The 25 Best Randy Newman Songs, from Short People to You've Got a Friend in Me

What is Randy Newman's most famous song?

"You've Got a Friend in Me", the theme of Toy Story, is Randy Newman's most famous song today. Among his own records, "Short People" was his biggest chart hit, "I Love L.A." is his best-loved anthem and "Sail Away" and "Louisiana 1927" are often named his finest songs.

Randy Newman songs made famous by other artists

1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come", 1966: a number one for Three Dog Night in 1970.
2. "I Think It's Going to Rain Today", 1968: a quiet classic also recorded by Judy Collins and many others.
3. "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear", 1967: a vaudeville-style story song.
4. "Living Without You", 1968: a tender song recorded by Nilsson and others.
5. "You Can Leave Your Hat On", 1972: later a hit for Joe Cocker and Tom Jones.
6. "Guilty", 1974: a raw ballad recorded by Bonnie Raitt and Joe Cocker.
7. "Feels Like Home", 1995: a gentle love song from his musical Faust, recorded by Linda Ronstadt and others.

Randy Newman's classic albums

8. "Sail Away", 1972: a biting satire of the slave trade, sung as a sales pitch.
9. "Political Science", 1972: a darkly funny song about American foreign policy.
10. "Burn On", 1972: a song about the Cuyahoga River catching fire in Cleveland.
11. "Lonely at the Top", 1972: a wry song about fame.
12. "Louisiana 1927", 1974: a haunting song about the Great Mississippi Flood.
13. "Marie", 1974: one of his most tender love songs.
14. "Short People", 1977: a satire of prejudice that many listeners took literally.
15. "Baltimore", 1977: a portrait of a struggling city.
16. "It's Money That I Love", 1979: a playful, cynical rocker.
17. "I Love L.A.", 1983: his sunny, double-edged hometown anthem.
18. "The Blues", with Paul Simon, 1983: a wry duet.
19. "Dixie Flyer", 1988: a song about his childhood in New Orleans.

Randy Newman's film songs

20. "I Love to See You Smile", 1989: the warm theme from Parenthood.
21. "You've Got a Friend in Me", 1995: the Toy Story theme.
22. "When She Loved Me", 1999: Sarah McLachlan's heartbreaking song from Toy Story 2.
23. "If I Didn't Have You", 2001: his first Oscar winner, from Monsters, Inc.
24. "Our Town", 2006: a wistful song from Cars, sung by James Taylor.
25. "We Belong Together", 2010: his second Oscar winner, from Toy Story 3.

Who is Randy Newman?

Randy Newman was born in Los Angeles in 1943 into a family of film composers: his uncles Alfred, Lionel and Emil Newman all scored Hollywood movies. He started as a staff songwriter in the 1960s, and other artists had hits with his songs before he became known as a performer. His 70s albums earned him a reputation as one of the sharpest songwriters in rock, and since the 1980s he has also scored films, from Ragtime and Parenthood to Toy Story, Monsters, Inc. and Marriage Story. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

Why Randy Newman writes in character

Many of Newman's best songs are sung by narrators he doesn't agree with: a slave trader in "Sail Away", a bigot in "Short People", a cynic in "It's Money That I Love". By letting these characters speak for themselves, he exposes them, and the irony can be easy to miss. It is one reason his songs reward careful listening and why some, like "Short People", have been misunderstood. Fellow songwriters often name him as one of the best of his generation.

The story behind You've Got a Friend in Me

Newman wrote "You've Got a Friend in Me" for Pixar's first feature film, Toy Story, in 1995, as a song about the friendship between Woody and Andy. It was nominated for an Academy Award and became one of the best-known songs about friendship, played at birthdays, graduations and school concerts. See our kids songs and songs about best friends for more.

Randy Newman at the Oscars

Newman was nominated for Academy Awards many times before finally winning Best Original Song in 2002 for "If I Didn't Have You" from Monsters, Inc. He won again for "We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3, and his Oscar speeches became famous for their self-deprecating humor.

Songs by Randy Newman you may know from other singers

Three Dog Night took "Mama Told Me Not to Come" to number one in 1970, Joe Cocker and Tom Jones turned "You Can Leave Your Hat On" into a sultry classic, and Bonnie Raitt recorded "Guilty". See our Three Dog Night songs and Tom Jones songs for those versions.

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