A good song has the potential to make or break a movie. Some songs can salvage bad films and make good films even better. Then there are certain songs that are so memorable it's impossible to get them out of your head and out of your heart. The following is our list of The Best Ten Movie Songs of All Time. Many of these have won Academy Awards and some have won Grammys, but we are sure that inclusion on our list will be their greatest accomplishment yet.
"Over the Rainbow" - Wizard of Oz (1939): Few movie songs of the past or present can reach "Over the Rainbow." Written by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, and performed by Judy Garland, this song caught us up in hopes and ideals, and made us forget all about the Wicked Witch of the West. A song that allowed Garland to hook her ladder to a star, "Over the Rainbow" is, plainly put, the mother of all movie songs, or at least the Auntie Em.
"When You Wish Upon A Star" - Pinocchio (1940) : Is it just me, or is Jiminy Cricket so cute when he sings that you want to throw away every bottle of insect spray sitting under your kitchen sink. "When you wish Upon a Star" not only won an Academy Award - thanks to the talents of Ned Washington, Leigh Harline, and Cliff Edwards - but it has also become Disney's anthem over the past seven decades.
"High Hopes" - A Hole in the Head (1959): So apparently, Frank Sinatra can sing. Bellowing out the tune written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, Sinatra found himself with "High Hopes"…high in the sky apple pie hopes. A song that was a hit, it turns out his hopes were high for a reason.
"Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961): A song that helped make Breakfast at Tiffany's one of the most memorable films of all time, "Moon River" was written by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini. Legend states that an executive wanted to remove the song from the movie, but Audrey Hepburn fought to keep it in. Had the executive proven victorious, he might have just been up a moon river without a paddle. It is one of only a handful of songs to have received both an Academy Award for Best Song (in 1961) and a Grammy Award for Song of the Year (in 1962).
"Edelweiss"- The Sound of Music (1965): Written by a duo who just might have known a thing or two about music (Rodgers and Hammerstein), "Edelweiss" was The Sound of Music song that took a backseat to more popular tunes, such as "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favorite Things." Nonetheless, the performance of the song, its metaphoric qualities, and the fact that it was the last Oscar Hammerstein II ever wrote, is one of the most memorable moments of the entire film.
Article comments
1 - Kate C. Harding
Great list. I particularly appreciate you inclusion of Season's of Love, which is a fantastic piece of writing.
I'd be interested for someone to write a Top 10 Movie Scores of all time. Hmmm...maybe I'll do it!
Well done.
2 - Phillip Winn
I was just watching part of Sound of Music last night, after walking in on my kids watching it, and I heartily add my appreciation of Edelweiss. Beautiful song, beautiful moment, just beautiful.
3 - duane
Good list, JM. Lots of great music to choose from.
I nominate:
Colonel Bogey March (the whistling song) from Bridge on the River Kwai
Nilsson's Everybody's Talking at Me from Midnight Cowboy
Simon and Garfunkel's version of Scarborough Fair from The Graduate
Theme from "A Summer Place" from A Summer Place
I second Kate's idea of trying to list top moive scores.
4 - Bruce Ramsey
How about "Day By Day" from Godspell?
5 - Thomas
Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show
6 - Nancy
Far too many super songs from far too many movies. It would have to be the 'top 1,000' for me. What about the theme from "Exodus", or any of the dozens of Rogers & Hammerstein songs such as just about anything from My Fair Lady or Oklahoma or ... you get the picture.
7 - Rob
What about:
"Bright Side Of Life" from Monty Python's "The Life of Brian"
"Heavy Metal" from the film of the same name.
That's all for now............
8 - Al Barger
DUDE! I can't believe that you wrote this during this week of total Paul McCartney domination with the new album and the Pepper anniversary - yet managed not to include
LIVE AND LET DIE!!!!!
9 - Al Barger
Also Miss Jennifer, I don't necessarily want to argue against "Edelweiss," but surely most people's favorite Sound of Music song would have to be "The Lonely Goatherd." This song speaks uniquely to the inner goat lover inside each one of us.
10 - Miss Cordy
Fantastic list, Jennifer. I whole-heartedly agree with "Seasons of Love," but I would have to add "La Vie Boheme." For me, that song defines a generation.
"To being an Us for once, instead of a Them." I luff Rent.
11 - alyssa
great list they are all my fav song like i jus love under the sea like all my 32 children love that movie including bobby-joe and lilly sue
love yaz
♥alyssa
12 - alyssa
im just kidding but it is a really good list
13 - danny t
my heart will go on from titanic is an all time hit wt fool wrote this
14 - dudecanpaint
thank you for judy
15 - cant say
i like hawaii 5.0
nice songs
16 - saddeq larou
very good list but i cant believe what is missing.
a song from The labyrinth!!!
Dance magic - by david bowee, i mean come on guyss!
17 - Brittan
A pretty okay list, but some of the best movie-songs in my opinion are "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins from Tarzan, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion from Titanic, and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith from Armageddon.
18 - Jezza
I nominate the following
Me Julie from Ali G Indahouse
Men in Black from Men in Black
Stu's song from The Hangover
If I Didn't Have You from Monsters Inc
Wannabe from Spiceworld
What's This from The Nightmare Before Christmas
You Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story
Uncle Fucka from South Park the Movie
19 - Josh AUS
Linkin Park - New Divide.
Transformers 2
20 - sami
Gladiatorr