"Over the Rainbow" named best movie song.("As Time Goes By" from Casablanca #2)

THERE'S no song like Over the Rainbow - the wistful ditty sung by Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz has a topped the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs.

In second place on the list, released today, is the song that sparked a thousand clichés, As Time Goes By from Casablanca. In third place was the title tune from Singin' in the Rain.

Over the Rainbow, sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 musical fantasy, was picked as the top song in US cinema by about 1,500 actors, filmmakers, writers, critics and others in Hollywood.

"It deserves it. It's one of the great, great songs. Judy Garland, the emotion in that song. It gives me chills whenever I hear it," said songwriter Burt Bacharach.

Mr Bacharach was represented on the list for co-writing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (No 23) from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) (No 79) from Arthur.

In 2001, Garland's Over the Rainbow (and Bing Crosby's White Christmas ) also topped the 365 Songs of the Century selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America.

Two songs each from The Sound of Music (My Favourite Things at No 64 and Do Re Mi at No 88) and Singin' in the Rain (Make 'Em Laugh at No 49 and Good Morning at No 72) both made the list. West Side Story also landed three songs: Somewhere (No 20), America (No 35) and Tonight (No 59).

Chosen from 400 nominees, the list was announced in the CBS television special AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs, the institute's latest countdown to promote US film history.

The show's host was John Travolta, star of Saturday Night Fever and Grease, whose Summer Nights came in at No 70.

"A list like this really drives people back to rediscover or discover these movies," Jean Picker Firstenburg, the institute's director, said.

"It's about older generations revisiting them and younger generations finding them for the first time."

Past specials presented such lists as the best 100 American movies, comedies, screen legends and love stories. AFI leaders had been mulling a list of best movie songs for years.

"It's an idea we've had floating around since the beginning," said Bob Gazzale, who produces the AFI specials. "Movies and music are so obviously linked at the heart, really."

"I think this list is about music that has made its way into daily lives, rather than an assessment of what's great," said Jennifer Warnes, who sang two duets that made the list, Up Where We Belong (No 75) from An Officer and a Gentleman and (I've Had) The Time of My Life (No 86) from Dirty Dancing.

"The reason why my songs made it there is that they're used. I still hear Up Where we Belong when I'm at the store buying frozen peas, and it makes me happier to be buying frozen peas."

The earliest song to make the list was Isn't It Romantic (No 73), sung by Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in 1932's Love Me Tonight. The newest came from 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger's rendition of All That Jazz (No 98) from Chicago and Eminem's Lose Yourself (No 93) from 8 Mile.

1. Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz, 1939. 2. As Time Goes by, Casablanca, 1942.

If anyone thinks the dominance of treacly orchestra ballads upir grandmother sings represents a strain of conservativism, I'd note that the second highest-ranked song since 1980 is "Fight the Power" from "Do the Right Thing."

Other Highest-ranked soundtracks since 1980:
Titanic, 1997: My Heart Will Go On (#14)
Beaches, 1988: Wind Beneath My Wings (#44)
Fame, 1982: Fame (#50)
Flashdance, 1983: What a Feeling (#53)
When Harry Met Sally, 1989: It Had to be You (#60)
Philadelphia, 1993: The Streets of Phialdelphia (#68)
An Officer and a Gentlemen, 1982: Up Where We Belong (#75)
Moulin Rouge, 2002: Come What May (#85)
Dirty Dancing, 1987: The Time of My Life (#86)
Working Girl, 1988: Let the River Run (#91)
8 Mile, 2002: Lose Yourself (#93)
Footloose, 1984: Footloose (#96)
Chicago, 2002: All that Jazz (#98)
The Lion King, 1994: Hakuna Matata (#99)
Risky Business, 1983: Old Time Rock and Roll (#100)

Why are none of the modern songs in the top 40? SOmething's wierd in methodology when they are piled up at the back of the list.

Strange calls! I love "It had to be you," but if re-makes are included, how the h3!! did "Come What May" get selected as the representative for Moulin Rouge? (As opposed to "Your Song," or "Lady Marmalade"?)

I thought I was one of the few people who alive who liked "Let the River Run," but if naked attempts to attach a hit to a soundtrack count, how about "Against All Odds," "Separate Lives," or "Endless Love." Fine, go ahead and hate those songs, but Titanic at #14 is odd if these get shut out.

"Hakuna" frickin' "Mutata"? The most annoying Disney song ever written? Wasn't there a Barney movie? Why not just nominate "I love you, you love me"? It'd be cheaper than buying Kool-Aid for everyone over 3 years old. Besides, it was a cheap rip-off of a true classic, "Bear Necessities."... OK, at least give me "Under the Sea."

Footloose doesn't get any songs in the top 95?

OK, hows this one: The Best Dance-music sound track ever, Romeo + Juliet, gets nothing. (Bee-Gees fans, shut up. I don't want to hear it.) Breakfast Club? Zippo. Top Gun? Diddly squat.

And if me must nominate a rap song, "Fight the Power" goes to the top, but no sign of "Gangsta's Paradise?"

And sure, if Judy Garland's #1, you know Barbra and Bette have to be on the list. But BEACHES, not "The Rose?" And "Don't rain on my parade?" If we must put up with BS, how about one where she uses her voice. (Somewhere?) "Shut Up and Sing" doesn't mean "Shut Up and Make Lame Comedies."

And can I say that at the time, Streets of Philadelphia was the worst Bruce song ever released? He doesn't sound like he's singing, he sounds like he's badly hungover and doesn't want to wake up.

Well, thank God they didn't put Madonna's "I'll Remember You." Come to think of it, it seems strange that there is no Madonna on the list at all. Come on, admit it, ladies (age 25-40), you used to sing "Crazy for You" on the top of your lungs when it came out. I know, I had to sit in front of you on the bus.

Me, I'd put Neil Diamond's "Turn on your heart light," just to piss off Spielberg. (He sued claiming people thought the song was from E.T. Doofus. Then again, I'd sue if anyone thought I had anything to do with that song.)

Another miracle: No "Everything I do" from Bryan Adams.

And am I just a total wierdo if I nominate something from "Little Shop of Horrors?" I mean, it's not lie I'm asking for "We're Knights of the Round Table."

Hmm... come to think about it... I seem to recall, I dunno, a BEATLES MOVIE or two... Simon and Garfunkel?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.