Random List-Mania: 40 Best Original Movie Songs of the 1990s
Friday, June 5, 2015 at 9:51PM I can't let Dick Tracy go quite yet! All that discussion and no tremulous ode to Stephen Sondheim's brilliant song score? It won't stand! Every moment when Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) and 88 Keys (Mandy Patinkin) are in frame together is gold.
(Eagle-eyed early 90s obsessiveness will know that Mandy Patinkin also pops up briefly in a celebrity-filled party scene in the Madonna documentary "Truth or Dare")
BEST ORIGINAL MOVIE SONGS OF THE 1990s
Beautiful Song Craft and/or Cheesy Epic Ballads For the Wins
* Oscar nominee ** Oscar winner
- "Wise Up" -Magnolia (Aimee Mann)
technically this song first showed up on the Jerry Maguire soundtrack which is why it wasn't eligible for the Oscars for Magnolia but let's make an exception - "Sooner or Later"** - Dick Tracy (Stephen Sondheim)
- "Gangsta's Paradise" - Dangerous Minds (Coolio)
deemed ineligible by Oscar due to sampling -- people were obsessed with the scary new "is this songwriting?" world of sampling back then. What to make of it? - "Stay" - Reality Bites (Lisa Loeb)
- "Be Our Guest" - Beauty & The Beast (Alan Menken & Howard Ashman)
- "More" - Dick Tracy (Stephen Sondheim)
- "You Must Love Me"** - Evita (Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice)
- "God Help the Outcasts" - Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken)
32 more tunes after the jump - "Santa Fe" - Newsies (Alan Menken & JAC Redford)
- "Show Me Heaven" - Days of Thunder (Maria McKee, Eric Rackin, and Jay Rifkin)
- "Save Me"* -Magnolia (Aimee Mann)
- "I'm Checkin' Out" - Postcards from The Edge (Shel Silverstein)
- "I Have Nothing"* - The Bodyguard (David Foster & Linda Thompson)
- "Colors of the Wind"** - Pocahontas (Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz)
- "What Can You Lose" - Dick Tracy (Stephen Sondheim)
- "Born Bad" - Natural Born Killers (Cissie Cobb)
- "Heaven's Light/Hellfire" - Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken)
- "Just Around the River Bend" - Pocahontas (Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz)
- "That Thing You Do!"* - That Thing You Do! (Adam Schlesinger)
- "Uninvited" - City of Angels (Alanis Morrisette)
- "I Don't Wanna Fight" - What's Love Got To Do With It (Steve DuBerry, Lulu Lawire, Billy Lawrie)
- "Streets of Philadelphia"** - Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen)
- "Blame Canada"* - South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut (Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman)
- "Kissing You" - Romeo + Juliet (Des'ree)
- "This Used to be My Playground" - A League of Their Own (Madonna)
- "Beauty and the Beast"** - Beauty & The Beast (Alan Menken & Howard Ashman)
- "If I Never Knew You" - Pocahontas (Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz)
- "This is Halloween" - The Nightmare Before Christmas ()
- "Love Song for a Vampire" - Bram Stoker's Dracula (Annie Lennox)
- "My Heart Will Go On" ** -Titanic (James Horner & Will Jennings)
- "Tears in Heaven" - Rush (Eric Clapton & Will Jennings)
- "The Circle of Life"* - The Lion King (Elton John & Tim Rice)
- "Because You Loved Me"* - Up Close and Personal (Diane Warren)
- "Beautiful Stranger" - Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Madonna)
- "What's This?" - The Nightmare Before Christmas ()
- "Beautiful Maria of My Soul"* - The Mambo Kings (Robert Kraft & Arne Glimcher)
- "When You Believe"** -The Prince of Egypt (Stephen Schwarz)
- "How Do I Live"* - Con Air (Diane Warren)
- "I Finally Found Someone"* - The Mirror Has Two Faces (Barba Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch, Bryan Adams, Robert John Lange)
- "GoldenEye" - GoldenEye (Bono & The Edge)
Honorable Mentions
"I'll Remember" - With Honors (Madonna)
"The World is Not Enough" - The World Is Not Enough (Garbage)
"Surrender" - Tomorrow Never Dies (K.D. Lang)
Okay okay. What did we forget? Do any of these songs bring back crazy good memories?
Reader Comments (57)
It pains me that Madonna (herself) has NEVER been nominated for an Oscar. She had *multiple* Oscar-worthy songs in the '90s alone! The Academy must've had its head up its AMPAS.
This is a damn fine list. I especially love how it includes songs from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (I wish I had a strong enough voice to really nail "Hellfire"), the stupidly cut "If I Never Knew You" from Pocahontas and the relegated-to-the-end-credits awesomeness of "Surrender". K.D Lang kills that shit.
I'm one of the very few who really likes the full version of Sheryl Crow's Tomorrow Never Dies. It's such a great jazzy torch ballad.
I'd add Once Upon A December or Journey to the Past from Anastasia. Surprisingly mature and elegant songs for a "princess" movie.
Thank you for #1.
I don't think it's going to be popular here, but I do enjoy U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" from BATMAN FOREVER. The filmclip and song evoke the movie well (whether that be good or bad).
What about any of the songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas, most notably "This Is Halloween" and "What's This?"
I absolutely agree with Mareko. I suspect the members of AMPAS never wanted to hear Madonna referred to as "Acadamy Award nominee" let alone winner. So bogus.
I wish she had left 'Messiah' off of her latest album, and saved it for a movie. Really lovely and cinematic.
Madonna is an embarrassment so I'm with the AMPAS on this one.
what about 'when she loved me' from toy story 2. so bittersweet!
I love how Madonna and Aimee Mann are represented here. Great choices!
vincent -- ACK. can't believe i forgot that movie when doing this.
Yassss. I love movie music and grew up in the '90s, so this list really hits one of my sweet spots. I watched 'Hunchback' today with my kid, and the whole time I was thinking how underrated that film is in the 'Disney renaissance' canon. "God Help the Outcasts" is the real showstopper.
I might have included something from 'The Nightmare before Christmas' like "Jack's Lament." I definitely would have included "Straight Talk" from the Dolly rom-com of the same name, but that's just because my every third thought is about Dolly Parton.
Love that Aimee Mann tops the list!!
Not to overdo it on the Disney songs, but I also think "On the Open Road" from the Goofy Movie is great.
No songs from Aladdin?
"I See Me" from Death Becomes Her, "Sally's Song" from Nightmare Before Christmas, "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2, "A Song for Mama" from Soul Food, "Exhale" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" from Waiting to Exhale, "These Three Words" from Jungle Fever, " Shy Guy" from Bad Boys, "For the First Time" from One Fine Day, "Kiss from a Rose" from Batman Forever, "Again" from Poetic Justice
@Travis C, I love U2's 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me'. Good call!
(Add an asterisk to "Blame Canada")
While we're on the subject of great songs from poor Batman films, I'd like to throw in The End Is The Beginning Is The End by The Smashing Pumpkins. Sublime!
U2's Stay, from Faraway so close
Thank you for including The World is Not Enough. I was just listening to this song the other day.
I couldn't pull a list off of the top of my head, but with all that Madonna (rightfully so), I think my personal favourite of her '90s movie songs is actually "This Used to Be My Playground" from A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. Although the lyrics of her Sondheim-penned tracks are superior. I do know, however, that "Streets of Philadelphia" would be my number one.
Some other tracks I can think of that aren't on your list...
"It Must've Been Love" by Roxette (PRETTY WOMAN)
"All Alone On Christmas" by Darlene Love (HOME ALONE 2) - so many people forget this was an original!
"Again" by Janet Jackson (POETIC JUSTICE)
"Livin' a Lie", "Dirty Job" and "Straight Talk" by Dolly Parton (STRAIGHT TALK)
"Questions in a World of Blue" by Julee Cruise (TWIN PEAKS FIRE WALK WITH ME)
"Just Keep Me Moving" by kd lang (EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES)
"This is Halloween" (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS)
"Circle of Life" the film version, not Elton's studio one (THE LION KING)
"Who Will Take My Dreams Away" by Marianne Faithful (CITY OF LOST CHILDREN)
"Secret Garden" by Bruce Springsteen (JERRY MAGUIRE)
"Over and Over" by Puff Johnson (THE FIRST WIVES CLUB)
"The End is the Beginning is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins (BATMAN & ROBIN)
"Song for Mama" by Boyz II Men (SOUL FOOD)
"Storm" by Grace Jones (THE AVENGERS) - the best song song ever recorded not for a Bond movie
"Steal My Sunshine" by Len (GO!)
"Quiet Mountain Town" and "La Resistance Medley" (SOUTH PARK)
Also, if anything was recorded for the EMPIRE RECORDS and THE CRAFT soundtracks? That.
I didn't know 'show me heaven' or 'I don't wanna fight' were eligible in their respective years.
I know the Academy has recently started to list eligible original songs on their website but where did you find info about the eligible songs from the 90s.
And for that matter - where does one find info about eligible films, songs, scores etc from the beginning of the Oscars?
I love these eligibility lists cos they give us a chance to see what films, songs,scores that have completely missed out.
BTW - 'I finally found someone' is brilliant. It shouldn't have worked - Bryan Adams gravelly rock vocals and Barbra's sublime vocals - but combined with that beautiful end credits performance between the divine Streisand and the wonderful Jeff Bridges just makes it perfect....IMO.
Am I the only Elliott Smith fan here? I think Miss Misery belongs on the list. Even Madonna herself has said he should have beaten that awful Titanic song for the Oscar. She was fairly cheeky when she announced the winner in that category.
I would also include I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan, from The Brothers McMullen.
Love Song for a Vampire!
STEVE -- omg. how could i forget that after raving about it on the podcast last weekend?
Bette -- i can't really find the info. I did searches on particular songs and read up on their history a bit. The book INSIDE OSCAR does occasionally also list eligible songs that weren't nominated (though it's not a dependable feature since it's their for some years and not for others). I'm not sure all of these were eligible exactly but most were written for their movies or first released on these soundtracks (not that Oscar hasn't found ways to eliminated things in the past that should have been eligible)
I love that Christmas song from the Tom hanks animated train movie - cant remember movie or name of song. I also thought "that thing you do" was so charming and sweet. I like "used to be our playground" - but i just don't think it fit comfortably. A loved loved loved the last few minutes of "a league of their own" - gets me teary every time.
First one to come to mind is "The Prayer" by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster, performed by Celine Dion and Andrea Boccelli. Their live performance at the Oscars stands as one of the best ever. It was a pity that this classic competed at the Oscars with "When You Believe" by Stephen Schwartz. Whitney Houston's and Mariah Carey's duet at the very same ceremony also made history. Still, my Oscar would have gone to "The Prayer".
I remember being a child in the 90s and thinking "This used to be my playground" was the absolute saddest thing I had ever heard. That song may have been the first time I understood what loss feels like.
There it is! That's the Dick Tracy shot I would have chosen.
Great list. I'm going straight to Youtube!
Any opinions about "The Color of the Night"? (the song not the movie, please) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKnMK-eqKfM,
I love the near total shut-out of "The Lion King" here. Even at age 9 I found the whole thing cloying. Stop telling me how to feel about my Dad, Disney.
I have to admit I have a soft spot for "Whole New World" from Aladdin. Also, "Who Will Take My Dreams Away" from City of Lost Children, just because, Marianne F***ing Faithfull.
'Because You Loved Me' should have won that year. Classic song.
I must add to the list all the Prince or Mavis Staples performed songs from the otherwise awful Graffiti Bridge, but especially "Joy in Repetition," "Melody Cool," "The Question of U," "Tick, Tick, Bang" and "Still Would Stand All Time."
Also: Prince's "Girl 6," "She Spoke 2 Me" and "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" (this last one definitely not Oscar-eligible) from Spike Lee's Girl 6.
Also: k.d. lang's gorgeous "Barefoot" from Percy Adlon's Salmonberries.
One word: "Iris."
More words: I think I would have included a little more The Lion King ("Hakuna Matata") and some Aladdin ("Friend Like Me", maybe "A Whole New World") over Pocahontas (in particular, "If I Never Knew You") and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (whose 'Outcasts' I can't even recall). These are tunes that defined movie music for a generation-- surely that means something? Their orchestrations are lush and their lyrics witty, something that Disney seems to have dropped in its recent musicals. I'll never get over the rapturous response to "Let It Go," a song that musically and lyrically could have been written by a precocious 12 year old.
And re: Dick Tracy, I've never seen the movie, but I am in love with Audra McDonald's version of "What Can You Lose?" Is it not used well in the movie?
Other tunes that come to mind: "Run to You" from The Bodyguard and "Somewhere in My Memory" from Home Alone, one of my favorite Christmas tunes (isn't that film's score amazing?).
Evan -- WHAT? Outcasts is the best number in that movie. Bette Midler sang it in the end credits but it has a prominent place in the movie too.
Love this list! Though you've got to put My Heart Will Go On as #1. And how about Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
Suzanne--You're not the only Elliott Smith fan here. I love him, and "Miss Misery" is genius. My list:
Elliott Smith--"Miss Misery"
Neil Young--"Philadelphia" (listen to this one if you've never heard it!)
Sinead O'Connor--"You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart," "Lullabye for Cain," "The Butcher Boy"
Tori Amos--"Siren," "Butterfly"
Aimee Mann--"Wise Up"
Garbage--"The World is Not Enough"
k.d. lang--"Hush Sweet Lover"
The Cardigans--"Lovefool"
Edwyn Collins--"Girl Like You"
Lisa Loeb--"Stay (I Missed You)"
Bjork--"Amphibian," "Play Dead"
Nine Inch Nails--"The Perfect Drug" (not a fan, but I like this song)
Sheryl Crow--"Carolina," "Tomorrow Never Dies"
Annie Lennox--"Love Song for a Vampire"
U2--"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"
Madonna--everything she did as a soundtrack song was awesome in the 90's, from Dick Tracy through Austin Powers.
So many awesome songs. If I think of any more I'll post again. I love this topic!
I'm fine with this list with one exception. I would have moved "What Can You Lose" to number two. It's such a short, relatively simple song, yet it packs such an emotional punch. I still listen to the Dick Tracy soundtrack regularly, and while almost all the songs are good, that by far is the most powerful to me. :-)
Nathaniel- to be fair, I've basically forgotten the whole movie. I thought it was such a snoozer when I saw it as a pre-teen.
Also, I didn't realize that "What Can You Lose?" was in fact on the list. Yay.
Also, I just realized that since it's my childhood best friend's birthday, it must also be yours! Happy Birthday to the best film blogger there is!
1990:
"Show Me Heaven" from Days of Thunder
"Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from Dick Tracy
"Promise Me You'll Always Remember" from The Godfather Part III
"Somewhere in My Memory" from Home Alone*
"I'm Checkin Out" from Postcards from the Edge
1991:
"Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast
"Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast*
"Belle" from Beauty and the Beast
"Tears in Heaven" from Rush
"Until the End of the World" from Until the End of the World
1992:
"Friend Like Me" from Aladdin
"A Whole New World" from Aladdin
"This Used to Be My Playground" from A League of Their Own*
"Santa Fe" from Newsies
"Heartland" from Pure Country
1993:
"Thief of Your Heart" from In the Name of the Father
"This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas
"Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia*
"All for Love" from The Three Musketeers
"I Don't Wanna Fight" from What's Love Got To Do With It
1994:
"Look What Love Has Done" from Junior
"Circle of Life" from The Lion King*
"Whatever You Imagine" from The Pagemaster
"Stay" from Reality Bites
"I'll Remember" from With Honors
1995:
"Who Will Take My Dreams Away" from The City of Lost Children
"Gangsta's Paradise" from Dangerous Minds*
"Dead Man Walkin'" from Dead Man Walking
"Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas
"You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story
1996:
"You Must Love Me" from Evita
"God Help the Outcasts" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
"Change the World" from Phenomenon
"I Believe I Can Fly" from Space Jam*
"That Thing You Do" from That Thing You Do
1997:
"Once Upon a December" from Anastasia
"How Do I Live" from Con Air
"Miss Misery" from Good Will Hunting*
"I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Hercules
"My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic
1998:
"I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" from Armageddon
"Iris" from City of Angels
"Reflection" from Mulan
"Through Heaven's Eyes" from The Prince of Egypt
"When You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt*
1999:
"Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
"Save Me" from Magnolia
"The Great Beyond" from Man on the Moon
"Blame Canada" from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut*
"When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2
Another one I just thought of: is "Hot One" from Velvrrt Goldmine original?
Nathaniel--I appreciate all these references to Madonna's songs in Dick Tracy. I'm a big fan of hers, and I think I'm Breathless is one of her most under-appreciated records. There are several great songs besides the Sondheim tracks on there, and her voice sounds great. Vocally, she's reminiscent of Bernadette Peters in spots. Maybe it's the Sondheim influence ...
No list is complete without Once Upon a December or Journey to the Past from Anastasia.
I also love When She Loved Me from Toy Story 2.
If I could find room for it, I'd add the title song to When We Were Kings for 1996.
How can we not remember How Can I Remember from Sabrina?
"God Give Me Strength" - Grace of My Heart (Elvis Costello)
Hell yes, BC! Also: "Man from Mars," "My Secret Love" and "A Boat on the Sea."
I am of the cassette/CD generation, so thank you for giving "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shaggd Me" some love. It's a really killer soundtrack (Lenny Kravitz and Mel B have some fun covers on there).
The only song I felt egregiously left out was "Again" by Janet Jackson, which I just discovered a few months ago (apparently "iPod" by Iyaz samples it, but I can never discern it).
I LOVE SOONER OR LATER.
The Schumacher Batman films also have great soundtracks, but the best songs ("Kiss from a Rose" and "Foolish Games") aren't eligible for Oscars because they appeared somewhere else. 10-year-old me was ridiculously jazzed when, a week before "Batman & Robin" came out, "Gotham City" by R. Kelly came on the radio.
Also, the Space Jam soundtrack!! "For You I Will" by Monica, "Fly Like an Eagle" by Seal and the title track from Quad City DJ's -- and "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly!!
I really miss the late '90s, you guys.
I hope I'm not the only one who prefers the Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky version of "When You Believe" over the Whitney and Mariah one.....