It's safe to say that when looking at the music nominations for the Academy Awards [1] this morning, literally thousands of people thought, "That's IT?" While the Academy's rules for the Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories [2] are surely very thoroughly thought through, it's difficult to imagine the thinking that deemed only two songs worthy of 2012 Oscar consideration.

A look at the 39 songs [3] and - wow - 97 scores [4] officially in contention for the Oscars demonstrates just how thorough the initial vetting process is. A deeper dive on the songs list - which doesn't name songwriters or singers on the Oscars site - gives an idea of the artists who didn't pass muster: Elton John (two songs from "Gnomeo & Juliet"), Mary J. Blige ("The Living Proof" from "The Help"), Pink ("Bridge of Light" from "Happy Feet Two"), She & Him ("So Long" from "Winnie the Pooh"), the National ("Think You Can Wait" from "Win Win"), Elvis Costello ("Sparkling Day" from "One Day"), She & Him featuring Zoey Deschanel ("Winnie the Pooh"), Chris Cornell ("The Keeper" from "Machine Gun Preacher"), Willie Nelson ("Hell and Back" from "Hell and Back Again"), even Jordin Sparks ("The World I Knew" from "African Cats") and Sinead O'Connor ("Lay Your Head Down" from "Albert Nobbs").

We're not advocating any of these songs for Oscars, but was it really that bad a year for original songs in films? Mary J. Blige wonders the same thing, tweeting [5] this afternoon: "I'm so thankful for true fans like you all. It saddens me & feels like the Academy is being mean. 2 only nominate 2 of the 5 slots is......."

And while some eyebrow-raising names were excluded from the Best Original Score list - last year's winners, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" along with perennial nominees like Danny Elfman, Mark Isham, Thomas Newman and Alan Silvestri - at least weren't passed over for, well, no one.

While there's hardly been the kind of outcry and calls for reform that greeted, say, Jethro Tull winning a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Album, it is hard to believe that the esteemed ears of the Academy could only find two original songs worth nominating for this year's awards.