The Oscar for Best Original Song was introduced at the 7th annual Academy Awards in 1934 and has been running ever since. But have the Academy’s decisions stood the test of time?
BBC Bitesize takes a look at some of the more memorable Oscar winners and some that, many would argue, should have taken the top prize instead.
Five great songs that missed out on an Oscar
1. Linda & Paul McCartney’s Wings lost out with Live and Let Die, the James Bond film theme, in 1973
They were beaten by Barbra Streisand's The Way We Were, from the film of the same name.
Six Bond themes have been nominated in total, three didn’t win: Live and Let Die, Nobody Does It Better by Carly Simon and For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton. But three did claim the trophy: Skyfall by Adele, Writing's on the Wall by Sam Smith and No Time to Die by Billie Eilish.
2. Dolly Parton who both starred in and sang the theme tune for 9 to 5 (1980) lost out to Fame by Irene Cara
Both Dolly’s song and the film were inspired by an organisation called 9to5, which campaigned for fair pay and equal rights for women and families in the US. If you listen closely to the track it includes what sounds like a typewrighter clacking away but it was actually Dolly tapping her acrylic nails together in the studio to get the effect.
After the huge success of Fame the film, a fictional tale of life at New York's High School of Performing Arts, it was made into a TV series in 1982. Shown on the BBC, Irene's song was the theme tune and topped the charts in the UK. Interestingly, past pupils of the real life high school that inspired Fame include performers such as Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli, Jennifer Aniston, Ving Rhames and Suzanne Vega.
3. An anthem for facing adversity, Survivor’s Eye Of The Tiger, was nominated for Rocky lll
In the film, Rocky Balboa fights Mr T’s Clubber Lang. Sylvester Stallone who directed as well as starred in the film, originally wanted Queen's Another One Bites the Dust for the boxing scene but they turned him down. He turned to Survivor and so history was made. But they lost out on the Oscar to the perennial Halloween favourite Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jnr in 1982.
4. In 1992 Whitney Houston starred in The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner and, of course, she sang the soundtrack too
But the karaoke classic I Will Always Love You wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. Two of Whitney’s other tracks were instead - I Have Nothing and Run To You - but both lost out to A Whole New World, a duet from Aladdin and Princess Jasmine - sung by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle in real life.
5. It was a clash of two animation giants in 2013 when the Minions took on Queen Elsa
But Pharrell Williams’ Happy from Despicable Me 2, lost out to the behemoth that is Let It Go From Frozen, sung by Idina Menzel. In the UK, Happy was huge. By 2015 it had sold over 1,813,000 copies, spent four weeks at number one, 50 in the Top 40 and was played at every school disco on repeat.
Memorable winners through the decades
1. The first ten winners of the Best Original Song Oscar include some stone cold classics
In 1939 the winner was Judy Garland’s rendition of Over The Rainbow from Wizard of Oz. In 1940 it was When You Wish Upon A Star sung by Cliff Edwards from Pinnochio and in 1942, White Christmas. That was written by Irving Berlin for the film Holiday Inn and originally sung by Bing Crosby. All are still iconic today.
2. In 1971, proving not all Oscar winning songs have to be ballads, Isaac Hayes picked up the prize with his Theme from Shaft taken from the movie of the same name
Hayes was the first black person to win an Oscar in a non-acting category, as well as the first recipient of Best Song who both wrote and performed the winning track. Reaching number one in the US and four in the UK charts, many believe that the soul-funk of Shaft was a key inspiration for the start of the disco era.
3. Throughout the 1980s a number of films with music to dance to at their heart, produced Oscar winning songs
Irene Cara’s renditions of both Fame (1980) and Flashdance (1983), and then in 1987 Dirty Dancing's (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes took home the top awards.
Ahead of the song's recording, apparently Warnes watched the footage of the final scene (and of THAT lift) in order to get her timing and level of emotion just right.
4.1994 saw three tracks from the same film compete against each other, all written by the same duo
Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, wrote the soundtrack for the Lion King and songs Circle of Life and Hakuna Matata were also nominated. But it was Can You Feel the Love Tonight that triumphed on the night.
5. Rap got a shout out in 2003 when Eminem’s song Lose Yourself from 8 Mile won
Eminem wasn’t there to see it but 17 years later he got to perform the track at the 2020 Oscars ceremony and receive his applause.
In 2008 an Indian pop song sung partly in Hindi, Jai Ho, won. Taken from the film Slumdog Millionaire it was written by A. R. Rahman and lyricist Gulzar. They also worked with The Pussycat Dolls who got their English language version to the top of the UK charts.
98th Academy Awards 2026
The list for this year’s Oscars, made up of original songs from films released in 2025, includes a record breaking 17th nomination for Best Song, for writer Diane Warren. But despite all her nominations and being given an honorary Oscar in 2022, Diane has never taken home a competitive statuette.
Will this be her year? Up against the phenomenally successful song Golden, from KPop Demon Hunters, we’re not so sure. We’ll have to stay up late (or catch up with BBC News the morning after) to find out.
2026 Best Original Song Academy Award nominations are:
- Golden from KPop Demon Hunters
- Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless
- I Lied to You from Sinners
- Train Dreams from Train Dreams
- Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi
The 98th Oscars will begin at 11pm (UK time) on 15th March 2026.
This article was published in February 2026
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