The best original song from a movie released in 2013 won’t win Best Original Song this Sunday. That’s because “Please Mr. Kennedy” wasn’t technically eligible, because it’s a blah blah blah UH OH. Even though the unstoppable snowball-rolling-down-a-mountain that is “Let It Go” is going to win, it would have been nice if Llewyn Davis had taken the slot that went to U2’s snot-rag of a song, “Ordinary Love.”
Oh well, we should be used to this by now, the real best song losing to the technical Best Song. It’s happened time and time again since the Academy Awards debuted the category in 1934. Here are 15 soundtrack classics (not including Prince’s “Purple Rain,” which won Original Song Score, for some reason) that were either nominated for Best Original Song and lost, or were ignored altogether. That thing you DON’T do, Oscars, is give an Academy Award to Madonna over the Oneders.
“A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)
What actually won: “Chim Chim Cher-ee” by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins)
“Springtime for Hitler” by the Springtime for Hitler Ensemble (The Producers)
What actually won: “The Windmills of Your Mind” by Noel Harrison (The Thomas Crown Affair)
“Freddie’s Dead” by Curtis Mayfield (Superfly)
What actually won: “The Morning After” by Maureen McGovern (The Poseidon Adventure)
“Waste of Time” by the Stains (Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains)
What actually won: “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
“Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the Frog (The Muppet Movie)
What actually won: “It Goes Like It Goes” by Jennifer Warnes (Norma Rae)
“Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr. (Ghostbusters)
What actually won: “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder (The Woman in Red)
“The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News (Back to the Future)
What actually won: “Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie (White Nights)
“Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins (Top Gun)
What actually won: “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin (Top Gun)
“Fight the Power” by Public Enemy (Do the Right Thing)
What actually won: “Under the Sea” by Samuel E. Wright (The Little Mermaid)
“Uptown Anthem” by Naughty by Nature (Juice)
What actually won: “A Whole New World” by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (Aladdin)
“Benz or Beamer” by OutKast (New Jersey Drive)
What actually won: “Colors of the Wind” by Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas)
“Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg (Above the Rim)
What actually won: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John (The Lion King)
“That Thing You Do!” by the Oneders/Wonders (That Thing You Do!)
What actually won: “You Must Love Me” by Madonna (Evita)
“Blame Canada” by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut)
What actually won: “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins (Tarzan)
“Walk Hard” by John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story)
What actually won: “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (Once)