1985 Best Original Song - The First Time Madonna Was Robbed

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WON: "Say You, Say Me," White Nights

SHOULD'VE WON: "Separate Lives," White Nights

If 1984 is a merely frustrating year of Best Original Song at the Oscars - given the lack of Purple Rain love and Stevie Wonder having defeated four marvelous songs with a piece of cornball fluff - 1985 is a flat-out aggravating affair, a year featuring not one or two but really five pretty ho-hom tracks, all at the expense of at least half a dozen vastly superior contenders that failed to make the cut.

Eligible for consideration in '85 were, among others: Simple Minds' spectacularly iconic "Don't You (Forget About Me)," from The Breakfast Club; Journey's "Only the Young" and Madonna's dazzling "Crazy for You," both from Vision Quest; Madonna's "Into the Groove," from Desperately Seeking Susan, arguably among both her finest records and the best songs of the '80s; Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero," from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome; Duran Duran's rollicking theme to A View to a Kill; and DeBarge's delightful "Rhythm of the Night," from The Last Dragon. (If nominated, I would've been most torn between "Don't You (Forget About Me)" and "Crazy for You.")

Alas, leave it to the Academy to overlook all of those fantastic tunes in favor of a supremely unremarkable fivesome of nominees.

The big man on campus this year was Lionel Richie, who not only scored two nominations here (winning for "Say You, Say Me," nominated for co-writing "Miss Celie's Blues") but also in '85 went on to win the Album of the Year prize at the Grammys for Can't Slow Down (one of the all-time worst and most inexplicable AOTY victories, by the way, beating Cyndi Lauper, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Tina Turner).

While I'm mildly fond of "Miss Celie's Blues," mostly on account of my great affection for The Color Purple (it was also composed by the legendary Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton), I cannot find much of anything to be fond about with "Say You, Say Me." It's a record emblematic of all I can't stand about Richie's work, a lifeless, uber-generic, clunky piece of elevator muzak, with the most headache-inducing of '80s soft rock production values. At least "Endless Love" had Diana Ross to provide some merit. This is just like molasses to my ears, almost as dreadful as the two Maureen McGovern winners.

Huey Lewis and the News, another '80s act I'm not the least bit fond of, also showed up here in '85, with "The Power of Love" from Back to the Future. Terrific film, one of the most entertaining pictures of the decade - it certainly deserved more than the four nominations and one win it garnered at the Oscars this year. But "The Power of Love"? Give me a break. This lame yuppie pop-rock could've showed up in just about any '80s comedy.

Beyond Mr. Richie and Mr. Lewis, this category gets a tad brighter, but just a little bit.

"Surprise, Surprise," from Richard Attenborough's unfortunate film adaptation of A Chorus Line, is almost awe-inspiring in the heights of '80s cheese it manages to reach but it does feature a gangbusters performance by Gregg Burge, an immensely talented dancer who tragically died of a brain tumor at age 40, a little more than a decade following the film. 

My favorite this year, however, would have to be another Phil Collins-performed record, this time "Separate Lives," his duet with the lovely Marilyn Martin, from White Nights. This isn't a great song - I wouldn't nominate it over any of the aforementioned non-nominees - but it is a nice, listenable piece of adult contemporary, composed by Stephen Bishop, who did such a charming job performing nominee "It Might Be You" (from Tootsie) back in '82.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "High Hopes," A Hole in the Head (1959)
  4. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
  5. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
  8. "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973)
  9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  10. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  11. "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975)
  12. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  13. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  14. "Fame," Fame (1980)
  15. "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971)
  16. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  17. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  18. "Moon River," Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
  19. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  20. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  21. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  22. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  23. "Flashdance...What a Feeling," Flashdance (1983)
  24. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981)
  25. "Last Dance," Thank God It's Friday (1978)
  26. "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  27. "For All We Know," Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
  28. "All the Way," The Joker Is Wild (1957)
  29. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  30. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  31. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  32. "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
  33. "It Goes Like It Goes," Norma Rae (1979)
  34. "Born Free," Born Free (1966)
  35. "Never on Sunday," Never on Sunday (1960)
  36. "I Just Called to Say I Love You," The Woman in Red (1984)
  37. "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
  38. "Three Coins in the Fountain," Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
  39. "Chim Chim Cher-ee," Mary Poppins (1964)
  40. "Call Me Irresponsible," Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
  41. "Evergreen (Theme from A Star Is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976)
  42. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  43. "You Light Up My Life," You Light Up My Life (1977)
  44. "Gigi," Gigi (1958)
  45. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  46. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  47. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)
  48. "Talk to the Animals," Doctor Dolittle (1967)
  49. "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965)
  50. "Say You, Say Me," White Nights (1985)
  51. "The Morning After," The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  52. "We May Never Love Like This Again," The Towering Inferno (1974)

1984 Best Original Song - Stevie Ain't Afraid of No Ghostbusters (or Kevin Bacon)

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WON: "I Just Called to Say I Love You," The Woman in Red

SHOULD'VE WON: "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," Against All Odds

Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a sweet, charmingly corny trifle, easily the most notable thing (well, besides Kelly LeBrock) from Gene Wilder's underwhelming midlife crisis comedy The Woman in Red. Its performance by Wonder and the cast of The Cosby Show is truly one of the great and iconic sitcom moments of the 1980s. In most years, I wouldn't much mind Wonder having prevailed.

Alas, in 1984 Best Original Song, Wonder's victory was downright criminal. Not only did "I Just Called to Say I Love You" defeat four vastly superior tracks but its presence also aided in keeping Prince's sublime Purple Rain from scoring a single nomination in Original Song.

Purple Rain, which did score its leading man an Oscar in the now-defunct "Best Original Song Score" category, could have conceivably filled out an entire Original Song line-up on its own, with the legendary likes of the title track, "When Doves Cry" (which scored a Golden Globe nom), "Let's Go Crazy," "I Would Die 4 U" and "The Beautiful Ones." Alas, perhaps because of vote-splitting among the contenders (or, just as likely, some Academy members' aversion to Prince), it ended up missing-in-action on Oscar nominations morning.

As for the four truly kickass nominees that did make the cut, I think I can split the foursome into two tiers, one a tad superior to the other, but both leaps and bounds more memorable than the Wonder tune. Note that all four of these songs clocked in at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 in '84.

"Footloose" and "Ghostbusters," from their eponymous blockbusters, are among probably the 10 or so most recognizable movie tracks of the '80s. Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" marks one of the most exciting and exuberant records of the artist's terrific (and I would argue awfully underrated) career, and the image of Kevin Bacon getting his groove on on the dance floor can't be beat. Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" is surely a tad on the cheesy side, and it's not a record to be listened to over and over again, but it's such a pitch-perfect fit for the film and deliriously catchy. It's also, I think, a pretty timeless record, even with the aggressive '80s production values.

Much as I enjoy "Footloose" and "Ghostbusters," however, I'm even more enamored with the remaining two nominees, neither of which I would hesitate to place on a list of the top 50 songs of the decade.

"Let's Hear It for the Boy," performed by the always-dazzling Deniece Williams (who, despite four Grammys and a handful of hits, never quite got the attention I think she deserved), is an irresistible piece of bubble gum R&B-pop. Good luck not singing along. Ultimately, however, while it is a close call, I have to go with "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" as my winner here, and this is coming from someone who, as you'll see through future categories, isn't always too keen on Phil Collins. He couldn't be better here, however. It's an immensely moving, even haunting record, from the film of the same name (one of the decade's most purely sexy pictures, featuring the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Rachel Ward and Jeff Bridges in beefcake mode).

Oh, and then there's this.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "High Hopes," A Hole in the Head (1959)
  4. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
  5. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
  8. "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973)
  9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  10. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  11. "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975)
  12. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  13. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  14. "Fame," Fame (1980)
  15. "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971)
  16. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  17. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  18. "Moon River," Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
  19. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  20. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  21. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  22. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  23. "Flashdance...What a Feeling," Flashdance (1983)
  24. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981)
  25. "Last Dance," Thank God It's Friday (1978)
  26. "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  27. "For All We Know," Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
  28. "All the Way," The Joker Is Wild (1957)
  29. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  30. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  31. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  32. "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
  33. "It Goes Like It Goes," Norma Rae (1979)
  34. "Born Free," Born Free (1966)
  35. "Never on Sunday," Never on Sunday (1960)
  36. "I Just Called to Say I Love You," The Woman in Red (1984)
  37. "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
  38. "Three Coins in the Fountain," Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
  39. "Chim Chim Cher-ee," Mary Poppins (1964)
  40. "Call Me Irresponsible," Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
  41. "Evergreen (Theme from A Star Is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976)
  42. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  43. "You Light Up My Life," You Light Up My Life (1977)
  44. "Gigi," Gigi (1958)
  45. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  46. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  47. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)
  48. "Talk to the Animals," Doctor Dolittle (1967)
  49. "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965)
  50. "The Morning After," The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  51. "We May Never Love Like This Again," The Towering Inferno (1974)

1983 Best Original Song - The Great Barbra Streisand-Jennifer Beals Duel

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WON: "Flashdance...What a Feeling," Flashdance

SHOULD'VE WON: "The Way He Makes Me Feel," Yentl

Now this is a toughie.

In 1983 Best Original Song, a category dominated by Flashdance and Yentl, I could really make a solid case for four of the nominees. (The fifth, "Over You," from the Oscar-winning Robert Duvall vehicle Tender Mercies, is a sloppy piece of adult contemporary, performed by the usually great Betty Buckley yet sounding more like the Oscar-winning dreck from Maureen McGovern in the early '70s.)

Flashdance is not a great picture. It's a supremely silly one, though it does work on at least two levels - as a star-making debut vehicle for the charming Jennifer Beals and as the bearer of a plenty memorable soundtrack.

Indeed, while "Flashdance...What a Feeling" is not my personal pick in '83, I cannot knock its victory too much. Performed and written by the reliable Irene Cara, with a moving and iconic Giorgio Moroder production, it's a record that begins as a slow, steady ballad for Cara before morphing into an irresistible dance number that recalls the best of '80s pop. I'm also quite fond of the other Flashdance nominee, "Maniac," which, like the Cara-Moroder tune, is instantly recognizable from the get-go. "Maniac," which marked a collaboration between writer-performer Michael Sembello and the legendary producer Phil Ramone, was (to my great delight) inspired by the 1980 slasher cult classic of the same name.

Alas, much as I enjoy the Flashdance tracks, I think I'm ever-so-slightly more enamored with the two nominees here from Yentl, Barbra Streisand's directional debut which, really ever since its release, has gotten its fair share of shit from film critics but I would argue is an impressive, even exemplary piece of cinema, one of the last great, ambitious original musicals on the big screen.

What's interesting is the Academy didn't even nominate my favorite song from Yentl here, the sublime finale "A Piece of Sky." Instead, they went for arguably the picture's two most recognizable tunes, "Papa, Can You Hear Me" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel." Both are stunningly performed by Streisand, with incredible music and lyrics from Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman - all four artists are completely operating at the tops of their game here. I do think "Papa" is perhaps tad too...let's say, on the nose, lyrically speaking. "The Way He Makes Me Feel" is the more intriguing and affecting song, particularly within the context of the picture.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "High Hopes," A Hole in the Head (1959)
  4. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
  5. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
  8. "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973)
  9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  10. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  11. "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975)
  12. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  13. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  14. "Fame," Fame (1980)
  15. "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971)
  16. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  17. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  18. "Moon River," Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
  19. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  20. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  21. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  22. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  23. "Flashdance...What a Feeling," Flashdance (1983)
  24. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981)
  25. "Last Dance," Thank God It's Friday (1978)
  26. "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  27. "For All We Know," Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
  28. "All the Way," The Joker Is Wild (1957)
  29. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  30. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  31. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  32. "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
  33. "It Goes Like It Goes," Norma Rae (1979)
  34. "Born Free," Born Free (1966)
  35. "Never on Sunday," Never on Sunday (1960)
  36. "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
  37. "Three Coins in the Fountain," Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
  38. "Chim Chim Cher-ee," Mary Poppins (1964)
  39. "Call Me Irresponsible," Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
  40. "Evergreen (Theme from A Star Is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976)
  41. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  42. "You Light Up My Life," You Light Up My Life (1977)
  43. "Gigi," Gigi (1958)
  44. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  45. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  46. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)
  47. "Talk to the Animals," Doctor Dolittle (1967)
  48. "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965)
  49. "The Morning After," The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  50. "We May Never Love Like This Again," The Towering Inferno (1974)

1982 Best Original Song - I Love You, Dorothy Michaels

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WON: "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman

SHOULD'VE WON: "It Might Be You," Tootsie

For some time growing up, my movie-loving immediate family could not afford to make weekly trips to the local Blockbuster. (In hindsight, much I adored and still miss Blockbuster, weren't their prices absolutely absurd?) Instead, we'd venture over to the town library and pick out flicks from their slim VHS collection.

The two pictures I'd rent out most from the library actually happen to both be Best Original Song nominees - '80s comedy classics Tootsie and Ghostbusters. Much as I enjoyed Ghostbusters, though, I didn't love it nearly as much as I completely ate up Tootsie. Even in elementary school, I couldn't get enough of the Dustin Hoffman comedy. When my friends sang the praises of Mrs. Doubtfire, I, the eight-year-old film snob, would of course note how Tootsie was the vastly superior cross-dressing picture, I imagine leaving my pals confused as to why they hadn't heard of a film about, presumably, Tootsie Rolls.

Alas, in 1982, the Academy didn't quite share my intense affection for the Sydney Pollack film. While it was showered with nominations, including surprise nods for Teri Garr and the film's sound, Tootsie was clobbered by Richard Attenborough's exhausting Gandhi on Oscar night, leaving the Pollack picture in the dust in all categories, sans Supporting Actress, where Jessica Lange picked up a consolation prize for not winning in Lead Actress for her superior work in Frances.

Among the Oscar categories Tootsie came up short in was indeed Original Song, where the picture's lovely "It Might Be You," performed by Stephen Bishop and composed by Dave Grusin and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, was shown the exit by "Up Where We Belong," the number-one Billboard hit from An Officer and a Gentleman.

Performed by Joe Cocker and Oscar favorite Jennifer Warnes (whose comparably mellow "It Goes Like It Goes" had prevailed just a few years prior), "Up Where We Belong" is a listenable but awfully sappy piece of adult contemporary, one of the lesser efforts for sure of composer Jack Nitzsche, who did exciting, innovative work on records with the likes of Phil Spector and the Rolling Stones in the '60s before moving his focus to film music in the '70s and onward, where his output, I'm afraid, wasn't quite as exceptional.

Speaking of soft rock, '82 also features "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" (from the Burt Reynolds-Goldie Hawn dramedy Best Friends) and "If We Were in Love" (from the infamous Luciano Pavarotti misfire Yes, Giorgio), both also written by the Bergmans, with Michel Legrand composing on the former and John Williams on the latter. Neither is terribly noteworthy, though I actually think I slightly prefer both to the winner. The former proved a surprise standard over the years to come, with the legendary likes of Sinatra, Bennett and Streisand all giving it a go. And the latter is of course gorgeously performed by Pavarotti, even if it does bring to mind that damn film.

The final nominee, Rocky III's "Eye of the Tiger," marks the biggest Billboard hit of the five, perhaps of the category ever (it spent an incredible six weeks at number one), and probably the only nominee you'd still frequently come across on the airwaves, unless you're listening to '80s Love Songs on Pandora. Performed by Survivor, it's a smashingly successful and iconic rock record, perfectly fitting to the film, albeit not as uplifting as the "Gonna Fly Now" theme from the first Rocky.

It's a pretty close call for me between "It Might Be You" and "Eye of the Tiger," but my head-over-heels affection for Tootsie is veering me over to the former's column.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "High Hopes," A Hole in the Head (1959)
  4. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
  5. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
  8. "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973)
  9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  10. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  11. "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975)
  12. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  13. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  14. "Fame," Fame (1980)
  15. "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971)
  16. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  17. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  18. "Moon River," Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
  19. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  20. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  21. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  22. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  23. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981)
  24. "Last Dance," Thank God It's Friday (1978)
  25. "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  26. "For All We Know," Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
  27. "All the Way," The Joker Is Wild (1957)
  28. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  29. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  30. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  31. "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
  32. "It Goes Like It Goes," Norma Rae (1979)
  33. "Born Free," Born Free (1966)
  34. "Never on Sunday," Never on Sunday (1960)
  35. "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
  36. "Three Coins in the Fountain," Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
  37. "Chim Chim Cher-ee," Mary Poppins (1964)
  38. "Call Me Irresponsible," Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
  39. "Evergreen (Theme from A Star Is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976)
  40. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  41. "You Light Up My Life," You Light Up My Life (1977)
  42. "Gigi," Gigi (1958)
  43. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  44. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  45. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)
  46. "Talk to the Animals," Doctor Dolittle (1967)
  47. "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965)
  48. "The Morning After," The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  49. "We May Never Love Like This Again," The Towering Inferno (1974)

1981 Best Original Song - "Endless Love, from the Endless Movie Endless Love"

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WON AND SHOULD'VE WON: "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur

The most memorable part of 1981 Best Original Song at the Oscars was not a particular nominee - this is, I'm afraid, a mostly lackluster line-up - but rather the presentation of the award itself.

At the ceremony this year, Bette Midler was selected to present the trophy in original songwriting and what a marvelous move that turned out to be - she delivered a performance more remarkable than anything host Johnny Carson had to offer up. In prime form, bubbly and funny as ever, Midler won over her audience in an instant and garnered big laughs poking fun at each nominee, in particular at "Endless Love," which she rightfully noted hailed from the "endless movie Endless Love, written by the very rich Lionel Richie."

If only today's presenters had the sparkle and enthusiasm of the Divine Miss M's in '81.

As for the category itself, it's unfortunately not a whole lot to write home about. I do think the Academy made the right call here, with "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," composed by the star-studded team of Burt Bacharach, Peter Allen, Carole Bayer Sager and Christopher Cross. It's half a great song, with a marvelous opening verse - prime Bacharach - and a catchy chorus, but the second verse, focused on the Arthur character (portrayed by Oscar nominee Dudley Moore) has always struck me as rather goofy and clumsily written. It's mold on what's otherwise a pretty good piece of soft rock.

Speaking of soft rock, "Endless Love," from the eponymous Razzie-winning piece of garbage, was also a nominee in '81. Composed by (the indeed very rich) Lionel Richie, the tune, performed by Richie and Diana Ross, was a smash hit at the time, breaking Billboard records, and it continues to stand to this day as one of the all-time most successful duets. While an unimpeachably pleasant listen, nicely performed by Richie and Ross, it isn't a song that breaks any new ground whatsoever and I think it actually runs out of steam by about the halfway mark. It's also, let's be honest, very much tainted by the film. Seems fitting that, after three months at number one, "Arthur's Theme" was the tune to knock this from the top of the Billboard charts.

Another Billboard success recognized here was "For Your Eyes Only," marking only the third time a Bond flick showed up in Best Original Song. Performed by Sheena Easton and composed by Rocky's Bill Conti, it isn't among the series' more memorable themes but rather one of the cheesiest. The remaining two nominees, the overlong and curiously dull "The First Time It Happens" (from the somewhat forgotten The Great Muppet Caper) and Randy Newman's lethargic "One More Hour" (from ho-hum Oscar bait Ragtime) aren't any better.

Was anything egregiously snubbed in '81? Not really, though it would've been a hoot to see "Hearts, Not Diamonds" (composed by Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice!) from the Lauren Bacall slasher flick The Fan show up.

The Oscar-winners ranked (thus far)...

  1. "Over the Rainbow," The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  2. "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936)
  3. "High Hopes," A Hole in the Head (1959)
  4. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
  5. "Mona Lisa," Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)
  6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," Neptune's Daughter (1949)
  7. "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
  8. "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973)
  9. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  10. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, On My Darlin')," High Noon (1952)
  11. "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975)
  12. "You'll Never Know," Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943)
  13. "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," The Harvey Girls (1946)
  14. "Fame," Fame (1980)
  15. "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971)
  16. "Secret Love," Calamity Jane (1953)
  17. "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942)
  18. "Moon River," Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
  19. "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940)
  20. "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
  21. "Lullaby of Broadway," Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
  22. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1947)
  23. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981)
  24. "Last Dance," Thank God It's Friday (1978)
  25. "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  26. "For All We Know," Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
  27. "All the Way," The Joker Is Wild (1957)
  28. "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair (1945)
  29. "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Lady Be Good (1941)
  30. "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Here Comes the Groom (1951)
  31. "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
  32. "It Goes Like It Goes," Norma Rae (1979)
  33. "Born Free," Born Free (1966)
  34. "Never on Sunday," Never on Sunday (1960)
  35. "Three Coins in the Fountain," Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
  36. "Chim Chim Cher-ee," Mary Poppins (1964)
  37. "Call Me Irresponsible," Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
  38. "Evergreen (Theme from A Star Is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976)
  39. "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944)
  40. "You Light Up My Life," You Light Up My Life (1977)
  41. "Gigi," Gigi (1958)
  42. "The Continental," The Gay Divorcee (1934)
  43. "Sweet Leilani," Waikiki Wedding (1937)
  44. "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948)
  45. "Talk to the Animals," Doctor Dolittle (1967)
  46. "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965)
  47. "The Morning After," The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  48. "We May Never Love Like This Again," The Towering Inferno (1974)