Best Oscar winning song?

[Pencil]

As we're winding down TV-themes, I thought I might take a shot at running a mini-megapoll. No nominations makes it easy, and we could do this as a kinda preamble to the Academy Awards. Are you guys interested?

And if turns out well, I'll do Eurovision song contest in May in time for the final (in my home town). I realize that most Americans don't have a strong connection to ESC, but quite a lot of songs that started in ESC made over to your shores. Volare comes to mind, but IIRC it didn't win. It would at least be good for some laughs.

[What Exit?]

Sounds good, but so subjective at the same time. Especially as those that vote for Oscars so often pick terrible songs out of the 5 or so presented.

[Pencil]

I just read wiki on the whole thing. As always, with Oscar, some horrible winners, some snubs, some great songs winning and some surprisingly absent: the rules say that the song most be written for the movie, so a lot of movies adapted from Broadway don't have eligible songs.

There are obviously not 128 winners so I need some advice:

Do with have a play in round where we eliminate early winners from the 20's that no ones heard since the 30's? Or do we add some snubs that were nominated but didn't win?
Also, If I can find clips of the performance from the Oscar night, is that better than the version for the film?

And if no one but What Jim? chimes in, I ain't gonna do it.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Pencil

And if no one but What Jim? chimes in, I ain't gonna do it.

can't blame you, but I wanted to say you should give it a day or so because a lot more people show up here on a weekday, seems like.

[silenus]

PLAY IN! PLAY IN! PLAY IN!

[Kat]

Originally Posted by Pencil

Do with have a play in round where we eliminate early winners from the 20's that no ones heard since the 30's? Or do we add some snubs that were nominated but didn't win?
Also, If I can find clips of the performance from the Oscar night, is that better than the version for the film?

I say Yes, Yes and why not both (in different rounds)?

[TroutMan]

Sounds good to me.

More votes is (almost) always better, so I'd say pad the entrants somehow to get it up to 128. Maybe pick your favorites from the nominees that didn't win?

[Kat]

Or add some that got robbed by not even being nominated.

[What Exit?]

Originally Posted by TroutMan

Sounds good to me.

More votes is (almost) always better, so I'd say pad the entrants somehow to get it up to 128. Maybe pick your favorites from the nominees that didn't win?

2007 stands out: Enchanted had 3 nominations, That's How you Know should have won easily over the completely forgotten, why was it even nominated Falling Slowly that won.



In a weird one 1993,
Winner: Philadelphia "Streets of Philadelphia" Bruce Springsteen (music & lyrics)
The one most people including Tom Hanks thought should have won:
Philadelphia "Philadelphia" Neil Young (music & lyrics)

This might just be me:
1979: Norma Rae "It Goes Like It Goes" David Shire (music); Norman Gimbel (lyrics) won but The Muppet Movie "Rainbow Connection" Kenny Ascher & Paul Williams (music & lyrics)


1986: Little Shop of Horrors should have won for "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" over Top Gun "Take My Breath Away". And actually "Somewhere Out There" from American Tail is also better.

1997: That horrible dreck, "My Heart Will Go On" won. Though to be fair not the greatest year. But Miss Misery from Good Will Hunting was more deserving and not sung by that banshee.

1974: I think "Blazing Saddles" should have beat The Towering Inferno "We May Never Love Like This Again".

BTW: 1968 was a tough year. 3 worthy songs, Winner: The Thomas Crown Affair "The Windmills of Your Mind"; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; Funny Girl "Funny Girl"

[Pencil]

I'll start listing the winners and noms to get your appetite up.

[JackieLikesVariety]

hey, I know a bunch of those songs!

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Kat

Or add some that got robbed by not even being nominated.

Now that's a tall order.

[SisterCoyote]

Can we skip "Let it Blow Go"?

[TroutMan]

Originally Posted by SisterCoyote

Can we skip "Let it Blow Go"?

I want it in there just to see what devastating burns we can come up with in the first round.

[mjmlabs]

Show tunes* really aren't something I have opinions about, but I'll be happy to lob in the occasional ignorant and ill-considered vote to muck things up, because somebody's gotta do it or it wouldn't be a valid Megapoll.

*I know full well that this is an inaccurate description, and that the idiom "show tunes" would more properly apply to Tony Award-winning songs. It's a stylistic word choice matter; I claim authorial license. We keep the pedantry over at the Durp so bitch at me over there if you want.

[Rat Diva]

I made the thread sticky for you, @Pencil.

[Borborygmi]

I'm getting here late but want to thank Pencil for jumping in and setting up the next megapoll!

I'm not sure I understand how the field is being determined. As others have said, more polls is more fun. So I'd love the field to be expanded to get to 128 (or more!). But if Pencil is lamenting missing out on the relative ease of no nomination process, it would be a simple matter to grant enough first round byes to force a Round 2 field of 64. So if there are, say, 90 Oscar winners (I didn't check the exact number), he could grant 38 first round byes randomly or by whatever criteria he chooses, with the other 52 competing for the remaining 26 Round 2 slots.

[Pencil]

@Borborygmi

I'm not sure either. Best song started in 1934, so I think there are 89 winners.
I'd like to time this so we have finals just before Oscar Sunday (3/10) and I'd also like to get to 128. In the other thread I've started listing all noms and winners. And I'm open to input and suggestions.

One example is 1968. Winner was Windmills of Your Mind. I prefer the French version, as the - I dunno - rhythm or cadence seem to fit better with French. I still like the song, but Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Funny Girl lost. Some years have really weak both winner and runner-ups. Maybe we can use some nominated songs we think would be worthy a win to pad the starting field?

Or I might just put in some of my favorites.
Still another option is songs that were totally snubbed - no nomination.

The rule that the song must be written for the movie also leaves out some of the greatest songs in Movie History, e.g. Singin' in the Rain. I think if we add songs that were not nominated we should stick to the Academy rules, i.e. written for the movie, or madness lies ahead if any song ever in a movie is eligible.

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by Borborygmi

I'm not sure I understand how the field is being determined. As others have said, more polls is more fun. So I'd love the field to be expanded to get to 128 (or more!). But if Pencil is lamenting missing out on the relative ease of no nomination process, it would be a simple matter to grant enough first round byes to force a Round 2 field of 64. So if there are, say, 90 Oscar winners (I didn't check the exact number), he could grant 38 first round byes randomly or by whatever criteria he chooses, with the other 52 competing for the remaining 26 Round 2 slots.

Dude. What part of RANDOM AND CAPRICIOUS DO YOU STILL NOT GET!?

[Rock]

Originally Posted by Zeener Diode

Now that's a tall order.

Perhaps a future megapoll?

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Rock

Perhaps a future megapoll?

A "songs from movies that weren't nominated" megapoll? Not gonna touch it.