Actress and Singer/Songwriter Amanda McBroom wrote the song …” made famous, of course, by Bette in the 1979 the movie of the same name.

It wasn’t written specifically for the film, and that came into play later, but first things first: “The Rose” was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin, and was sung by Bette over the closing credits.

When it was released as a single from the Soundtrack album, it climbed straight to #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart…and #3 on The Hot 100.

And here’s where it gets weird: Because it wasn’t written specifically for the film, “The Rose” didn’t qualify for the Best Original Song Oscar–even though it had never been recorded by anyone prior to the soundtrack.

Basically, it was robbed due to a technicality.

The good news is: because the Golden Globe Awards didn’t have that rule, “The Rose” was not only nominated for “Best Original Song,” It won!

And to further cement its Great Song status, in 2004, the American Film Institute added “The Rose” to their “100 Years/100 Songs” list.

The Rose has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Conway Twitty, whose 1983 version topped the Country Charts in both the US and Canada. You can check out BOTH versions below.

“The Rose” by Bette Midler, and later by Conway Twitty: definitely a Great Song of the ’70s and ’80s.

Bette:

Conway: