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Feb 23, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Common

There’s not a strong history of indie rockers performing at the Oscars, simply because they aren’t often nominated for Best Original Song. But it’s been announced that Sufjan Stevens, who is nominated for Best Original Song for “Mystery of Love” from Call Me By Your Name, will perform the song at the ceremony on March 4.

Stevens will be in good company, as one of the most notable exceptions to the Academy’s snubbing of indie rock artists was Elliott Smith, who performed “Miss Misery” from Good Will Hunting at the 1997 awards in a white suit but predictably lost to James Horner’s “My Heart Will Go On” (as performed by Celine Dion) from Titanic. Björk’s duet with Thom Yorke, “I’ve Seen It All,” from Dancer in the Dark was nominated in 2000 and she performed it in her famous swan dress, but lost to Bob Dylan’s “Things Have Changed,” a song from Wonder Boys I’m not sure any of us remember. Karen O was nominated for “The Moon Song” from Her and performed the song with Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig at 2013’s Oscars, but of course lost to Frozen‘s omnipresent “Let It Go.” Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová performed “Falling Slowly” from Once at the 2007 ceremony and actually won. The 1980s was filled with awesome mainstream rock and pop songs being nominated, but let’s just say that Huey Lewis and the News’ Back to the Future song “The Power of Love” was robbed! (I mean, sure, Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” from White Nights, the winner in 1986, is pretty good too.)

Mary J. Blige, Common, and Miguel will also all perform Best Original Song contenders at this year’s ceremony. “Mystery of Love” will be released on a limited edition 10-inch vinyl single on Record Store Day also featuring Stevens’ other two songs from the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack, “Visions of Gideon” and “Futile Devices (Doveman Remix).” Below is the video for “Mystery of Love,” followed by an iffy video of Elliott Smith’s Oscar performance.

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