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In the early days of cinema, an original lyrical song would typically only be something sung at the end credits or by a performer in a musical. But in the changing revolutions of the late 1960's, songs began becoming parts of the films themselves, and nowadays, songs can be found everywhere in a film, playing over montages or scenes where instrumental music used to play. So the art of creating brand new songs specifically for films has produced a history of great movie songs, and the Academy has honored a great list of these, that provide some great examples of the changing tides of music throughout the years.

2025: "Golden" from KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (Performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami)

2024: "El Mal" from EMILIA PEREZ (Performed by Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon)

2023: "What Was I Made For?" from BARBIE (Performed by Billie Eilish)

2022: "Naatu Naatu" from RRR (Performed by Rahul Sipligunj & Kaala Bhairava)

2021: "No Time To Die" from NO TIME TO DIE (Performed by Billie Eilish)

2020: "Fight for You" from JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (Performed by H.E.R.)

2019: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from ROCKETMAN (Performed by Elton John & Taron Egerton)

2018: "Shallow" from A STAR IS BORN (Performed by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)

2017: "Remember Me" from COCO (Performed by Miguel)

2016: "City of Stars" from LA LA LAND (Performed by Ryan Gosling)

2015: "Writing's On The Wall" from SPECTRE (Performed by Sam Smith)

2014: "Glory" from SELMA (Performed by Common & John Legend)

2013: "Let It Go" from FROZEN (Performed by Idina Menzel)

2012: "Skyfall" from SKYFALL (Performed by Adele)

2011: "Man or Muppet" from THE MUPPETS (Performed by Jason Segel & Walter)

2010: "We Belong Together" from TOY STORY 3 (Performed by Randy Newman)

2009: "The Weary Kind" from CRAZY HEART (Performed by Ryan Bingham)

2008: "Jai Ho" from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Performed by A.R. Rahman, Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalakshmi Iyer and Vijay Prakash)

2007: "Falling Slowly" from ONCE (Performed by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)

2006: "I Need To Wake Up" from AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (Performed by Melissa Etheridge)

2005: "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" from HUSTLE & FLOW (Performed by Three 6 Mafia)

2004: "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Performed by Jorge Drexler)

2003: "Into the West" from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (Performed by Annie Lennox)

2002: "Lose Yourself" from 8 MILE (Performed by Eminem)

2001: "If I Didn't Have You" from MONSTERS, INC. (Performed by John Goodman as Sully & Billy Crystal as Mike)

2000: "Things Have Changed" from WONDER BOYS (Performed by Bob Dylan)

1999: "You'll Be In My Heart" from TARZAN (Performed by Phil Collins)

1998: "When You Believe" from THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (Performed by Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey)

1997: "My Heart Will Go On" from TITANIC (Performed by Celine Dion)

1996: "You Must Love Me" from EVITA (Performed by Madonna)

1995: "Colors of the Wind" from POCAHONTAS (Performed by Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas)

1994: "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from THE LION KING (Performed by Elton John)

1993: "Streets of Philadelphia" from PHILADELPHIA (Performed by Bruce Springsteen)

1992: "A Whole New World" from ALADDIN (Performed by Brad Kane as Aladdin & Lea Salonga as Jasmine)

1991: "Beauty and the Beast" from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Performed by Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts)

1990: "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from DICK TRACY (Performed by Madonna)

1989: "Under the Sea" from THE LITTLE MERMAID (Performed by Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian)

1988: "Let The River Run" from WORKING GIRL (Performed by Carly Simon)

1987: "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from DIRTY DANCING (Performed by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes)

1986: "Take My Breath Away" from TOP GUN (Performed by Berlin)

1985: "Say You, Say Me" from WHITE NIGHTS (Performed by Lionel Richie)

1984: "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from THE WOMAN IN RED (Performed by Stevie Wonder)

1983: "Flashdance...What A Feeling" from FLASHDANCE (Performed by Irene Cara)

1982: "Up Where We Belong" from AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (Performed by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes)

1981: "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" from ARTHUR (Performed by Christopher Cross)

1980: "Fame" from FAME (Performed by Irene Cara)

1979: "It Goes Like It Goes" from NORMA RAE (Performed by Jennifer Warnes)

1978: "Last Dance" from THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (Performed by Donna Summers)

1977: "You Light Up My Life" from YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE (Performed by Debby Boone)

1976: "Evergreen" from A STAR IS BORN (Performed by Barbra Streisand)

1975: "I'm Easy" from NASHVILLE (Performed by Keith Carradine)

1974: "We May Never Love Like This Again" from THE TOWERING INFERNO (Performed by Maureen McGovern)

1973: "The Way We Were" from THE WAY WE WERE (Performed by Barbra Streisand)

1972: "The Morning After" from THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (Performed by Maureen McGovern)

1971: "Theme from Shaft" from SHAFT (Performed by Isaac Hayes)

1970: "For All We Know" from LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS (Performed by The Carpenters)

1969: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (Performed by B.J. Thomas)

1968: "The Windmills of your Mind" from THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (Performed by Noel Harrison)

1967: "Talk to the Animals" from DOCTOR DOLITTLE (Performed by Anthony Newley)

1966: "Born Free" from BORN FREE (Performed by Matt Monro)

1965: "The Shadow of your Smile" from THE SANDPIPER (Performed by Astrud Gilberto)

1964: "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from MARY POPPINS (Performed by Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, Karen Dotrice, & Matthew Garbor)

1963: "Call Me Irresponsible" from PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION (Performed by Jack Jones)

1962: "Days of Wine and Roses" from DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (Performed by Henry Mancini)

1961: "Moon River" from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (Performed by Henry Mancini)

1960: "Never on Sunday" from NEVER ON SUNDAY (Performed by Don Costa)

1959: "High Hopes" from A HOLE IN THE HEAD (Performed by Frank Sinatra)

1958: "Gigi" from GIGI (Performed by Louis Jourdan)

1957: "All The Way" from THE JOKER IS WILD (Performed by Frank Sinatra)

1956: "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" from THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Performed by Doris Day)

1955: "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" from LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (Performed by Four Aces w/ Al Alberts)

1954: "Three Coins in the Fountain" from THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN (Performed by Frank Sinatra)

1953: "Secret Love" from CALAMITY JANE (Performed by Tommy Edwards)

1952: "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')" from HIGH NOON (Performed by Tex Ritter)

1951: "In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" from HERE COMES THE GROOM (Performed by Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman)

1950: "Mona Lisa" from CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. (Performed by Art Lund)

1949: "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER (Performed by Margeret Whiting & Johnny Mercer)

1948: "Buttons and Bows" from THE PALEFACE (Performed by Betty Garrett)

1947: "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from SONG OF THE SOUTH (Performed by James Baskett)

1946: "On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" from THE HARVEY GIRLS (Performed by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers)

1945: "It Might As Well Be Spring" from STATE FAIR (Performed by Dick Haymes)

1944: "Swinging on a Star" from GOING MY WAY (Performed by Bing Crosby)

1943: "You'll Never Know" from HELLO, FRISCO, HELLO (Performed by Dick Haymes)

1942: "White Christmas" from HOLIDAY INN (Performed by Bing Crosby)

1941: "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from LADY BE GOOD (Performed by Kate Smith)

1940: "When You Wish Upon A Star" from PINOCCHIO (Performed by Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket)

1939: "Over the Rainbow" from THE WIZARD OF OZ (Performed by Judy Garland)

1938: "Thanks for the Memory" from THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 (Performed by Bob Hope & Shirley Ross)

1937: "Sweet Leilani" from WAIKIKI WEDDING (Performed by Bing Crosby)

1936: "The Way You Look Tonight" from SWING TIME (Performed by Fred Astaire)

1935: "Lullaby of Broadway" from GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 (Performed by Dick Powell)

1934: "The Continental" from THE GAY DIVORCEE (Performed by Fred Astaire)

Best Music - Original Song