1968 Hit Track Won an Oscar for 'Best Original Song' Despite Never Reaching No. 1
An opening credits song to one of the most well-known heist films became recognized by the Academy, and still holds as a memorable melody that fans haven't forgotten.
In 1968, The Thomas Crown Affair, directed by Norman Jewison and written by Alan R. Trustman, became one of Hollywood's most recognizable films. It starred movie icon Steve McQueen alongside Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, and Jack Weston. Like any good heist film, Vicki Anderson (Dunaway) is brought in to investigate a series of multi-million dollar bank robberies led by Thomas Crown (McQueen).
While The Thomas Crown Affair received mixed reviews from critics, it was still nominated for two Oscars, one being for Best Original Song. They needed a track for the film's opening scene, and when McQueen flies a glider into an airport.
French composer Michel Legrand and American lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman soon developed the track "The Windmills of Your Mind." It was sung by English actor and singer Noel Harrison for the film, but was originally offered to Andy Williams, who passed on it. The original track was also developed to replace "Strawberry Fields" by the Beatles, which was being used as a placeholder for the scene.
Bergman recalls Legrand playing them a series of melodies and deciding on the track the following day for its "long baroque melody." They titled the track after the feeling of "when you try to fall asleep at night, and you can't turn your brain off, and thoughts and memories tumble."
According to SongFacts, Harrison didn't think much of the song, seeing as his previously recorded tracks weren't major successes. He commented, "It didn't seem like a big deal at the time. I went to the studio one afternoon, sang it, and pretty much forgot about it. I didn't realize until later what a timeless, beautiful piece Michel Legrand and the Bergmans had written. It turned out to be my most notable piece of work."
"The Windmills of Your Mind" ended up winning the Oscar for Best Original Song, but didn't do particularly well on the charts. It was released as a single by Harrison shortly after the film premiered and only ranked on the UK singles charts at No. 8. Harrison was unable to perform the track at the Oscars due to working on another film at the time. The actor revealed the producer wasn't his biggest fan and refused to let him go to the ceremony.
The track was later covered byDusty Springfield for her fifth studio album. Despite her resistance and inability to relate to the track, it was considered a hit. It was released as the A-side after the song was announced as the winner at the Oscars and marketed that way on the album, with it ranking at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 7:48 AM.