Of course, most Academy Awards viewers focus on the big four – Best Actor, Best Actress, Director and Best Picture. However, over the past four decades, the Best Original Song award has become a coveted prize for music’s top stars, as evidenced by pop superstar Billie Eilish, who won her second Oscar this year. The award is often a missing piece of the puzzle in a music superstar’s quest to boost their ego potential.
Black musicians have received many nominations in this category since it was first awarded in 1934. The special list includes all kinds of musicians, from music legends like Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones and Ray Parker Jr. to contemporary icons like Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and The Weeknd. Unfortunately, this has not translated into an avalanche of winners for Best Black Song, with only seven winners in total. The low number of wins almost ignores the contribution of black music to film.
Some outstanding winners captured the hearts and minds of moviegoers, critics and pop culture, so here are the five best Oscar-winning songs by black musicians to listen to during Black Music Month.
“Theme From Shaft” – Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft” represented a remarkable musical change when it was released in 1971 and set the tone for the blaxploitation classic. WaveThe title song was considered one of the first disco songs.
The iconic tune came about after Hayes was promised an audition for the title role, but lost it to Richard Roundtree. The film’s director, Gordon Parks, contributed the song’s lyrics, and the theme mixed soul and funk with live instrumentation and arrangements by Hayes and Johnny Allen, inspired by the late soul singer Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.” The song’s lyrics drew on John Shaft’s coolness, bravery and sex appeal, and include famous quotes such as “a bad mother—” and “you’re damn right!”
Although “Theme from Shaft” is considered one of the best opening songs in cinema history, it was not. Originally it was a typical film opener before the popularity of “Theme from Shaft” grew so much that Stax Records released it as a single. The film theme was successful in both the US and the UK, reaching the top 5.
After winning the award for Best Original Song at the 44th Academy Awards, Hayes became the first black person to win that award and an award for non-acting achievement. He was also the first person to be credited as the writer and performer of an Oscar-winning song. The late singer and actor was the first theater singer to be mentioned at the awards ceremony. The “Theme from Shaft” won two Grammys – Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Original Score. The hit’s replay value and impact earned it a place on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Songs and in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“I just called to tell you that I love you” – Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” came at the height of the singer-songwriter’s popularity, when the romantic comedy in which it appeared, Woman in red, was released in 1984. The soundtrack song became one of Wonder’s biggest hits.
The best-selling song was one of several songs Wonder wrote, produced and sang on for the film’s soundtrack. It was the epitome of early 1980s post-disco R&B, with the Grammy winner programming most of the synth-laden production. It sounded like a surprise phone call between lovers and came across as a tender, romantic letter full of love and optimism. Unfortunately, the song’s success led to Wonder’s former songwriting partner Lee Garrett suing him for credit, but the suit was dismissed.
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” was released as the first single from the film and became an instant international hit, reaching the top two in most countries. It remains the music icon’s best-selling single to date.
The Motown legend was the second black man to win Best Original Song at the 57th Academy Awards. Before the Oscar, Wonder won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. He was nominated for three Grammys, including Song of the Year.
“Fame” – Common and John Legend
Common and John Legend’s “Glory” was tailor-made to capture the emotion and gravity of the civil rights biopic Selma when it was released in 2014. The hymnic song touched on themes from the past and present.
The big-screen anthem was born when co-writer Common was cast to play civil rights leader James Bevel in the film. It came about after Legend and rapper Rhymefest came on board to co-write the civil rights song. In the spirit of Martin Luther King and the non-violent marches, the music reflected the civil rights movements of the past and present with its mix of conscious hip hop and old school soul music that Legend’s music production enabled. It captured the song’s lyrics around the connection of the Selma to Montgomery marches to current civil rights efforts. The single was released at a pivotal time in American history following the unrest of the 2014 Ferguson protests.
“Glory” was the only single from the Selma Soundtrack. It became a minor US and international hit. However, the disappointing chart success did not diminish the song’s impact.
The Grammy-winning duo won the Oscar for Best Original Song after their touching performance at the 87th Academy Awards. Before the Oscar win, Common and Legend won Best Song at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. These wins were followed by three Grammy nominations, including Best Song Written for Visual Media.
“Fight for yourself” – YOU
HER’s “Fight For You” channeled the tension surrounding the life and murder of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton for Judas and the Black Messiah when it was released in 2021. The recording was an underdog in awards season.
The soulful movie anthem came about after director Shaka King asked the Grammy winner to write for the biopic, as she wanted something “contemporary with echoes of 1968.” The song was specifically conceived as the main song in the film, which she co-wrote with Tiara Thomas. The civil rights song is a mix of soul and R&B, drawing inspiration from Curtis Mayfield and the genre’s long history. The singer-songwriter and D’Mile’s music production brought the lyrics to life around the film’s exploration of racism, police brutality and inequality. Much like “Glory,” the single came at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and a renewed focus on other issues facing black Americans.
“Fight for You” served as Judas and the Black Messiah‘s first single. The protest anthem became a minor US hit.
The Grammy Award winner won Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards, which many critics considered an Oscar surprise. HER was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards. She garnered three Grammy nominations in the music field and won the award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
“Flashdance … What a feeling” – Irene Cara
Irene Cara’s Flashdance… What a Feeling burst into pop culture when it was released in 1983 as the first work of one of the best dance films ever. Lightning DanceThe great pop song became one of the biggest singles of 1983 and one of the first post-disco dance hits.
The uplifting pop anthem began as a production-only effort by Giorgio Moroder with assistance from British pop singer Keith Forsey. Irene Cara joined the production after Moroder asked her to fulfill a request from Paramount Pictures to hire a well-known artist for the title song. She only agreed after meeting the condition that she could only perform a song she had written herself, which she then did with Forsey. The soundtrack single took cues from early 1980s dance-pop and post-disco with Moroder’s genre-defining music production. The lyrics were influenced by a film scene in which the main character finds musical inspiration while dancing.
“Flashdance… What a Feeling” was originally released as a small single for film promotion purposes before being released commercially due to the surprising popularity of the film and the song. Soon the big song became a worldwide hit, charting in the top 10 or 20.
The late singer and actress won the award for Best Original Song at the 56th Academy Awards, becoming the first black woman to write and perform a song that won the award. Cara also won the Golden Globe for Best Song. She was nominated for several Grammys and won the award for Best Female Pop Performance. The song’s impact and popularity earned it a placement on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs and induction into the National Recording Registry.
The above songs have influenced film and culture in ways that are still felt today. This year, Grammy winner Jon Batiste received his first nomination for Best Original Song for American Symphony’s “It Never Went Away.”
Our next awards season may not have started yet, but there’s no better time to look at the possible nominations for Best Original Song. Of course, be sure to check out our 2024 movie schedule to see which films might be Oscar-worthy.
