Well the AFI film institute has taken upon itself to post another meaningless list, and so have I. I guess I shouldn’t say meaningless, the lists serve to foster discussion and raise awareness of some of the really fine older films that are out there. So I won’t complain, well maybe a little. This time the topic is 100 songs in American film. Now I haven’t seen the list yet so I will try to give my personal bias for the best songs in film. This topic is close to my heart, there are some really magical moments of film and many of them involve songs. I love musicals and so many of the songs I have seen and loved for years. So here goes, let the arguments commence.
1. Singin’ In the Rain (Singin’ In the Rain 1952) - magic on the screen, truly a moment when the sum is greater than all of its parts and the movie gods smile down.
2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz 1939) - nobody belted them like Judy here singing her standard.
3. White Christmas (Holiday Inn 1942) - So good they used it in two movies, here it is a little less stylized than later versions.
4. I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady 1964) - exuberant and joyous song, one of the best songs from one of the best musicals ever.
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Meet Me in St Louis 1944) - not the most famous from the film at the time, The Trolley Song got the Oscar bid, but this is the one we still sing every Christmas
6. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953) - mythical icon of Marilyn in that pink dress
7. Rainbow Connection (The Muppet Movie 1979) - sweet, and sincere, and sung by a muppet
8. Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid 1989) - the little kids were singing this for two years straight, remember
9. As Time Goes By (Casablanca 1939) - the quintessential star-crossed love song
10. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah (Song of the South 1947)
11. My Gal Sal/Blue Skies(The Jazz Singer 1927) Maybe not some of these songwriters most memorable work, but ah, to hear it up on the screen!
12. When You Wish Upon a Star (Pinocchio 1940) - one of the best of the old Disney films and a truly wishful and hopeful song
13. Get Happy (Summer Stock 1950) - Judy looked back in form for this final number of the film
14. I Wanna Be Loved by You (Some Like it Hot 1959) - immortalized by Ginger on Gilligan’s Island
15. I’m A Yankee Doodle Dandy (Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942) - had you marching in the aisles
16. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins 1964) The only reason I can think of that Chim Chim Cher-ee was nominated and won the Oscar is that it is easier to spell.
17. New York, New York (On The Town 1949) - What a wonderful town.
18. Mrs Robinson (The Graduate) - the quintessential inappropriate love song
19. Hard Day’s Night (Hard Day’s Night) - the music documentary started here
20. Stayin Alive (Saturday Night Fever) - Dance your heart out
21. My Heart Will go On (Titanic 1997) - we all got swept away in a wave of sentimentality
22. The Way We Were (The Way We Were 1973) - edit previous entry, we all got swept away again.
23. The Time of My Life (Dirty Dancing 1987) - every 13 year old girls’ fantasy
24. In Your Eyes (Say Anything) - the perfect use of a song in a movie
25. On The Good Ship Lollipop (Bright Eyes 1934) - Shirley Temple at her sweetest
Runners Up:
Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) I know this probably made the list. It is a good song, but I never thought it suited the movie very well.
Que Sera, Sera (The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956) Anytime there is a musical number in a Hitchcock movie it has to raise a few eyebrows, and it won the Oscar for best song.
I Was Born Under a Wandering Star (Paint Your Wagon) Lee Marvin singing? Whose idea was this anyway?
Somewhere Out There (An American Tale 1986) - plantative and sweet
Rock and Roll High School Soundtrack - anything with half the soundtrack by The Ramones has to be good.
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969) Again, a good song and an endearing scene, but somewhat extraneous to the film.
Moanin’ Low (Key Largo1948) Clair Trevor won her best supporting actress Oscar as Gaye Dawn with this one song. It is torturing to see her washed up alcoholic singer punished into singing for a drink.
The Trolley Song (Meet Me in St Louis 1944) The more popular song from the film
Theme from Shaft (Shaft 1971) yeah baby!
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fu
Related posts:
- Top Ten Movie Musicals
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