Music, since the time of the silent era, has been part of the cinematic experience for the audience. However, during the era, it was the raw soy escape that got enmeshed in the motion picture. The sound was distracting. So, to replace that sound and make the motion picture affable to the audience, music was introduced. Its evolution is interesting. It went from compiling classic works of Mozart, Beethoven, and others to opera symphonies to jazz. Then, there were original compositions that came into place in the 1930s, and the Oscar introduced a category for music in 1935.
The first artists to have won the coveted trophy were Herb Magidson and Con Conrad. The duo composed a song titled ‘The Continental’ from the film ‘The Gay Divorcee’. Since then, the category has been expanding to many contemporary artists winning the Oscars for composing some stellar tracks for some of the best motion pictures nominated for the Academy Awards. ‘The Theory of Everything’ composer Johann Johannson described music composition for films in the most well-articulated way. He said that when you make music for a film you stop becoming a composer and become a storyteller instead. So, here are some great storytellers who have won Oscars by making some of the most beautiful compositions.
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10) Bill Medley And Jennifer Warnes
There may be conflict over whether the 1987 film ‘Dirty Dancing’ can be considered a classic, but people unanimously loved the pop-infused song ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ in the film. Eleanor Bergstein could not find the perfect song for the last dance between Baby and Johnny. They scoured many cassettes, but they could not find the number.
Finally, before the day of the shoot, the music supervisor Jimmy Ienner got the sample of Franke Previte’s song which fit the bill. Later, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes recorded the song. It won the Oscar for ‘Best Original Song’ at the Academy Awards in 1988.
9) Bruce Springsteen
In 1993, Jonathan Demme attempted to portray the stigma attached to HIV that plagued the USA in ‘the 90s in ‘Philadelphia’. It had a stellar cast including Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. The music, like the film, was lauded. At the 1994 Academy Awards, the song titled ‘Streets of Philadelphia’ by Bruce Springsteen was nominated. It also won the Oscars making Bruce the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to have won an award in the category. It was a debut for Springsteen to make music for films.
8) Lionel Richie
The ‘White Nights’ starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines is a confluence of thriller and drama with ballet dance at its center. The film received a lull response, but Lionel Richie’s ‘Say You, Say Me’ became a smashing hit. It topped the Billboard 100 chart. The song won the Oscar and Golden Globes in 1985 at the 58th Academy Awards ceremony.
7) Eminem
One of the greatest rappers alive, Eminem starred in his seminal biopic ‘8 Mile’ which was released in 2002. The film got a roaring response from both the critics and audiences. During the 75th Academy Awards, the song ‘Lose Yourself’ was nominated. Eminem collaborated with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto for the track. The song debuted at the No.1 position on Billboard 100 chart reigning in the position for 12 weeks. Eminem won his first Academy Award in 2003 for the song which remains an important track in the artist’s career. He even performed the song during the 2020 Oscars ceremony.
6) Billie Eilish And Finneas O’Connell
To keep up with some of the best 007 soundtracks is no easy game. The predecessors breathe life into the films with soundtracks. There was Tina Turner for the 1995 film ‘Goldeneye’ and Adele singing the Oscar-winning title track ‘Skyfall’. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell had big shoes to fill. However, it was a fitting ode to Daniel Craig’s character in the mega espionage franchise. The title track ‘No Time To Die’ won the award at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony.
5) Elton John
The Oscar maverick Elton John won his second Oscar trophy in 2020 for ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ from his biopic ‘Rocketman’. Elton has reigned the pop and rock arena for nearly four decades now. The first-ever Oscar nomination for the singer was in 1995 for ‘The Lion King’. His song ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ from the film won him his first-ever Oscar award. In 1995, he was nominated thrice in the ‘Best Original Song’ category. He shared his second win with his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin.
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4) Bob Dylan
In 2001, during the 73rd Academy Awards ceremony, Bob Dylan won unexpectedly for the song ‘Things Have Changed’ from the 2000 Curtis Hanson directorial ‘Wonder Boys’. The film is an adaptation of the 1995 Michael Chabon novel of the same moniker. The song is one of the greatest by the artist. It exudes the tension and anxiety of the protagonist, who has problems with marijuana, a manuscript, and a lover. Hanson has been a fan of Dylan’s music. He allowed him into the editing room, Bob saw the footage, and a week later delivered the desired soundtrack which went on to win the most coveted award.
3) Lady Gaga
‘A Star is Born’ is the remake darling of Hollywood. There have been several iterations of the film starring Barabara Streisand and Judy Garland. In 2018 Bradley Cooper’s reiteration, Lady Gaga becomes the star. The film created a lot of buzz in 2019 during the awards season. Gaga was nominated for the ‘Best Actress’ award. However, the romantic, heartwarming ballad ‘Shallow’ won the Academy Award. It was the first Oscar for the ‘Born This Way’ singer. During the acceptance speech, she gave a moving speech asking people to not give up on their dreams.
2) Stevie Wonder
One of the most versatile personalities in the music industry, Stevie Wonder gave us the heartbreak song of 1984 ‘I Just Came To Say I Love You’ from the film ‘The Woman in Red’ starring Gene Wilder, Charles Grodin, and Kelly LeBrock. During the 57th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, Wonder won his first Academy Award for a song. He dedicated the award to the apartheid champion Nelson Mandela.
1) Prince
In the ’80s, there were still remnants of segregation despite laws being in place and Hollywood perpetuated that discrimination. In the midst of this, Prince came forward with a musical that revolved around the rock ‘n’ roll genre away from R&B. He was trying to cut through the white audience. The attempt was novice and noble.
So, he came up with a musical and an album titled ‘Purple Rain’ in 1984. The album fared well on the charts and the film also grossed decent money. Prince’s act of defiance got rewarded at the 57th Academy Awards with an Oscar for ‘Best Original Song Score’. It is the rarest category at the Academy. Prince arrived at the event in his flamboyant look donning a purple-sequined dress and fishnet gloves.
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