Wackiest Best Original Song performances in Oscars history

In the battle of the “Barbie” tunes, “What Was I Made For?” is the far-and-away favorite over “I’m Just Ken” in the Best Original Song race at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday night.

Indeed, the Billie Eilish tune already earned the singer and her producer brother Finneas the prestigious Song of the Year prize at the Grammys last month.

And while our money is on the siblings to become the youngest two-time Oscar winners, they may still lose the night to Ryan Gosling when he brings all of his Kenergy to the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

It’s sure to be a musical number unlike any that the Academy Awards have seen before.

But before all that blonde fragility is unleashed on Sunday, we look back at the wackiest Oscar musical performances ever.

Ray Parker Jr., “Ghostbusters” (1985)

The sight of the orange-jumpsuited singer cavorting across the stage with a troupe of ghosts and other assorted ghouls was truly scary. As was the fact that Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” not only beat out the No. 1 smash “Ghostbusters” but the likes of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” and Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It for the Boy.”

Geoffrey Holder, “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea” (1990)

Although Samuel E. Wright sang these two Alan Menken-Howard Ashman tunes as the voice of Jamaican crab Sebastian in 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” actor-dancer Holder took the performance plunge for both nominated songs before “Under the Sea” won the Oscar. But the cheesy choreography — by Paula Abdul, just one year after “Straight Up” went No. 1 — and even cheesier costumes were a total washout.

Nell Carter, “Friend Like Me” (1993)

Although Robin William unbottled his genie powers singing “Friend Like Me” in 1992’s “Aladdin,” Tony-winning actress Nell Carter attempted to puff up the jam in her MC Hammer pants before the tune lost the intramural battle to “A Whole New World” on Oscar night. Give us a break.

Robin Williams, “Blame Canada” (2000)

Williams getting his Rockette on performing this tune from “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” is the kind of high-kicking hilarity that only the late comic genius could pull off.

Björk, “I’ve Seen It All” (2001) 

Two words: swan dress. 

Kathleen “Bird” York, “In the Deep” (2006)

The only thing worse than “Crash” somehow beating “Brokeback Mountain” for Best Picture at the 2006 Academy Awards was York performing this tune from the ensemble film complete with slow-motion dancers, dry ice and, yes, a burning car.

Three 6 Mafia and Taraji P. Henson, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” (2006)

The 2006 Oscars also produced a musical number that wild in all the right ways when hip-hop went Hollywood as Three 6 Mafia rocked the Kodak Theatre stage with “Hustle & Flow” actress Taraji P. Henson. And “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” went on to become the first rap track to win Best Original Song. Nothing wack about that.

Various Artists, “Everything Is Awesome” (2015)

Legos as building toys are awesome. Legos as musical performance inspiration? Not so much. Not even with the motliest of crews including Tegan and Sara, the Lonely Island, Will Arnett, Questlove and Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh.