"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire
Songwriter: A.R. Rahman, Performer: Sukhwinder Singh

Want to escape the curse where songs over the closing credits get dissed for a nomination? Simple -- turn the closing credits into a Bollywood dance number. Relentlessy catchy "Jai Ho" also could benefit from the Academy's willingness to reward songs not performed in English; in 2005 Jorge Drexler won the Oscar for his song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from "The Motorcycle Diaries."

"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire
A.R. Rahman and M.I.A.

Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A., teamed up for this propulsive track that backs the scene in the film where the audience is first introduced to the scope of life in the Mumbai slums. It enhances the scene in the movie in a visceral way; it would be a lesser moment without the song.

"Down To Earth" from Wall-E
Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman

Another subversion of the closing credits, where "Down to Earth" plays over a credit sequence that takes the story of the "Wall-E" gang into the future. It is film music stalwart Gabriel's first Oscar nomination, though he did the music for "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Rabbit-Proof Fence," among others. He and Newman already won a Grammy for "Down to Earth" in the best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media category.