And the winner is… Today’s Dirty Monday Playlist.
Master Music Supervisor Ian Neil takes us on a nostalgic musical journey through Hollywood - offering up 10 Decades of Music from the Oscars. Listen to the playlist and read why the tracks mean so much to Ian Below.
Read Ian’s full bio HERE
OVER THE RAINBOW BY JUDY GARLAND / THE WIZARD OF OZ - Can you believe this film is 82 years old? It’s magical in many ways and I remember watching it with my Gran as a kid, I then showed it to my kids. The film will live on forever, the song is unforgettable and won the Oscar in 1939. No one else had a chance that year. Sing it Judy!
WHITE CHRISTMAS BY BING CROSBY / HOLIDAY INN - The 1940s had some great contenders, but when one of the greatest song writers of all time writes the greatest Christmas song ever and then Bing Crosby croons it to perfection, well it’s game over. Everyone now dreams of a White Christmas ever since it was released. As for the film Holiday Inn? Meh! Not a patch on It’s A Wonderful Life.
MONA LISA BY NAT KING COLE / CAPTAIN CAREY U.S.A - The 1950s was a tough call. I’m a huge Frank Sinatra fan and he won three in five years. Not to put a Frank song on would be sacrilege, but then when you have Nat King Cole singing Mona Lisa whatcha gonna do? It’s from the 1951 film Captain Carey USA which I can say hands down I have never seen. The song has long outlived the film.
MY KIND OF TOWN BY FRANK SINATRA / ROBIN & THE 7 HOODS - Impossible not to include Old Blue Eyes in all this - the musician and the actor who changed popular music for ever. So I’m gonna cheat, but it’s my game so don’t judge me. It’s My Kind of Town was NOMINATED for an Oscar in 1964 from the film Robin and the 7 Hoods (which I’ve seen once and don’t really need to see again). It lost out to Chim Chim Cher-ee from Mary Poppins, a film I truly adore. But Frank trumps Dick Van Dyke, Frank is The Royal Flush and you can’t beat that.
THE WAY WE WERE BY BARBARA STREISAND / THE WAY WE WERE - We’re half way there and it’s the 1970s. Young Barbra as she was then, only went and won two Oscars that decade. But I’ve got to give it to The Way We Were. Streisand & Redford in one the greatest love stories ever to be ingrained in celluloid. What a voice and what a goddam song. Memories indeed Babs.
ARTHUR’S THEME BY CHRISTOPHER CROSS / ARTHUR - The 80s: big hair, shoulder pads, roller skates & leg warmers and that was just Patrick Swayze. Possibly the worst line up of films in this decade for me personally, with the exception of Officer And A Gentleman, but then time may have turned my brain to mush! The decade gave us songs everyone knows and sings along to, despite them mostly smelling of Gorgonzola. But the winner is Arthur’s Theme, cos I loved Dudley Moore and this is one HUGE guilty pleasure of a song and I am making no apologies.
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME BY RANDY NEWMAN / TOY STORY - The 90s now and I will be honest I am starting to lose the will to live, things are getting bleak in both film and song categories here. Can’t even find a score I like, I’m not bringing us all down with Schindler's list! Oh hang on what’s this I see lurking in 1995? Oh thank the lord for Pixel and the great songsmith Randy Newman. Toy Story is just a genius film and this song strangely lost out to Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas. I demand a recount.
LOSE YOURSELF BY EMINEM / 8 MILE - The noughties now, which I hate people calling them. I don’t need to study this decade, it’s a slam dunk. One of the best music films made and a great artist still in the early part of his career. The rap battles in the club still give me goosebumps and this song is simply KILLER. Lose Yourself in the moment for the next 5 minutes and 21 seconds.
HAPPY BY PHARRELL / DESPICABLE ME 2 - The 2010’s? The ten’s? Whatever you want to call this decade this one is a no brainer. From a sequel no less and for me a song that extends itself way beyond the film from where it came. An anthem for a generation and such a simple tune. But by jove, it just makes you HAPPY. Sing along with Pharrell people and clap those hands!
HEAR MY DREAM BY CELESTE & DANIEL PEMBERTON / THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 - And here we finally are - the roaring twenties. It’s been a blast folks, I've just travelled 80 plus years in a few hours and not many choices here given it’s only 2021. But as I enjoyed the film, and am really impressed with how Celeste has risen to fame with some help in the world of Film & TV, this is my top choice. Shame Daniel Pemberton didn’t win the Oscar last night - but there’s always next year.