Back in 2004 the American Film Institute came up with a list of the top 100 movie songs of all time. I’ve linked to their list of the top 100, and shown the top 10 below.
The judges used the following criteria to judge the films
The Criteria
The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria while making their selections:
Feature-Length Fiction Film: The film must be in narrative format, typically more than 60 minutes in length.
American Film: The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States.
Song: Music and lyrics featured in an American film that set a tone or mood, define character, advance plot and/or express the film's themes in a manner that elevates the moving image art form. Songs may have been written and/or recorded specifically for the film or previously written and/or recorded and selected by the filmmaker to achieve the above goals.
Cultural Impact: Songs that have captured the nation's heart, echoed beyond the walls of a movie theater, and ultimately stand in our collective memory of the film itself.
Legacy: Songs that resonate across the century, enriching America's film heritage and captivating artists and audiences today.
So, what do you, members of the studio audience think? Is the Top 10 THE Top 10? Would you have added songs or taken some out? What song can you not believe is missing?
Pull up a eat and lets have at it…. At the late night, double feature, picture show.
# SONG MOVIE YEAR
1 Over the Rainbow
PERFORMER Judy Garland
MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen/E. Y. Harburg WIZARD OF OZ, THE
1939
2 As Time Goes By
PERFORMER Dooley Wilson
MUSIC/LYRICS Herman Hupfeld CASABLANCA
1942
3 Singin' in the Rain
PERFORMER Gene Kelly
MUSIC/LYRICS Nacio Herb Brown/Arthur Freed SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
1952
4 Moon River
PERFORMER Audrey Hepburn
MUSIC/LYRICS Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
1961
5 White Christmas
PERFORMER Bing Crosby
MUSIC/LYRICS Irving Berlin HOLIDAY INN
1942
6 Mrs. Robinson
PERFORMERS Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
MUSIC/LYRICS Paul Simon GRADUATE, THE
1967
7 When You Wish Upon A Star
PERFORMER Cliff Edwards
MUSIC/LYRICS Leigh Harline/Ned Washington PINOCCHIO
1940
8 Way We Were, The
PERFORMER Barbra Streisand
MUSIC/LYRICS Marvin Hamlisch/Alan and Marilyn Bergman THE WAY WE WERE
1973
9 Stayin' Alive
PERFORMER The Bee Gees
MUSIC/LYRICS Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
1977
10 Sound of Music, The
PERFORMER Julie Andrews
MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II SOUND OF MUSIC, THE
1965