100 Greatest Songs in Movies - AFI

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 from 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 and 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 and the Sundance Kid, 1969
24. "Ol' 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. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," 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, 1962
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, 1946
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

1. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
2. All That Jazz
3. America
4. Aquarius
5. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
6. As Time Goes By
7. Beauty And The Beast
8. Born To Be Wild
9. Buttons And Bows
10. Cabaret
11. Cheek To Cheek
12. Come What May
13. Days Of Wine And Roses
14. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
15. Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead
16. Do-Re-Mi
17. Don't Rain On My Parade
18. Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born)
19. Everybody's Talkin'
20. Fame
21. Fight The Power
22. Flashdance...(What A Feeling)
23. Footloose
24. Forty Second Street (42nd Street)
25. Get Happy
26. Goldfinger
27. Gonna Fly Now
28. Good Morning
29. Hakuna Matata
30. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
31. High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)
32. I Could Have Danced All Night
33. I Got Rhythm
34. I Will Always Love You
35. I'm Easy
36. Isn't It Romantic?
37. It Had To Be You
38. Jailhouse Rock
39. Let The River Run
40. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
41. Long Ago (And Far Away)
42. Lose Yourself
43. Luck Be A Lady
44. Make 'Em Laugh
45. The Man That Got Away
46. Mrs. Robinson
47. Moon River
48. My Favorite Things
49. My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From 'Titanic')
50. New York, New York
51. (Theme From) 'New York, New York'
52. Nine To Five (9 to 5)
53. Nobody Does It Better
54. Ol' Man River
55. Old Time Rock and Roll
56. On The Good Ship Lollipop
57. Over The Rainbow
58. People
59. Put The Blame On Mame
60. Puttin' On The Ritz
61. Rainbow Connection
62. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head
63. Road To Morocco
64. Rock Around The Clock
65. The Rose
66. Seems Like Old Times
67. The Shadow Of Your Smile
68. (Theme From) Shaft
69. Shall We Dance?
70. Singin' In The Rain
71. Some Day My Prince Will Come
72. Some Enchanted Evening
73. Somewhere
74. The Sound Of Music
75. Springtime For Hitler
76. Stayin' Alive
77. Stormy Weather
78. Streets Of Philadelphia
79. Suicide Is Painless (Song From M*A*S*H)
80. Summer Nights
81. Summertime
82. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
83. Swinging On A Star
84. Thank Heaven For Little Girls
85. Thanks For The Memory
86. That's Entertainment
87. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life
88. Tonight
89. The Trolley Song
90. Unchained Melody
91. Up Where We Belong
92. The Way We Were
93. The Way You Look Tonight
94. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)
95. When You Wish Upon A Star
96. White Christmas
97. Wind Beneath My Wings
98. The Windmills Of Your Mind
99. The Yankee Doodle Boy
100. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Judging Criteria for Selection of Films and Songs:

A ballot was distributed in 2003 with 400 nominated films and songs to a jury of 1,500 leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, composers, cinematographers, etc.) critics and historians.

Only songs from feature-length American films released before January 1, 2003, were considered. [AFI defined an American film as an English language film with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States, and a feature-length film as a motion picture of narrative format that is typically over 60 minutes in length.] Voters could submit up to five write-in choices not included among the 400 nominees. The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria in their selections of greatest songs:

• Song - Music and lyrics (that must be part of the film) featured in an American film that set a tone of 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 for the film itself.
  
• Legacy - Songs that resonate across the century, enriching America's film heritage and captivating artists and audiences today.

NOT ELIGIBLE:

• Tunes with no lyrics -- "The Colonel Bogey March" from The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and the themes from Gone With the Wind (1939), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and The Godfather (1972) were not eligible.
  
  
• Film scores were not eligible.
  
  
• You would have thought that these well-known songs (among many others) were ineligible because they were not sung by the characters and only served as background music, but a number of them were in the top 100:
  
  "Mrs. Robinson" (# 6) in The Graduate (1967)
  "My Heart Will Go On" (# 14) in Titanic (1997)
  "Everybody's Talkin'" (# 22) in Midnight Cowboy (1969)
  "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" (# 23) in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
  "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin)" (# 25) in High Noon (1952)
  "Unchained Melody" (# 27) in Ghost (1990)
  "Born to Be Wild" (# 29) in Easy Rider (1969)
  "Wind Beneath My Wings" (# 44) in Beaches (1988)
  "Goldfinger" (# 53) in Goldfinger (1964)
  "Gonna Fly Now" (# 58) in Rocky (1976)
  "Up Where We Belong" (# 75) in An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)
  
  
• "Laura" - the theme from the Oscar-nominated drama of the same name Laura (1944), "A Summer's Place" and [The Theme from] "Picnic" were not eligible because the lyrics did not appear in the film and were written for the song after the film's release.
  
  
• For clarification's sake, a song need not have been written especially for a movie to be eligible. Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" was eligible even though it was not written specifically for the film Risky Business (1983). Animated films (or puppet films, such as the Muppets) with songs/dances, and dance sequences with memorable music, such as the iconic Bee Gee's songs in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Flashdance - What A Feeling in Flashdance (1983) were exceptions to the general rule.

Song Film (and Year) Film Performer

1. "Over The Rainbow" The Wizard of Oz (1939) Judy Garland

2. "As Time Goes By" Casablanca (1942) Dooley Wilson

3. "Singin' in the Rain" Singin' In The Rain (1952) Gene Kelly

4. "Moon River" Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Audrey Hepburn

5. "White Christmas" Holiday Inn (1942) Bing Crosby

6. "Mrs. Robinson" The Graduate (1967) Simon & Garfunkel

7. "When You Wish Upon A Star" Pinocchio (1940) Cliff Edwards

8. "The Way We Were" The Way We Were (1973) Barbra Streisand

9. "Stayin' Alive" Saturday Night Fever (1977) The Bee Gees

10. "The Sound Of Music" The Sound Of Music (1965) Julie Andrews

Comparing Decades (descending order):

• The 1960s had 20 songs in the top 100
• The 1950s had 17 songs in the top 100
• The 1970s had 16 songs in the top 100
• The 1940s had 14 songs in the top 100
• The 1980s had 13 songs in the top 100
• The 1930s had 11 songs in the top 100
• The 1990s had 6 songs in the top 100
• The 2000s had 3 songs in the top 100
• There were no songs from the 1920s
  

The earliest song on the top 100 list was:

• "Isn't It Romantic" from Love Me Tonight (1932) at # 73

The newest songs on the top 100 list were:

• "All That Jazz" from Chicago (2002) at # 98
• "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile (2002) at # 93

Two seasonal songs placed in the top 100:

• "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn (1942) at # 5
• "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at # 76

Two counter-cultural films featured these honored songs:

• "Born to Be Wild" from Easy Rider (1969) at # 29
• "Aquarius" from Hair (1979) at # 33

There were no Beatles songs among the nominees -- and obviously, in the winners list. Was this because the films were not American-made and therefore ineligible?

Dubious 'winners' included:

• "Fight the Power" from Do the Right Thing (1989) at # 40
• "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) at # 82
• "Let The River Run" from Working Girl (1988) at # 91
• "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile (2002) at # 93
  

"Puttin' On The Ritz" at # 89 was attributed to Young Frankenstein (1974), but was originally sung in Blue Skies (1946).

Three musicals succeeded in having their three nominees honored in the top 100:

• Singin' In The Rain (1952): "Singin' in the Rain" at # 3, "Make 'Em Laugh" at # 49, and "Good Morning" at # 72
• The Sound Of Music (1965): "The Sound of Music" at # 10, "My Favorite Things" at # 64, and "Do Re Mi" at # 88
• West Side Story (1961): "Somewhere" at # 20, "America" at # 35, and "Tonight" at # 59
  

Two unrelated versions of "New York, New York" made the top 100:

• "Theme From New York, New York" from New York, New York (1977) at # 31
• "New York, New York" from On The Town (1949) at # 41
  

There were two Burt Bacharach compositions in the top 100:

• "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) at # 23
• "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" from Arthur (1981) at # 79

Two individuals were represented five times on the list:

• Judy Garland:
  "Over The Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) at # 1
  "The Man That Got Away" from A Star is Born (1954) at # 11
  "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at # 26
  "Get Happy" from Summer Stock (1950) at # 61
  "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at # 76
  [Note: Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli had two songs on the list: "Cabaret" from Cabaret (1972) at # 18, and "Theme From New York, New York" from New York, New York (1977) at # 31.]
• Gene Kelly:
  "Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' In The Rain (1952) at # 3
  "I Got Rhythm" from An American in Paris (1951) at # 32
  "New York, New York" in On the Town (1949) at # 41
  "Good Morning" from Singin' In The Rain (1952) at # 72
  "Long Ago and Far Away" from Cover Girl (1944) at # 92

Four individuals were represented four times on the list:

• Barbra Streisand:
  "The Way We Were" from The Way We Were (1973) at # 8
  "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)" from A Star is Born (1976) at # 16
  "People" from Funny Girl (1968) at # 13
  "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl (1968) at # 46
• Fred Astaire:
  "Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat (1935) at # 15
  "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" from Shall We Dance (1937) at # 34
  "The Way You Look Tonight" from Swing Time (1936) at # 43
  "That's Entertainment" from The Band Wagon (1953) at # 45
• Julie Andrews:
  "The Sound of Music" from The Sound Of Music (1965) at # 10
  "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins (1964) at # 36
  "My Favorite Things" from The Sound Of Music (1965) at # 64
  "Do Re Mi" from The Sound Of Music (1965) at # 88
• Marni Nixon (dubbing):
  Marilyn Monroe (partial), "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) at # 12
  Audrey Hepburn, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady (1964) at # 17
  Deborah Kerr, "Shall We Dance?" from The King and I (1956) at # 54
  Natalie Wood, "Tonight" from West Side Story (1961) at # 59

There were three songs on the list sung by Bing Crosby:

• "Holiday Inn" from White Christmas (1942) at # 5
• "Swinging on a Star" from Going My Way (1944) at # 37
• "(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco" (with Bob Hope) from Road to Morocco (1942) at # 95
  

Popular title songs from many musicals or other films failed to make the top 100:

• "Three Coins In The Fountain" from Three Coins In The Fountain (1954)
• "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" from Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
• "An Affair To Remember" from An Affair To Remember (1957)
• "Charade" from Charade (1964)
• "Born Free" from Born Free (1966)
• "Thoroughly Modern Millie" from Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), to name a few
  

Some song winners represented different genres of music:

• disco ("Stayin' Alive" from Saturday Night Fever (1977) at # 9)
• rap ("Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile (2002) at # 93)
• rock 'n' roll ("Jailhouse Rock" from Jailhouse Rock (1957) at # 21, "Rock Around the Clock" from Blackboard Jungle (1955) at # 50, and "Old Time Rock and Roll" from Risky Business (1983) at # 100)

Nominees from rock musicals that surprisingly didn't make the top 100:

• "The Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• "Big Bottom" from This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
  

Songs from Frank Sinatra or from the documentary film Woodstock (1970) did not make the cut to be in the top 100.

Twenty-nine of the top 100 AFI picks won the Oscar for Best Song:

• "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) at # 1
• "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) at # 4
• "White Christmas," Holiday Inn (1942) at # 5
• "When You Wish Upon a Star," Pinocchio (1940) at # 7
• "The Way We Were," The Way We Were (1973) at # 8
• "My Heart Will Go On," Titanic (1997) at # 14
• "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born)," A Star Is Born (1976) at # 16
• "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) at # 23
• "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin)," High Noon (1952) at # 25
• "Swinging on a Star," Going My Way (1944) at # 37
  
  
• "Theme from Shaft," Shaft (1971) at # 38
• "Days of Wine and Roses," Days of Wine and Roses (1962) at # 39
• "The Way You Look Tonight," Swing Time (1936) at # 43
• "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Song of the South (1946) at # 47
• "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) at # 48
• "Fame," Fame (1980) at # 51
• "Flashdance…What a Feeling," Flashdance (1983) at # 55
• "The Windmills of Your Mind," The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) at # 57
• "Beauty and the Beast," Beauty and the Beast (1991) at # 62
  
• "Thanks for the Memory," The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) at # 63
  
  
• "Streets of Philadelphia," Philadelphia (1993) at # 68
• "Up Where We Belong," An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) at # 75
• "The Shadow of Your Smile," The Sandpiper (1965) at # 77
• "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Arthur (1981) at # 79
• "I'm Easy," Nashville (1975) at # 81
• "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," Dirty Dancing (1987) at # 86
• "Buttons and Bows," The Paleface (1948) at # 87
• "Let the River Run," Working Girl (1988) at # 91
• "Lose Yourself," 8 Mile (2002) at # 93

Winners included five Disney animations:

• "When You Wish Upon A Star" from Pinocchio (1940) at # 7
• "Some Day My Prince Will Come" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) at # 19
• "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Song of the South (1946) at # 47
• "Beauty And The Beast" from Beauty and the Beast (1991) at # 62
• "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King (1994) at # 99
  

Other animation/live-action and puppetry winners included:

• "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from the live-action/animated Mary Poppins (1964) at # 36
• "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Disney's live-action/animated Song of the South (1947) at # 47
• puppetry in "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie (1979) at # 74
  

Although "That's Entertainment" from The Band Wagon (1953) ranked at # 45, nominee "There's No Business Like Show Business" from Annie Get Your Gun (1950) didn't make the cut.

Other classic standard songs that were nominated but didn't appear in the final list:

• "That Old Black Magic" from Bus Stop (1956)
• "I've Got You Under My Skin" from Born To Dance (1936)
• "Silver Bells" from The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
• "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel (1956)
  

Other surprising omissions in the top 100 from the 400 nominees:

• "Lullaby of Broadway" from Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" from Buck Privates (1941)
• "High Hopes" from A Hole in the Head (1959)
• "Seventy-Six Trombones" from The Music Man (1962)
• "Consider Yourself" from Oliver! (1968)
• "Hello, Dolly!" from Hello, Dolly! (1969)
• "The Candy Man" from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)
• "You Light Up My Life" from You Light Up My Life (1977)
  

Twenty-two songs in the top 100 list were from Broadway productions, many of which were merely adaptations from their Broadway stage musical versions, such as:

• "The Sound Of Music" from The Sound Of Music (1965) at # 10
• "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady (1964) at # 17
• "Cabaret" from Cabaret (1972) at # 18
• "Aquarius" from Hair (1979) at # 33
• "America" from West Side Story (1961) at # 35
• "Shall We Dance?" from The King And I (1956) at # 54
• "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" from Gigi (1958) at # 56
• "Tonight" from West Side Story (1961) at # 59
• "All That Jazz" from Chicago (2002) at # 98
  

One of the songs in the top 100 list was originally from an opera:

• "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, from Porgy and Bess (1959) at # 52