13 Greatest Pop Songs Ever to Win the Oscar for Best Original Song

Best music of all time (of the cinema).

In some circles, the Academy Awards are discussed more for those who didn't win than those who did. But, contrary to what certain pundits may have you believe, there are plenty of worthy Oscar winners every year, and the Best Original Song category stands out as fertile ground for exceptional artistic achievements.

This post will walk you through a brief overview of the 15 greatest songs ever to win the golden statuette, going all the way back to when the category was first introduced in 1934 for the seventh edition of the world-famous awards show.

Because I wanted an actual film critic to weigh in on this topic, this write-up features insight from

Kevin Pettit

, the creator of the fabulous

See You At The Movies

newsletter here on Substack. If you’re interested in the current cinema and need a reliable voice to turn to for recommendations, subscribe to his feed and thank me later.

Before we get started, a quick reminder to click the “Subscribe” button if your finger feels so inclined.

---

In chronological order, let’s go:

1. "Over the Rainbow" — The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Matt:

One of the most recognizable songs ever written and performed for a film, Judy Garland’s version of “Over the Rainbow” remains the definitive version of this classic track. Interestingly, the film version wasn’t available for fans to buy until 1956 when MGM released a full-fledged soundtrack to coincide with The Wizard of Oz’s first TV showcase. The most recent digital remaster is an excellent reminder of how incredible Garland’s voice was against this kind of arrangement.

Another enjoyable aspect of this song’s legacy is how many well-known artists have covered “Over the Rainbow” in the years since the film debuted in cinemas. Everyone from Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to Jerry Lee Lewis and Glenn Miller have released their versions, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s a fun rabbit hole to wander down if you’ve got a few spare minutes.

Kevin:

What a fantastic way to kick off this collaboration! The Wizard of Oz is not what it is if it doesn't come out swinging in the first five minutes of this film, with Judy Garland delivering one of the sweetest musical performances on screen. A song deservedly sitting in the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress, this is one of all-time classics and will live on way beyond my time.

2. "Moon River" — Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Matt:

Composed by the great Henry Mancini and Tin Pan Alley lyricist Johnny Mercer, “Moon River” was one of the first legitimate pop blockbusters that originated from a film soundtrack. On top of winning the Best Original Song Oscar, it also snagged Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Heard in the context of the film’s intro, it has to be one of cinema’s most indelible sonic character introductions.

While Hepburn originally sang the song to great effect, “Moon River” is more commonly associated with crooner Andy Williams, who recorded his version in 1962 and was the one tapped to perform it at that year’s Oscar ceremony. It became such a massive success for him that he’d eventually title his memoir “Moon River” and Me. Branding synergy, amirite?

Kevin:

It's wild that Moon River was almost cut from Breakfast at Tiffany's as it stamped itself and Audrey Hepburn into the Mount Rushmore of Hollywood idols. It's such a melancholic and bittersweet song that has gone on to be covered by many of the greats, but never has it been done so wonderfully like Hepburn.

3. “Theme From Shaft” — Shaft (1971)

Matt:

Isaac Hayes’ funky film score for Shaft is unquestionably one of movie history's most important cultural inflection points. Structured in shorter, tighter bursts, it brought his brand of Memphis soul to the big screen with a bang, rewriting the rules of what a film soundtrack could and should sound like. Hayes paved the way for artists like Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, and Marvin Gaye to flourish in the blaxploitation film music ecosystem.

But, contrary to some of those other well-known singles, “Theme From Shaft” has all the DNA of a trademark Hayes composition. The snap of the hi-hat, the throb of the strings, and the shrieks from the brass section all get their moments to shine without slowing the track’s overall momentum. It builds anticipation until, when the half-spoken lyrics come in (”Shut your mouth!”), you’re talking about the cherry on top of an all-world sundae.

Kevin:

Shaft is the coolest character ever, so he should have one of the coolest themes ever. Issac Hayes, the writer/singer of the track, became the first African American to win Best Original Song and the first time an African American had won outside an acting category. The academy recognized black exploitation films for their groundbreaking influence on Hollywood and for recognizing Black excellence!

4. "The Way We Were" — The Way We Were (1973)

Matt:

You can’t talk about Oscar-nominated songs without mentioning the name Barbra Streisand. Beginning in 1968, the year she shared the Best Actress award with Katherine Hepburn for her role in Funny Girl, she’s got a half-dozen of cinema’s most recognizable pop crossovers to her name. It was a close call not giving the Streisand pick to “Evergreen” or “I Finally Found Someone,” but, in the end, I have to tip my cap to “The Way We Were.”

Streisand’s career-defining performance fueled the single’s commercial success and helped snap her out of a brief mainstream slump. It would become the most popular song of 1974 in the US, topping the year-end Hot 100 chart and cracking the Top 40 in the UK and Australia. Substantial should also go to the song’s architects, lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman and composer Marvin Hamlisch, the latter of whom won an EGOT before his passing in 2012.

Kevin:

Barbara Streisand is not just revitalizing her career with this melancholic ballad about the strained and tumultuous relationship she has with Robert Redford in the film. Still, it's a great example of how music can elevate art pieces. The Way We Were isn't a great film, but the song's impact and how it brings this to new heights is incredible. Taking home two Academy Awards and the song that people will never forget the fabulous Barbara Streisand for.

5. "Flashdance… What a Feeling" — Flashdance (1983)

Matt:

If nothing else, Flashdance was the first movie that felt like a byproduct of MTV. The quick cuts, the backlit silhouettes, and the buckets of sweat pouring off bodies helped it gross over $200 million at the international box office in 1983. The success translated to the soundtrack, which went six times Platinum, ended Thriller’s run of dominance on the album chart, and, for a brief moment, made Irene Cara one of the most prominent singers in the world.

Over the years, “Flashdance” earned Cara even more comparisons to Donna Summer, partly due to the two men credited as composers alongside her. The track was written by Keith Forsey, Summer’s former drummer and a co-writer on “Hot Stuff,” and Eurodance veteran Giorgio Moroder, who would pick another W that same year for the Scarface score. As cheesy as some of the production sounds now, you can’t help but get swept up in its vibe, especially when Cara hits those high notes on the final chorus.

Kevin:

Ahhh FLASHDANCE!!!

The film is mostly known for this song and its pairing with the iconic wet chair dance. It is a scene I saw a million times as a kid, as Looney Toons and other cartoons would recreate it for decades. It is a wildly panned film by critics who felt it was a more shallow Saturday Night Fever, but the fact it got not Best Original Song but 3 other Acadamy nominations is just nuts. You can't deny it's impact!

6. "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life" — Dirty Dancing (1987)

Matt:

The best-known song from the endlessly fun Dirty Dancing soundtrack, "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life," is one of those hits that nearly didn’t happen. Bill Medley, one half of the Righteous Brothers, initially wasn’t interested in lending his baritone to the track, partly because his Gladys Knight duet for the Cobra soundtrack, “Loving on Borrowed Time,” had failed to chart on the Hot 100. The songwriter, Franke Previte, was cool to the idea too, until his label boss, Jimmy Ienner, told him, “If you get a song in this movie, it’s going to change your life.”

“Time of My Life” is the straw that stirs the drink during one of the most feel-good film finales of the 80s. You can’t help but get up and dance or cheer, despite the fact that a song that sounded like that couldn’t have existed in the early-60s when the movie was set. But who cares about logic when love is in the air? When you hear the term movie magic, this is what they’re talking about.

Kevin:

The 80s knew how to get down, and “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” is one of the greatest love ballads ever. The film that Patrick Swayze will likely be most remembered for, and for good reason. When this needle drops and we get the iconic dance at the end of the film, how can your heart not swell and be excited about the movie? It's a song that is still on any wedding playlist.

7. “Let the River Run” — Working Girl (1988)

Matt:

“Let the River Run” represents a late-career triumph for Carly Simon, an artist whose post-70s catalog often gets unjustly overlooked. If anything, her lyrical and vocal chops got sharper and more textured as she got older and evolved past her “You’re So Vain” era. “River” brings those important threads together, creating a powerful, deeply felt anthem for America's working class.

Per a web Q&A, Simon’s sonic juxtaposition of more spiritual singing against the harsher, jungle-inspired groove was intentional. It contrasts the unforgiving nature of urban environments with the heartbeats of the people who make them run. It’s a top-tier highlight in a career full of them, earning her Golden Globe and Grammy wins on top of a well-earned Oscar.

If there’s one artist who merits a streaming deep dive once you’re done reading this post, it’s Simon.

Kevin:

We love Working Girl and “Let the River Run!” Both songs work harmoniously to highlight the struggles of the working class and deliver hope and solace that everything is going to be okay. Carly Simon's “Let the River Run” is an enduring song that is paired wonderfully with Sigourney Weaver's breathtaking performance, along with Harrison Ford.

8. "A Whole New World" — Aladdin (1991)

Matt:

Of all the Disney songs that could’ve made this list, “A Whole New World” is the studio’s most decorated pop music success. In addition to collecting an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy in the Best Original Song categories, it’s the only Disney song ever to earn a Grammy nod for Song of the Year. The version recorded by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (you hear it over the movie’s end credits) remains the sole original track from a Disney animated feature to top the Hot 100 (a couple of others on this list have come close, though).

Some of that success is a product of the times. 1993 was the same chart year that saw Whitney Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” and Meat Loaf’s “I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)” go to No. 1. Big, overproduced ballads were a hot commodity. But there’s also something so universally tender and uplifting about the star-crossed expression of love in those lyrics and melody. It’s as simple as Disney classics get, and yet it’s timelessly effective.

Kevin:

Now, this is movie magic. Aladdin and “A Whole New World” show the power of animation and how we can completely let ourselves get lost in another place. It is a wonderful love song that shows the imagination and possibilities of discovering your person and what journeys you'll have with them in the future. It's easily on the Mount Rushmore of Disney classic songs.

9. "Streets of Philadelphia" — Philadelphia (1993)

Matt:

When Jonathan Demme asked Bruce Springsteen to contribute to the Philadelphia soundtrack, a lot was riding on the song. “I want to play in the malls,” Demme supposedly told the Boss, thinking that the rock icon’s popularity would bring more average Americans into theaters to see what is a sobering account of a young lawyer’s struggle after he’s fired for having AIDS. To say he accomplished that goal would be an understatement.

Over a thudding drum machine and somber keyboard strains, Springsteen’s writing is among the best of his career. Economical phrasing cuts through the listener’s defenses, painting a portrait of a man marginalized by society who is unable to help himself, try as he might. “I walked a thousand miles just to slip this skin,” he says at one point. Peaking inside the Top 10 of the Hot 100 and hitting No. 1 in several European countries, “Streets” remains one of the Oscar highlights of the 90s.

Kevin:

Finally, we get to my man Bruce. This one is personal to me as I am from and currently live in the great city of Philadelphia. The song perfectly captures the slow, somber, cheerful energy that the city can hold. It's a powerful, endearing song for a city deserving of that love. It works so well with the sad tones of the film examining the horrid tensions during the Aids epidemic, with two all-time performances from Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks.

10. "Lose Yourself" — 8 Mile (2002)

Matt:

As NME pointed out in its review, there’s more than a little Rocky in “Lose Yourself,” Eminem’s Oscar and Grammy-winning lead single from the 8 Mile soundtrack. The chugging bassline and guitar chords are reminiscent of Bill Conti’s famous theme, connecting the two underdog stories with shared musical characteristics. That said, it’s Eminem’s contribution to Oscar history that has had a global impact on pop culture.

“I found the ‘Lose Yourself’ demo on this session where me and Jeff Bass were just making beats. Jeff was just sitting on those guitar chords, and then it went into something different. I was just like ‘Yo, that section, right there, I gotta make a beat out of that.,’” Em told Genius. After several stops and starts, the final version was recorded quickly on a lunch break during filming. “I don’t think it was one take all the way down, but it was one take each verse.” An impressive feat, any way you slice it.

Kevin:

For such an iconic song, it is nuts that it is played at the end as the credits roll. We just got done watching the most visceral rap battle ever put to screen between Eminem and "Clarence," my guy Anthony Mackie, and we are left with this kind of empty feeling as Eminem walks off into the alleyway. But it's met with this booming rap song about determination and giving it your all. This was played at the Super Bowl two years ago and will endure as an all-time rap banger.

11. "Let It Go" — Frozen (2013)

Matt:

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that “Let It Go” was an inescapable phenomenon when released as a single in 2014 to capitalize on Frozen’s commercial success. It was the first Disney single to crack the Hot 100 Top 10 since the mid-90s and made a global superstar out of Idina Menzel, who, until that point, wasn’t widely known outside of Broadway circles.

The backstory on this one is pretty wild. Writers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez found its emotional center improvising lines back and forth while walking through Prospect Park in Brooklyn, later finishing the composition in a single day. The final record, which features the piano track Lopez played on the demo, was the catalyst that made director Jennifer Lee later “rewrite the whole movie.” Without “Let It Go,” there is no Frozen as we know it today.

Kevin:

The absolute death grip this song has on 2013 can't be understated. Your mom, sister, uncle, and entire family were out here belting this one out in the car and watching this magical movie repeatedly. The first song from a Disney animated musical to hit the Billboard Top 100 since 1995, a powerful song about accepting who you are and pushing through all the hate, even if you're different! It's captured beautifully in the movie as we see Elsa create her kingdom to embody how she's grown and become her person.

12. "Shallow" — A Star is Born (2018)

Matt:

“Shallow” was the in-film moment that sold me on A Star is Born. Until then, I remember thinking the movie was handsomely made but ultimately pretty empty emotionally. That changed when Lady Gaga’s character, Ally, walks on stage and joins Bradley Cooper’s Jackson Maine for the second portion of this song during a concert. I sat there and realized, “Damn, Gaga really can do it all.”

Featuring writing credits from heavy hitters like Mark Ronson, who helped Gaga produce 2016’s Joanne, and his Barbie co-conspirator Andrew Wyatt, “Shallow” would go on to top the Hot 100, as well as the singles charts in the UK, Australia, Canada, and many other countries. I can only imagine what it must’ve been like to be at the table read and hear the pop star belt out the song acapella. The clip is bound to give you chills.

Kevin:

It could be the best duet karaoke song of all time. Shallow hits so hard, and I love how the movie and the music build up to Lady Gaga's reveal as an unreal singer. Bradley Cooper's directional debut is a stunning look at the rise and fall of fame and starring himself in the most vulnerable and fundamental role he's ever undertaken. The entire soundtrack is unbelievable, but when I'M OFF THE DEEP END hits in the middle of the song, I want to either cry or run through a brick wall for Lady Gaga and company.

13. "Naatu Naatu" — RRR (2022)

Matt:

The first song from an Indian film to win Best Original Song, “Naatu Naatu,” represents a continued changing of the guard in a post-Parasite world. For the first time in its history, the Academy seems genuinely invested in highlighting non-English language achievements, buoyed by online audiences clamoring for Hollywood alternatives more than ever. The song’s slow, steady climb in popularity is a big part of why RRR became a grassroots success story.

Composed by M. M. Keeravani and written by Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu” took 19 months to complete. According to Chandrabose, most of the words were written in half a day, but it took over a year and a half to write “the remaining 10%.” Keeravani’s instrumentation has roots in traditional Indian folk songs, using duffs and mandolins to craft its catchy melody.

Kevin:

Bollywood is here, and it is so much fun!!! “Naatu Naatu” and RRR brought many Western audiences the great joy and ridiculousness of Bollywood to new eyes and all the better. The song isn't just wildly catchy and fun; the iconic choreography that goes along with it can't be highlighted enough! There's dynamic energy and passion behind all those who worked so hard on an excellent adventure film. It's the first song from an Indian film to win the best original soundtrack, and it's solidified itself as one of the iconic moments of the 2020s!

---

What’s your favorite Best Original Song winner? Sound off in the comments.