10 worst Oscar winners for best original song
Do you really think 'You Light Up My Life' would win again?
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There have been many years when the Oscar winner for best original song felt 100% right and then there have been all the other years. Finding the 10 most egregious mistakes wasn't difficult. Too many times the voters seemingly selected the movie rather than the song or the legacy of the esteemed songwriter over the particular tune. And then, of course, there are the years when the Oscar voters just seem to hate most of the songs altogether, such as last year, when only two songs made the cut. Here's a look back at some cringeworthy selections (OK, they aren't ALL cringeworthy) and who should have won.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupIt's Hard Out There
February 21, 2013 at 3:04AM EST Reply to CommentStanding Ovation to Melinda for picking Say You, Say Me over Power of Love as one of the ten.
Steven
February 21, 2013 at 4:11AM EST Reply to CommentI adore "It Goes Like It Goes"! Such a beautiful, haunting melody by David Shire.
I agree, "You'll Be in My Heart" shouldn't have won, but Randy Newman should have broken his losing streak with "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2 that year.
Dolly Parton should be a two-time Oscar winner now for "9 to 5" and "Travelin' Thru." And should be a nominee this year for "From Here to the Moon and Back." What do they have against her incredible movie songwriting?
That Werewolf Guy
February 21, 2013 at 8:26AM EST Reply to CommentPlease tell me that this kind of hateful and snarky article isn't becoming the norm here on Hit Fix. I already deleted way too many entertainment news sites from my bookmarks, just because they felt the urge to appeal to the cynical we-hate-everything AICN talkbacker and IMDB message board demographic.
velocityknown
February 21, 2013 at 10:26AM EST Reply to CommentNot that I think it was a bad win in a two song category, but my biggest problem with last year's was that I thought "Life's a Happy Song" was a much better song than "Man or Muppet."
Brendan
February 21, 2013 at 10:54AM EST Reply to CommentThis is the best of the 'Oscar got it wrong' lists on HitFix in 2013 (good gosh, It Goes Like it Goes over Rainbow Connection?! How?!)
My only quibble is that You'll Be In My Heart beat an even more deserving nominee than Save Me...When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2.
I remember clearly that every Oscar prediction list I read had When Somebody Loved Me marked as a lock. It was a huge upset and was the most egregious example of Randy Newman's Oscar drought.
I always felt that was why he looked so surprised when he finally won two years later...he face seemed to say "I lost for that but I won for THIS?!"
tr
February 21, 2013 at 11:01AM EST Reply to CommentUhm, Colors of the Winde being in here automatically makes this list invalid.
Mojo CoCo
February 21, 2013 at 12:18PM EST Reply to CommentEverything about Hustle and Flow was over rated. Especially Howard's performance. Did they give him the oscar soley bc he didnt use that insane accent he tried in Fighting?
youngjt80
February 21, 2013 at 12:45PM EST Reply to CommentMartin Scorsese: 0, Three 6 Mafia: 1.
Guy Lodge
February 21, 2013 at 1:47PM EST Reply to CommentSurprised by your selection of "Hard Out Here for a Pimp," which I think is one of the category's strongest recent winners. As I see it, the award shouldn't just be for the song, but for the way the song contributes to the film -- "Pimp" is utterly essential to the narrative of "Hustle & Flow," and its entire construction is inventively depicted on screen. "Travelin' Thru" is a nice little song, but can you really remember how it's used in "Transamerica" (if, indeed, you remember much of "Transamerica" at all)?
Agree that "You Light Up My Life" hasn't aged well as a winner -- though for the sake of context, isn't it worth noting that it was a massive hit, even winning the Grammy for Song of the Year? The real question is why the Academy didn't nominate any of the original songs from "Saturday Night Fever" that year, or indeed "Theme from 'New York, New York'".
melinda Guy- We could do a whole other gallery on songs that should have won but weren't even nominated!! And yes, "You Light Up My Life" won song of the year at the Grammys and Debby Boone won best new artist ! (over Stephen Bishop, Foreigner, Andy Gibb and Shaun Cassidy).
February 22, 2013 at 2:37PM ESTSeasider
February 21, 2013 at 2:56PM EST Reply to CommentThe problem with criticizing the best song category is people's opinions have a lot to do with their taste in music. I had no problem with songs like Colors of the Wind and When You Believe winning. I think "You've Got a Friend In Me" is overrated and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" is arguably the most annoying rock ballad in the past 20 years. It wouldn't surprise me if the Best Song category gets phased out of the Oscars.
melinda Seasider-- you're absolutely right. Lists like these are completely subjective and have much to do with someone's tastes in music and in films. I think the Oscars learned their lesson though and after the last few years of treating music so shabbily won't phase out the category.
February 22, 2013 at 2:35PM ESTRev. Slappy
February 21, 2013 at 8:28PM EST Reply to Comment"You'll Be in My Heart" beat out "Blame Canada" from the South Park movie. A travesty.
Rev. Slappy
February 21, 2013 at 8:28PM EST Reply to Comment"You'll Be in My Heart" beat out "Blame Canada" from the South Park movie. A travesty.
StanWarnerJr
February 21, 2013 at 11:05PM EST Reply to CommentI still think that "Scotty Doesn't Know" written and sung by Lustra for Eurotrip deserved at least an Oscar nomination.