The Oscars: Best Song Winners

The Oscars: Winners for Best Original Song, 1934-2022

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, better known as the Oscars, has given out its annual movie awards since 1934. Among the awards is the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The field is limited by eligibility requirements and has overlooked some songs which are integrally linked to their movies. Bill Haley’s “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (The Blackboard Jungle) and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” (The Bodyguard) come to mind. Still, the Oscar-winning writers are a who’s who of quintessential songwriters and composers including Harold Arlen, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, Hal David, Marvin Hamlisch, Oscar Hammerstein II, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, Jerome Kern, Alan Jay Lerner, Frank Loesser, Frederick Loewe, Henry Mancini, Alan Menken, Johnny Mercer, Tim Rice, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Paul Williams. In addition, a number of notable singers have put their songwriting stamp on Oscar, including Adele, Fred Astaire, Nat “King” Cole, Phil Collins, Bing Crosby, Celine Dion, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, Elton John, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. Click here for other ‘song of the year’ awards. Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode Some of the Most Iconic Oscar-Winning Songs which references songs on this list. Premiere: March 29, 2022 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database. Winners Ranked by Overall Dave’s Music Database status: Year: “Song” Performer Associated Most with Song * (Composers) Title of Movie * Not necessarily the performer featured in the movie 1942: “White Christmas” Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers (Irving Berlin) Holiday Inn 1939: “Over the Rainbow” Judy Garland (Harold Arlen, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg) The Wizard of Oz 1997: “My Heart Will Go On” Celine Dion (James Horner, Will Jennings) Titanic 2002: “Lose Yourself” Eminem (Marshall Mathers, Jeff Bass, Luis Resto) 8 Mile 1936: “The Way You Look Tonight” Fred Astaire with Johnny Green & His Orchestra (Jerome Kerns, Dorothy Fields) Swing Time 1940: “When You Wish Upon a Star” Cliff Edwards (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) Pinocchio 1977: “You Light Up My Life” Debby Boone (Joe Brooks) You Light Up My Life 1950: “Mona Lisa” Nat “King” Cole (Raymond Evans, Jay Livingston) Captain Carey, U.S.A. 1944: “Swinging on a Star” Bing Crosby with the John Scott Trott Orchestra & the Williams Brothers Quartet (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) Going My Way 1948: “Buttons and Bows” Dinah Shore & Her Harper Valley Boys (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) The Paleface 1984: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” Stevie Wonder (Stevie Wonder) The Woman in Red 1983: “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” Irene Cara (Irene Cara, Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey) Flashdance 1973: “The Way We Were” Barbara Streisand (Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) The Way We Were 1961: “Moon River” Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1971: “Theme from Shaft” Isaac Hayes (Isaac Hayes) Shaft 1987: “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (Frank Previte, John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz) Dirty Dancing 1937: “Sweet Leilani” Bing Crosby with Lani McIntire & His Hawaiians (Harry Owens) Wakiki Wedding 1986: “Take My Breath Away” Berlin (Giorgio Moroder, Tom Whitlock) Top Gun 1943: “You’ll Never Know” Dick Haymes with the Song Spinners (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) Hello, Frisco, Hello 2018: “Shallow” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) A Star Is Born 1946: “On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe” Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers (Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer) The Harvey Girls 1969: “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” B.J. Thomas (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 2013: “Let It Go” Idina Menzel (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez) Frozen 1993: “Streets of Philadelphia” Bruce Springsteen (Bruce Springsteen) Philadelphia 1985: “Say You, Say Me” Lionel Richie (Lionel Richie) White Nights 1953: “Secret Love” Doris Day (Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain) Calamity Jane 1949: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Johnny Mercer with Margaret Whiting (Frank Loesser) Neptune’s Daughter 1992: “A Whole New World” Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle (Alan Menken, Tim Rice) Aladdin 1945: “It Might As Well Be Spring” Dick Haymes (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) State Fair 1956: “Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” Doris Day (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) The Man Who Knew Too Much 1935: “Lullaby of Broadway” The Dorsey Brothers with Bob Crosby (Harry Warren, Al Dubin) Gold Diggers of 1935 1982: “Up Where We Belong” Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (Will Jennings, Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Saint Marie) An Officer and a Gentleman 1955: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” The Four Aces (Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 1938: “Thanks for the Memory” Shep Fields with Bob Goday (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) The Big Broadcast of 1938 1934: “The Continental” Leo Reisman (Jerb Magidson, Con Conrad) The Gay Divorce 1978: “Last Dance” Donna Summer (Paul Jabara) Thank God It’s Friday 1994: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Elton John (Elton John, Tim Rice) The Lion King 1981: “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” Christopher Cross (Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, Carole Bayer Sager/Peter Allen) Arthur 1976: “Evergreen” Barbra Streisand (Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams) A Star Is Born 1991: “Beauty and the Beast” Celine Dion with Peabo Bryson (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) Beauty and the Beast 1947: “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” James Baskett (Allie Wrubel, Ray Gilbert) Song of the South 1941: “The Last Time I Saw Paris” Kate Smith (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) Lady Be Good 1957: “All the Way” Sammy Cahn (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) The Joker Is Wild 2012: “Skyfall” Adele (Adele, Paul Epworth) Skyfall 1954: “Three Coins in the Fountain” The Four Aces (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) Three Coins in the Fountain 1962: “The Days of Wine and Roses” Henry Mancini (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) Days of Wine and Roses 1999: “You’ll Be in My Heart” Phil Collins (Phil Collins) Tarzan 1966: “Born Free” Roger Williams (John Barry, Don Black) Born Free 1952: “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)” Tex Ritter (Ned Washington, Dmitri Tiomkin) High Noon 1980: “Fame” Irene Cara (Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford) Fame 1963: “Call Me Irresponsible” Frank Sinatra (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) Papa’s Delicate Condition 1995: “Colors of the Wind” Vanessa Williams (Alan Menken, Steve Schwartz) Pocahontas 1959: “High Hopes” Frank Sinatra (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) A Hole in the Head 1965: “The Shadow of Your Smile” Tony Bennett (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) The Sandpiper 1951: “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” (Bing Crosby with Jane Wyman (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) Here Comes the Groom 1972: “The Morning After” Maureen McGovern (Al Kasha, Joel Hirshhorn) The Poseidon Adventure 1989: “Under the Sea” Samuel Wright (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) The Little Mermaid 1970: “For All We Know” The Carpenters (Jimmy Griffin, Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson) Love and Other Strangers 1998: “When You Believe” Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey (Stephen Schwartz) The Prince of Egypt 1964: “Chim Chim Cheree” Julie Andrews with Dick Van Dyke, Dotrice, & Garber (Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman) Mary Poppins 1960: “Never on Sunday” Don Costa (Manos Hadijidakis, Billy Towne) Never on Sunday 2007: “Falling Slowly” The Swell Season (Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova) Once 1996: “You Must Love Me” Madonna (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice) Evita 1974: “We May Never Love Like This Again” Seals & Croft (Dash Crofts, Jimmy Seals) The Towering Inferno 1975: “I’m Easy” Keith Carradine (Keith Carradine) Nashville 1968: “Windmills of Your Mind” Noel Harrison (Michael Legrand/Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) The Thomas Crown Affair 1958: “Gigi” Les Baxter (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner) Gigi 2000: “Things Have Changed” Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan) Wonder Boys 1988: “Let the River Run” Carly Simon (Carly Simon) Working Girl 2008: “Jai Ho” Pussycat Dolls (A.R. Rahman, Gulzar) Slumdog Millionaire 2021: “No Time to Die” Billie Eilish (Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell) No Time to Die 2015: “Writing’s on the Wall” Sam Smith (Jimmy Napes, Sam Smith) Spectre 2014: “Glory” Common & John Legend (Common, John Legend) Selma 2006: “I Need to Wake Up” Melissa Etheridge (Melissa Etheridge) An Inconvenient Truth 1967: “Talk to the Animals” Rex Harrison (Leslie Bricusse) Doctor Dolittle 2001: “If I Didn’t Have You” Billy Crystal & John Goodman (Randy Newman) Monsters, Inc. 1990: “Sooner or Later” Madonna (Stephen Sondheim) Dick Tracy 2020/2021: “Fight for You” H.E.R. (D’Mile, H.E.R., Tiara Thomas) Judas and the Black Messiah 2003: “Into the West” Annie Lennox (Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, Annie Lennox) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 1979: “It Goes Like It Goes” Jennifer Warnes (David Shire, Norman Gimbel) Norma Rae 2016: “City of Stars” Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone (Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul) La La Land 2005: “It’s Hard Out Her for a Pimp” Three 6 Mafia (Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard) Hustle & Flow 2019: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” Elton John and Taron Egerton (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) Rocketman 2011: “Man or Muppet” Jason Segel, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta, and Jim Parsons (Bret McKenzie) The Muppets 2017: “Remember Me” Miguel & Natalia Lafourcade (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez) Coco 2010: “We Belong Together” Randy Newman (Randy Newman) Toy Story 3 2004: “Al Otro Lado Del Rio (On the Other Side of the River)” Jorge Drexler (Jorge Drexler) The Motorcycle Diaries 2009: “The Weary Kind” Ryan Bingham (Ryan Bingham, T-Bone Burnett) Crazy Heart Winners by Year: 1934: “The Continental” Leo Reisman (Jerb Magidson, Con Conrad) The Gay Divorce 1935: “Lullaby of Broadway” The Dorsey Brothers with Bob Crosby (Harry Warren, Al Dubin) Gold Diggers of 1935 1936: “The Way You Look Tonight” Fred Astaire with Johnny Green & His Orchestra (Jerome Kerns, Dorothy Fields) Swing Time 1937: “Sweet Leilani” Bing Crosby with Lani McIntire & His Hawaiians (Harry Owens) Wakiki Wedding 1938: “Thanks for the Memory” Shep Fields with Bob Goday (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) The Big Broadcast of 1938 1939: “Over the Rainbow” Judy Garland (Harold Arlen, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg) The Wizard of Oz 1940: “When You Wish Upon a Star” Cliff Edwards (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) Pinocchio 1941: “The Last Time I Saw Paris” Kate Smith (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) Lady Be Good 1942: “White Christmas” Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers (Irving Berlin) Holiday Inn 1943: “You’ll Never Know” Dick Haymes with the Song Spinners (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) Hello, Frisco, Hello 1944: “Swinging on a Star” Bing Crosby with the John Scott Trott Orchestra & the Williams Brothers Quartet (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) Going My Way 1945: “It Might As Well Be Spring” Dick Haymes (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) State Fair 1946: “On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe” Johnny Mercer & the Pied Pipers (Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer) The Harvey Girls 1947: “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” James Baskett (Allie Wrubel, Ray Gilbert) Song of the South 1948: “Buttons and Bows” Dinah Shore & Her Harper Valley Boys (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) The Paleface 1949: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” Johnny Mercer with Margaret Whiting (Frank Loesser) Neptune’s Daughter 1950: “Mona Lisa” Nat “King” Cole (Raymond Evans, Jay Livingston) Captain Carey, U.S.A. 1951: “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” (Bing Crosby with Jane Wyman (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer) Here Comes the Groom 1952: “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)” Tex Ritter (Ned Washington, Dmitri Tiomkin) High Noon 1953: “Secret Love” Doris Day (Paul Francis Webster, Sammy Fain) Calamity Jane 1954: “Three Coins in the Fountain” The Four Aces (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) Three Coins in the Fountain 1955: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” The Four Aces (Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster) Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 1956: “Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” Doris Day (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) The Man Who Knew Too Much 1957: “All the Way” Sammy Cahn (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) The Joker Is Wild 1958: “Gigi” Les Baxter (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner) Gigi 1959: “High Hopes” Frank Sinatra (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) A Hole in the Head 1960: “Never on Sunday” Don Costa (Manos Hadijidakis, Billy Towne) Never on Sunday 1961: “Moon River” Henry Mancini with Audrey Hepburn (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1962: “The Days of Wine and Roses” Henry Mancini (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) Days of Wine and Roses 1963: “Call Me Irresponsible” Frank Sinatra (Sammy Cahn, James Van Heusen) Papa’s Delicate Condition 1964: “Chim Chim Cheree” Julie Andrews with Dick Van Dyke, Dotrice, & Garber (Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman) Mary Poppins 1965: “The Shadow of Your Smile” Tony Bennett (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) The Sandpiper 1966: “Born Free” Roger Williams (John Barry, Don Black) Born Free 1967: “Talk to the Animals” Rex Harrison (Leslie Bricusse) Doctor Dolittle 1968: “Windmills of Your Mind” Noel Harrison (Michael Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) The Thomas Crown Affair 1969: “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” B.J. Thomas (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1970: “For All We Know” The Carpenters (Jimmy Griffin, Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson) Love and Other Strangers 1971: “Theme from Shaft” Isaac Hayes (Isaac Hayes) Shaft 1972: “The Morning After” Maureen McGovern (Al Kasha, Joel Hirshhorn) The Poseidon Adventure 1973: “The Way We Were” Barbara Streisand (Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman) The Way We Were 1974: “We May Never Love Like This Again” Seals & Croft (Dash Crofts, Jimmy Seals) The Towering Inferno 1975: “I’m Easy” Keith Carradine (Keith Carradine) Nashville 1976: “Evergreen” Barbra Streisand (Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams) A Star Is Born 1977: “You Light Up My Life” Debby Boone (Joe Brooks) You Light Up My Life 1978: “Last Dance” Donna Summer (Paul Jabara) Thank God It’s Friday 1979: “It Goes Like It Goes” Jennifer Warnes (David Shire, Norman Gimbel) Norma Rae 1980: “Fame” Irene Cara (Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford) Fame 1981: “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” Christopher Cross (Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, Carole Bayer Sager, Peter Allen) Arthur 1982: “Up Where We Belong” Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (Will Jennings, Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Saint Marie) An Officer and a Gentleman 1983: “Flashdance...What a Feelin’” Irene Cara (Irene Cara, Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey) Flashdance 1984: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” Stevie Wonder (Stevie Wonder) The Woman in Red 1985: “Say You, Say Me” Lionel Richie (Lionel Richie) White Nights 1986: “Take My Breath Away” Berlin (Giorgio Moroder, Tom Whitlock) Top Gun 1987: “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (Frank Previte, John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz) Dirty Dancing 1988: “Let the River Run” Carly Simon (Carly Simon) Working Girl 1989: “Under the Sea” Samuel Wright (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) The Little Mermaid 1990: “Sooner or Later” Madonna (Stephen Sondheim) Dick Tracy 1991: “Beauty and the Beast” Celine Dion with Peabo Bryson (Howard Ashman, Alan Menken) Beauty and the Beast 1992: “A Whole New World” Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle (Alan Menken, Tim Rice) Aladdin 1993: “Streets of Philadelphia” Bruce Springsteen (Bruce Springsteen) Philadelphia 1994: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Elton John (Elton John, Tim Rice) The Lion King 1995: “Colors of the Wind” Vanessa Williams (Alan Menken, Steve Schwartz) Pocahontas 1996: “You Must Love Me” Madonna (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice) Evita 1997: “My Heart Will Go On” Celine Dion (James Horner/Will Jennings) Titanic 1998: “When You Believe” Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey (Stephen Schwartz) The Prince of Egypt 1999: “You’ll Be in My Heart” Phil Collins (Phil Collins) Tarzan 2000: “Things Have Changed” Bob Dylan (Bob Dylan) Wonder Boys 2001: “If I Didn’t Have You” Billy Crystal & John Goodman (Randy Newman) Monsters, Inc. 2002: “Lose Yourself” Eminem (Marshall Mathers, Jeff Bass, Luis Resto) 8 Mile 2003: “Into the West” Annie Lennox (Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, Annie Lennox) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004: “Al Otro Lado Del Rio (On the Other Side of the River)” Jorge Drexler (Jorge Drexler) The Motorcycle Diaries 2005: “It’s Hard Out Her for a Pimp” Three 6 Mafia (Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard) Hustle & Flow 2006: “I Need to Wake Up” Melissa Etheridge (Melissa Etheridge) An Inconvenient Truth 2007: “Falling Slowly” The Swell Season (Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova) Once 2008: “Jai Ho” Pussycat Dolls (A.R. Rahman, Gulzar) Slumdog Millionaire 2009: “The Weary Kind” Ryan Bingham (Ryan Bingham, T-Bone Burnett) Crazy Heart 2010: “We Belong Together” Randy Newman (Randy Newman) Toy Story 3 2011: “Man or Muppet” Jason Segel, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta, and Jim Parsons (Bret McKenzie) The Muppets 2012: “Skyfall” Adele (Adele, Paul Epworth) Skyfall 2013: “Let It Go” Idina Menzel (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez) Frozen 2014: “Glory” Common & John Legend (Common, John Legend) Selma 2015: “Writing’s on the Wall” Sam Smith (Jimmy Napes, Sam Smith) Spectre 2016: “City of Stars” Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone (Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul) La La Land 2017: “Remember Me” Miguel & Natalia Lafourcade (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez) Coco 2018: “Shallow” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) A Star Is Born 2019: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” Elton John and Taron Egerton (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) Rocketman 2020/2021: “Fight for You” H.E.R. (D’Mile, H.E.R., Tiara Thomas) Judas and the Black Messiah 2021: “No Time to Die” Billie Eilish (Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell) No Time to Die Resources/Related Links: American Film Institute (6/22/2004). “The Top 100 Movie Songs of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Movie Songs” Dave’s Music Database: “Other ‘Song of the Year’ Awards” Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Scienes (official site) Wikipedia: “Academy Award for Best Original Song” First posted 2/27/2019; last updated 3/29/2022.