Last Updated on 13/06/2021
Some good choices, but many off notes.
Ah, the Oscars. For some, the ultimate filmmaking accolade, the paragon against which “good and bad art” is measured; for others, an archaic and nepotistic hangover of classical Hollywood, of old white men rewarding old white men. I have to admit that I’m in the latter category. I have a love-hate relationship with the Oscars, bitterly declaring their irrelevance every year and yet still somehow being overjoyed when those who I feel deserve recognition receive it, and bitter when they don’t.
2021 has, however, been an undeniable turning point. The 93rd annual Academy Awards saw the first woman of colour (and second woman ever) to win Best Director, going to Chloé Zhao for Nomadland. Yuh-jung Youn’s performance in Minari marked her as the first Korean actor to ever win an Academy Award. Jamika Wilson and Mia Neal were the first black winners in Hairstyling and best makeup. Whilst we should obviously be celebrating these wins, it’s important to remember what they actually represent: 92 years of discrimination. The Academy has almost a century to make up for.
Whatever your thoughts on the Oscars, however, they’re undeniably a fascinating lens through which to examine the relationship between film and music, and how this has modulated over time. The Academy Award for the Best Original Song was introduced in 1934 at the 7th ceremony, and since then the category has showcased some seminal works.
So what constitutes an “original song”? In the ‘40s the requirement was that only songs that were “original and written specifically for the motion picture” could be eligible to win, with tracks incorporating samples excluded (thereby ruling out essentially half of hiphop’s discography), but in 2019 this was extended. Currently, a track can be nominated for this award if it’s “an original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture.” More than this, “there must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the motion picture or as the first music cue in the end credits.” Historically, it’s been the “end-credit hits” that have succeeded in this category; songs that aren’t woven into the fabric of the film but provide an impactful ending as the lights come up. This year’s awards were no different, with ⅘ of the nominees playing during the end credits. It’s a shame, and some of the songs I’ve selected as highlights are ones that go beyond this, tracks that integrate themselves into the audio-visual language of the film and assist in actually telling the story.
An interesting thing to note about the Original Song category is that it shifts attention away from the performer; it’s no secret that many popular artists these days don’t actually write their own tracks, but unless they contributed to the lyrics or music in their own right, the performers of a song aren’t credited with the Award, with recognition lying solely with the composer. Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Beyonce, Whitney Houston; some of the most prominent musical artists of the last hundred years have performed these songs, and not reaped the awards. This may be an interesting reflection of the difference between the film and music industries, with the former more actively crediting all its behind the scenes contributors, and the latter focusing more on spotlighting the frontman. Who knows.
Best Winners
Let’s start with some highlights. You’ll be pleased to know that for the purpose of this article I did in fact listen to every song that has ever been nominated for the award (all 406 of them) and it’s safe to say there are some absolute choons.
Lullaby of Broadway from Gold Diggers of 1935 (Harry Warren and Al Dubi) – 1935
So many amazing early jazz tracks actually originated from film, something I had no idea about until researching for this article. The Way You Look Tonight, Lullaby of Broadway (an Ella classic), and It Might as Well Be Spring all took home awards, whilst They Can’t Take That Away From Me, That Old Feeling and I’ve Got You Under My Skin received nominations, all of which would go on to become standards completely inextricable from the jazz canon.
Theme from Shaft from Shaft (Isaac Hayes) – 1971
From the iconic Blaxploitation movie, Theme From Shaft is a prime example of what an Original Song should be. This soulfunk jazz track mixing guitar, synth and hi-hat beats is regarded by some as one of the first disco tracks. With lyrics that paint a picture of the protagonist, the track does exactly what it says in the title – provides a theme for the film.
Last Dance from Thank God It’s Friday (Paul Jabara) – 1978
One of my favourite Donna Summer tracks of all time. A classic ‘70s disco movie, Thank God It’s Friday is one of the few Columbia Pictures films in which the “Torch Lady” comes to life in the opening credits, boogying along to the soundtrack. Fun!
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing (John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz, Franke Previte and Previte) – 1987
Nobody leaves Baby off a list.
Lose Yourself from 8 Mile (Jeff Bass, Eminem & Luis Resto) – 2002
The first ever rap track to win in this category, Lose Yourself is one of only 3 21st century songs to be featured in Rolling Stones’ “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. It seems a bit meta that a song written specifically about a rap artist has become so ingrained in Eminem’s discography, and again, this reflects the best of the Original Song category, illustrating how film and music can symbiotically benefit and enrich one another. Eminem didn’t even attend the 2003 ceremony, as he didn’t think he had a chance of winning: “The younger me didn’t really feel like a show like that would understand me. But then when I found out I won, ‘That’s crazy!’ That to me shows how authentic and real that award is – when you don’t show up and you still win. That makes it very real to me.” I think sadly Mathers may have been an exception, however, as rap tracks have been few and far between in subsequent nominations.
Shallow from A Star Is Born (Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt) – 2018
Shallow is heard three times throughout A Star is Born, and the joint performance of the track was filmed in front of a live audience in Greece, although the crowds weren’t actually really able to hear the songs to prevent them being leaked before the film’s cinematic release. Again, this is a perfect example of how music can become part of a film’s DNA. The song allows for an intimate and candid conversation between the two protagonists, the rock power ballad the perfect form to reflect the emotional intensity of their relationship. Gaga wasn’t just reeling out an end-credits track that reflected her usual style: “When I was writing music for the film I had to think about Ally as if she wasn’t me”, she explains. “I went with a sound for her, even in the pop realm, that’s unlike anything I’ve ever put out before.” The song aided not just the fabric but the promotion of the film, topping the charts in over 20 countries.
Songs you can’t believe were written for films
Streets of Philadelphia from Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen) – 1993
My favourite Springsteen and my favourite Hanks film. Streets of Philadelphia is haunting and understated, just like the film it accompanies, and the use of synth to create such pathos is beautifully innovative. Director Jonathan Demme approached Springsteen, who was keen to be involved but unsure of his ability to compose for film. Unsurprisingly, these doubts were unfounded; he mailed the demo to Demme, who claimed “my wife and I sat down and listened to it, and we were literally weeping by the end.”
9 to 5 from 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton) – 1980
I’m probably the only person who didn’t realise this absolute classic originated from a ‘90s comedy, but there you go. This film accelerated Parton’s career, propelling her into the mainstream, and for that we can be forever grateful.
Mystery of Love from Call Me By Your Name (Sufjan Stevens) – 2017
Many people will know this from Call Me By Your Name, but again, I didn’t realise it was specifically commissioned for the movie (maybe there’s a theme emerging in this article, and that theme is my ignorance?)
CMBYN’s director Luca Guadagnino initially wanted Sufjan Stevens to narrate the film (which I think in hindsight would’ve been a weird artistic choice), and although he declined, luckily for us he agreed to compose an original song to accompany the film. As with The Theme From Shaft, the lyrics echo the emerging love between Elio and Oliver and are rich with religious allusions, like the film itself. This song is another perfect example of how film and music can marry to create holistic aesthetic releases. A music video for the track was released in the beginning of 2018 on Pitchfork’s YouTube channel and was made up of footage from the film woven into video of artworks from Naples’ National Archaeological Museum.
Christmas Classics
We all know White Christmas came from Holiday Inn, but if it weren’t for Neptune’s Daughter, we wouldn’t have Baby It’s Cold Outside (which actually, given its message, might not have been a bad thing).
Some other bangers
That’s Amore, Que Sera Sera, Eye of The Tiger – none of these would exist without their filmic fathers.
The ones that got away
If there’s one thing the Oscars LOVE, it’s giving the wrong people an award 🙂 There have been many shocking decisions over the past 80 years, but here are some particular tragedies:
I’ve Seen It All from Dancer in the Dark (Bjork, Sjón and Lars von Trier, featuring Thom Yorke)
An unbelievable collaboration between two genuinely genre defining artists, I’ve Seen It All is a trip-hop-baroque-pop masterpiece, and the only time the two artists would come together.
“We’ve known about each other for a while. [We were] always just about to do something together, and we were just waiting for the right situation. I was really excited about this song; I thought that I finally had a song that deserved his voice, ’cause he’s definitely my favorite male singer in the world. I asked him, and he being the kind of guy he is, full of integrity — there’s not a grain of artificial, show-business behavior in him — he kind of insisted that he would turn up [in the studio] and be there for quite a while, so the communication in the song, the recording, was real and genuine. It wasn’t just a turn-it-on, you know, “I recorded my bit in Las Vegas and he recorded his…” you know, [like] we never met or something. It was the opposite, and that actually came from him.” (Bjork on the process)
Two music videos were produced for the track; one is an excerpt from the film, but the other is an ahead of its time foreshadowing of the interactive future of video. Over lockdown we’ve seen an increasing trend of theatrical productions putting on interactive shows, in which viewers can determine the outcome of events, but Bjork was doing this back in 2000. A collaboration with MTV, the second video allowed audiences to change the scenes and special effects within the video. In fairness, they did lose out to Bob Dylan, but this still should’ve taken the number one spot for me.
All the Stars from Black Panther (SZA, Kendrick,Sounwave and Al Shux) – 2018
Recorded for Black Panther, this may not be the peak of Kendrick’s musical mastery, but it was a crucial moment in the history of the intersection of film and music, of the two mediums coming together to platform a crucial message. Black Panther was first conceived in the civil rights era, and he embodied the importance of celebrating black power and black excellence. The 2018 production was a crucial mirroring of this. As producer Jamil Smith illucidates, “this is not just a movie about a black superhero; it’s very much a black movie. It carries a weight that neither Thor nor Captain America could lift: serving a black audience that has long gone underrepresented. For so long, films that depict a reality where whiteness isn’t the default have been ghettoized, marketed largely to audiences of color as niche entertainment, instead of as part of the mainstream… But over the past year, the success of films including Get Out and Girls Trip have done even bigger business at the box office… Those two hits have only bolstered an argument that has persisted since well before Spike Lee made his debut: black films with black themes and black stars can and should be marketed like any other. No one talks about Woody Allen and Wes Anderson movies as “white movies” to be marketed only to that audience.” Kendrick Lamar has explored what it means to be a black citizen in American society with a profound level of depth and poetry unparalleled by any other twenty first century artist. His audioethnographies have consistently platformed black joy and pride, and exposed the continuing effects of institutional racism that permeate the United States. The union of Kendrick and Ryan Coogler is one of the most important moments in the history of modern American cinema. Rest in peace Chadwick Boseman.
I Fall In Love Too Easily from Anchors Aweigh (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) – 1945
In 1945, Styne and Cahn gave us the jazz standard that would one day be covered by Chet Baker and become (in my opinion) the single greatest jazz track of all time.
Best year of all time – 1984
I Just Called to Say I Love You, Ghostbusters, Footloose and Against All Odds all nominated in the same year? The Oscars peaked in 1984 – a bad year for surveillance but a great year for film scores.
The ones that didn’t even get a look in
Stayin’ Alive from Saturday Night Fever? Blondie’s Call Me for American Gigolo? New York, New York, written for Scorsese’s 1977 film and delivered by Liza Minnelli? None of these receieved a nomination. Arguably some of the best trakcs of the past 100 years, and the Oscars just didn’t want to know.
What have we learned?
Although the Oscars get it wrong about 99% of the time, there’s no denying that film couldn’t exist at its most powerful without music. When done right, an original composition integrated into the fabric of the story adds a layer of emotional and aesthetic depth that simply can’t be achieved by words alone. The Oscars should change its tune and ditch the end-credit afterthought tracks and start celebrating these endeavours more decidedly; 2021 has hopefully taught us that the Academy is capable of evolving, so who knows – maybe they will.
