Songs of the Oscars–1990’s

In 1989, the Disney Renaissance kicked off with The Little Mermaid delivering two songs nominated in the Best Original Song category, with one of them winning.  They were just getting started, because we can call the 1990’s the Decade of Disney for this award.  Disney animated films would take home 5 more Oscars in the 1990’s, along with several other songs also getting nominated.  Disney wasn’t alone though, as other studios such as Dreamworks and Warner Brothers realized the potential for strong animated films and their soundtracks, so we found other songs also making the cut.  One such animated film even contains four foul-mouthed children and lyrics that include the almighty F-bomb.  These are NOT your father’s Best Original Song nominees.  Off we go!

1990

WINNER:  “Sooner or Later” (from Dick Tracy), music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Also nominated:

• “Blaze of Glory” (from Young Guns II), music and lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi
• “I’m Checkin’ Out” (from Postcards from the Edge), music and lyrics by Shel Silverstein
• “Promise Me You’ll Remember” (from The Godfather Part III), music by Carmine Coppola, lyrics by John Bettis
• “Somewhere in My Memory” (from Home Alone), music by John Williams, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

Well, after all that blabbing on and on I did about Disney and animated films, here in 1990 we get five nominations from non-Disney, non-animated films.  Don’t worry, it’ll come.  “Blaze of Glory” was a #1 smash for Jon Bon Jovi, and its film raked in the dough.  I was expecting it to win here too, but instead the sultry crooning of Madonna took home the prize for Stephen Sondheim.  Madonna released an album of songs from and inspired by Dick Tracy, and I actually think it’s her most underrated album.  “Somewhere in My Memory” is sung by a children’s choir and it fits the Christmas setting for Home Alone perfectly.  Harry Connick Jr.’s “Promise Me You’ll Remember” has the style of an old jazz standard, or what today would be classified as “lounge” music.  I guess I’m OK with that nomination.  “I’m Checkin’ Out” is garbage, but Meryl Streep sung it in the film, so that explains that.  Streep did not sing it at the Oscars ceremony, and it was the only case this year where the original artist did not do so.  Instead, Reba McEntire did so, her first public appearance after a plane crash just days prior in which she lost eight band members (Reba herself was not on the plane).  She was visibly emotional but pulled through, receiving a prolonged ovation afterwards, and she made the song sound a lot better too.

1991

WINNER:  “Beauty and the Beast” (from Beauty and the Beast), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman [posthumous award]

Also nominated:

• “Be Our Guest” (from Beauty and the Beast), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman [posthumous nomination]
• “Belle” (from Beauty and the Beast), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman [posthumous nomination]
• “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), music by Michael Kamen, lyrics by Bryan Adams and “Mutt” Lange
• “When You’re Alone” (from Hook), music by John Williams, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

WOW.  This may be one of the greatest lists for Best Original Song we’ll ever see.  Beauty and the Beast completely broke the mold for quality animated motion pictures, becoming the first such film in Oscars history to be nominated for Best Picture and the first film to get THREE nominations in the Best Original Song category.  Not surprisingly, one of them won, and I’d say the right one.  Angela Lansbury’s rendition in the film is just one of the most beautiful things you’ll ever hear.  Let’s not take anything away from the other nominees though.  Bryan Adams’s song was the biggest hit of 1991, and even “When You’re Alone” is very nice, sung in the film by 6-year-old Amber Scott.  These were all a lot of fun to see and hear performed at the 64th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.  Scott did hers, Adams did his, and even the voice actors for Belle and Gaston–Paige O’Hara and Richard White–performed “Belle” while Jerry Orbach (who voiced Lumiere) wowed the crowd performing “Be Our Guest”.  As for the winning song, it was performed not only by Lansbury, but by Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion, who had the popular radio version of the song.  Truly one of the great years for this category.

As you probably noticed, Howard Ashman is now listed as posthumous.  Sadly, he informed his writing partner Alan Menken on the night of the previous Academy Awards that he was dying of AIDS, and Ashman did pass away not long afterwards.  The team still had more works already finished though, as you’ll see here in…

1992

WINNER:  “A Whole New World” (from Aladdin), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Tim Rice

Also nominated:

• “Beautiful Maria of My Soul” (from The Mambo Kings), music by Robert Kraft, lyrics by Arne Glimcher
• “Friend Like Me” (from Aladdin), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman [posthumous nomination]
• “I Have Nothing” (from The Bodyguard), music by David Foster, lyrics by Linda Thompson
• “Run to You” (from The Bodyguard), music by Jud J. Friedman, lyrics by Allan Dennis Rich

New lyricist, same result for Alan Menken as he wins another Oscar, this time with Tim Rice.  Howard Ashman was nominated once again for another song from Aladdin but the chart success and soaring vocals likely propelled “A Whole New World” to victory.  This was no sure thing considering how hot Whitney Houston’s film and soundtrack for The Bodyguard were at the time.  It was a pretty safe bet that “Beautiful Maria of My Soul” was the odd song out, and since you’re probably wondering as I was when I saw his name come up, composer Robert Kraft is NOT the same Robert Kraft that currently owns the NFL’s New England Patriots.

Strangely, the only original artists to perform the tunes live at the Oscars ceremony were Brad Kane and Lea Salonga, who provided the singing voices for Aladdin and Princess Jasmine in the Disney film.  Nell Carter took care of “Friend Like Me”, Natalie Cole did the honors for Whitney Houston, and since Antonio Banderas–who sung the tune in The Mambo Kings–was not comfortable with doing so live on stage, Placido Domingo and Sheila E. took care of that song.  This made Domingo the first Spaniard to perform live at the Oscars.

1993

WINNER:  “Streets of Philadelphia” (from Philadelphia), music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

Also nominated:

• “Again” (from Poetic Justice), music and lyrics by Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
• “The Day I Fall in Love” (from Beethoven’s 2nd), music and lyrics by James Ingram, Clif Magness and Carole Bayer Sager
• “Philadelphia” (from Philadelphia), music and lyrics by Neil Young
• “A Wink and a Smile” (from Sleepless in Seattle), music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Ramsey McLean

Bruce Springsteen took the stage after it was announced his song had won the Best Original Song Oscar and started his speech by proclaiming this was the first song he ever wrote for a motion picture.  Being that it won an Oscar, he quipped that it was all downhill from here.  We obviously know that wasn’t and isn’t the case, but I personally was never crazy about “Streets of Philadelphia”.  It’s just kinda “eh” to me.  It was still better than Neil Young’s tune though.  I remember thinking either Harry Connick Jr.’s “A Wink and a Smile” or Janet Jackson’s lovely ballad “Again” would win that night.  All the original singers performed their tunes at the Oscars ceremony except for Connick.  Keith Carradine did the honors.

1994

WINNER:  “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (from The Lion King), music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice

Also nominated:

• “Circle of Life” (from The Lion King), music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice
• “Hakuna Matata” (from The Lion King), music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice
• “Look What Love Has Done” (from Junior), music and lyrics by James Newton Howard, James Ingram, Carole Bayer Sager and Patty Smyth
• “Make Up Your Mind” (from The Paper), music and lyrics by Randy Newman

More Disney dominance as The Lion King scored a triple-nomination in this category, and with all due respect to the other two songs, there was little doubt something from the Disney film would win, it was just a question of which one.  Personally, I thought one of the other John/Rice songs would win as in the film version of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, it’s half-played for laughs as opposed to the radio version that was recorded by John being the pure ballad with love-song lyrics instead of a meerkat and a warthog lamenting that their friend is “doomed” because he’s fallen in love.  With that said, the entire The Lion King soundtrack could have been nominated here and I wouldn’t have been surprised.

This was the infamous Oscars ceremony hosted by David Letterman.  (“Uma…Oprah…”)

1995

WINNER:  “Colors of the Wind” (from Pocahontas), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Also nominated:

• “Dead Man Walkin'” (from Dead Man Walking), music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen
• “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” (from Don Juan DeMarco), music and lyrics by Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen and “Mutt” Lange
• “Moonlight” (from Sabrina), music by John Williams, lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman
• “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (from Toy Story), music and lyrics by Randy Newman

Nothing lasts forever, and this would start the beginning of the end of the great Disney Renaissance.  Pocahontas was very successful and it won Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score, but quality-wise the film just didn’t quite match up to the amazing stuff that had been coming from Disney in recent years.  Nonetheless, we still got great tunes, and Alan Menken added yet another trophy to his mantle.  In hindsight though, this was where Randy Newman should have gotten that first Oscar, as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” has become a modern-day classic and a signature Disney/Pixar song.  I personally think the Bryan Adams song was one of his best and I’d have voted for that.  “Dead Man Walkin'” and “Moonlight” are largely forgettable.

15 nominations and 2 wins for Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the husband-and-wife lyricists.  This year’s nomination for “Moonlight” would be their last.  They are now enjoying a well-deserved retirement from songwriting but still are very active members of the AMPAS Music Branch.

1996

WINNER:  “You Must Love Me” (from Evita), music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice

Also nominated:

• “Because You Loved Me” (from Up Close & Personal), music and lyrics by Diane Warren
• “For the First Time” (from One Fine Day), music and lyrics by Jud J. Friedman, James Newton Howard and Allan Dennis Rich
• “I Finally Found Someone” (from The Mirror Has Two Faces), music and lyrics by Bryan Adams, Marvin Hamlisch, “Mutt” Lange and Barbra Streisand
• “That Thing You Do!” (from That Thing You Do!), music and lyrics by Adam Schlesinger

Not one of the stronger years in this decade, and it’s not just because we’re Disney-free here.  Outside of Celine Dion’s chart-topping “Because You Loved Me”, there’s just not much here to get excited about.  “That Thing You Do!” had a nice 60’s sound to it, which makes sense being that its film of the same name is set in that decade, but both the single and the film itself underperformed expectations.  Madonna sings her second Oscar-winning song of the decade and moreso, did an outstanding job in the role of Eva Peron, silencing many of the critics that in previous years weren’t fond of her on-screen.  All original artists performed their tunes at the Oscars ceremony save for Barbra Streisand.  Natalie Cole was booked to perform “I Finally Found Someone” but came down with the flu just days before the show, so Celine Dion stepped in and covered it along with her own nominated song.

1997

WINNER:  “My Heart Will Go On” (from Titanic), music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings

Also nominated:

• “Go the Distance” (from Hercules), music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel
• “How Do I Live” (from Con Air), music and lyrics by Diane Warren
• “Journey to the Past” (from Anastasia), music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
• “Miss Misery” (from Good Will Hunting), music and lyrics by Elliott Smith

It wouldn’t matter what the hell I put up on that list above for the other nominations, there was no stopping Titanic this year and there was no stopping Celine Dion’s amazing song, which was the biggest hit of the year and you couldn’t escape from hearing some or all of at least once a day in 1997 even if you were in a coma.  It’s a shame too, because “How Do I Live” was also a very popular tune on country radio (Trisha Yearwood) and pop radio (Leann Rimes), while “Journey to the Past” was part of an excellent collection of songs from Anastasia, a 20th Century Fox animated film as good as any Disney product of this decade.  “Go the Distance” and its source film Hercules were a rare swing-and-a-miss from Disney, and “Miss Misery” did nothing for me.  All songs were performed by the original artists at this year’s Oscars ceremony.

1998

WINNER:  “When You Believe” (from The Prince of Egypt), music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Also nominated:

• “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (from Armageddon), music and lyrics by Diane Warren
• “The Prayer” (from Quest for Camelot), music by David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager, lyrics by David Foster, Tony Renis, Carole Bayer Sager and Alberto Testa
• “A Soft Place to Fall” (from The Horse Whisperer), music and lyrics by Allison Moorer and Gwil Owen
• “That’ll Do” (from Babe: Pig in the City), music and lyrics by Randy Newman

I’m so glad this won, and I’ll tell you why.  We know the radio version with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as a duet trying to outscream each other.  That version is fine.  But the rendition in the film sung by Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky is, in no uncertain terms, completely f***ing incredible.  The Prince of Egypt is an absolutely FANTASTIC movie that tells the story of Moses, and the emotion it hits you with is just off the charts.  I won’t spoil anything but as things develop and take place in the film, at the point this song starts up, without fail every single time, I start blubbering.  It’s THAT good.  I’m not religious, and it doesn’t matter what religion anyone is, this is a great film, and this song deserved to win.  Unfortunately, Dreamworks Animation never even came close to following up with a movie of this quality, and I have no idea why not.

1999

WINNER:  “You’ll Be in My Heart” (from Tarzan), music and lyrics by Phil Collins

Also nominated:

• “Blame Canada” (from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut), music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Trey Parker
• “Music of My Heart” (from Music of the Heart), music and lyrics by Diane Warren
• “Save Me” (from Magnolia), music and lyrics by Aimee Mann
• “When She Loved Me” (from Toy Story 2), music and lyrics by Randy Newman

Schmaltzy ballads, less-schmaltzy ballads and a song that figuratively tells Ontario to suck it.  The decade, the century and the whole freaking millennium ended on a rather…erm…colorful note with Best Original Song.  Phil Collins, on his third try, brought home the Oscar.  Tarzan was one of the better second-half-of-the-decade Disney films, and it’s a nice enough song.  Robin Williams performed “Blame Canada” at the Oscars ceremony, and it was quite a spectacle.  Hollywood got the joke though, and the song was much more well-received by the audience than you would probably expect.  Quite frankly, if you really want to nitpick and say that Best Original Song should be the song that was indeed the most original, that damn song should have won.  But alas…Phil Collins.  Disney.  Safe.  Winner.

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I’ve enjoyed writing these, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them.  Oh, no, we’re not finished.  I know that might have sounded like we were.  No, we still have one more full decade and then the current unfinished decade to go.  What DOES end here though is normalcy.  In the 2000’s and early 2010’s, this category went COMPLETELY off the rails.  Buckle up for next time.