Special Report

Best Song at the Oscars the Year You Were Born

Charles Stockdale

Published: February 28, 2018 5:47 pm

Last Updated: August 14, 2020 2:12 pm

Few Oscars categories evoke such emotions, span so many genres, and can remain so uniquely relevant even as time goes by as best original song. Eighty years after Judy Garland sang it in “The Wizard of Oz,” “Over the Rainbow” remains a treasured song that is still used in commercials, films, and television programs. Many songs rooted in American culture won the Oscar for best original song.

Movies, especially the good ones, elicit feelings — and songs help further enhance these emotions. The best songs not only in help cement their respective films in the minds of the movie-watching public, but also shape pop culture as a whole. “Skyfall,” “Lose Yourself,” and “My Heart Will Go On” are examples of songs that provided this emotional connection and transcended into pop culture.

At this year’s 90th Academy Awards ceremony – taking place on Sunday, March 4 – one more song will be added to the list of 83 that have won over the years. Nominees include “Mighty River,” from “Mudbound;” “Mystery of Love,” from “Call Me by Your Name;” “Remember Me,” from “Coco;” “Stand Up For Something” from “Marshall;” and “This Is Me,” from “The Greatest Showman.”

In honor of this award, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the best original song the year you were born.

Click here to see the best song at the Oscars the year you were born.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1934
> Winner: “The Continental”
> Film: “The Gay Divorcee”
> By: Music by Con Conrad; Lyrics by Herb Magidson

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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1935
> Winner: “Lullaby Of Broadway”
> Film: “Gold Diggers of 1935”
> By: Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Al Dubin

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1936
> Winner: “The Way You Look Tonight”
> Film: “Swing Time”
> By: Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

Source: Courtesy of Universal Studios

1937
> Winner: “Sweet Leilani”
> Film: “Waikiki Wedding”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Harry Owens

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Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1938
> Winner: “Thanks For The Memory”
> Film: “The Big Broadcast of 1938”
> By: Music by Ralph Rainger; Lyrics by Leo Robin

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1939
> Winner: “Over The Rainbow”
> Film: “The Wizard of Oz”
> By: Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg

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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1940
> Winner: “When You Wish Upon A Star”
> Film: “Pinocchio”
> By: Music by Leigh Harline; Lyrics by Ned Washington

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States With the Longest and Shortest Life Expectancy

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1941
> Winner: “The Last Time I Saw Paris”
> Film: “Lady Be Good”
> By: Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1942
> Winner: “White Christmas”
> Film: “Holiday Inn”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

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Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1943
> Winner: “You’ll Never Know”
> Film: “Hello, Frisco, Hello”
> By: Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon

Source: Courtesy of MCA/Universal Pictures

1944
> Winner: “Swinging On A Star”
> Film: “Going My Way”
> By: Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Johnny Burke

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Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1945
> Winner: “It Might As Well Be Spring”
> Film: “State Fair”
> By: Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1946
> Winner: “On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe”
> Film: “The Harvey Girls”
> By: Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1947
> Winner: “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”
> Film: “Song of the South”
> By: Music by Allie Wrubel; Lyrics by Ray Gilbert

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Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1948
> Winner: “Buttons And Bows”
> Film: “The Paleface”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1949
> Winner: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
> Film: “Neptune’s Daughter”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

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Source: Courtesy of Olive Films

1950
> Winner: “Mona Lisa”
> Film: “Captain Carey, U.S.A.”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1951
> Winner: “In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening”
> Film: “Here Comes the Groom”
> By: Music by Hoagy Carmichael; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Records

1952
> Winner: “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’)”
> Film: “High Noon”
> By: Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington

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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1953
> Winner: “Secret Love”
> Film: “Calamity Jane”
> By: Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1954
> Winner: “Three Coins In The Fountain”
> Film: “Three Coins in the Fountain”
> By: Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

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Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1955
> Winner: “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing”
> Film: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”
> By: Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

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States Where Americans Are Paying the Most Taxes

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1956
> Winner: “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)”
> Film: “The Man Who Knew Too Much”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1957
> Winner: “All The Way”
> Film: “The Joker Is Wild”
> By: Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1958
> Winner: “Gigi”
> Film: “Gigi”
> By: Music by Frederick Loewe; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1959
> Winner: “High Hopes”
> Film: “A Hole in the Head”
> By: Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

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Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1960
> Winner: “Never On Sunday”
> Film: “Never on Sunday”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Manos Hadjidakis

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1961
> Winner: “Moon River”
> Film: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
> By: Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1962
> Winner: “Days Of Wine And Roses”
> Film: “Days of Wine and Roses”
> By: Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1963
> Winner: “Call Me Irresponsible”
> Film: “Papa’s Delicate Condition”
> By: Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1964
> Winner: “Chim Chim Cher-ee”
> Film: “Mary Poppins”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1965
> Winner: “The Shadow Of Your Smile”
> Film: “The Sandpiper”
> By: Music by Johnny Mandel; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1966
> Winner: “Born Free”
> Film: “Born Free”
> By: Music by John Barry; Lyrics by Don Black

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1967
> Winner: “Talk To The Animals”
> Film: “Doctor Dolittle”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

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Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1968
> Winner: “The Windmills Of Your Mind”
> Film: “The Thomas Crown Affair”
> By: Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1969
> Winner: “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”
> Film: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”
> By: Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David

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Source: Courtesy of PAMCO Music

1970
> Winner: “For All We Know”
> Film: “Lovers and Other Strangers”
> By: Music by Fred Karlin; Lyrics by Robb Royer (aka Robb Wilson) and James Griffin (aka Arthur James)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1971
> Winner: “Theme From Shaft”
> Film: “Shaft”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Isaac Hayes

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1972
> Winner: “The Morning After”
> Film: “The Poseidon Adventure”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1973
> Winner: “The Way We Were”
> Film: “The Way We Were”
> By: Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1974
> Winner: “We May Never Love Like This Again”
> Film: “The Towering Inferno”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1975
> Winner: “I’m Easy”
> Film: “Nashville”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Keith Carradine

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1976
> Winner: “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)”
> Film: “A Star Is Born”
> By: Music by Barbra Streisand; Lyrics by Paul Williams

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1977
> Winner: “You Light Up My Life”
> Film: “You Light Up My Life”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Joseph Brooks

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Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1978
> Winner: “Last Dance”
> Film: “Thank God It’s Friday”
> By: Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1979
> Winner: “It Goes Like It Goes”
> Film: “Norma Rae”
> By: Music by David Shire; Lyric by Norman Gimbel

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Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1980
> Winner: “Fame”
> Film: “Fame”
> By: Music by Michael Gore; Lyric by Dean Pitchford

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1981
> Winner: “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”
> Film: “Arthur”
> By: Music and Lyric by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1982
> Winner: “Up Where We Belong”
> Film: “An Officer and a Gentleman”
> By: Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie; Lyric by Will Jennings

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1983
> Winner: “Flashdance…What A Feeling”
> Film: “Flashdance”
> By: Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyric by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1984
> Winner: “I Just Called To Say I Love You”
> Film: “The Woman in Red”
> By: Music and Lyric by Stevie Wonder

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Source: Courtesy of Delphi IV Productions

1985
> Winner: “Say You, Say Me”
> Film: “White Nights”
> By: Music and Lyric by Lionel Richie

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30 Worst Superhero Movies

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1986
> Winner: “Take My Breath Away”
> Film: “Top Gun”
> By: Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyric by Tom Whitlock

Source: Courtesy of Vestron Pictures

1987
> Winner: “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life”
> Film: “Dirty Dancing”
> By: Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz; Lyric by Franke Previte

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Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1988
> Winner: “Let The River Run”
> Film: “Working Girl”
> By: Music and Lyric by Carly Simon

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1989
> Winner: “Under The Sea”
> Film: “The Little Mermaid”
> By: Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Howard Ashman

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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1990
> Winner: “Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)”
> Film: “Dick Tracy”
> By: Music and Lyric by Stephen Sondheim

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

1991
> Winner: “Beauty And The Beast”
> Film: “Beauty and the Beast”
> By: Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Howard Ashman

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1992
> Winner: “A Whole New World”
> Film: “Aladdin”
> By: Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Tim Rice

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Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

1993
> Winner: “Streets Of Philadelphia”
> Film: “Philadelphia”
> By: Music and Lyric by Bruce Springsteen

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1994
> Winner: “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”
> Film: “The Lion King”
> By: Music by Elton John; Lyric by Tim Rice

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Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1995
> Winner: “Colors Of The Wind”
> Film: “Pocahontas”
> By: Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1996
> Winner: “You Must Love Me”
> Film: “Evita”
> By: Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyric by Tim Rice

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1997
> Winner: “My Heart Will Go On”
> Film: “Titanic”
> By: Music by James Horner; Lyric by Will Jennings

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Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures

1998
> Winner: “When You Believe”
> Film: “The Prince of Egypt”
> By: Music and Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

1999
> Winner: “You’ll Be In My Heart”
> Film: “Tarzan”
> By: Music and Lyric by Phil Collins

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2000
> Winner: “Things Have Changed”
> Film: “Wonder Boys”
> By: Music and Lyric by Bob Dylan

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

2001
> Winner: “If I Didn’t Have You”
> Film: “Monsters, Inc.”
> By: Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2002
> Winner: “Lose Yourself”
> Film: “8 Mile”
> By: Music by Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto; Lyric by Eminem

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Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2003
> Winner: “Into The West”
> Film: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
> By: Music and Lyric by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore and Annie Lennox

Source: Courtesy of Focus Features

2004
> Winner: “Al Otro Lado Del Río”
> Film: “The Motorcycle Diaries”
> By: Music and Lyric by Jorge Drexler

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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Classics

2005
> Winner: “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp”
> Film: “Hustle & Flow”
> By: Music and Lyric by Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman and Paul Beauregard

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Classics

2006
> Winner: “I Need To Wake Up”
> Film: “An Inconvenient Truth”
> By: Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge

Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

2007
> Winner: “Falling Slowly”
> Film: “Once”
> By: Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

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Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

2008
> Winner: “Jai Ho”
> Film: “Slumdog Millionaire”
> By: Music by A.R. Rahman; Lyric by Gulzar

Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

2009
> Winner: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)”
> Film: “Crazy Heart”
> By: Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2010
> Winner: “We Belong Together”
> Film: “Toy Story 3”
> By: Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2011
> Winner: “Man Or Muppet”
> Film: “The Muppets”
> By: Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

2012
> Winner: “Skyfall”
> Film: “Skyfall”
> By: Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth

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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2013
> Winner: “Let It Go”
> Film: “Frozen”
> By: Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2014
> Winner: “Glory”
> Film: “Selma”
> By: Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

2015
> Winner: “Writing’s On The Wall”
> Film: “Spectre”
> By: Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Source: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment

2016
> Winner: “City of Stars”
> Film: “La La Land”
> By: Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Many of the best songs from each year first appeared in musicals. This was the case every year for the first 14 years of the award until 1948, when “Buttons and Bows” from the film “The Paleface” won best song. Yet just one year later, another song from a musical won – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from the film “Neptune’s Daughter.”

While musicals continue to find success in the best song category – recent examples include “Let It Go” from “Frozen” and “City of Stars” from “La La Land” – non-musicals have prevailed more and more. In 2014, “Glory” from the film “Selma” won the Oscar. James Bond films “Skyfall” and “Spectre” produced winners in 2012 and 2015 with the songs “Skyfall” and “Writing’s On the Wall.”

Certain composers have won the award multiple times. These artists include Alan Menken, Henry Mancini, and James Van Heusen. And since Stevie Wonder won best song in 1984 with “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” the number of popular musicians winning the award has risen dramatically. Awards have been won by Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, and Eminem, among others.

24/7 Wall St. used data from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to identify the best original song winners.