Special Report

‘Can't Stop The Feeling!’ Is More Popular Than Any Other Song Originally Written for the Movies

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: March 19, 2023 3:00 pm

Soundtracks are as much a part of movies as the films themselves, and over the years they have yielded many memorable songs. Among the winners of the Oscar for Best Original Song are such enduring classics as “Over The Rainbow” (1939), “White Christmas” (1942), “The Shadow of Your Smile” (1965), and “My Heart Will Go On” (1997). (These are all the most popular songs originally written for movies.)

However, the most popular song originally written for the movies according to Billboard was nominated for the Oscar, but did not win. “Can’t Stop The Feeling!,” on the soundtrack of the animated film “Trolls,” was on the ballot in 2016 – but it lost to “City of Stars” from “La La Land.”

“Can’t Stop The Feeling!” was performed by one of the biggest stars of the last several decades – Justin Timberlake The song spent one week at the No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the top slot on the official charts of 16 other countries. Timberlake was an executive producer for music on “Trolls,” which did well, bringing in $346 million.

It would be easy to argue that Timberlake’s career is much larger than the song or movie. He has sold 88 million albums worldwide. He started his career as a singer for the boy-band NSYNC. Since then, he has not only released a number of well received albums. He has also starred in a number of major movies, either live or as a voice actor. He is definitely one of the solo artists who were more successful than their bands.