well!
10. “A Whole New
World”
by Alan Menken and Tim Rice from Aladdin (1992)
I had to have at least one song from a Disney flick, and of all the Disney Best Song winners, “A Whole New World” is by far my favorite. Plus, it’s used so well in the movie.
9. “Skyfall”
by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth from Skyfall (2012)
The best Bond song of all time? Close call, you tell me.
8. “Jai Ho”
by A.R. Rahman from Slumdog
Millionaire (2008)
Of Rahman’s two nominated songs from Slumdog Millionaire, I’ve always preferred “O…Saya.” But “Jai Ho” was used more extravagantly in the film, which certainly helped it win. Fair enough.
7. “(I’ve Had) The
Time of My Life”
by Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz from Dirty Dancing (1987)
Yep, I love the hell out of the final scene of Dirty Dancing. So there.
6. “Falling Slowly”
by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from Once (2007)
Because it’s just so damn sweet. Really, what’s not to love about this scene?
5. “The Weary Kind”
by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett from Crazy Heart (2009)
It doesn’t matter that “The Weary Kind” is reserved mostly for Crazy Heart’s final credits, as Bingham’s raspy voice, simple composition and melancholic lyrics make for a truly great stand alone song.
4. “It’s Hard out
Here for a Pimp”
by Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul from Hustle & Flow (2005)
I love how “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” is used in Hustle & Flow. From Shug laying down her hook to DJay spitting his seamless rhymes – it’s a thrilling sequence of urban survival.
3. “Theme from Shaft”
by Isaac Hayes from Shaft
(1971)
Seriously, watch these opening credits. He really is a baaaad mother–
2. “Streets of
Philadelphia”
by Bruce Springsteen from Philadelphia (1993)
This song still slays me, nearly as much as the film itself. A gentle, appropriate, all together perfect track for a remarkable film. For an added bonus, check out Springsteen’s excellent Oscar speech. I love his send off.
1. “Lose Yourself”
by Eminem from 8
Mile (2002)
My favorite use of an Oscar-winning song in any movie is Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” gently kicking in at the end of 8 Mile. Having won a weekly underground rap battle – thereby becoming a local legend, if only for a brief while – Jimmy Smith says goodbye to his friends, and walks down an alley, headed back to his graveyard shift at the factory. There’s no glamor in the scene, no hint of the future stardom that the actor playing Jimmy achieved in real life. It’s just a guy going back to work. But the song plays on. Like never before, the track blares with fury.
Really can't argue with these although you understandably skew to the more recent. Wikipedia, my go-to source such things, says "Over the Rainbow" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" and Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" all got Oscars. Call me a sap, but I kind of love The Poseidon Adventure's "The Morning After," as well. When I think of that movie, the song is one of the first things I remember, that and Shelley Winters saving Gene Hackman's sorry ass.
ReplyDeleteYeah most all of mine are more recently, but I still dig all the tracks you listed, for sure. Ha, your last sentence cracked me up. Hilarious!
DeleteI agree with all of those songs... expect for "I've Had the Time of My Life". Sorry but it's just overplayed to death. That and the movie.
ReplyDeleteTotally overplayed, but that scene still gets me. What can I say?
DeleteAs I kept going down this list I kept forgetting what to expect next figuring this list was out of order because how could any song top the one I was looking at and after seeing Falling Slowly I figured there where to go and then I saw Weary Kind and then it was a duel between that Lose Yourself. Those would be my top 3 and although I love Streets of Philadelphia and Springsteen, I don't think it or any other songs even come close to those three. My top 5 would be Streets of Philadelphia, Beauty and the Beast (also my favorite disney movie), Falling Slowly, Lose Yourself, and Weary Kind.
ReplyDeleteI think what I love most about Lose Yourself is it really felt like they had recognized pure talent regardless of how it came out in a way that the Academy may be used to unlike a few years earlier when I think that Phil Collins should not have won over Matt and Trey. As far as Ryan Bingham, even more than his voice, what I find most beautiful and most mesmerizing is his guitar tracks especially the one in this song, to me there's no one out there like him right now.
Awesome comment man. Loved this. Always a good sign when you can't imagine what will be next on a list! Means there are some really solid competitors, which there certainly are here. I thought you'd dig the inclusion on "The Weary Kind," because hell, that's just a damn perfect song.
DeleteAlso love what you said about "Lose Yourself." That's still my favorite rap song of all time - one of those tracks that, no matter what kind of music you like, it's hard to deny its power.
Dig these picks man! Mine would be something like this:
ReplyDelete1. "Falling Slowly"
2. "Lose Yourself"
3. "Things Have Changed"
4. "Over the Rainbow"
5. "Moon River"
6. "Streets of Philadelphia"
7. "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"
8. "You'll Be in My Heart"
9. "White Christmas"
10. "My Heart Will Go On" (I know, I know.)
Awesome man, love that we have so many similarities. Your caption for no. 10 made me laugh out loud. Ha.
DeleteGreat picks! I'm actually cool on 'A Whole New World', but I understand the love to a degree. That said, your #1 is truly the most inspired Oscar pick in this category (It's Hard Out There for a Pimp would have been more inspired had the other two nominees not sucked royally and had Eminem not paved the way).
ReplyDeleteThanks! While I do think the "Pimp" win was a massive one, I agree that Eminem seriously paved way for that track to win. I'll always remember Queen Latifah's ecstatic reaction when she opened the envelop and announced the winner.
DeleteSome very nice picks. Just rushing through it, I might go...
ReplyDelete1. Lose Yourself
2. Over the Rainbow
3. Shaft
4. It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp
5. Fame
6. Baby, It's Cold Outside
7. I Just Called to Say I Love You
8. Under the Sea
9. Flashdance...What a Feeling
10. Skyfall
LOVE that Lose Yourself tops your list as well. I really love that song. Dug your other picks as well.
DeleteGreat choices! Your top 2 choices would be mine as well only reversed, I love that ending of 8 mile, I really need to rewatch this movie some time.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Such a good ending to 8 Mile. Also love that you're a “Streets of Philadelphia” fan.
DeleteGreat choices! I love so many of these. I didn't care for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp' as a song, but the look on Three 6 Mafia's faces when they won it was priceless. They looked shocked.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brittani! Those dudes were so fuckin' shocked that they won. I remember pretty much all of their speech was bleeped out, and then they just cut to commercial, because what the hell else are you going to do?
DeleteAs much as I love the Oscars rarely does this category do much for me. I appreciate what the songs bring to their movies but seldom am I blown away enough to care. Odd, I know.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm right there with you man. I do really dig the 10 songs I picked here though. But most years (like this one), I couldn't care less about the category.
DeleteI like winners like It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp because the song actually means something to the film; it wasn't just played over the closing credits.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I like most of the songs you listed I do have to say that it looks more like a "best of the most recent winners" list. The award has been handed out since 1934. There's Lullaby of Broadway, The Way You Look Tonight, Over the Rainbow, When You Wish Upon a Star, White Christmas, and Swinging on a Star just in the first 11 years - each an all-time classic song.
Love what you said about "Pimp." So very true.
DeleteAs to your second graph, I've heard all of those songs many times. Personally, none of them would out rank the tracks I listed. What can I say, I am a son of my generation.
Dude, I already respected the hell out of you, but the that you unashamedly put "I've Had The Time Of My Life" on here makes me respect you that much more.
ReplyDeleteA couple personal stories. I got to see Ryan Bingham live a few months before "Crazy Heart" was released and he played "The Weary Kind" and no one knew what it was and it was just one of those transcendent live musical moments. And when I visited the Springsteen exhibit at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame a few years back (Springsteen is my hero) his Oscar for "Streets" was on display. Goosebumps.
Ha, thanks man, I appreciate that. I'm not really shy about going to bat for films or scenes from films that I like, you know?
DeleteI know exactly what you mean about those transcendent live musical moments. Honestly, those almost top seeing a great film in the theater, because they are so few and far between. I saw M83 five times in 2012. Insane, I know, but yeah, five times. The final time was at a venue in my then-city, Richmond VA. In the previous four shows, they hadn't played their song "Outro," which was a very important song to me at the time (I used it in the trailer for my flick, Earrings). So when they started playing it... in my home city, I was moved to tears. Shit was profound, man.
This list skews recent too much, and the omission of "Over The Rainbow" is shameful.
ReplyDeleteOne might say that I am a victim of disorganized thinking.
Delete"Lose Yourself" is amazing, don't remember much about the movie 8 Mile, but that song stayed with me.
ReplyDeleteStreets of Philadelphia is a deserving winner, I think Springsteen should have been nominated for track from The Wrestler as well, oh well.
So glad to hear you're a Lose Yourself fan. Man, The Wrestler should've been nominated and WON, no question.
DeleteI'm probably biased because I have a tin ear for rap and hip-hop music so I can't say that either of the songs listed above really are deserving. But I can't disagree with the others. If nothing else, Disney has crafted some of the most endearing and warm songs of all time and I certainly won't disagree with your pic of Aladdin. Also love the songs in both Crazy Heart and Once.
ReplyDeleteNice man. All great tracks that you mentioned. And I certainly can't fault you for not digging rap. A very hard genre to appreciate.
DeleteLol, where's Celine Dion?
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I LOVE "Lose Yourself". Such a great song. Also "Time Of My Life", "Skyfall" and "Falling Slowly". I had heard the latter way before watching Once and I had all these notions about how it would play in the movie but it was nothing like anything I had imagined. Still, it was totally perfect.
I think being Indian, I now officially hate "Jai Ho" because it still bloody plays everywhere here.
I love that you LOVE "Lose Yourself." That's awesome. One of my all time favorite songs.
DeleteHaha, I was wondering if you hear "Jai Ho" all the time. I bet that gets annoying as hell.
Despite my slight disdain for Slumdog Millionaire, I can't deny the brilliance of the song "Jai Ho" or the score by AR Rahman. But excellent #1 choice. Not only is Lose Yourself brilliant, but it shows the Academy can make a ballsy choice and unlike when they gave Crash Best Picture, this ballsy choice is justified.
ReplyDeleteI STILL can't believe Lose Yourself won. Definitely the Academy at their most audacious, which is a great thing, when it's right. Crash was not one of those times. Ugh.
Delete