Did They Get it Right? – Best Original Song – Oscars 2015

This was a strange year for the Oscar nominations for Best Original Song because for the very first time, there were two songs nominated from Documentaries and one of them seemed like the front runner for quite a long time.

The other three nominees felt like staple choices and for the first time in years, the Academy created a huge controversy by not featuring performances of all 5 songs at the ceremony, but chose to only have 3 of the 5 perform.

Big mistake to exclude the others because they basically were stating that the songs weren’t worthy enough to be featured.  If that was so, then why nominate them.

Silly silly little organizers….

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

• “Earned It” from – Fifty Shades of Grey • Music and Lyrics: Belly, Stephan Moccio, Jason “Daheala” Quenneville, and The Weeknd

• “Manta Ray” – Racing Extinction • Music: J. Ralph • Lyrics: Anohni

• “Simple Song #3” – Youth • Music and Lyrics: David Lang

• “Til It Happens to You” – The Hunting Ground • Music and Lyrics: Lady Gaga and Diane Warren

• Writing’s on the Wall” – Spectre – Music and Lyrics: Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Song (s) that I think should have been included in the mix: (Not sure if all really are eligible according to Oscar standards…)

• One Kind of Love – Brian Wilson (Love & Mercy)

• See You Again Wiz Khalifa (Furious 7)

• None Of Them Are You – Carter Burwell (Anomalisa)

• Hands of Love – Miley Cyrus (Freeheld)

• Juntos (Together) – (McFarland, USA)

• Phenomenal – (Southpaw)

• Love Was My Alibi – Kristoffer Fogelmark (The Water Diviner)

 

My Rankings:

Songs

• 5. – Simple Song #3
• 4. – Earned It
• 3. – Writing’s on the Wall
• 2. – Manta Ray
• 1. – Til It Happens to You

Movies

• 5. – 50 Shades of Gray (Never Seen)
• 4. – Youth
• 3. – Racing Extinction
• 2. – Spectre
• 1. – The Hunting Ground

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – NOT AT ALL! I think that Til It Happens to You is such a better and more memorable song that should have won.  It seemed like a shoe-in especially given the way the song was showcased at the Oscars this year, but somehow lost it to Writing’s on the Wall.

Let me know what you think about these songs!