THE RANKING
Best Song Oscar-winners
Four Empire writers. Ten songs. Ordered definitively.
Illustration: Jacey
Chris: For me, this is the Oscar category that has made the most egregious whoppers. But since it was first introduced in 1934, it has thrown up some genuine all-time-great songs. Shall we start with the ‘Theme From Shaft’? An absolute banger.
Helen: It’s pretty undeniable. It’s just so freakin’ funky.
Chris: I think that song actually gets a little worse when Isaac Hayes starts singing. The intro is incredible. Don’t get me wrong — the lyrics are fantastic and really speak to the human condition.
Helen: There are so many songs on this list that are absolute, all-time, sing-along classics. I love a power ballad.
Amon: The term ‘Oscar bait’ exists for movies. You can’t really apply that to this category.
Helen: You absolutely can.
There are many songs written so they can be nominated for Best Original Song. You get musicals that have been around for years and they add a song when they film it, so it can be nominated. This is a category rife with Oscar bait.