Ranking All 80 Winners of Best Original Song (Plus Where This Year's Contenders Would Place)

Glenn here with a look at everybody’s favourite category – best original song! Okay, so, sure, even if this year’s roster for best original song doesn’t look like a vintage one for the category, there’s actually some fun to be had when you consider who will win.

• Will Diane Warren finally win an Oscar on her eighth nomination? And how strange will it be to see her win for a song from a documentary about sexual abuse alongside Lady Gaga rather than one of the chart-busting hit-singles that her first six nominations were for (lest we forget, Beyond the Lights’ “Grateful” didn’t chart because, well, Rita Ora).

• Will an opera tune win for the first time? No work of opera has ever been nominated if my research is correct, which is kinda neat even though I think the song is dirge (albeit appropriately so for the film).

• Will all the talk of diversity in cinema this year give us a winner that is either black (The Weeknd), transgender (Antony Hegarty), or gay (Sam Smith)?

• It’s been 18 years since the last occurrence of a movie winning both a Razzie and an Oscar. Plenty of films have been nominated for both of the awards, but neither has won an award from each since Wall Street in 1988. Could Fifty Shades of Grey break a very unique drought?

Now, naturally because we all love lists so I thought it would be fun to rank every winner of Oscar’s best original song category and see where this year’s contenders would fit in when they take home that golden statue. What could possible go wrong with a completely subjective ranking of over 80 songs?!? Oh dear. You’ve been warned, I guess. Two things to note: I have not included "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from Lady Be Good since even the writer of that 1941 song was angry it was given an award when it wasn't written for the movie (it was subsequently the impetus for the category's rule change). Secondly, I have tried to rank as close to original film versions as possible so some songs that were improved upon in later recordings (like Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa”) may not rank as high. And, yes, before you ask, I am the person that hates Mary Poppins and who has never seen much of the appeal of the overtly twee “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”.

Go over the rainbow after the jump...

1. The Wizard of Oz, “Over the Rainbow”
2. Philadelphia, “Streets of Philadelphia”
3. Nashville, “I’m Easy”
4. The Way We Were, “The Way We Were”
5. Shaft, “Theme from Shaft”
6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “Moon River”
7. Dick Tracy, “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”
8. Pocahontas, “Colors of the Wind”
9. 8 Mile, “Lose Yourself”
10. Working Girl, “Let the River Run”
11. Calamity Jane, “Secret Love”
12. Top Gun, “Take My Breath Away”
13. The Little Mermaid, “Under the Sea”
14. The Thomas Crown Affair, “The Windmills of Your Mind”
15. Evita, “You Must Love Me”
16. The Harvey Girls, "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
17. Norma Rae, “It Goes Like It Goes”
18. Born Free, “Born Free”
19. The Big Broadcast of 1938, “Thanks for the Memory”
20. The Joker is Wild, “All the Way”
21. Arthur, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”
22. Flashdance, “Flashdance… What a Feeling”
23. The Sandpiper, “The Shadow of Your Smile”
24. Once, “Falling Slowly”
25. Pinocchio, “When You Wish Upon a Star”
26. Papa’s Delicate Condition, “Call Me Irresponsible”
27. State Fair, “It Might As Well Be Spring”
28. Dirty Dancing, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”
29. The Gay Divorcee, “The Continental”
30. Holiday Inn, “White Christmas”
31. Lovers and Other Strangers, “For All We Know”
32. Swing Time, “The Way You Look Tonight”
33. Frozen, “Let It Go”
34. Thank God It’s Friday, “Last Dance”
35. Neptune’s Daughter, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
36. The Prince of Egypt, “When You Believe”
37. The Man Who Knew Too Much, “Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)”
38. Aladdin, “A Whole New World”
39. Fame, “Fame”
40. Titanic, “My Heart Will Go On”
41. Never on Sunday, “Ta Paidia Tou Piraia”
42. Skyfall, “Skyfall”
43. Selma, “Glory”
    Fifty Shades of Grey, "Earned It"
    
    
44. A Star is Born, “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born)”
45. Here Comes the Groom, “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening”
46. Beauty and the Beast, “Beauty and the Beast”
47. Hustle & Flow, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp”
48. Slumdog Millionaire, “Jai Ho”
49. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, “Into the West”
50. Days of Wine and Roses, “Days of Wine and Roses”
51. Hello, Frisco, Hello, “You’ll Never Know”
52. The Motorcycle Diaries, “Al Otro Lado Del Rio”
53. Crazy Heart, “The Weary Kind”
54. An Officer and a Gentleman, “Up Where We Belong”
55. High Noon, “High Noon (Don’t Forsake Me, O My Darling”)
56. Gold Diggers of 1935, “Lullaby of Broadway”
    Racing Extinction, "Manta Ray"
    
    
57. The Wonder Boys, “Things Have Changed"
58. The Lion King, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”
    The Hunting Ground, "Til it Happens to You"
    
    
59. A Hole in the Head, “High Hopes”
60. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head”
61. Captain Carey, U.S.A., “Mona Lisa”
62. Tarzan, “You’ll Be in My Heart”
63. Three Coins in the Fountain, “Three Coins in the Fountain”
64. Monsters, Inc., “If I Didn’t Have You”
65. Going My Way, “Swinging on a Star”
66. Love is a Many Splendored Thing, “Love is a Many Splendored Thing”
67. White Nights, “Say You, Say Me”
68. An Inconvenient Truth, “I Need to Wake Up”
69. Doctor Dolittle, “Talk to the Animals”     
70. Toy Story 3, “We Belong Together”
    Youth, "Simple Song #3"
    
    
71. You Light Up My Life, “You Light Up My Life”
72. The Woman in Red, “I Just Called to Say I Love You”
73. The Muppets, “Man or Muppet”
74. The Towering Inferno, “We May Never Love Like This Again”
75. The Poseidon Adventure, “The Morning After”
    Spectre, "Writing's on the Wall"
    
    
76. Waikiki Wedding, “Sweet Leilani”
77. The Paleface, “Buttons and Bows”
78. Song of the South, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”
79. Mary Poppins, “Chim Chim Cher-ee”
80. Gigi, “Gigi”

Guys, Gigi is the worst! What do you think is going to win? Please refrain from tearing me apart on this list. I know Film Experience commenters have Opinions so have at it!

Comments

[Seeking Amy]

Beauty and the Beast at 46? Yikes.

[NATHANIEL R]

i can accept your craziness about MARY POPPINS but "The Morning After" at 75. Make it not be so! Love that cheese-tacular ballad.

[Dave S.]

This is the best kind of controversy baiting. Justice for "Arthur's Theme"! How is "Last Dance" so low?

[Sawyer]

Higher for ROTK because Annie Lennox is everything.

[Paul Outlaw]

#14 is my current e-mail tag: "Sent from the windmills of my mind."

[AR]

Sam Smith is still too high.

[Mike in Canada]

I'd start by swapping My Heart Will Go On (which is perfect) and Lose Yourself (which is gross.)

[Ryan]

Far too kind to Writing's on the Wall

[Rami]

So sad about the Titanic song ranked so low, but my heart will go on and on...

[DAVID]

#10 - Working Girl, “Let the River Run"

Hell yeah!!! This song is so beautiful you guys!

[brookesboy]

My Top Ten in no order: The Way We Were, Over the Rainbow, You'll Never Know, My Heart Will Go On, The Morning After, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, Evergreen, For All We Know, You Must Love Me, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight. Special mentions to We May Never Love Like This Again, Colors of the Wind, Flashdance and (yes, I typed it!) You Light Up My Life. LOL

I wonder how many of the winners have "love" in the title. Hmmm...

The worst absolutely is High Hopes. What a POS!

[Paul Outlaw]

1. "Over the Rainbow"
2. "Theme from Shaft"
3. "Call Me Irresponsible"
4. "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
5. "The Way You Look Tonight"
6. "Mona Lisa"
7. "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
8. "You'll Never Know"
9. "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”
10. "Secret Love"

[Volvagia]

Mike In Canada: Gross is kind of supposed to be the point, though, as far as Lose Yourself goes. Loose, crude, angry and hungry IS the idea. Also: Even if you still don't like Lose Yourself, that's valuing My Heart Will Go On (a song that, compared to what I'm about to mention, is both kind of boringly composed and, lyrically, VERY simplistic) more than Take My Breath Away, Falling Slowly, (I've Had) The Time of My Life and A Whole New World.

[cash]

You're right: Gigi is totally the worst!

And once again I learn that the world likes Bruce Springsteen so much more than I do. I don't hate or actively dislike him, or anything. I just don't understand the widespread acclaim.

I like 72 and 73 a whole lot more than Glenn does.

And I really need to see Nashville.

[Sean Troutman]

Is "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” ranked so low just because it comes from an infamous Disney movie? I'm not okay with that. Especially since date-rape anthem "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is ranked #35.

[Tim Brayton]

Ctrl+F "Pinocchio". Sees a number lower than 5.

You are history's greatest monster.

My top 10 (by the movie version: "Baby It's Cold Outside" would be easily in if I could count the Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Jordan recording):

1. "Over the Rainbow"
2. "When You Wish Upon a Star"
3. "The Windmills of Your Mind"
4. "The Way You Look Tonight"
5. "Beauty and the Beast"
6. "I'm Easy"
7. "It Goes Like it Goes"
8. "Thanks for the Memory"
9. "Theme from Shaft"
10. "Moon River"

Also, I agree with AR and Ryan: even putting "Writing's on the Wall" at #80 would still somehow feel too generous.

[BD]

Who starts a list with #1??

[Travis]

Regarding the Razzies, 1988 was 28 years ago (Yikes!) not 18.

[Someone]

"Writing's on the Wall" and "Simple Song #3" are the only two songs this year nominated for Golden Globe, Critics' Choice Award and Academy Award.
People are too mean to Sam Smith, IMO. This is not the best Bond song of all time but it is far better than first three of the XXI century (all before "SkyFall"). And I like it far better than "Simple Song #3", "Till It Happens To You" and few songs that won during past two decades (both Randy Newman's song, the Muppets...).

[Mike in Canada]

Volvagia: to be fair, that's just where I'd start.

[MSP]

"because, well, Rita Ora"

Literally spit out coffee at this shade. Keep it coming.

[Kirby]

Baby it's cold outside was also not written specifically for the movie, and there are others, both nominees and winners. I seen to recall reading that I just called to say I love you wasn't (and that would be my ultimate worst winning song).

[Dave in Hollywood]

It's hard to know the Oscar winning versions of some of these songs, but I'm impressed with how many of these songs became straight up classics like:

All The Way
You'll Never Know
The Way You Look Tonight
Thanks For The Memory
The Shadow of Your Smile
It Might As Well Be Spring
Call Me Irresponsible

Gigi is definitely NOT the worst winner, but it has the dubious distinction of being maybe the worst song in the score for their particular movie, not unlike Chim Chim Cheree or, shudder, Talk To the Animals.

High Hopes, Sweet Leilani, Swinging On A Star are probably my least favorite.

But look at all the songs and movies that are utterly forgotten now:

Say You Say Me from White Nights? huh?
Things Have Changed from The Wonder Boys?
If I Didn't Have You from Monsters Inc?

Can anyone hum any of those?

[Suzanne]

Dave in Hollywood - Is Say You Say Me really forgotten? I loved that (Lionel Richie) song when I was a kid. I remember the film, too, it's Reagan-era propaganda where Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines play dancers defecting to the U.S. (I think Hines's character previously defected to the USSR? The plot was probably overly complicated for the film.)

I actually hate that damn Titanic song, so I think #40 is plenty high. And I'm delighted to see I'm Easy at #3.

[RobMiles]

I can't believe that 'Love Me Like You Do' isn't nominated. It must be because some of the writers are Swedish. Blatant Racism.

[Rami]

#Justice4EllieGoulding

[Chris Feil]

"You Light Up My Life" is death, but "Last Dance" being half way down the list??? *face cracks, shatters into a million pieces*

[Glenn]

FWIW, I thought "Last Dance" and "My Heart Will Go On" would be much higher until I started ranking them and realised there are a lot of great songs that have won, contrary to opinion about this category.

Rob and Randy - "Love Me Like You Do" would rank higher if it were nominated. Sadly, alas...

Sean - the version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" in NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (what is that movie?!?) is far less odious - they switch the genders up midway through. Listening to "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is like listening to unfiltered racism, but it's still not worse than GIGI or MARY POPPINS' songs.

Nathaniel - Maureen McGovern is a witch. Thank heavens that Ice Castles theme song didn't win.

Amy - I'm not as big on "Beauty and the Beast" tbh. If "Be Our Guest" had won, however, it'd rank much higher. I think the title song suffers in a similar way to The Lion King's winner. Too syrupy for my liking although Lord knows Angela Lansbury tries her hardest.

Kirby - I wasn't aware of this. If they weren't written for their movies then they hid that from the Oscars since they implement the rule change after Lady Be Good.

[James]

I personally hate Earned It with a passion as it sounds like a love song for someone constipated. Plus, The Weeknd someone sounds sleepy and whiny at the same time. I read a wonderful article on Diane Warren today on Buzzfeed. I'm hoping she'll get one of those cumulative awards this year like Randy Newman did when he finally won (even if the song wasn't really his best).

My Top Ten:
1. Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz
2. My Heart Will Go On, Titanic (go ahead and fight me over it, it crystallized the movie's emotions and Celine Dion's stardom at once).
3. Falling Slowly, Once
4. Theme from Shaft, Shaft
5. Moon River, Breakfast at Tiffany's
6. Que Sera Sera, The Man Who Knew Too Much
7. I've Had the Time of My Life, Dirty Dancing
8. Let It Go, Frozen
9. You Must Love Me, Evita
10. Flashdance...What a Feeling, Flashdance

[Paul Outlaw]

I really can't stay / Baby it's cold outside
I've got to go away / Baby it's cold outside
This evening has been / Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice / I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
My mother will start to worry / Beautiful, what's your hurry
My father will be pacing the floor / Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I'd better scurry / Beautiful, please don't hurry
Well, maybe just a half a drink more / Put some records on while I pour

The neighbors might think / Baby, it's bad out there
Say, what's in this drink / No cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how / Your eyes are like starlight now
To break this spell / I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir / Mind if I move a little closer
At least I'm gonna say that I tried / What's the sense in hurting my pride
I really can't stay / Baby don't hold out
Ah, but it's cold outside

I simply must go / Baby, it's cold outside
The answer is no / Ooh baby, it's cold outside
This welcome has been / I'm lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm / Look out the window at that storm
My sister will be suspicious / Man, your lips look so delicious
My brother will be there at the door / Waves upon a tropical shore
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious / Gosh your lips look delicious
Well, maybe just a cigarette more / Never such a blizzard before

I've got to get home / Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there
Say, lend me your coat / It's up to your knees out there
You've really been grand / Your eyes are like starlight now
But don't you see / How can you do this thing to me
There's bound to be talk tomorrow / Think of my lifelong sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied / If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can't stay / Get over that old out
Ah, but it's cold outside

__________________

Sooner or later you're gonna be mine
Sooner or later you're gonna be fine
Baby, it's time that you face it
I always get my man

Sooner or later you're gonna decide
Sooner or later there's nowhere to hide
Baby, it's time, so why waste it in chatter?
Let's settle the matter

Baby, you're mine on a platter
I always get my man

But if you insist, babe, the challenge delights me
The more you resist, babe, the more it excites me
And no one I've kissed, babe, ever fights me again
If you're on my list, it's just a question of when

When I get a yen, then baby, Amen
I'm counting to ten, and then...

I'm gonna love you like nothing you've known
I'm gonna love you, and you all alone
Sooner is better than later but lover
I'll hover, I'll plan

This time I'm not only getting
I'm holding my man

[NATHANIEL R]

i've never understand how they can campaign instrumental numbers as "songs" -- wouldn't that make every "theme" from an original score eligible as a "song"

[Glenn Dunks]

Paul - don't thrust things like lyrics in our face. GAWD! :)

Nathaniel - which one are you talking about? No instrumental has ever won this category (although many winners and nominees have used score themes as the backing for songs).

[ChrisD]

It still breaks my heart that Part of Your World is not on this list, I will never understand how it wasn't nominated. Loving the love for Colours of the Wind. Beauty and the Beast and My Heart Will Go On would be very high on my list.

[brookesboy]

Glenn, Melissa Manchester sang the theme to Ice Castles.

[Volvagia]

Glenn: I don't know if changing the genders makes the line "better", entirely. I mean, it makes it not sexist, but I'm not sure if vaguely misanthropic is that much of an improvement.

[Nick Davis]

"Maureen McGovern is a witch."

Amazing.

This whole thing is amazing.

[Glenn Dunks]

Oh, I was right about McGovern and the two '70s disaster epic songs. Only wrong about Ice Castles. I knew I didn't have a complete brain fade :)

[NATHANIEL R]

Glenn -- i wasn't thinking of a winner, just the instrumentals that do make the eligibility list sometimes. i'm always like "how is that possible?"

[Peggy Sue]

"Writing's on the Wall" is totally winning. I know you all hate it so I apologize in advance.

[Craver]

It just dawned on me that Til It Happens to You will win, and finally Diane Warren and Lady Gaga will be Oscar Winners.
Simple Song #3 could be a surprise, but I just couldn't see the other 3 possible, especially Sam Smith.

[Glenn Dunks]

Nathaniel, I only watched ROCKY for the first time a few weeks ago and was surprised to discover the theme music that is so often used and heard is actually a song with awful choral singing over that iconic music? So Bizarre.

Peggy Sue, I have a suspicion it'll win, too. Yikes. :/

[Bensunce]

I really don't understand why Writing's on the Wall has been nominated as it is a forgettable Bond song and there was a perfectly good Bond song eligible this year (albeit a parody of a Bond song): Who Can You Trust from Spy!

It's a booming, inviting and quite funny song! And it made sense with the movie as was not so much the case with the Spectre song.

Such a shame...

[Glenn Dunks]

The song from SPY is so good!

[Bette Streep]

Interesting list. Pretty much disagree with a lot of your choices but that is the beauty of these sorts of lists.

Now that I have had a chance to listen to all o this years nominees - sentiment would say Hunting Ground will win but I somehow think the operatic Simple Song from Youth will win.

Agree with a lot of others - Writing on the wall is NOT worthy of a nomination. FFS Sam Smith even admitted he took just 20 minutes to write the crap.

[NewMoonSon]

That Top 5 would be Perfection without the Boss. Love him, don’t like that tune. Would replace it with Fame.

Say You, Say Me should be in the bottom five. Thirty years later and I still can't believe it beat Miss Celie’s Blues (which Lionel also wrote). If The Color Purple had won, at least it wouldn't have gone down in history as one of Oscar's biggest losers.

I don't care who wins this year so long as it's not Sam Smith.

[NATHANIEL R]

the top ten are all gorgeous songs but i'd dump SHAFT for "secret love" from calamity jane which would be near the top of my list. i am nutso for that song.

i think my list goes like so

1. The Wizard of Oz, “Over the Rainbow”
2. Nashville, “I’m Easy”
3. The Way We Were, “The Way We Were”
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “Moon River”
5. Calamity Jane, “Secret Love”
6. Once, "Faling Slowly"
7. Dick Tracy, “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”
8.. 8 Mile, “Lose Yourself”
9. Working Girl, “Let the River Run”
10. Norma Rae, “It Goes Like It Goes”

or something like that. But i also love "Glory" from Selma and the Mary Poppins song and "White Christmas" and "atchison topeka and the Evita song.

[Paul Outlaw]

Embarrassed to have left "Falling Slowly" and "All the Way" off my Top 10. Revised:

1. "Over the Rainbow"
2. "Theme from Shaft"
3. "Call Me Irresponsible"
4. "Baby, It's Cold Outside""All the Way"
5. "The Way You Look Tonight"
6. "Mona Lisa"
7. "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)""Falling Slowly"
8. "You'll Never Know"
9. "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”
10. "Secret Love"

Call me irresponsible...

[jakey]

I realize how many of my favorites were NOMINATED but didn't win.

Because You Loved Me, Up Close & Personal
I Don't Want To Miss a Thing, Armageddon
There You'll Be, Pearl Harbor

And those are all from Diane Warren!

Also partial to
Again, Poetic Justice
Accidentally in Love, Shrek 2

I'm clearly stuck in the '90s-midaughts.

[theizzEB]

“Call Me Irresponsible” would def be in my top 10 and not down at 26!

[Glenn Dunks]

theizzEB, the song is a great one although I'm not sure Jackie Gleason does it quite the amount of justice it deserves.