Critical Reception and Legacy
Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams received Oscar nominations at the 52nd Academy Awards for the score of The Muppet Movie and for Rainbow Connection, which Allmusic described as an "unlikely radio hit ... which Kermit the Frog sings with all the dreamy wistfulness of a short green Judy Garland" and went on to add that "'Rainbow Connection' serves the same purpose in The Muppet Movie that "Over the Rainbow" serves in The Wizard of Oz, with nearly equal effectiveness: an opening establishment of the characters' driving urge for something more in life." The song was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1979, but lost the Oscar to "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae, a win that some critics decried.
The song's name has been used by a number of charitable organizations wishing to evoke its message, including a children's charity similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a summer camp for seriously ill children, and a horseback riding camp for people with disabilities. The name's influence can also be seen throughout culture - from business names to artificial Christmas tree products.
The American Film Institute named Rainbow Connection the 74th greatest movie song of all time in AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs.
Kermit the Frog reprises the song in The Muppets, this time as a duet with Miss Piggy that leads in to the entire Muppet Family of the film singing together. A shorter version of the song performed by The Moopets tribute band is also used in the film. In 1996 in Whanganui, New Zealand, a 21-year-old man burst into a radio station (Star FM) and took the manager hostage. His demand was to play "Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog.
The song has been in every Muppet movie to date, sometimes just being hummed in the background.
Read more about this topic: Rainbow Connection
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