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Being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture is a huge honor, of course, but that doesn’t mean the nominated songs are big hits. Pharrell, however, is the exception. Billboard points out that his hit “Happy” is the biggest Oscar-nominated song in over a decade.
“Happy,” from the movie Despicable Me 2, is currently #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The last time an Oscar-nominated song got that high was back in late 2001, when Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” nominated for its inclusion in the movie 8 Mile, topped the charts for 12 weeks. Of course, that song went on to win the Oscar that year.
Since “Lose Yourself,” and other than “Happy,” there’s only been one other Oscar-nominated top-10 hit: Adele’s “Skyfall,” from the James Bond movie of the same name, which peaked at #8 in 2012.
Another current Oscar-nominated song — Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go,” from the movie Frozen — is in the top 20. The other two nominated songs this year are “The Moon Song,” by Karen O of the band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and “Ordinary Love,” by U2. They’re from the movies Her and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, respectively.
The Oscars will be handed out March 2 on ABC. All the performers of the nominated songs will sing them on the telecast.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
