Down to Earth - Best Original Song Nominee

Singing for their Oscar.

Beginning today, I'll be spotlighting the Academy Award nominees for Best Original Song. I must tell you upfront that showcasing these songs is a bittersweet task for me.

As I've mentioned, no less that 342 times, Bruce Springsteen was not nominated for his Golden Globe winning song, "The Wrestler." Nevertheless, I will leave the tears on my pillow and soldier on to present to you the first of the three songs up for an Oscar on February 22.

Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman (Finding Nemo, American Beauty, Road to Perdition) teamed up to produce "Down to Earth" for Disney/Pixar's Wall-E. If you've seen the wonderful film - and really, you should - you'll recognize the song from end credits.

"Down to Earth" has that very Academy-friendly sound; it's impressive fare, but feels similar to something you've probably sample before. Thomas Newman is also an Academy favorite, having been nominated for 10 Oscars.

Check out "Down to Earth," (and a little bit of Wall-E - so cute!) and see if you think it achieves blast-off.