Category Archives: song of the day

by

Song of the Day #2,501: ‘Strawberry Swing’ – Coldplay

viva_la_vida_coldplayIn the midst of my Oscar snub countdown, stunned by the outrage of a ‘Stayin’ Alive’ shut-out, I neglected to note the milestone of my 2,500th post.

My 500th Song of the Day was The Beatles’ ‘Twist and Shout‘ and in that post I wrote “I admit there are times when I wonder if I can keep this going for very much longer.”

Song number 1,000 was Fiona Apple’s live cover of Elvis Costello’s ‘I Want You,’ a clip I noted was the first song I ever posted to this blog, before I started the Song of the Day series.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,500: ‘Stayin’ Alive’ – Bee Gees

saturday_night_feverEarlier this week I named ‘Theme from New York, New York’ as #5 on my list of Oscar Best Song snubs.

That same year, 1977, saw the release of the film that tops my list.

If ever a movie (and a great movie, at that) was defined by its music, it was Saturday Night Fever. And yet the Academy didn’t see fit to nominate a single song from its record-shattering and Grammy-winning soundtrack.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,499: ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ – The Beatles

hard_days_nightMy next Oscar Best Song snub is probably the most baffling of the whole list, given the popular and critical success of both the band and the movie.

And really, how could the Academy of Motion Pictures pass up the opportunity to invite John, Paul, George and Ringo to the ball?

But alas, not one song from my favorite Beatles album managed to score an Oscar nomination.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,498: ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ – Judy Garland

meet_me_st_louis_have_yourselfHere’s another song I didn’t realize originated in a film.

Some memorable Christmas songs first appeared in movies. Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ is perhaps the best-known example. The Rudolph TV special, while not technically a movie (and not eligible for Academy consideration, certainly) gave us ‘Silver and Gold,’ ‘The Most Wonderful Day of the Year’ and ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas.’

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #2,497: ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ – Elvis Presley

blue_hawaii_elvisElvis Presley might not have been the world’s best actor, and his films were never in danger of winning any awards, but you’d think the Academy would see past that to acknowledge the songs themselves.

Both ‘Love Me Tender’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ were written for films of the same names, and neither got a sniff of Oscar love.

But for my money, even those two snubs are overshadowed by this one.

Continue reading →