Over the Rainbow is best movie song

The American Film Institute has ranked "Over the Rainbow" as the greatest movie song of all time.

11:27 24 June 2004

The American Film Institute has ranked "Over the Rainbow" as the greatest movie song of all time.

The bittersweet melody form "The Wizard of Oz" topped a list including efforts from Elvis Presley (Jailhouse Rock - 21), Eminem (Lose Yourself - 93), and Kermit the Frog (Rainbow Connection - 74).

There were some notable exceptions from the list, including Bryan Adam's "Everything I Do", which topped the UK charts for 16 weeks.

Nor is there room for the iconic "Timewarp" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"; "Stuck in the Middle With You" from "Reservoir Dogs"; or "Self Preservation Society" from the classic Britflick "The Italian Job".

Two Bond theme-tunes make the list - "Goldfinger" at 53, and "Nobody Does It Better" from "The Spy Who Loved Me" at 67. Surprisingly there is no room for Louis Armstrong's "We Have All the Time In the World" from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".

More modern films sneak into the top 20 with Celine Dionne's "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" reaching number 14. "Come What May" (85) from "Moulin Rouge" and "All that Jazz" (98), from "Chicago" are also featured.

A panel of 1,500 Hollywood insiders - including actors, directors, critics, historians, and screenwriters - selected the top 100 from a list of 400 nominees. They judged on films that helped "set a [film's] tone," create a "cultural impact" and leave a lasting "legacy."

The top 20 was:

1 - Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz
2 - As Time Goes By, Casablanca
3 - Singin' in the Rain, Singin' in the Rain
4 - Moon River, Breakfast at Tiffany's
5 - White Christmas, Holiday Inn
6 - Mrs Robinson, The Graduate
7 - When You Wish Upon A Star, Pinocchio
8 - The Way We Were, The Way We Were
9 - Stayin' Alive, Saturday Night Fever
10 - The Sound of Music, The Sound of Music
11 - The Man that Got Away, A Star Is Born
12 - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
13 - People, Funny Girl
14 - My Heart Will Go On, Titanic
15 - Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat
16 - Evergreen, A Star Is Born
17 - I Could Have Danced All Night, Top Hat
18 - Cabaret, Cabaret
19 - Some Day My Prince Will Come, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
20 - Somewhere, West Side Story