Jack Nitzsche

American musician, composer, arranger (1937–2000)

Jack Nitzsche

Background information
Birth name| Bernard Alfred Nitzsche
Born| (1937-04-22)April 22, 1937
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died| August 25, 2000(2000-08-25) (aged 63)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres|

* Pop[1]
* rock
* surf[2]
* classical
* avant-garde

Occupations|

* Composer
* orchestrator
* arranger
* session musician
* record producer

Instruments|

* Piano
* organ
* vocals
* saxophone

Years active| 1955–1998
Spouses|

Gracia Ann May

(m. 1959; div. 1978)​

Buffy Sainte-Marie

(m. 1982; div. 1989)​

Musical artist

Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche (/ˈniːtʃi/ NEECH-ee;[3] April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer.[4] He came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and others. He worked extensively in film scores for the films Performance, The Exorcist and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. In 1983, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" with Buffy Sainte-Marie.

## Life and career

[edit]

Nitzsche was born in Chicago[4] and raised on a farm in Newaygo, Michigan, the son of German immigrants. He moved to Los Angeles in 1955 with ambitions of becoming a jazz saxophonist.[5] He was hired by Sonny Bono, who was at the time an A&R executive at Specialty Records, as a music copyist. While there, Nitzsche wrote a novelty hit titled "Bongo Bongo Bongo".[6] With Bono, Nitzsche wrote the song "Needles and Pins" for Jackie DeShannon, later recorded by the Searchers.[4] His instrumental composition "The Lonely Surfer"[4] entered the Cash Box top 100 on August 3, 1963, and reached No. 37.[7]

He became arranger and conductor for producer Phil Spector,[4] and orchestrated the Wall of Sound for almost all Spector's hits, perhaps best exemplified by "River Deep, Mountain High"[8] by Ike and Tina Turner. Nitzsche worked with Earl Palmer, Leon Russell, Roy Caton, Glen Campbell, Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine in The Wrecking Crew, the backing band for many pop acts such as the Beach Boys and the Monkees. Nitzsche arranged the title song of Doris Day's film Move Over, Darling, which was a successful single on the pop charts of the time.[9]

While organizing the music for the T.A.M.I. Show television special in 1964, he met the Rolling Stones and went on to play keyboards on their albums The Rolling Stones, Now! (The Rolling Stones No. 2 in the UK), Out of Our Heads, Aftermath and Between the Buttons as well as on their hit singles "Paint It, Black" and "Let's Spend the Night Together"; he also wrote the choral arrangements for "You Can't Always Get What You Want".[8] In 1968 he introduced the band to slide guitarist Ry Cooder, a seminal influence on the band's 1969–1973 style.

On several Rolling Stones records, he was credited as player of the "Nitzsche-phone". In an obituary on Gadfly Online, former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham explained the credit:

> I made that up for the credits on those Stones albums—it was just a regular piano (or maybe an organ) mic'd differently. It was all part of this package that was created around the Stones. People believed it existed. The idea was meant to be: "My god, they've had to invent new instruments to capture this new sound they hear in their brains." And they were inventing fresh sounds with old toys—therefore, it deserved to be highlighted—it was the read-up of creation, of imagination—getting credit for a job well done.[10]

He collaborated with Neil Young,[8] beginning with producing "Expecting to Fly" by Buffalo Springfield.[4] In 1968, Nitzsche and Cooder co-produced Young's eponymous solo debut with David Briggs.[4] As he was moving from baroque to folk and rock, Young hired Nitzsche for The Stray Gators, the session musicians behind Young on Harvest (1972) and Time Fades Away (1973).[4]

With Crazy Horse in early 1970, Nitzsche played electric piano and, on the studio recording of "When You Dance, I Can Really Love," acoustic piano. Despite frequent clashes with Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina, Nitzsche remained with the band after Young left in 1970. Nitzsche co-produced the band's 1971 self-titled debut album and sang lead vocal on "Crow Jane Lady". He left Crazy Horse after the album's commercial failure.

While remaining prolific throughout the 1970s, he began to suffer from depression and problems connected to substance abuse. His relationship with Young began to deteriorate during the 1973 support tour for Harvest that yielded Time Fades Away. During rehearsals, drummer Kenny Buttrey demanded a salary of $100,000 to compensate for lost session work, leading Nitzsche (with support from bassist Tim Drummond) to prevail upon Young to extend this salary to the other band members. Although Young reluctantly agreed, Nitzsche thought Young never got over it. Nitzsche frequently spewed obscenities into his vocal mike (leading Young's sound engineers to disconnect it) and often quarreled with David Crosby, who joined the tour's final dates to assist with vocal harmonies. After he publicly castigated Young in a 1974 interview, the two men became estranged for several years and collaborated only sporadically.[11] Later that year, he was dropped from the Reprise roster after recording a song criticizing executive Mo Ostin. This period culminated in his arrest for allegedly breaking into the home of and then raping ex-girlfriend Carrie Snodgress, formerly Young's companion, with a gun barrel on June 29, 1979. Snodgress was treated at the hospital for a bone fracture, cuts and bruises and had 18 stitches. The charge of rape by instrumentation (which carries a five-year sentence) was dismissed.[12]

In 1979, Nitzsche produced Graham Parker's album Squeezing Out Sparks. Nitzsche produced four Mink DeVille albums beginning in the late 1970s: Cabretta (1977), Return to Magenta (1978) and Coup de Grâce and Euro group ‘’Promises’’ (1981). Nitzsche said DeVille was the best singer he had ever worked with.[13]

Nitzsche began to concentrate more on film music rather than pop music in the mid-1970s, becoming one of the more prolific film orchestrators in Hollywood during the period. In 1983, he received the Academy Award for Best Song for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" (from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman)[5] with Will Jennings and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Nitzsche had also worked on film scores throughout his career, such as his contributions to the Monkees movie Head, the theme music from Village of the Giants (recycling an earlier single, "The Last Race") and the soundtracks for Performance (1970), The Exorcist (1973),[8] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975),[8][14] Hardcore (1979), The Razor's Edge (1984) and Starman (also 1984). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score and a Grammy for his contributions to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, his first of many studio projects with Scott Mathews.[14][15]

In the mid-1990s, an inebriated Nitzsche was seen being arrested in Hollywood in an episode of the television show Cops after brandishing a gun at some youths who had stolen his hat.[citation needed] Attempting to explain himself to the arresting officers, he is heard exclaiming that he was an Academy Award winner. In 1997, he expressed interest in producing a comeback album for Link Wray, although this never materialized due to their mutually declining health.[citation needed]

In 2000, Nitzsche planned to work with Mercury Rev on All Is Dream. Nitzsche intended to produce and orchestrate the record, having praised the band's 1998 album Deserter's Songs, but he died before pre-production.[16]

## Personal life

[edit]

Nitzsche met his first wife, singer Gracia Ann May, while he was working for Capitol Records, who would later join the Blossoms.[5] His second wife was Buffy Sainte-Marie, with whom he co-wrote the Academy Award winning song for 1982, "Up Where We Belong".[17][6] Married on March 19, 1982; they were married for seven years.

He also had a relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress,[6] who was previously in a relationship with Neil Young. In 1979, Nitzsche was charged with threatening to kill her after he barged into her home and beat her with a handgun. He pleaded guilty to threatening her, was fined, and placed on three years' probation.[18][19]

Nitzsche suffered a stroke in 1998 which ended his career. He died in Hollywood's Queen of Angels – Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 2000 of cardiac arrest brought on by a recurring bronchial infection.[8][20] His interment was at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. He was survived by one son.[5]

## Discography

[edit]

* The Lonely Surfer (Reprise, 1963)
* Dance to the Hits of The Beatles (Reprise, 1964)
* Chopin '66 (Reprise, 1966)
* St. Giles Cripplegate (Reprise, 1972)
* OSR Blue Collar (MCA, 1978)
* OSR The Razor's Edge (Southern Cross, 1984)
* OSR The Hot Spot (Island, 1990)
* OSR The Indian Runner with David Lindley (Capitol, 1991)
* OSR Revenge (Silva America, 1995)

With Crazy Horse

* Crazy Horse (Reprise, 1971)

With The Rolling Stones

* The Rolling Stones No. 2 (Decca, 1965)
* Out of Our Heads (Decca, 1965)
* Aftermath (Decca, 1966)
* Between the Buttons (Decca, 1967)
* Let It Bleed [Decca (UK), London (US), 1969] (arranger only)
* Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones, 1971)
* Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones, 1980) (arranger only)

With Neil Young

* "Expecting to Fly" (from the Buffalo Springfield album Buffalo Springfield Again, Atco, 1967)
* Neil Young (Reprise, 1968)
* After the Gold Rush (Reprise, 1970)
* Harvest (Reprise, 1972)
* Time Fades Away (Reprise, 1973)
* Tonight's the Night (Reprise, 1975)
* Life (Geffen, 1987)
* Harvest Moon (Reprise, 1992) (arranger only)
* Live at the Fillmore East (Reprise, 2006, recorded 1970)
* "Cinnamon Girl" (live at the Fillmore East – March 7, 1970) (download-only single) (Reprise, 2009, recorded 1970)
* Tuscaloosa (Reprise, 2019, recorded 1973)

include previously unreleased material featuring Nitzsche:

* The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972 (Reprise, 2009)
* Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972–1976 (Reprise, 2020)

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Dir.  | Notes

|
|
|

1962  | Girls! Girls! Girls! | Norman Taurog | Piano player lounge band (uncredited)
1965  | Village of the Giants | Bert I. Gordon | with The Beau Brummels
1970  | Performance | Donald Cammell
Nicolas Roeg | with Jagger/Richards
1972  | Greaser's Palace | Robert Downey Sr. |
1973  | Sticks and Bones | Television film
The Exorcist | William Friedkin | with Mike Oldfield
1975  | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Miloš Forman | Nominated – Academy Award for Best Original Score
Nominated – Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
1977  | Heroes | Jeremy Kagan |
1978  | Blue Collar | Paul Schrader | Nominated – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music
1979  | Hardcore |
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? | Milton Katselas |
1980  | Cruising | William Friedkin | with Germs

Nominated – Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Most Intrusive Musical Score

Heart Beat | John Byrum |
1981  | Cutter's Way | Ivan Passer |
1982  | Personal Best | Robert Towne | with Jill Fraser
Cannery Row | David S. Ward |
An Officer and a Gentleman | Taylor Hackford | Academy Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
BAFTA Award for Best Original Song
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Original Score
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film Music
1983  | Without a Trace | Stanley R. Jaffe |
Breathless | Jim McBride |
1984  | Windy City | Armyan Bernstein |
The Razor's Edge | John Byrum |
Starman | John Carpenter | Nominated for:
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
1985  | Stripper | Jerome Gray  | Documentary film
The Jewel of the Nile | Lewis Teague |
1986  | 9½ Weeks | Adrian Lyne |
Stand by Me | Rob Reiner |
The Whoopee Boys | John Byrum | with Udi Harpaz
Streets of Gold | Joe Roth |
1988  | The Seventh Sign | Carl Schultz |
1989  | Next of Kin | John Irvin |
1990  | The Last of the Finest | John Mackenzie | with Michael Hoenig & Mick Taylor
Revenge | Tony Scott |
The Hot Spot | Dennis Hopper |
Mermaids[8] | Richard Benjamin |
1991  | The Indian Runner | Sean Penn |
1994  | Blue Sky | Tony Richardson |
1995  | The Crossing Guard | Sean Penn |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Richie, Unterberger. "LINER NOTES FOR JACK NITZSCHE'S THE LONELY SURFER". Retrieved 2022-02-27.
2. ^ Grady, Mary. "The Lonely Surfer Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
3. ^ "Say How: N". National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 906\. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
5. ^ a b c d Pareles, Jon (August 31, 2000). "Jack Nitzsche, 63, Musician And Oscar-Winning Songwriter". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
6. ^ a b c "Arranger and composer who worked with Rolling Stones". The Irish Times. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
7. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 9/14/63". cashboxmagazine.com. September 14, 1963. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
8. ^ a b c d e f g Talevski, Nick (2006). Knocking on Heaven's Door: Rock Obituaries. Omnibus Press. pp. 465–466\. ISBN 1846090911.
9. ^ "Prod. Terry Melcher Arr. & Cond. Jack Nitzsche Part Five – Doris Day and Gentle Soul". Spectropop.com. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
10. ^ "Gadfly Online". Gadflyonline.com.
11. ^ "CRAWDADDY interview". Spectropop.com. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
12. ^ "2 charges dismissed against man accused of raping actress". News.google.com. St. Petersburg Times. October 23, 1979. p. 4A. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
13. ^ Edmonds, Ben (2001) Liner notes to Cadillac Walk: The Mink DeVille Collection. Edmonds wrote, "During my last conversation with Nitzsche, only months before his death last year, the irascible old witch doctor couldn't stop taking about the new album he'd been plotting with Willy (DeVille) and how DeVille was the best singer he had ever worked with."
14. ^ a b MacDonald, Laurence E. (1998). The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History. Scarecrow Press. p. 254\. ISBN 978-0810883970.
15. ^ Kim Bouwman (May 29, 2006). "Interview with Scott Mathews". Hit Quarters. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
16. ^ Worley, Gail (10 August 2001). "Creating the Soundtrack For the Movies in Your Head: An Interview with Sean "Grasshopper" Mackiowiak of Mercury Rev". Ink19.com. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
17. ^ "Jack Nitzsche | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
18. ^ "Carrie Snodgress, 57, Dies; Starred as 'Mad Housewife'". The New York Times. April 10, 2004.
19. ^ "Carrie: It wasn't real rape". The Miami News. Associated Press. October 23, 1979. p. 6A. Retrieved October 1, 2015 – via Google News.[permanent dead link]
20. ^ Brown, Mick (2007). Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector, pp. 28–29. Random House, Inc.

## External links

[edit]

* Jack Nitzsche at AllMusic
* Jack Nitzsche discography at Discogs
* Jack Nitzsche at IMDb
* The Sorcerer's Apprentice – fan site
* Jack Nitzsche discography at Spectropop

* v
* t
* e

Crazy Horse

* Billy Talbot
* Ralph Molina
* Nils Lofgren
* Micah Nelson

* Danny Whitten
* Frank "Poncho" Sampedro
* Jack Nitzsche
* George Whitsell
* Greg LeRoy
* John Blanton
* Rick Curtis
* Michael Curtis
* Sonny Mone

Crazy Horse|

* Crazy Horse
* Loose
* At Crooked Lake
* Crazy Moon
* Left for Dead
* Gone Dead Train: The Best of Crazy Horse 1971–1989
* Scratchy: The Complete Reprise Recordings

Neil Young and Crazy Horse|

* Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
* After the Gold Rush
* Zuma
* American Stars 'n Bars
* Rust Never Sleeps
* Live Rust
* Re·ac·tor
* Life
* Ragged Glory
* Weld
* Arc
* Sleeps with Angels
* Broken Arrow
* Year of the Horse
* Greendale
* Live at the Fillmore East
* Americana
* Psychedelic Pill
* Colorado
* Return to Greendale
* Way Down in the Rust Bucket
* Barn
* World Record
* Chrome Dreams
* Odeon Budokan
* Fuckin' Up
* Early Daze

Songs|

* "Dance, Dance, Dance"
* "I Don't Want to Talk About It"
* "Downtown"

Songs (with Neil Young)|

* "Cinnamon Girl"
* "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"
* "Down by the River"
* "Cowgirl in the Sand"
* "I Believe in You"
* "Southern Man"
* "Tonight's the Night"
* "Tired Eyes"
* "Danger Bird"
* "Cortez the Killer"
* "Like a Hurricane"
* "Lotta Love"
* "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"
* "Powderfinger"
* "Sedan Delivery"

Related articles|

* Neil Young
* The Rockets
* She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina

* v
* t
* e

The Stray Gators

* Ben Keith
* Jack Nitzsche
* Danny Whitten
* Tim Drummond
* Kenny Buttrey
* John Barbata
* Spooner Oldham

Album appearances (with Neil Young)|

* Harvest
* Time Fades Away
* Tonight's the Night
* Journey Through the Past
* Harvest Moon
* The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972

Songs (with Neil Young)|

* "Out on the Weekend"
* "Harvest"
* "A Man Needs a Maid"
* "Heart of Gold"
* "Are You Ready for the Country?
* "Old Man"
* "The Needle and the Damage Done"
* "War Song" (with Neil Young and Graham Nash)
* "L.A."
* "Unknown Legend"
* "From Hank to Hendrix"
* "Harvest Moon"

Related articles|

* Neil Young

* v
* t
* e

The Wrecking Crew

Guitars|

* James Burton
* Glen Campbell
* Al Casey
* Jerry Cole
* Mike Deasy
* René Hall
* Barney Kessel
* Bill Pitman
* Howard Roberts
* Louis Shelton
* P. F. Sloan
* Billy Strange
* Tommy Tedesco

| Electric bass|

* Max Bennett
* Carol Kaye
* Larry Knechtel
* Joe Osborn
* Bill Pitman
* Ray Pohlman

|

Upright bass|

* Chuck Berghofer
* Jimmy Bond
* Lyle Ritz
* Red Callender

Percussion|

* Frank Capp
* Victor Feldman
* Milt Holland
* Joe Porcaro
* Julius Wechter

| Drums|

* Hal Blaine
* Jim Gordon
* Jim Keltner
* Earl Palmer

|

Keyboards|

* Al De Lory
* Larry Knechtel
* Mike Melvoin
* Don Randi
* Dr. John
* Mike (Michel) Rubini
* Leon Russell

Saxophone|

* Gene Cipriano
* Steve Douglas
* Jim Horn
* Plas Johnson
* Jay Migliori
* Nino Tempo

Trombone|

* Richard "Slyde" Hyde
* Dick Nash

Trumpet|

* Bud Brisbois
* Roy Caton
* Chuck Findley
* Ollie Mitchell
* Tony Terran

Related articles|

* Gold Star Studios
* Jack Nitzsche
* Phil Spector
* Sunset Sound Recorders
* United Western Recorders
* Artie Butler
* Brian Wilson
* The Wrecking Crew (documentary)

* Category

Awards for Jack Nitzsche

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best Original Song

1934–1940|

* "The Continental"
* Music: Con Conrad
* Lyrics: Herb Magidson (1934)
* "Lullaby of Broadway"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Al Dubin (1935)
* "The Way You Look Tonight"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Dorothy Fields (1936)
* "Sweet Leilani"
* Music and lyrics: Harry Owens (1937)
* "Thanks for the Memory"
* Music: Ralph Rainger
* Lyrics: Leo Robin (1938)
* "Over the Rainbow"
* Music: Harold Arlen
* Lyrics: E. Y. Harburg (1939)
* "When You Wish Upon a Star"
* Music: Leigh Harline
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1940)

1941–1950|

* "The Last Time I Saw Paris"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1941)
* "White Christmas"
* Music and lyrics: Irving Berlin (1942)
* "You'll Never Know"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Mack Gordon (1943)
* "Swinging on a Star"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Johnny Burke (1944)
* "It Might as Well Be Spring"
* Music: Richard Rodgers
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1945)
* "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1946)
* "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
* Music: Allie Wrubel
* Lyrics: Ray Gilbert (1947)
* "Buttons and Bows"
* Music: Jay Livingston
* Lyrics: Ray Evans (1948)
* "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
* Music and lyrics: Frank Loesser (1949)
* "Mona Lisa"
* Music and lyrics: Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (1950)

1951–1960|

* "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
* Music: Hoagy Carmichael
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1951)
* "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')"
* Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1952)
* "Secret Love"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1953)
* "Three Coins in the Fountain"
* Music: Jule Styne
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1954)
* "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1955)
* "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)"
* Music and lyrics: Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (1956)
* "All the Way"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1957)
* "Gigi"
* Music: Frederick Loewe
* Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner (1958)
* "High Hopes"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1959)
* "Never on Sunday"
* Music and lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis (1960)

1961–1970|

* "Moon River"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1961)
* "Days of Wine and Roses"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1962)
* "Call Me Irresponsible"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1963)
* "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
* Music and lyrics: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (1964)
* "The Shadow of Your Smile"
* Music: Johnny Mandel
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1965)
* "Born Free"
* Music: John Barry
* Lyrics: Don Black (1966)
* "Talk to the Animals"
* Music and lyrics: Leslie Bricusse (1967)
* "The Windmills of Your Mind"
* Music: Michel Legrand
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1968)
* "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
* Music: Burt Bacharach
* Lyrics: Hal David (1969)
* "For All We Know"
* Music: Fred Karlin
* Lyrics: Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin (1970)

1971–1980|

* "Theme from Shaft"
* Music and lyrics: Isaac Hayes (1971)
* "The Morning After"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1972)
* "The Way We Were"
* Music: Marvin Hamlisch
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1973)
* "We May Never Love Like This Again"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1974)
* "I'm Easy"
* Music and lyrics: Keith Carradine (1975)
* "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"
* Music: Barbra Streisand
* Lyrics: Paul Williams (1976)
* "You Light Up My Life"
* Music and lyrics: Joseph Brooks (1977)
* "Last Dance"
* Music and lyrics: Paul Jabara (1978)
* "It Goes Like It Goes"
* Music: David Shire
* Lyrics: Norman Gimbel (1979)
* "Fame"
* Music: Michael Gore
* Lyrics: Dean Pitchford (1980)

1981–1990|

* "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
* Music and lyrics: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen (1981)
* "Up Where We Belong"
* Music: Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1982)
* "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Keith Forsey and Irene Cara (1983)
* "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
* Music and lyrics: Stevie Wonder (1984)
* "Say You, Say Me"
* Music and lyrics: Lionel Richie (1985)
* "Take My Breath Away"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Tom Whitlock (1986)
* "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
* Music: Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz
* Lyrics: Franke Previte (1987)
* "Let the River Run"
* Music and lyrics: Carly Simon (1988)
* "Under the Sea"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1989)
* "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim (1990)

1991–2000|

* "Beauty and the Beast"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1991)
* "A Whole New World"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1992)
* "Streets of Philadelphia"
* Music and lyrics: Bruce Springsteen (1993)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1994)
* "Colors of the Wind"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1995)
* "You Must Love Me"
* Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1996)
* "My Heart Will Go On"
* Music: James Horner
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1997)
* "When You Believe"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1998)
* "You'll Be in My Heart"
* Music and lyrics: Phil Collins (1999)
* "Things Have Changed"
* Music and lyrics: Bob Dylan (2000)

2001–2010|

* "If I Didn't Have You"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2001)
* "Lose Yourself"
* Music: Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto
* Lyrics: Eminem (2002)
* "Into the West"
* Music and lyrics: Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox (2003)
* "Al otro lado del río"
* Music and lyrics: Jorge Drexler (2004)
* "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp"
* Music and lyrics: Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul (2005)
* "I Need to Wake Up"
* Music and lyrics: Melissa Etheridge (2006)
* "Falling Slowly"
* Music and lyrics: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (2007)
* "Jai Ho"
* Music: A. R. Rahman
* Lyrics: Gulzar (2008)
* "The Weary Kind"
* Music and lyrics: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (2009)
* "We Belong Together"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2010)

2011–2020|

* "Man or Muppet"
* Music and lyrics: Bret McKenzie (2011)
* "Skyfall"
* Music and lyrics: Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (2012)
* "Let It Go"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2013)
* "Glory"
* Music and lyrics: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn (2014)
* "Writing's on the Wall"
* Music and lyrics: James Napier and Sam Smith (2015)
* "City of Stars"
* Music: Justin Hurwitz
* Lyrics: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2016)
* "Remember Me"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2017)
* "Shallow"
* Music and lyrics: Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt (2018)
* "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Bernie Taupin (2019)
* "Fight for You"
* Music: D'Mile and H.E.R.
* Lyrics: H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (2020)

2021–present|

* "No Time to Die"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2021)
* "Naatu Naatu"
* Music: M. M. Keeravani
* Lyrics: Chandrabose (2022)
* "What Was I Made For?"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2023)
* "El Mal"
* Music: Clément Ducol and Camille
* Lyrics: Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song

1960s|

* "Town Without Pity" – Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington (1961)
* No Award (1962)
* No Award (1963)
* "Circus World" – Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington (1964)
* "Forget Domani" – Music by Riz Ortolani; Lyrics by Norman Newell (1965)
* "Strangers in the Night" – Music by Bert Kaempfert; Lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder (1966)
* "If Ever I Would Leave You" – Music by Frederick Loewe; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner (1967)
* "The Windmills of Your Mind" – Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1968)
* "Jean" – Music and lyrics by Rod McKuen (1969)

1970s|

* "Whistling Away the Dark" – Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1970)
* "Life Is What You Make It" – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (1971)
* "Ben" – Music by Walter Scharf; Lyrics by Don Black (1972)
* "The Way We Were" – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1973)
* "I Feel Love" – Music by Euel Box; Lyrics by Betty Box (1974)
* "I'm Easy" – Music and lyrics by Keith Carradine (1975)
* "Evergreen" – Music by Barbra Streisand; Lyrics by Paul Williams (1976)
* "You Light Up My Life" – Music and lyrics by Joseph Brooks (1977)
* "Last Dance" – Music and lyrics by Paul Jabara (1978)
* "The Rose" – Music and lyrics by Amanda McBroom (1979)

1980s|

* "Fame" – Music by Michael Gore; Lyrics by Dean Pitchford (1980)
* "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" – Music and lyrics by Peter Allen, Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, and Carole Bayer Sager (1981)
* "Up Where We Belong" – Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie; Lyrics by Wilbur Jennings (1982)
* "Flashdance... What a Feeling" – Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Irene Cara and Keith Forsey (1983)
* "I Just Called to Say I Love You" – Music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder (1984)
* "Say You, Say Me" – Music and lyrics by Lionel Richie (1985)
* "Take My Breath Away" – Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Tom Whitlock (1986)
* "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Music by John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte (1987)
* "Let the River Run" – Music and lyrics by Carly Simon / "Two Hearts" – Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyrics by Phil Collins (1988)
* "Under the Sea" – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman (1989)

1990s|

* "Blaze of Glory" – Music and lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi (1990)
* "Beauty and the Beast" – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman (1991)
* "A Whole New World" – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Tim Rice (1992)
* "Streets of Philadelphia" – Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen (1993)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice (1994)
* "Colors of the Wind" – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (1995)
* "You Must Love Me" – Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Tim Rice (1996)
* "My Heart Will Go On" – Music by James Horner; Lyrics by Wilbur Jennings (1997)
* "The Prayer" – Music and lyrics by David Foster, Tony Renis, Carole Bayer Sager, and Alberto Testa (1998)
* "You'll Be in My Heart" – Music and lyrics by Phil Collins (1999)

2000s|

* "Things Have Changed" – Music and lyrics by Bob Dylan (2000)
* "Until..." – Music and lyrics by Sting (2001)
* "The Hands That Built America" – Music and lyrics by Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. (2002)
* "Into the West" – Music and Lyrics by Annie Lennox, Howard Shore, and Frances Walsh (2003)
* "Old Habits Die Hard" – Music and lyrics by Mick Jagger and David A. Stewart (2004)
* "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" – Music by Gustavo Santaolalla; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin (2005)
* "The Song of the Heart" – Music and lyrics by Prince Rogers Nelson (2006)
* "Guaranteed" – Music and lyrics by Eddie Vedder (2007)
* "The Wrestler" – Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen (2008)
* "The Weary Kind" – Music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (2009)

2010s|

* "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren (2010)
* "Masterpiece" – Music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, and Jimmy Harry (2011)
* "Skyfall" – Music and lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (2012)
* "Ordinary Love" – Music and lyrics by Bono, Adam Clayton, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Danger Mouse (2013)
* "Glory" – Music and lyrics by Common and John Legend (2014)
* "Writing's on the Wall" – Music and lyrics by Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes (2015)
* "City of Stars" – Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2016)
* "This Is Me" – Music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2017)
* "Shallow" – Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt (2018)
* "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" – Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin (2019)

2020s|

* "Io sì (Seen)" – Music by Diane Warren; Lyrics by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, and Niccolò Agliardi (2020)
* "No Time to Die" – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2021)
* "Naatu Naatu" – Music by M. M. Keeravani; Lyrics by Chandrabose (2022)
* "What Was I Made For?" – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell (2023)
* "El Mal" – Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard (2024)

* Complete List
* (1960s)
* (1970s)
* (1980s)
* (1990s)
* (2000s)
* (2010s)
* (2020s)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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Academics|

* CiNii

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
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People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef
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