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'Over the Rainbow' Rated No. 1 Movie Tune

Associated Press June 23, 2004

There's no song like "Over the Rainbow." Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in "The Wizard of Oz" led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs Tuesday, followed by "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca" at No. 2 and the title tune from "Singin' in the Rain" at No. 3.

"Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 musical fantasy, was picked as the top song in U.S. cinema in voting by about 1,500 actors, filmmakers, writers, critics and others in Hollywood.

"That deserves it. It's one of the great, great songs. Judy Garland, the emotion in that song. It gives me chills whenever I hear it," said Burt Bacharach, who was represented on the list for co-writing "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" (No. 23) from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (No. 79) from "Arthur."

In 2001, Garland's "Over the Rainbow" (and Bing Crosby's "White Christmas") also topped the 365 "Songs of the Century" selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America.

The rest of the AFI top 10: 4. "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's"; 5. "White Christmas" from "Holiday Inn"; 6. "Mrs. Robinson" from "The Graduate"; 7. "When You Wish Upon a Star" from "Pinocchio"; 8. "The Way We Were" from "The Way We Were"; 9. "Stayin' Alive" from "Saturday Night Fever"; 10. "The Sound of Music" from "The Sound of Music."

Two other songs made the list from both "The Sound of Music" ("My Favorite Things" at No. 64 and "Do Re Mi" at No. 88) and "Singin' in the Rain" ("Make 'Em Laugh" at No. 49 and "Good Morning" at No. 72). "West Side Story" also landed three songs: "Somewhere" (No. 20), "America" (No. 35) and "Tonight" (No. 59).

Chosen from 400 nominees, the list was announced in the CBS special "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs," the institute's latest countdown to promote U.S. film history. The show's host was John Travolta, star of "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," whose "Summer Nights" came in at No. 70.

"A list like this really drives people back to rediscover or discover these movies," said Jean Picker Firstenburg, the institute's director. "It's about older generations revisiting them and younger generations finding them for the first time."

Past specials presented such lists as the best 100 American movies, comedies, screen legends and love stories. AFI leaders had been mulling a list of best movie songs for years.

"It's an idea we've had floating around since the beginning," said Bob Gazzale, who produces the AFI specials. "Movies and music are so obviously linked at the heart, really. Even before sound came to films, there were songs that went with silent pictures, as well."

The earliest song to make the list was "Isn't It Romantic" (No. 73), sung by Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in 1932's "Love Me Tonight." The newest came from 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger's rendition of "All That Jazz" (No. 98) from "Chicago" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" (No. 93) from "8 Mile."

Unlike the Academy Awards, which honors songs written specifically for new movies, the AFI list allowed any tune integral to a movie. So songs such as "It Had to Be You" (No. 60) from "When Harry Met Sally..." and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (No. 94) from "The Big Chill" made the cut.

Other tunes ranged from sublime with Paul Robeson's "Ol' Man River (No. 24) from the 1936 version of "Show Boat" and Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (No. 76) from "Meet Me in St. Louis" to the goofy with "Springtime for Hitler" (No. 80) from Mel Brooks' "The Producers" and Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle's wacky rendition of "Puttin' on the Ritz" (No. 89) from Brooks' "Young Frankenstein."

Songs came from blockbusters ("My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" at No. 14 and "Unchained Melody" from "Ghost" at No. 27) and from counterculture flicks ("Born to Be Wild" from "Easy Rider" at No. 29 and "Aquarius" from "Hair" at No. 33).

"I think this list is about music that has made its way into daily lives, rather than an assessment of what's great," said Jennifer Warnes, who sang two duets that made the list, "Up Where We Belong" (No. 75) from "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (No. 86) from "Dirty Dancing."

"The reason why my songs made it there is that they're used. I still hear `Up Where we Belong' when I'm at the store buying frozen peas, and it makes me happier to be buying frozen peas."

© 2004 Associated Press

#	SONG	MOVIE	YEAR
1	Over the Rainbow PERFORMER Judy Garland MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen/E. Y. Harburg	THE WIZARD OF OZ	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	THE GRADUATE	1967
7	When You Wish Upon A Star PERFORMER Cliff Edwards MUSIC/LYRICS Leigh Harline/Ned Washington	PINOCCHIO	1940
8	The Way We Were 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	The Sound of Music PERFORMER Julie Andrews MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
11	The Man That Got Away PERFORMER Judy Garland MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin	A STAR IS BORN	1954
12	Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend PERFORMER Marilyn Monroe MUSIC/LYRICS Jule Styne/Leo Robin	GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES	1953
13	People PERFORMER Barbra Streisand MUSIC/LYRICS Jule Styne/Bob Merrill	FUNNY GIRL	1968
14	My Heart Will Go On PERFORMER Céline Dion MUSIC/LYRICS James Horner/Will Jennings	TITANIC	1997
15	Cheek to Cheek PERFORMERS Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers MUSIC/LYRICS Irving Berlin	TOP HAT	1935
16	Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born) PERFORMER Barbra Streisand MUSIC/LYRICS Barbra Streisand/Paul Williams	A STAR IS BORN	1976
17	I Could Have Danced All Night PERFORMER Audrey Hepburn (voiced by Marni Nixon) MUSIC/LYRICS Frederick Loewe/Alan Jay Lerner	MY FAIR LADY	1964
18	Cabaret PERFORMER Liza Minnelli MUSIC/LYRICS John Kander/Fred Ebb	CABARET	1972
19	Some Day My Prince Will Come PERFORMER Adriana Caselotti MUSIC/LYRICS Frank Churchill/Larry Morey	SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS	1937
20	Somewhere PERFORMERS Natalie Wood (voiced by Marni Nixon), Richard Beymer (voiced by Jimmy Bryant) MUSIC/LYRICS Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim	WEST SIDE STORY	1961
21	Jailhouse Rock PERFORMER Elvis Presley MUSIC/LYRICS Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller	JAILHOUSE ROCK	1957
22	Everybody's Talkin' PERFORMER Harry Nilsson MUSIC/LYRICS Fred Neil	MIDNIGHT COWBOY	1969
23	Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head PERFORMER B. J. Thomas MUSIC/LYRICS Burt Bacharach/Hal David	BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID	1969
24	Ol' Man River PERFORMER Paul Robeson MUSIC/LYRICS Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II	SHOW BOAT	1936
25	High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin) PERFORMER Tex Ritter MUSIC/LYRICS Dimitri Tiomkin/Ned Washington	HIGH NOON	1952
26	The Trolley Song PERFORMER Judy Garland MUSIC/LYRICS Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane	MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS	1944
27	Unchained Melody PERFORMER The Righteous Brothers MUSIC/LYRICS Alex North, Hy Zaret	GHOST	1990
28	Some Enchanted Evening PERFORMER Rossano Brazzi (voiced by Giorgio Tozzi) MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II	SOUTH PACIFIC	1958
29	Born To Be Wild PERFORMER Steppenwolf MUSIC/LYRICS Mars Bonfire	EASY RIDER	1969
30	Stormy Weather PERFORMER Lena Horne MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler	STORMY WEATHER	1943
31	Theme from New York, New York PERFORMER Liza Minnelli MUSIC/LYRICS John Kander/Fred Ebb	NEW YORK, NEW YORK	1977
32	I Got Rhythm PERFORMER Gene Kelly MUSIC/LYRICS George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin	AN AMERICAN IN PARIS	1951
33	Aquarius PERFORMERS Ren Woods, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Galt MacDermot/Gerome Ragni, James Rado	HAIR	1979
34	Let's Call the Whole Thing Off PERFORMERS Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers MUSIC/LYRICS George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin	SHALL WE DANCE	1937
35	America PERFORMERS Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim	WEST SIDE STORY	1961
36	Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious PERFORMERS Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman	MARY POPPINS	1964
37	Swinging on a Star PERFORMER Bing Crosby MUSIC/LYRICS James Van Heusen/Johnny Burke	GOING MY WAY	1944
38	Theme from Shaft PERFORMERS Isaac Hayes, Chorus MUSIC/LYRICS Isaac Hayes	SHAFT	1971
39	Days of Wine and Roses PERFORMER Chorus MUSIC/LYRICS Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer	DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES	1963
40	Fight the Power PERFORMER Public Enemy MUSIC/LYRICS Carlton Ridenhour, Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler, Keith Shocklee	DO THE RIGHT THING	1989
41	New York, New York PERFORMERS Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin MUSIC/LYRICS Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden, Adolph Green	ON THE TOWN	1949
42	Luck Be A Lady PERFORMERS Marlon Brando, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Frank Loesser	GUYS AND DOLLS	1955
43	The Way You Look Tonight PERFORMER Fred Astaire MUSIC/LYRICS Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields	SWING TIME	1936
44	Wind Beneath My Wings PERFORMER Bette Midler MUSIC/LYRICS Larry Henley, Jeff Silbar	BEACHES	1988
45	That's Entertainment PERFORMERS Fred Astaire, Nanette Fabray, Jack Buchanan, Oscar Levant MUSIC/LYRICS Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz	THE BAND WAGON	1953
46	Don't Rain On My Parade PERFORMER Barbra Streisand MUSIC/LYRICS Jule Styne/ Bob Merrill	FUNNY GIRL	1968
47	Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah PERFORMER James Baskett MUSIC/LYRICS Allie Wrubel/Ray Gilbert	SONG OF THE SOUTH	1947
48	Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) PERFORMER Doris Day MUSIC/LYRICS Ray Evans, Jay Livingston	THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH	1956
49	Make 'Em Laugh PERFORMER Donald O'Connor MUSIC/LYRICS Nacio Herb Brown/Arthur Freed	SINGIN' IN THE RAIN	1952
50	Rock Around the Clock PERFORMERS Bill Haley and the Comets MUSIC/LYRICS Bill Haley and the Comets	BLACKBOARD JUNGLE	1955
51	Fame PERFORMER Irene Cara MUSIC/LYRICS Michael Gore/Dean Pitchford	FAME	1980
52	Summertime PERFORMER Diahann Carroll (voiced by Loulie Jean Norman) MUSIC/LYRICS George Gershwin/DuBose Heyward	PORGY AND BESS	1959
53	Goldfinger PERFORMER Shirley Bassey MUSIC/LYRICS John Barry/Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley	GOLDFINGER	1964
54	Shall We Dance PERFORMERS Deborah Kerr (voiced by Marni Nixon), Yul Brynner MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II	THE KING AND I	1956
55	Flashdance...What a Feeling PERFORMER Irene Cara MUSIC/LYRICS Giorgio Moroder/Keith Forsey, Irene Cara	FLASHDANCE	1983
56	Thank Heaven for Little Girls PERFORMER Maurice Chevalier MUSIC/LYRICS Frederick Loewe/Alan Jay Lerner	GIGI	1958
57	The Windmills of Your Mind PERFORMER Noel Harrison MUSIC/LYRICS Michel Legrand/Alan and Marilyn Bergman	THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR	1968
58	Gonna Fly Now PERFORMERS DeEtta Little, Nelson Pigford MUSIC/LYRICS Bill Conti/Carol Connors, Ayn Robbins	ROCKY	1976
59	Tonight PERFORMERS Natalie Wood (voiced by Marni Nixon), Richard Beymer (voiced by Jimmy Bryant) MUSIC/LYRICS Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim	WEST SIDE STORY	1961
60	It Had to Be You PERFORMERS Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick, Jr. MUSIC/LYRICS Isham Jones/Gus Kahn	WHEN HARRY MET SALLY	1989
61	Get Happy PERFORMER Judy Garland MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler	SUMMER STOCK	1950
62	Beauty and the Beast PERFORMER Angela Lansbury MUSIC/LYRICS Alan Menken/Howard Ashman	BEAUTY AND THE BEAST	1991
63	Thanks for the Memory PERFORMERS Bob Hope, Shirley Ross MUSIC/LYRICS Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin	THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938	1938
64	My Favorite Things PERFORMER Julie Andrews MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
65	I Will Always Love You PERFORMER Whitney Houston MUSIC/LYRICS Dolly Parton	THE BODYGUARD	1992
66	Suicide is Painless PERFORMER Johnny Mandel MUSIC/LYRICS Johnny Mandel/Mike Altman	MAS*H	1970
67	Nobody Does it Better PERFORMER Carly Simon MUSIC/LYRICS Marvin Hamlisch/Carole Bayer Sager	THE SPY WHO LOVED ME	1977
68	Streets of Philadelphia PERFORMER Bruce Springsteen MUSIC/LYRICS Bruce Springsteen	PHILADELPHIA	1993
69	On the Good Ship Lollipop PERFORMER Shirley Temple MUSIC/LYRICS Richard A. Whiting/Sidney Clare	BRIGHT EYES	1934
70	Summer Nights PERFORMERS John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey	GREASE	1978
71	The Yankee Doodle Boy PERFORMER James Cagney MUSIC/LYRICS George M. Cohan	YANKEE DOODLE DANDY	1942
72	Good Morning PERFORMERS Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor MUSIC/LYRICS Nacio Herb Brown/Arthur Freed	SINGIN' IN THE RAIN	1952
73	Isn't it Romantic? PERFORMERS Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart	LOVE ME TONIGHT	1932
74	Rainbow Connection PERFORMER Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson) MUSIC/LYRICS Paul Williams, Kenny Ascher	THE MUPPET MOVIE	1979
75	Up Where We Belong PERFORMERS Joe Cocker, Jennifer Warnes MUSIC/LYRICS Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie/Will Jennings	AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, AN	1982
76	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas PERFORMER Judy Garland MUSIC/LYRICS Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane	MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS	1944
77	The Shadow of Your Smile PERFORMER Chorus MUSIC/LYRICS Johnny Mandel/Paul Francis Webster	THE SANDPIPER	1965
78	9 To 5 PERFORMER Dolly Parton MUSIC/LYRICS Dolly Parton	9 TO 5	1980
79	Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) PERFORMER Christopher Cross MUSIC/LYRICS Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, Peter Allen	ARTHUR	1981
80	Springtime for Hitler PERFORMER Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Mel Brooks	THE PRODUCERS	1968
81	I'm Easy PERFORMER Keith Carradine MUSIC/LYRICS Keith Carradine	NASHVILLE	1975
82	Ding Dong the Witch is Dead PERFORMER Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Harold Arlen/E. Y. Harburg	THE WIZARD OF OZ	1939
83	The Rose PERFORMER Bette Midler MUSIC/LYRICS Amanda McBroom	THE ROSE	1979
84	Put the Blame on Mame PERFORMER Rita Hayworth (voiced by Anita Ellis) MUSIC/LYRICS Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts	GILDA	1946
85	Come What May PERFORMERS Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor MUSIC/LYRICS David Baerwald	MOULIN ROUGE!	2001
86	(I've Had) The Time of My Life PERFORMERS Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes MUSIC/LYRICS Frank Previte, John DeNicola, Donald Markowitz/Frank Previte	DIRTY DANCING	1987
87	Buttons and Bows PERFORMER Bob Hope MUSIC/LYRICS Jay Livingston/Ray Evans	THE PALEFACE	1948
88	Do Re Mi PERFORMERS Julie Andrews, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
89	Puttin' on the Ritz PERFORMERS Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle MUSIC/LYRICS Irving Berlin	YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN	1974
90	Seems Like Old Times PERFORMER Diane Keaton MUSIC/LYRICS Carmen Lombardo/John Jacob Loeb	ANNIE HALL	1977
91	Let the River Run PERFORMER Carly Simon MUSIC/LYRICS Carly Simon	WORKING GIRL	1988
92	Long Ago and Far Away PERFORMERS Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth (voiced by Martha Mears) MUSIC/LYRICS Jerome Kern/Ira Gershwin	COVER GIRL	1944
93	Lose Yourself PERFORMER Eminem MUSIC/LYRICS Eminem, Jeff Bass, Luis Resto/Eminem	8 MILE	2002
94	Ain't Too Proud to Beg PERFORMER The Temptations MUSIC/LYRICS Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield	THE BIG CHILL	1983
95	(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco PERFORMERS Bing Crosby, Bob Hope MUSIC/LYRICS Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke	ROAD TO MOROCCO	1942
96	Footloose PERFORMER Kenny Loggins MUSIC/LYRICS Kenny Loggins, Dean Pitchford	FOOTLOOSE	1984
97	42nd Street PERFORMERS Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ensemble MUSIC/LYRICS Harry Warren/Al Dubin	42nd STREET	1933
98	All That Jazz PERFORMERS Catherine Zeta-Jones, René Zellweger MUSIC/LYRICS John Kander/Fred Ebb	CHICAGO	2002
99	Hakuna Matata PERFORMERS Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Joseph Williams MUSIC/LYRICS Elton John/Tim Rice	THE LION KING	1994
100	Old Time Rock and Roll PERFORMERS Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band (lip-synched by Tom Cruise) MUSIC/LYRICS George Jackson, Tom Jones III	RISKY BUSINESS	1983

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