Indie and alternative rockers occasionally find themselves at the Oscars, and before Adele's 'Skyfall' was nominated for Best Original Song at this year's Academy Awards, Bjork got a nod in 2000 for 'I've Seen It All,' from 'Dancer In the Dark' (who can forget her infamous "swan dress?"), and Elliott Smith's nearly took the trophy for 'Miss Misery,' from 'Good Will Hunting,' in 1997. Sadly, a true indie type has yet to snag the honor, and there have been plenty of great songs over the years that didn't even get Oscar nominations but totally deserved to win. Here are our picks for 5 Songs That Should Have Won an Oscar:

  • 'Face of Love'

    Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Eddie Vedder

    'Dead Man Walking' (1995)

    Eddie Vedder is better known in Hollywood for his original soundtrack to the 2007 flick 'Into the Wild' -- that disc's tune 'Guaranteed' even won a Golden Globe -- but his collaboration with world-renowned Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for two songs on the soundtrack to the 1995 flick 'Dead Man Walking' yielded some real keepers. Whereas 'Wild' featured the Pearl Jam singer plucking away at his trusty ukulele, 'Face of Love' takes Vedder out of his comfort zone, getting him to explore aspects of a type of traditional Sufi devotional music known as Qawwali. The result is innovative, if not groundbreaking.

  • 'Something to Talk About'

    Badly Drawn Boy

    From 'About a Boy' (2002)

    The clever 2002 rom-com 'About a Boy' snagged an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and earned Hugh Grant a Best Performance Golden Globe nomination, but the memorable soundtrack didn't get any of the major awards-show recognition it deserved. Composed and performed entirely by Badly Drawn Boy (aka British singer Damon Gough), the 16-track collection is highlighted by 'Something to Talk About,' which was released as a single and even got a snazzy video starring Hugh Grant.

  • 'Derezzed'

    Daft Punk

    From 'TRON: Legacy' (2010)

    When Daft Punk were recruited to score the heavily buzzed-about sequel to the iconic '80s production 'TRON,' it was a match made in sci-fi heaven. The French house duo's futuristic music proved a perfect fit for 'TRON: Legacy,' and they collaborated with an 85-piece orchestra to get the epic sound the flick needed. "We knew from the start that there was no way we were going to do this film score with two synthesizers and a drum machine," said Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo.

  • 'Garbage Truck'

    Beck (As Sex Bob-Omb)

    From 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World' (2010)

    Beck always seems to get props for his stellar music, but he got no Oscar love for his contribution to the 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' soundtrack. Beck was the man behind the tunes performed by the titular character's band, Sex Bob-omb, which also featured Stephen Stills and Kim Pine, and the results sound like Beck getting his garage-rock muse on.

  • 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me'

    U2

    'Batman Forever'

    Obviously, the Academy doesn't consider music videos when they make their Best Original Song picks, and that's too bad: U2's 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' clip, with its mix of animation and footage from the flick, is definitely deserving. People seemed to be torn about the tune itself, which snagged both a Golden Globe Award nod for Best Original Song (losing to 'Colors of the Wind' from 'Pocahontas') and a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Original Song ("losing" to 'Walk Into the Wind' from 'Showgirls'), but we side with the yeasayers: two thumbs-up!

More From Diffuser.fm