Another best songs list

Subject: Another BEST SONGS List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 01:34 PM

Lists of "bests" are generally neither very interesting or very durable. I happened to hear a fairly large selection of the "special" on the TOP 100 SONGS FROM U.S. FILMS and was somewhat impressed by how many actually were good songs. The thought that appears is "How many of these will be "Folk" music in another 50 years or so?". (Or how many are now?)

While ordinarily a link would serve better, I don't have one yet, and I suspect that this, like other similar lists, will fade pretty quickly – along with most of the links that will appear soon.

So for what it's worth, here's the American Film Institute's list as printed by the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle newspaper, June 23, 2004.

Shown as Song Title, with the movie name and year of release of the movie.

   1. Over the Rainbow                                        The Wizard of Oz  1939
   2. As Time Goes by                                               Casablanca  1942
   3. Singin' in the Rain                                  Singin' in the Rain  1952
   4. Moon River                                        Breakfast at Tiffany's  1961
   5. White Christmas                                              Holiday Inn  1942
   6. Mrs. Robinson                                               The Graduate  1967
   7. When You Wish Upon a Star                                      Pinocchio  1940
   8. The Way We Were                                          The Way We Were  1973
   9. Stayin' Alive                                       Saturday Night Fever  1977
  10. The Sound of Music                                    The Sound of Music  1965
  11. The Man That Got Away                                     A Star Is Born  1954
  12. Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend               Gentlemen Prefer Blondes  1953
  13. People                                                        Funny Girl  1968
  14. My Heart Will Go On                                              Titanic  1997
  15. Cheek to Cheek                                                   Top Hat  1935
  16. Evergreen (Love Theme - A Star Is Born)                   A Star Is Born  1976
  17. I Could Have Danced All Night                               My Fair Lady  1964
  18. Cabaret                                                          Cabaret  1972
  19. Some Day My Prince Will Come               Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs  1937
  20. Somewhere                                                West Side Story  1961
  21. Jailhouse Rock                                            Jailhouse Rock  1957
  22. Everybody's Talkin'                                      Midnight Cowboy  1969
  23. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head             Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid  1969
  24. 0l' Man River                                                  Show Boat  1936
  25. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')                   High Noon  1952
  26. The Trolley Song                                    Meet Me in St. Louis  1944
  27. Unchained Melody                                                   Ghost  1990
  28. Some Enchanted Evening                                     South Pacific  1958
  29. Born to Be Wild                                               Easy Rider  1969
  30. Stormy Weather                                            Stormy Weather  1943
  31. Theme From New York, New York                         New York, New York  1977
  32. I Got Rhythm                                        An American in Paris  1951
  33. Aquarius                                                            Hair  1979
  34. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off                            Shall We Dance  1937
  35. America                                                  West Side Story  1961
  36. Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious                         Mary Poppins  1964
  37. Swinging on a Star                                          Going My Way  1944
  38. Theme From 'Shaft,'                                                Shaft  1971
  39. Days of Wine and Roses                            Days of Wine and Roses  1963
  40. Fight the Power                                       Do the Right Thing  1989
  41. New York, New York                                           On the Town  1949
  42. Luck Be a Lady                                            Guys and Dolls  1955
  43. The Way You Look Tonight                                      Swing Time  1936
  44. Wind Beneath My Wings                                            Beaches  1988
  45. That's Entertainment                                      The Band Wagon  1953
  46. Don't Rain on My Parade                                       Funny Girl  1968
  47. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah                                      Song of the South  1947
  48. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)     The Man Who Knew Too Much  1956
  49. Make 'Em Laugh                                       Singin' in the Rain  1952
  50. Rock Around the Clock                                  Blackboard Jungle  1955
  51. Fame                                                                Fame  1980
  52. Summertime                                                Porgy and Bess  1959
  53. Goldfinger                                                    Goldfinger  1964
  54. Shall We Dance                                            The King and I  1956
  55. Flashdance … What a Feeling                                   Flashdance  1983
  56. Thank Heaven for Little Girls                                       Gigi  1958
  57. The Windmills of Your Mind                       The Thomas Crown Affair  1968
  58. Gonna Fly Now                                                      Rocky  1976
  59. Tonight                                                  West Side Story  1961
  60. It Had to Be You                                    When Harry Met Sally  1989
  61. Get Happy                                                   Summer Stock  1950
  62. Beauty and the Beast                                Beauty and the Beast  1991
  63. Thanks for the Memory                        The Big Broadcast of   1938  1938
  64. My Favorite Things                                    The Sound of Music  1965
  65. I Will Always Love You                                     The Bodyguard  1992
  66. Suicide Is Painless                                             M*A*S*H*  1970
  67. Nobody Does It Better                               The Spy Who Loved Me  1977
  68. Streets of Philadelphia                                     Philadelphia  1993
  69. On the Good Ship Lollipop                                    Bright Eyes  1934
  70. Summer Nights                                                     Grease  1978
  71. The Yankee Doodle Boy                                Yankee Doodle Dandy  1942
  72. Good Morning                                         Singin' in the Rain  1952
  73. Isn't It Romantic?                                       Love Me Tonight  1932
  74. Rainbow Connection                                      The Muppet Movie  1979
  75. Up Where We Belong                            An Officer and a Gentleman  1982
  76. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas               Meet Me in St Louis  1944
  77. The Shadow of Your Smile                                   The Sandpiper  1965
  78. 9 to 5                                                            9 to 5  1980
  79. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)                             Arthur  1981
  80. Springtime for Hitler                                      The Producers  1968
  81. I'm Easy                                                       Nashville  1975
  82. Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead                             The Wizard of Oz  1939
  83. The Rose                                                        The Rose  1979
  84. Put the Blame on Mame                                              Gilda  1946
  85. Come What May                                              Moulin Rouge!  2001
  86. (I've Had) The Time of My Life                             Dirty Dancing  1987
  87. Buttons and Bows                                            The Paleface  1948
  88. Do Re Mi                                              The Sound of Music  1965
  89. Puttin' on the Ritz                                   Young Frankenstein  1974
  90. Seems Like Old Times                                          Annie Hall  1977
  91. Let the River Run                                           Working Girl  1988
  92. Long Ago and Far Away                                         Cover Girl  1944
  93. Lose Yourself                                                     8 Mile  2002
  94. Ain't Too Proud to Beg                                     The Big Chill  1983
  95. (We're Off on the) Road to Morocco                       Road to Morocco  1942
  96. Footloose                                                      Footloose  1984
  97. 42nd Street                                                  42nd Street  1933
  98. All That Jazz                                                    Chicago  2002
  99. Hakuna Matata                                              The Lion King  1994
  100. Old Time Rock and Roll                                   Risky Business  1983
  

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: GUEST, Ronaldo Arcadia
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 02:15 PM

This list reminds me why I hate musicals.

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 02:30 PM

Well, according to my definition of folksongs(which of course is only mine not anyone else's), the answer to your questions are(1) none of them are folk songs. (2) none of them ever will be: because we know who wrote them all, and they have not been subjected to the oral tradition.
However, it is feasible that the information about their origin may be lost due a breakdown in civilisation, and they will start to modify themselves organically. In which case I would put money on "Summertime" and "Que sera,sera" turning into folksongs quicker than most.

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: emjay
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 02:30 PM

Hundreds of years from now there will be people trying to figure out the meaning of hakuna matata or zip-a-dee-do-dah. Or just what was meant in singing about over the rainbow. If any of these do survive at all, and I have my doubts.

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 02:33 PM

Come to think of it, considering what a lot of folksongs must have been used in movies over the years, it's funny that none of them made it into the list.

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 03:14 PM

I for one would love to see the "unknown authorship" requirement be permanently stricken from any definition of folk song. I find it irritating that ignorance be made a requirement. Songs like "Shoals of Herring", and "Fiddler's Green" and "Aragon Mill" are no less folk because we know who wrote them. And what happens when someone finds out who wrote "Greensleeves" or "Yankee Doodle"?

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 03:18 PM

No, I'm not biting that bait, Dick!!

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 05:00 PM

I guess I haven't followed the "What is Folk" threads closely enough. I never thought of "Anonymous" being the only one who could create something folk.

I sort of figured that anything that was well enough known to the people of place and an era to be called common knowledge, and that was passed on by being used and known would probably be included.

Too deep a problem for me. I'm liable to start worrying about the "Venus de Milo" no longer being good art because we found out who whittled her out.

My thought here was only that these are very well known songs, and might be useful for those who want a few "variety" samples to include in their selection. Those several people who play for retirement homes and hospitals, as one example, could probably be safe in using almost any of the older ones, although some of us old fogeys might not recognize a a few of the more recent ones.

While we know better here, in a lot of crowds you could probably work up a good debate about whether "Ol' Man River" is "old gospel" or just "trad." (I've heard that debate, although some of the participants needed a couple of bricks for a full load.)

John

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: greg stephens
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 05:48 PM

Well I'm all for thread crfeep, but someone ought to answer the questions apart from me. I am still nominating Summertime and Que Sera Sera for the "becoming folk" stakes. (Not the Good Songs or Longevity stakes, that's not the questions).

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: M.Ted
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 07:06 PM

No need to justify posting the list, John, most of us here are not restricted in our musical tastes by labels--thanks for posting it. We watched the show and stayed up late thinking of great movie songs that were not included--we probably came up with another hundred--

It seems to me that the list had more to do with the screen personality who was connected with the song than with the songs themselves, their popularity, or their overall artistic impact.

Greg's point about the the curious absence of folksongs from the list is a good one--folksongs, both sung and as part of the film score are used a lot in films--think of John Ford's movies--or of films like "How the West Was One"--how about "Buffalo Gals" in "It's a Wonderful Life"?
and that just scratches the surface--

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Jun 04 - 07:45 PM

The article accompanying the list did mention that the people who compiled the survey results were "hoping to remind" the old timers to go out and get copies of the "old classics" and maybe to "introduce some younger people" to these "great old movies." I understand that they sent survey subjects a list of about 400 songs to pick from.

Quite possibly the 400 songs were picked based on having the old films ready for redistribution(?).

A faint "eau de commerce" does seem to attach.

The question that was asked, if the article was accurate (how could we doubt, it was an AP article?), was something like "which songs do you recognize," rather than "which do you like." Without seeing the survey input form though, it's impossible to say what's the result and what's the "spin."

The show was something of a nostalgia trip - for a while I thought I'd just accidentally left "Lawrence Welk" on.

John

Subject: RE: Another BEST SONGS List
From: semi-submersible
Date: 11 Jul 08 - 05:19 AM

Just ran across this old thread on a search. At the risk of belated thread creep:

"Summertime" was a good call, g s, though "none of them are folk songs" maybe not so good. Gershwin set his classic to a Ukranian lullaby called "Oi Khodyt Son Kolo Vikon." I heard the episode of Randy Bachman's CBC Radio show "Vinyl Tap" this season when he played them back to back, and it's clearly the same song.