The Best Original Song category was added to the Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1934, at the 7th annual awards. The award is presented to the songwriters who have composed an original song specifically for use in a motion picture. The official rules state that “an original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the motion picture or as the first music cue in the end credits.”
There have been 89 winners between 1934 and 2023, spanning many different genres of music. And now we’re going to figure out which one the Avocado thinks is the best. And how will we do that? In the best and only way we know how–with a bracket tournament!
Because there’s a set number of eligible entrants into this tournament, we’re skipping over the customary nomination round and going straight into seeding. I will populate the comments section below with each song, and your upvotes will determine the 64 that will make it into the bracket proper. (Note: If we end up with a situation where there multiple songs tied at the cut-off point, I may run an ad hoc play-in round.) Voting for the seeding round will be open until Monday 11/6.