OSCAR HISTORY: Best Music - Original Song

In the early days of cinema, an original lyrical song would typically only be something sung at the end credits or by a performer in a musical. But in the changing revolutions of the late 1960's, songs began becoming parts of the films themselves, and nowadays, songs can be found everywhere in a film, playing over montages or scenes where instrumental music used to play. So the art of creating brand new songs specifically for films has produced a history of great movie songs, and the Academy has honored a great list of these, that provide some great examples of the changing tides of music throughout the years.


2023: "What Was I Made For?" from BARBIE (Performed by Billie Eilish)     (View Music Video)
2022: "Naatu Naatu" from RRR (Performed by Rahul Sipligunj & Kaala Bhairava)     (View Film Clip)
2021: "No Time To Die" from NO TIME TO DIE (Performed by Billie Eilish)     (View Music Video)
2020: "Fight for You" from JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (Performed by H.E.R.)     (View Music Video)
2019: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from ROCKETMAN (Performed by Elton John & Taron Egerton)     (View Oscar Performance)
2018: "Shallow" from A STAR IS BORN (Performed by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)     (View Oscar Performance)
2017: "Remember Me" from COCO (Performed by Miguel)     (View Music Video)
2016: "City of Stars" from LA LA LAND (Performed by Ryan Gosling)     (View Film Clip)
2015: "Writing's On The Wall" from SPECTRE (Performed by Sam Smith)     (View Music Video)
2014: "Glory" from SELMA (Performed by Common & John Legend)     (View Music Video)
2013: "Let It Go" from FROZEN (Performed by Idina Menzel)     (View Film Clip)
2012: "Skyfall" from SKYFALL (Performed by Adele)     (View Lyric Video)
2011: "Man or Muppet" from THE MUPPETS (Performed by Jason Segel & Walter)     (View Music Video)
2010: "We Belong Together" from TOY STORY 3 (Performed by Randy Newman)     (Listen to Song)
2009: "The Weary Kind" from CRAZY HEART (Performed by Ryan Bingham)     (View Performance)
2008: "Jai Ho" from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Performed by A.R. Rahman, Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalakshmi Iyer and Vijay Prakash)     (View Music Video)
2007: "Falling Slowly" from ONCE (Performed by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)     (View Music Video)
2006: "I Need To Wake Up" from AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (Performed by Melissa Etheridge)     (View Music Video)
2005: "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" from HUSTLE & FLOW (Performed by Three 6 Mafia)     (View Film Clip)
2004: "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Performed by Jorge Drexler)     (View Music Video)
2003: "Into the West" from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (Performed by Annie Lennox)     (Listen to Song)
2002: "Lose Yourself" from 8 MILE (Performed by Eminem)     (Listen to Song)
2001: "If I Didn't Have You" from MONSTERS, INC. (Performed by John Goodman as Sully & Billy Crystal as Mike)     (View Music Video)
2000: "Things Have Changed" from WONDER BOYS (Performed by Bob Dylan)     (View Music Video)
1999: "You'll Be In My Heart" from TARZAN (Performed by Phil Collins)     (Listen to Song)
1998: "When You Believe" from THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (Performed by Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey)     (View Music Video)
1997: "My Heart Will Go On" from TITANIC (Performed by Celine Dion)     (View Live Performance)
1996: "You Must Love Me" from EVITA (Performed by Madonna)     (View Music Video)
1995: "Colors of the Wind" from POCAHONTAS (Performed by Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas)     (View Film Clip)
1994: "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from THE LION KING (Performed by Elton John)     (View Music Video)
1993: "Streets of Philadelphia" from PHILADELPHIA (Performed by Bruce Springsteen)     (View Music Video)
1992: "A Whole New World" from ALADDIN (Performed by Brad Kane as Aladdin & Lea Salonga as Jasmine)     (View Film Clip)
1991: "Beauty and the Beast" from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Performed by Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts)     (View Film Clip)
1990: "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from DICK TRACY (Performed by Madonna)     (Listen to Song)
1989: "Under the Sea" from THE LITTLE MERMAID (Performed by Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian)     (View Film Clip)
1988: "Let The River Run" from WORKING GIRL (Performed by Carly Simon)     (View Music Video)
1987: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from DIRTY DANCING (Performed by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes)     (View Music Video)
1986: "Take My Breath Away" from TOP GUN (Performed by Berlin)     (View Music Video)
1985: "Say You, Say Me" from WHITE NIGHTS (Performed by Lionel Richie)     (View Music Video)
1984: "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from THE WOMAN IN RED (Performed by Stevie Wonder)     (View Music Video)
1983: "Flashdance...What A Feeling" from FLASHDANCE (Performed by Irene Cara)     (View Music Video)
1982: "Up Where We Belong" from AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (Performed by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes)     (Listen to Song)
1981: "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" from ARTHUR (Performed by Christopher Cross)     (Listen to Song)
1980: "Fame" from FAME (Performed by Irene Cara)     (Listen to Song)
1979: "It Goes Like It Goes" from NORMA RAE (Performed by Jennifer Warnes)     (Listen to Song)
1978: "Last Dance" from THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (Performed by Donna Summers)     (View Film Clip)
1977: "You Light Up My Life" from YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE (Performed by Debby Boone)     (Listen to Song)
1976: "Evergreen" from A STAR IS BORN (Performed by Barbra Streisand)     (Listen to Song)
1975: "I'm Easy" from NASHVILLE (Performed by Keith Carradine)     (Listen to Song)
1974: "We May Never Love Like This Again" from THE TOWERING INFERNO (Performed by Maureen McGovern)     (Listen to Song)
1973: "The Way We Were" from THE WAY WE WERE (Performed by Barbra Streisand)     (Listen to Song)
1972: "The Morning After" from THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (Performed by Maureen McGovern)     (Listen to Song)
1971: "Theme from Shaft" from SHAFT (Performed by Isaac Hayes)     (Listen to Song)
1970: "For All We Know" from LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS (Performed by The Carpenters)     (Listen to Song)
1969: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (Performed by B.J. Thomas)     (View Music Video)
1968: "The Windmills of your Mind" from THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (Performed by Noel Harrison)     (Listen to Song)
1967: "Talk to the Animals" from DOCTOR DOLITTLE (Performed by Anthony Newley)     (Listen to Song)
1966: "Born Free" from BORN FREE (Performed by Matt Monro)     (Listen to Song)
1965: "The Shadow of your Smile" from THE SANDPIPER (Performed by Astrud Gilberto)     (Listen to Song)
1964: "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from MARY POPPINS (Performed by Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice, & Matthew Garbor)     (Listen to Song)
1963: "Call Me Irresponsible" from PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION (Performed by Jack Jones)     (Listen to Song)
1962: "Days of Wine and Roses" from DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (Performed by Henry Mancini)     (View Film Clip)
1961: "Moon River" from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (Performed by Henry Mancini)     (View Film Clip)
1960: "Never on Sunday" from NEVER ON SUNDAY (Performed by Don Costa)     (Listen to Song)
1959: "High Hopes" from A HOLE IN THE HEAD (Performed by Frank Sinatra)     (View Film Clip)
1958: "Gigi" from GIGI (Performed by Louis Jourdan)     (View Film Clip)
1957: "All The Way" from THE JOKER IS WILD (Performed by Frank Sinatra)     (View Film Clip)
1956: "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" from THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Performed by Doris Day)     (View Film Clip)
1955: "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" from LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (Performed by Four Aces w/ Al Alberts)     (Listen to Song)
1954: "Three Coins in the Fountain" from THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN (Performed by Frank Sinatra)     (Listen to Song)
1953: "Secret Love" from CALAMITY JANE (Performed by Tommy Edwards)     (Listen to Song)
1952: "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')" from HIGH NOON (Performed by Tex Ritter)     (View Film Clip)
1951: "In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" from HERE COMES THE GROOM (Performed by Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman)     (Listen to Song)
1950: "Mona Lisa" from CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. (Performed by Art Lund)     (Listen to Song)
1949: "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (Performed by Margeret Whiting & Johnny Mercer)     (View Film Clip)
1948: "Buttons and Bows" from THE PALEFACE (Performed by Betty Garrett)     (Listen to Song)
1947: "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from SONG OF THE SOUTH (Performed by James Baskett)     (Listen to Song)
1946: "On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" from THE HARVEY GIRLS (Performed by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers)     (Listen to Song)
1945: "It Might As Well Be Spring" from STATE FAIR (Performed by Dick Haymes)     (Listen to Song)
1944: "Swinging on a Star" from GOING MY WAY (Performed by Bing Crosby)     (Listen to Song)
1943: "You'll Never Know" from HELLO, FRISCO, HELLO (Performed by Dick Haymes)     (Listen to Song)
1942: "White Christmas" from HOLIDAY INN (Performed by Bing Crosby)     (View Film Clip)
1941: "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from LADY BE GOOD (Performed by Kate Smith)     (Listen to Song)
1940: "When You Wish Upon A Star" from PINOCCHIO (Performed by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket)     (Listen to Song)
1939: "Over the Rainbow" from THE WIZARD OF OZ (Performed by Judy Garland)     (View Film Clip)
1938: "Thanks for the Memory" from THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 (Performed by Bob Hope & Shirley Ross)     (View Film Clip)
1937: "Sweet Leilani" from WAIKIKI WEDDING (Performed by Bing Crosby)     (Listen to Song)
1936: "The Way You Look Tonight" from SWING TIME (Performed by Fred Astaire)     (View Film Clip)
1935: "Lullaby of Broadway" from GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (Performed by Dick Powell)     (Listen to Song)
1934: "The Continental" from THE GAY DIVORCEE (Performed by Fred Astaire)     (View Film Clip)