Best Song Oscar Winning Movies

The song “Naatu Naatu” from RRR is the latest song to win the Best Song Oscar.

Want to know the best Best Song Oscar Winning Movies?  How about the worst Best Song Oscar Winning Movies?  Curious about Best Song Oscar Winning Movies box office grosses or which Best Song Oscar Winning Movies picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Best Song Oscar Winning Movies got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which one got the worst reviews? Well, you have come to the right place because we have all of that information.

Drivel Part: (That is what my wife calls this part of the page).  Back in February 2011 as The King’s Speech was dueling The Social Network for the big awards we got a request (by Tyler) to rank the Big 6 Oscar® categories. Well, we quickly knocked out the Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress categories. Pages on the Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress soon arrived….then we stopped…but now we are adding in some more categories…in this case Best Song.

Since 1934, there have been over 86 Best Song Oscar Winners. This page will rank all Best Song Oscar Winning movies from Best to Worst in five different sortable columns of information.  If you use the sort and search buttons the massive table becomes very interactive.

Best Song Oscar Winning Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Best Song Oscar Winning Movies Can Be Ranked 5 Ways In The Table Below

The really cool thing about the table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort by winners
  • Sort Best Song Oscar Winning Movies by actual domestic box office grosses (in millions)
  • Sort Best Song Oscar Winning Movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Best Song Oscar Winning Movies by critic reviews and audiences voting.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort by how many Oscar nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Best Song Oscar Winning Movies received.
  • Sort Best Song Oscar Winning Movies by Ultimate Movie Ranking (UMR) Score.  UMR puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.  The ceiling to earn points for box office is $200 million…once a movie passes that mark it stops earning points in that category.
 
UMR Hall of Famer Joel Hirschhorn has two Oscar winning songs on this page.

10 thoughts on “Best Song Oscar Winning Movies

  1. From Dan.

    I think this is going to come out weird looking. For some reason and to do something different I have filled in all the chart versions of the Oscar winners here with their year and their peak. This info comes from Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954 and Top Pop Singles 1955-2015. The last few years came from the internet. A few songs in more modern times never charted. A number of the older songs had numerous versions that were hits out at the same time.

    1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) “Into the West” ANNIE LENNOX DID NOT CHART
    AA Best Picture Win
    2 Titanic (1997) “My Heart Will Go On” CELINE DION 1 (2 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Win
    3 Toy Story 3 (2010) “We Belong Together” DID NOT CHART
    AA Best Picture Nom
    4 Going My Way (1944) “Swinging on a Star” BING CROSBY (1944) 1 (9 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Win
    GRAY RAINS (1944) 28
    BIG DEE IRWIN W/ LITTLE EVA (1963) 38
    5 Beauty and the Beast (1991) “Beauty and the Beast” CELINE DION AND PEABO BRYSON 9
    AA Best Picture Nom
    6 The Wizard of Oz (1939) “Over the Rainbow” GLENN MILLER (1939) 1 (7 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    BOB CROSBY (1939) 2
    JUDY GARLAND (1939) 5
    LARRY CLINTON (1939) 10
    DEMENSIONS (1960) 16
    GARY TANNER (1978) 69
    KATHERINE MCPHEE (2006) 12
    GLEE CAST (2010) 44
    NICHOLAS DAVID (2012) 96
    7 Mary Poppins (1964) “Chim Chim Cher-ee” NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS 81
    AA Best Picture Nom
    8 Gigi (1958) “Gigi” VIC DAMONE 88
    AA Best Picture Win
    9 Slumdog Millionaire (2008) “Jai Ho” A.R. RAHMAN & THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS (2009) 15
    AA Best Picture Win
    10 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” B.J. THOMAS (1970) 1 (4 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    11 High Noon (1952) “The Ballad of High Noon” FRANKIE LAINE (1952) 5
    AA Best Picture Nom
    TEX RITTER (1952) 12

    12 La La Land (2016) “City of Stars” DID NOT CHART
    AA Best Picture Nom
    13 A Star Is Born (2018) “Shallow” LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER (2019) 1 ( 1 WEEK)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    14 The Lion King (1994) “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” ELTON JOHN (1994) 4
    15 Aladdin (1992) “A Whole New World” PEABO BRYSON & REGINA BELLE (1993) 1 ( 1 WEEK)
    16 Skyfall (2012) “Skyfall” ADELE (2012) 8
    17 Coco (2017) “Remember Me” DID NOT CHART
    18 Pinocchio (1940) “When You Wish Upon a Star” GLENN MILLER (1940) 1 (5 WEEKS)
    GUY LOMBARDO (1940) 5
    CLIFF EDWARDS (1940) 10
    HORACE HEIDT (1940) 12
    DION & THE BELMONTS (1960) 39
    19 The Towering Inferno (1974) Joel Hirschhorn & MAUREEN MCGOVERN 83
    AA Best Picture Nom “We May Never Love Like This Again”
    20 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” FOUR ACES (1955) 1 (6 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    DON CORNELL (1955) 26
    DAVID ROSE (1955) 54
    WOODY HERMAN (1955) 79
    DON, DICK AND JIMMY (1955) 96
    21 Monsters, Inc. (2001) “If I Didn’t Have You” RANDY NEWMAN (2001) DID NOT CHART
    22 The Little Mermaid (1989) “Under the Sea” SAMUEL E. WRIGHT (1989) DID NOT CHART
    23 An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) “Up Where We Belong” JOE COCKER AND JENNIFER WARNES (1982) 1 (3 WEEKS)
    24 Frozen (2013) “Let It Go” IDINA MENZEL (2014) 5
    DEMI LOVATO (2014) 38
    25 Swing Time (1936) “The Way You Look Tonight” FRED ASTAIRE (1936) 1 (6 WEEKS)
    GUY LOMBARDO (1936) 3
    TEDDY WILSON W/ BILLIE HOLIDAY (1936) 3
    BENNY GOODMAN (1942) 21
    LETTERMEN (1961) 13
    26 The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Joel Hirschhorn & MAUREEN MCGOVERN (1973) 1 (2 WEEKS)
    “The Morning After”
    27 Working Girl (1988) “Let The River Run” CARLY SIMON (1989) 49
    AA Best Picture Nom
    28 Holiday Inn (1942) “White Christmas” BING CROSBY (1942, 1944, 1945, 1947-1962) 1 (11 WEEKS 1942), 1945 (1 -2 WEEKS), 1947 (1 -1 WEEK)
    CHARLIE SPIVACK (1942) 12
    GORDON JENKINS (1942) 15
    FREDDY MARTIN (1942) 24
    FRANK SINATRA (1944, 1946) 5
    JO STAFFORD (1946) 9
    EDDY HOWARD (1947) 21
    PERRY COMO (1947) 23
    MANTOVANI (1952) 23
    DRIFTERS (1955, 1960, 1962) 80
    MICHAEL BOLTON (1992) 73
    29 Arthur (1981) “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” CHRISTOPHER CROSS (1981) 1 (3 WEEKS)
    30 The Gay Divorcee (1934) “The Continental” LEO REISMAN (1934) 1 (2 WEEKS)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    JOLLY COBURN (1934) 2
    LUD GLUSKIN (1934) 6
    31 Tarzan (1999) “You’ll Be in My Heart” PHIL COLLINS (1999) 21
    32 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” DORIS DAY (1956) 2 (3 WEEKS)
    HIGH KEYES (1963) 47
    MARY HOPKIN (1970) 77
    33 The Harvey Girls (1946) “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” JOHNNY MERCER (1945) 1 (8 WEEKS)
    BING CROSBY (1945) 3
    TOMMY DORSEY (1945) 6
    JUDY GARLAND (1945) 10
    TOMMY TUCKER (1945) 10
    34 Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) “Three Coins in the Fountain” FOUR ACES (1954) 1 (1 WEEK)
    AA Best Picture Nom
    FRANK SINATRA (1954) 4
    JULIUS LAROSA (1954) 21
    35 Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) “Moon River” HENRY MANCINI (1961) 11
    JERRY BUTLER (1961) 11
    36 State Fair (1945) “It Might as Well Be Spring” DICK HAYMES (1945) 5
    PAUL WESTON (1945) 6
    SAMMY KAYE (1946) 4
    37 Dick Tracy (1990) “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” MADONNA (1990) DID NOT CHART
    38 The Paleface (1948) “Buttons and Bows” DINAH SHORE (1948) 1 (10 WEEKS)
    DINNING SISTERS (1948) 5
    BETTY GARRETT (1948) 8
    BETTY JANE RHODES (1948) 9
    EVELYN KNIGHT (1948) 14
    GENE AUTRY (1948) 17
    39 Days of Wine and Roses (1962) “Days of Wine and Roses” ANDY WILLIAMS (1963) 26
    HENRY MANCINI (1963) 33
    40 The Prince of Egypt (1998) “When You Believe” WHITNEY HOUSTON & MARIAH CAREY (1999) 15
    41 The Way We Were (1973) “The Way We Were” BARBRA STREISAND (1974) 1 (3 WEEKS)
    GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (IN A MEDLEY) (1975) 11
    42 8 Mile (2002) “Lose Yourself” EMINEM (2002) 1 (12 WEEKS)
    43 Nashville (1975) “I’m Easy” KEITH CARRADINE (1976) 17
    AA Best Picture Nom
    44 Philadelphia (1993) “Streets of Philadelphia” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1994) 9
    45 Norma Rae (1979) “It Goes Like It Goes” JENNIFER WARNES (1979) DID NOT CHART
    AA Best Picture Nom
    46 Spectre (2015) “Writing’s on the Wall” SAM SMITH (2015) 71
    47 Hello Frisco, Hello (1943) “You’ll Never Know” DICK HAYMES (1943) 1 (7 WEEKS)
    FRANK SINATRA (1943) 2
    WILLIE KELLY (1943) 6
    ROSEMARY CLOONEY W/ HARRY JAMES (1953) 18
    48 Neptune’s Daughter (1949) “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” JOHNNY MERCER & MARGARET WHITING (1949) 3
    DINAH SHORE & BUDDY CLARK (1949) 4
    ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS JORDAN (1949) 9
    SAMMY KAYE (1949) 12
    HOMER & JETHRO (1949) 22
    RAY CHARLES & BETTY CARTER (1962) 91
    GLEE CAST (2010) 57
    IDINA MENZEL & MICHAEL BUBLE (2014) 78
    49 A Hole in the Head (1959) “High Hopes” FRANK SINATRA AND A BUNCH OF KIDS (FEAT. EDDIE HODGES) (1959) 30
    50 Pocahontas (1995) “Colors of the Wind” VANESSA WILLIAMS (1995) 4
    51 Song of the South (1946) “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” BOB B. SOXX & THE BLUE JEANS (1963) 8
    52 A Star Is Born (1976) “Evergreen” BARBRA STREISAND (1977) 1 (3 WEEKS)
    53 Selma (2014) “Glory” COMMON & JOHN LEGEND (2015) 49
    AA Best Picture Nom
    54 Top Gun (1986) “Take My Breath Away” BERLIN (1986) 1 (1 WEEK)
    BERLIN W/ TERRI NUNN (1992) 60
    JESSICA SIMPSON (2004) 20
    55 Never on Sunday (1960) “Never on Sunday” DON COSTA (1960) 19
    CHORDETTES (1961) 13
    LALE ANDERSON (GERMAN VERSION) (1961) 88
    56 The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) “Thanks for the Memory” SHEP FIELDS (1938) 1 (7 WEEKS)
    MILDRED BAILEY (1938) 11
    57 Flashdance (1983) “Flashdance… What a Feeling” IRENE CARA (1983) 1 (6 WEEKS)
    58 Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) “For All We Know” CARPENTERS (1971) 3
    59 The Muppets (2011) “Man or Muppet” DID NOT CHART
    60 Dirty Dancing (1987) “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” BILL MEDLEY AND JENNIFER WARNES (1987) 1 (1 WEEK)
    GLEE CAST (2010) 38
    61 The Joker is Wild (1957) “All the Way” FRANK SINATRA 2
    62 Rocketman (2019) “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” DID NOT CHART
    63 Calamity Jane (1953) “Secret Love” DORIS DAY (1954) 1 (4 WEEKS)
    TOMMY EDWARDS (1954) 28
    RAY ANTHONY (1954) 29
    BILLY STEWART (1966) 29
    RICHARD ‘GROOVE’ HOLMES (1966) 99
    FREDDY FENDER (1975) 20
    64 The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) “The Windmills of Your Mind” DUSTY SPRINGFIELD (1969) 31
    65 Shaft (1971) “Theme from Shaft” ISAAC HAYES (1971) 1 (2 WEEKS)
    66 Here Comes the Groom (1951) “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” BING CROSBY & JANE WYMAN (1951) 11
    FRANKIE LAINE & JO STAFFORD (1951) 17
    67 Waikiki Wedding (1937) “Sweet Leilani” BING CROSBY (1937) 1 (10 WEEKS)
    68 Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935) “Lullaby of Broadway” DORSEY BROTHERS ORCHESTRA (1935) 1 ( 2 WEEKS)
    LITTLE JACK LITTLE (1935) 5
    REGINALD FORESYTHE (1935) 11
    HAL KEMP (1935) 14
    CHICK BULLOCK (1935) 19
    69 Crazy Heart (2009) “The Weary Kind” RYAN BINGHAM (2010) DID NOT CHART
    70 Evita (1996) “You Must Love Me” MADONNA (1996) 18
    71 Born Free (1966) “Born Free” ROGER WILLIAMS (1966) 7
    HESITATIONS (1968) 38
    72 Lady Be Good (1941) “The Last Time I Saw Paris” KATE SMITH (1941) 8
    73 White Nights (1985) “Say You, Say Me” LIONEL RICHIE (1985) 1 (4 WEEKS)
    74 Wonder Boys (2000) “Things Have Changed” BOB DYLAN DID NOT CHART
    75 Fame (1980) “Fame” IRENE CARA (1980) 4
    76 Once (2007) “Falling Slowly” GLEN HANSARD & MARKETA IRGLOVA (2008) 61
    KRIS ALLEN (2009) 94
    LEE DEWYZE & CRYSTAL BOWERSOX (2010) 66
    77 The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) “Al otro lado del río” JORGE DREXLER (2004) DID NOT CHART
    78 An Inconvenient Truth (2006) “I Need to Wake Up” MELISSA ETHERIDGE (2006) DID NOT CHART
    79 Hustle & Flow (2005) “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” TERRENCE HOWARD & TARAJI P. HENSON DID NOT CHART
    80 Doctor Dolittle (1967) “Talk to the Animals” ANTHONY NEWLEY (1967) DID NOT CHART
    81 The Sandpiper (1965) “The Shadow of Your Smile” TONY BENNETT (1965) 95
    BOOTS RANDOLPH (1967) 93
    82 Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950) “Mona Lisa” NAT ‘KING’ COLE (1950) 1 (8 WEEKS)
    VICTOR YOUNG (1950) 7
    HARRY JAMES (1950) 14
    ART LUND (1950) 14
    RALPH FLANAGAN (1950) 16
    CHARLIE SPIVACK (1950) 16
    DENNIS DAY (1950) 29
    CARL MANN (1959) 25
    CONWAY TWITTY (1959) 29
    83 Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963) “Call Me Irresponsible” JACK JONES (1963) 75
    FRANK SINATRA (1963) 78
    84 You Light Up My Life (1977) “You Light Up My Life” DEBBY BOONE (1977) 1 (10 WEEKS)
    KACEY CLARK (1977) 80
    LEANN RIMES (1997) 34
    85 The Woman in Red (1984) “I Just Called to Say I Love You” STEVIE WONDER (1984) 1 (3 WEEKS)
    86 Thank God It’s Friday (1978) “Last Dance” DONNA SUMMER (1978) 3

    1. Hey bob cox
      1. Thanks for checking out our Best Song Page.
      2. Tally count….65 for me and 57 for you…..and checking other comments…and 52 for Flora.
      3. Sorry that I do not have room for the other nominees….if I was doing a decade report I could manage it.
      4. Thanks for the Die Hard article…your efforts are greatly appreciated.
      5. Stay safe and healthy.

  2. Interesting new page. Glad you included the song titles.

    I have a few favorites here which include – Skyfall, High Noon, When You Wish Upon a Star, Moon River, Secret Love, Born Free, Flashdance, On the Atchison Topeka, Theme from Shaft , Under the Sea, Never on Sunday and Over the Rainbow.

    If you were rating the songs ‘Over the Rainbow’ might have been no.1.

    Judy’s signature song topped AFI’s top 100 movie song chart, Dooley Wilson’s ‘As Time Goes By’ was no.2

    https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-songs/

    Good stuff Bruce. Vote Up!

    1. Hey Steve….thanks for the thougths on our Best Song Oscar winning movie. The only song I am not too aware of is On the Atchison Topeka. I agree with Over The Rainbow being first….my top ranked movie is Into the West from Return of the King….I have no memory of that song at all. Thanks for the link….great information on it. Good stuff as always.

  3. I have seen 52 of these movies. However, I have seen only 6 of the top 10, and 19 of the top 30. Nevertheless, even when I have not seen a film I generally know the Oscar winning song.

    You may find it interesting that just as I prefer watching movies before I was born, the prevailing music genre when I was in senior high was grunge music which I hate, so I don’t listen to much music of my own generation.

    Normally, I would list my favourites, but if I listed favourite songs I would likely list the majority of these films which would take a long time. Therefore I will just say that my favourite Oscar winning song of all is Over the Rainbow.

    1. Hey Flora….interesting information on your music tastes. I hope you will be able to demonstrate your musical talents with Christmas just around the corner. Tally count: Cogerson 65, bob cox 57 and Flora 52. Shocked I have the highest total. I bet Over the Rainbow is the top one for many many people. Good stuff as always.

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