Every Oscar-Nominated Best Original Song Since 2000, Ranked

Another year, another five tunes entering the pantheon of great (and not-so-great) Oscar-nominated Original Songs. For this year's telecast, pop powerhouses Beyoncé and Billie Eilish will be facing off against singer-songwriter Van Morrison, Tony legend Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the 13-time-nominee/zero-time-winner Diane Warren. 

Listening to these five songs left me contemplating this bizarre little Oscar category, which has historically deviated far from the expected path: highlighting  tracks that play over credits or those bolstering movies that have otherwise been shut out of the race completely. This year's panned Glenn Close vehicle Four Good Days, the oft-mocked soft porn Fifty Shades of Grey, and the obscure documentary about glaciers Chasing Ice are all Oscar-nominated films thanks to this category. 

But for every "Before My Time," we've also gotten a "My Heart Will Go On," or a "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," an undeniably catchy tune that stands the test of time and reminds us why this category still matters. And, for all of the category's chaos and turmoil over the years, it has also given Oscar aficionados an abundance of fascinating factoids to lord over their friends at Trivia Night. (Like the fact that nominees once didn't have to be "original" at all, or that this category once included as many as 14 nominees and as few as two, before finally arriving at a mandated five.)

To assess the quality of the Best Original Song nominees (and because I love a fool's errand), I have decided to rank every Best Original Song nominee since the year 2000 and settle on an unimpeachable ranking of the 101 nominees. My general criteria for evaluating each song was quality, cultural staying power, and usage within the film (so songs that just play over the credits were generally not favored). 

To quote a snubbed track from this year's category, "So may we start? It's time to start!"