Welcome back to the Oscar Songs Project, where Roommate Joe and I revisit every Oscar-nominated song from 1980-1990.
Today’s entry, hosted on The Critical Condition, is for 1987, when mannequins had the time of their lives.
(To see all the entries in the project, just go here.)
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” — Dirty Dancing [Music: Frankie Previte, John DiNicola, and Donald Markowitz. Lyrics: Frankie Previte] WINNER
Mark: I was a class officer in my junior year of high school, so it was part of my job to plan the prom. I pushed and pushed to make this song our prom theme, but I lost to the faction that supported “The Song Remembers When.” Fifteen years later, I still think I was right. Who wouldn’t like to memorialize a year with a song this uplifting? Who wouldn’t want their prom to be associated with Jennifer “Oscar Gold” Warnes?
Joe: Well, you know how I love a song with parentheses in the title. I’ve recently had it pointed out to me that this song is potentially irksome within Dirty Dancing because it is so clearly an anachronistic pop hit among a verrrrrry ’60s Catskills setting. A fair point, but I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, and I especially shouldn’t look a power-ballad duet of this magnitude in its anachronism. It’s just not polite. More than any other ’80s movie song of its time, this one has endured the most honestly. Do people even appreciate this one ironically? They don’t, right? They just honestly love it? Good, me too.
“Shakedown” — Beverly Hills Cop II [Music: Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey. Lyrics: Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, and Bob Seger]
Mark: It reached number one, but “Shakedown” is never going to be more famous than the instrumental theme to the Beverly Hills Cop movies, nor is it ever going to be Bob Seger’s definitive hit. That sums it up for me: The song is solid, if not especially memorable.
Joe: I’d argue that it’s not even more famous than the unnominated “The Heat Is On,” Glenn Frey’s hit from the first Beverly Hills Cop. Unfortunately, 1987 was not a super-fat year when it came to movie songs (no training montage number from Wings of Desire; no Love Theme from The Whales of August), though I would strenuously argue to break any and all rules that kept The Bangles’ cover of “Hazy Shade of Winter” from getting nominated. That song DEFINED Less Than Zero, for me. Anyway: “Shakedown”! It’s not bad!
“Cry Freedom” — Cry Freedom [Music and lyrics: George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa]
Mark: You know! Cry Freedom! The Apartheid movie that earned Denzel Washington his first Oscar nomination! No? Well… me neither. If it weren’t for Denzel’s nomination, I’d have no idea this movie existed, and this song wouldn’t help. I’m listening to it right now, and I’m already forgetting I’ve ever heard it. There are some African drums. Some gentle chanting. I don’t know. Clearly, I’m a terrible person, because all I can do is wait for the “naaa-sa-hain-ya” from “Circle of Life.”
Joe: Terrible person! This would be the third of George Fenton’s five nominations, though the other four were in Best Original Score, one of which was also for Cry Freedom. Which I guess makes him the A.R. Rahman of the 1980s?
“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” — Mannequin [Music and lyrics: Albert Hammond and Diane Warren]
Mark: Diane Warren has been nominated for six Oscars and never won, but if “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” had come out just a year later, I bet it would’ve taken the prize. (Sorry, “Let The River Run.”) Like “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” it’s an uplifting power ballad with a great blend of male and female vocals and an unforgettable chorus. Plus, it features the wailing awesomeness of Grace Slick, who by this point had fully traded her Jefferson Airplane legitimacy for the big-haired pop of Starship. (Not that I’m complaining. Rock legitimacy is not nearly as fun.)
Joe: Look. Starship gets their fair amount of shit, some of it earned, some of it the overblown result of baby boomers fetishizing the authenticity of the ’60s and seeing any fall from that grace (no pun intended, Ms. Slick) as an American tragedy. But I have to tell you, as an avowed champion of the power ballad, I kind of love this song. When Grace Slick busts in with that “Let ‘em say we’re crazy” pre-chorus, I am riveted, to say nothing of what happens when we’re building dreams together and standing strong forever.
“Storybook Love” — The Princess Bride [Music and lyrics: Willy DeVille]
Mark: I didn’t think I knew this song, despite having seen The Princess Bride a squillion times. But I totally DO! It’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever heard, but it it’s a lovely little ballad that suits the Buttercup-Westley romance just fine.
Joe: In a more competitive year, my guess is that this song wouldn’t have been nominated, but what a fantastic thing that it was. Mark’s right that you probably don’t even realize that you totally know this song. I do love when a song plays over the credits and you realize its melody has been scoring the film all along. It’s interesting that Mark Knopfler (who did the Princess Bride score) wasn’t given a share of this nomination, since he clearly did some work on the song to make it fit so seamlessly with the rest of the film’s music.
Final Assessment
Mark: This is the third consecutive year of strong nominees. Way to do it, 1980s. I’m torn between two power ballads, but in the end, I’m choosing “Time of My Life” over “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” It’s just a little bit grander.
Joe: This is exactly the kind of ballot that made me want to do this project. Even in a weak year, this category pulled in one enduring classic, two serious pop hits, a within-the-movie tune from a beloved crowd-pleaser, and a world-music curiosity. I feel for the other four nominees, because there was just no derailing the Dirty Dancing train. Luckily, that decision still seems correct almost 25 years later.
19 responses so far ↓
1 Guy Lodge // Jun 23, 2011 at 11:22 am
Yeah, “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” takes this one easily for me — not least because it was played prominently at my high school prom, and the fact that said prom took place 13 years after the movie came out kind of speaks for itself.
Perhaps because I’m South African and it was my civic duty to keep abreast of every single earnest Hollywood attempt to memorialise “our” struggle, I have seen Cry Freedom. Don’t.
2 Chris // Jun 23, 2011 at 11:26 am
Thanks for doing this great project. I’ve been making 80′s playlists on Rhapsody all week! Nostalgia for my childhood is awesome.
3 benvolio // Jun 23, 2011 at 11:28 am
I think if there had been a vocalist other (i.e. less raspy, more conventionally melodious) than Willy Deville on Storybook Love, we’d'a had a different race. It’s a lovely song; Willy is not a lovely singer.
4 Nick Davis // Jun 23, 2011 at 12:38 pm
¿Quién es esa niña?
I’m just saying. The Dirty Dancing and Mannequin tracks are clear standouts, especially since I’m That Person who never liked The Princess Bride.
5 Roommate Joe // Jun 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I take no responsibility for the “Who’s That Girl?” omission. Mark’s the Madonna fanatic of the two of us.
6 Mark Blankenship // Jun 23, 2011 at 12:48 pm
“Who’s That Girl!” My God, it’s one of my favorite Madonna songs. I’ll add that to Kenny Loggins’ “Meet Me Halfway” on the Shamefully Overlooked list.
7 Nick Davis // Jun 23, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Also, am I totally Velveeta if I propose that “Hungry Eyes” could have been entertained? I’m not talking about “She’s Like the Wind” here, but.
Love these write-ups, obviously. (And Mark, spent the early morning hours with your ranked Madonna list. More on that to follow.)
8 Anonymous // Jun 23, 2011 at 1:24 pm
@Nick: I am also That Person who thinks the Princess Bride is completely stupid. You are not alone.
9 Chaz // Jun 23, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Certainly”Time of My Life” is the clear-cut deserving winner. (Always loved Jennifer Warnes. Anyone know her beautiful Leonard Cohen album Famous Blue Raincoat?)
And Nick, chalk me up too for “Hungry Eyes” by the perennially underrated Eric Carmen.
Have I said how awesome I think this project is? Thanks, guys.
10 Kristen // Jun 23, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Some of these 80s songs really make me miss sax solos. (Yay to Lady Gaga for bringing it back!). Although not the theme of my high school prom, “Time of My Life†was the final song played at it. I LOVE Dirty Dancing, and I love this song, but it is so awful to dance to with a prom date. It starts off in a slow dance, and then forces you into a not-slow-not-fast speed that is so difficult to partner-dance to (if your partner isn’t Patrick Swayze, and mine wasn’t).
11 benvolio // Jun 23, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Chaz, I’m another Warnesophile. FBR is always on rotation. But if we’re keeping to movie songs, her rendition of the Randy Newman song “It Goes Like it Goes” from Norma Rae? Sub. Lime.
And maybe what’s good
Gets a little bit better
And maybe what’s bad
Gets gone.
sigh.
12 Eric // Jun 23, 2011 at 6:25 pm
I love “I’ve Had the Time of My Life,” but I think I like “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” just a tad bit more. The former is a great scene in the movie (well, the best), and the latter isn’t as memorable (and from a movie that’s subpar), but I swear, every time I hear the latter on the radio, I can’t help but smile. If I chose the winner for Best Song that year, it probably would have been a tie….
“Storybook Love” is not one of the best of the nominees, but it’s a nice sweet song and deserved it’s nomination.
I think both “Hungry Eyes” and “She’s Like the Wind” were FAR better than both “Cry Freedom” and “Shakedown” (two of the least deserved nominated songs from the 80s, in my opinion)…
And yes, Mark, “Who’s That Girl?” is a good song, but I think the theme song from”The Secret of My Success” is better (and very underrated!), although it’s also from a subpar film.
My top 5:
1) “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”
probably tied with…
2) “I’ve Had the Time of My Life”
3) “Hungry Eyes”
4) “The Secret of My Success”
5) “Storybook Love”
with an honorable mention for “She’s Like the Wind”
(I wish there could have been six nominees this year)
13 Andrew K. // Jun 23, 2011 at 6:30 pm
I suppose that the worst crime that GLEE did this last season was embarrassing Warnes with that terrible rendition of “Time of My Life”. It’s a clear winner in the lineup, not the least because that movie was playing on a loop back when I was young. (I love Kelly Bishop in it.)
14 Andrew K. // Jun 23, 2011 at 6:38 pm
It didn’t occur to me before, I endorse Nick’s suggestion of “Hungry Eyes”.
15 mel // Jun 23, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Chaz;
Famous Blue Raincoat is one of those albums I’m compelled to own in every format that comes along. (vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3, so far…)
And my pick for this one would be Willy DeVille–I base it all on goosebumps, and I still get the most goosebumps on Storybook love.
16 K. // Jun 23, 2011 at 10:31 pm
@Kristen: you’re so right, “Time of My Life” is a terrible song to dance to unless you are doing the actual Dirty Dancing final number. Which most people can’t do, obvi. It’s a terrific song, but not a good song for couples to dance to. The slow to fast tempo change is really awkward.
17 Chaz // Jun 23, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Love “It Goes Like It Goes,” Benvolio!
18 Mark Blankenship // Jun 24, 2011 at 12:54 am
K and Kristen — You’re right about the difficulty of dancing *with* someone to “Time of My Life.” Though when I was junior high school, I didn’t have a date-date (and had *never* had one) so that point never even occurred to me. But don’t cry for me, y’all! I still had fun, even if I went with a GIRL as my date.
19 Roommate Joe // Jun 24, 2011 at 10:06 am
[drops monocle]!
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