AFI's 100 years... 100 songs
 

The American Film Institute has announced that they will unveil the results of balloting to select the 100 greatest movie songs in June 2004. The 400-song ballot is at http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/songs.aspx

My personal top ten:
1. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Wizard of Oz)
2. Singin' In The Rain (Singin' In The Rain)
3. Gonna Fly Now (Rocky)
4. Do Re Mi (The Sound of Music)
5. Born To Be Wild (Easy Rider)
6. Consider Yourself (Oliver)
7. As Time Goes By (Casasblanca)
8. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)
9. Come What May (Moulin Rouge)
10. If I Were A Rich Man (Fiddler On The Roof)

Honorable Mentions (alphabetical order):
Somewhere Out There (An American Tail)
Up Where We Belong (An Officer and A Gentleman)

Not on the ballot (but should be, dammit!)
Edelweiss (The Sound of Music)

I'm normally not a fan of AFI's lists, but I do have to say I admire the variety of the ballot here. I'm glad they included previously released songs that were movie highlights and didn't just include songs written specifically for the movie (like the Oscars).

Agreed. And to add emphasis to your last point, it's particularly refreshing to see songs from movies that crossed-over from Broadway, such as those in Fiddler On The Roof, Annie, Oliver, and others. They've also included several pop songs which were already big before they showed up in a movie -- such as Bohemian Rhapsody (Wayne's World) and Twist and Shout (Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

It seems like AFI's got it right this time -- asking their voters to cast ballots for the most memorable songs from movies, regardless of the origin of the song itself.

I wonder what they'll come up with next. Disappointed to see there's no Beatles on there...well, unless you count "Twist and Shout" from Ferris Bueller.

And no "The Sounds of Silence" from The Graduate?

no misirilu from pulp fiction?

1. If that's true than throw out the whole list and start over. What a rediculous omision. That film has one of the landmark soundtracks as far as integrating pop music and using musical elements that indicate internal feelings of the character yet doesn't require the actor to sing the song, ie. it just plays on the soundtrack

2. The list features Blame Canada from South Park, yet no Uncle ****er. What a crime. Everybody knows it's the best song.

3. If Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah from SONG OF THE SOUTH gets in the top 100 perhaps it would cause a video release.

4. If the Theme from Shaft doesn't take number one then the list sucks.