Entertainment
Every Oscar-Winning Original Song of the 2020s So Far, Ranked
While music normally gets its time to shine in awards season through the Grammys, the various achievements made in music in the world of cinema has its own spot of appreciation through the Best Original Song awards from various awards bodies. The Academy Award for Best Original Song especially has stood as a massively varied and prominent award, won by a wide variety of different artists and styles since its inception at the 7th Academy Awards.
This highly celebrated stature has largely continued into the 2020s, with winners ranging from beloved fan favorites to some of the biggest cultural hits of the year. Not every winning song has been a massively memorable hit, but by and large the winners have spoken to the inherent strengths and memorability of cinema in the modern era. It paints a great sign for the sorts of exceptional musical achievements that will be celebrated in the remaining years of the decade.
6
“El Mal” from ‘Emilia Perez’ (2024)
To say that Emilia Perez was an incredibly divisive Oscar contender would be an understatement, as it arguably had some of the largest disconnects between industry love and mass hatred from moviegoers. It went from the most nominated film of the night to only winning two awards, though it isn’t exactly surprising that “El Mal” won Best Original Song, considering it was a relatively slow year for the category. Sung by Zoe Saldaña and spoken entirely in Spanish, it sees her character complaining about the hypocrisy of many international criminals contributing to the nonprofit organization run by the titular Emilia Perez.
It’s a song that works well enough in the context of the film, with some fun cinematography making it one of the few shining points in an otherwise dismal experience. Still, it isn’t exactly surprising that the song has been entirely forgotten about in the short time since its win, as it really doesn’t hold a candle to the other winners this decade. The song simply doesn’t really have much weight or impact outside of the context of the film, with its win almost feeling out of inevitability and due to a lack of other major options instead of the song’s quality (or lack thereof).
5
“Fight for You” from ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ (2021)
One of the most classic methods for a film to earn a nomination for Best Original Song is to get a prominent rising artist to write a song that doesn’t actually play during the film itself, but instead plays during the credits and sticks in Academy members’ minds as the film ends. While this trend often results in a lot of nominations, the only time that one of these songs actually received a win was in the 2021 ceremony, where D’Mile & H.E.R‘s “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah won.
Even if not directly playing during the film itself, the song largely ties into the film’s themes of revolution and fighting for freedom against cultural oppressors. It also helps that H.E.R’s vocals are exceptional on the track, making it the undeniable fan-favorite among the limited song selection that was hindered by the pandemic. While the song may have been similarly forgotten over time, like “El Mal”, the actual song is of a prominent quality and is worth listening to on its own, which cannot be said about any of the songs from Emilia Perez.
4
“No Time to Die” from ‘No Time to Die’ (2021)
The original songs made for the stylish opening credits of James Bond movies have been a frequent place to find success in the Best Original Song category, especially in the Daniel Craig era, where Skyfall and Spectre‘s songs both previously won the award. This is to say that it wasn’t exactly a surprise that “No Time to Die” from the titular final chapter of the Craig era would win the award, but the song itself may just be the best original song of the Craig era.
Billie Eilish‘s vocals perfectly fit the energy of the opening credits, with a sense of finality and sadness to this chapter as it keeps the energy both impactful yet respectfully somber. No Time to Die as a film couldn’t have opened in a better way, making this the first no-brainer exceptional Best Original Song winner of the decade. It ended the Craig era on such an exceptional final note that it leaves massive shoes to fill for whoever ends up doing the song for the eventual reboot under Denis Villeneuve.
3
“Golden” from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ (2025)
If sheer popularity were the only criteria for success on this list, then “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters would be the undeniable #1 slot without question. Its overwhelming global dominance as one of the biggest pop songs of 2025 helped KPop Demon Hunters soar into modern classic status as one of the most celebrated animated films of the decade so far. While many of the songs in the film were massively successful and helped amplify the staying power of the film, Golden stands out among an entire catalog of catchy pop icons.
It’s reached a level of success for an original animated movie song that can only truly be paralleled to that of the Best Original Song winners from classic Disney movies, though this makes sense considering the entire film centers itself around the culture and power of KPop as a genre of music. The legacy and overwhelming success of this song directly complements the success of the film itself, if not even more so. The only thing holding it back is how the two songs above it were more effectively used in some of the most iconic and effective moments in their respective films, while Golden’s greatest strengths are arguably independent of the film itself.
2
“What Was I Made For?” from ‘Barbie’ (2023)
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell‘s second Oscar victory in a row as the only artists who have won the Best Original Song award multiple times this decade, “What Was I Made For?” stands as the emotional crux of Barbie that amplifies its exceptional emotional climax. This song prominently plays during the final act sequence of Barbie talking with her creator, Ruth Handler, and experiencing the beauty of humanity and motherhood in all of its hardships. It’s a beautiful moment that is made all the better thanks to the exceptional song that elevates it. It exemplifies everything that made the film such a universally beloved masterpiece, all in one hard-hitting song.
While “No Time to Die” was a great song within the context of a Bond film, “What Was I Made For?” is not just amazing in the context of Barbie, but is also a deeply personal and impactful Billie Eilish song that stands on its own as a highlight of her discography. It’s the type of song that will continue to be celebrated for years to come, both as a fundamental aspect of the film as well as its own standalone song of beauty and pain.
1
“Naatu Naatu” from ‘RRR’ (2022)
A great musical sequence to complement a song can go a long way in terms of its impact and memorability on an audience, although calling the “Naatu Naatu” sequence in RRR simply a “great musical sequence” is massively understating just how legendary it feels at the moment. The song plays when the main characters are out-dancing the various elitist British attendees of a fancy party, using their stylish dance moves and exceptional choreography to a masterful level. It’s the undeniable standout moment of one of the best action movies of the decade and manages to get even the most jaded of moviegoers pumped and jamming along to its high energy.
While this type of wild, high-energy dance number is much more common in blockbuster films from India, it made such a shockwave and impact on global audiences that it helped catapult the film and this song into immediate fan-favorite territory. Even as the rest of the film got snubbed by the Academy, there was no way under any circumstances that people would allow this legendary song to be snubbed, with it being the sole nomination and victory for the film. The song even managed to beat out high-profile competition like Lady Gaga‘s “Hold My Hand” for Top Gun: Maverick and Rihanna‘s “Lift Me Up” for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “Naatu Naatu” is a song that, no matter what else wins the Best Original Song award this decade, will define the award as the absolute highlight victory of the modern age.
RRR
- Release Date
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March 24, 2022
- Runtime
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185 Minutes
- Director
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S.S. Rajamouli
- Writers
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S.S. Rajamouli, Vijayendra Prasad
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