Humming along with the list of Best Song nominees at the Golden Globes

With the 71st annual Golden Globes due to be presented on January 12, many movie followers will be eagerly watching and taking note on the winners as the odds for them nabbing an Oscar nod become even greater with a victory here.

A category I like to keep track of is Best Song,which has been receiving the short end of the Academy stick over last few years. While the Globes are not as rigid with their rules or their choices as the Oscars are, they do set a standard for others to follow.

One song that is sure to be on the Oscar radar is "Let It Go" from the animated Disney flick Frozen. It's actually a great number that allows the character(who was originally intended to be a villain) blossom into a bit of an antihero by celebrating the freedom to explore the true potential of her powers without fear.

 I do hope that when it is performed on Oscar night that Idina Menzel is the one who sings it on stage since she's the voice of Princess Elsa after all(Sorry, Demi Lovato,cover version or not,you can't hold a candle to a real Broadway diva!):

Next up is a tune from the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack,courtesy of Coldplay. "Atlas" is suitably moody for this second chapter in this futuristic saga and with it being one of the four songs that are actually heard in the film,it's chances are pretty good for a win.

However,it has the cross to bear of being a Coldplay song and I don't think they have enough gravitas or of the moment flair for an Oscar nom. Yes, they have honored more modern music during the last decade or so but I just don't see them being included this time out:

Also up for a Golden Globe here is a Taylor Swift song from a British movie called One Chance( "Sweeter Than Fiction" certainly sounds sugary enough) and U2's contribution to the soundtrack for the recent Nelson Mandela biopic but let's talk about the musical movie that most of Hollywood is concerned with, Inside Llewyn Davis.

The Coen Brothers' tribute to the folk music movement has garnered plenty of critical praise as well as audience approval and is destined to gain some Oscar notice. However, most of the music for this film comes from standards in the folk music genre which makes it hard to qualify as Best Original Song.

While the gang at the Globes did put up "Please Mr. Kennedy" from ILD, even that song is not eligible for an Oscar nomination due to it's being a parody of two parody songs from that era(one of which happens to be titled Please Mr. Kennedy).  In a sense,that may be for the best. After all, the heart of this story is about the emotional impact of that music upon those who considered themselves dedicated artists of that craft and that theme can be much better served with a more meaningful song,if possible, than a dated parody of a novelty song:

Ironically enough, the biggest winner in the future Best Song race at the Oscars this year might from one of the biggest losers(critical wise, that is).While Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby made a nice chunk of change at the box office, many of the reviews were less than charitable about it.

However, a good deal of the music for the movie,especially it's sound track, was originally created and that means those songs are major contenders to be chosen for Oscar glory. A strong contender is Lana Del Ray's "Young and Beautiful", which was not selected for the Globes but could easily be a front runner with the Academy.

While I haven't even seen this version of Gatsby yet( still on the fence about that one), this song is a gorgeously elegant salute to the melancholy mood of the twenties with a post modern twist of lyrical lime. Perhaps Lana will be singing this at the Kodak Theater this spring and if we can get her and Idina to perform live, that will be a real musical victory worth applauding. Good luck,ladies!: