^{Credit: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)}

It was no surprise that The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed over a billion dollars, although some were caught off-guard by the viral success of the song “Peaches.” Performed and co-written by actor Jack Black with Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, and John Spiker, Bower’s ode to Princess Peach peaked at 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the music video accumulated millions of views on YouTube. After Jazz Tangcay of Variety pointed out that “Peaches” would be eligible for Oscar consideration, Universal went all in on trying to get the nomination. During awards season, they sent critics groups a vinyl record with “Peaches” on Side A and the “Mario Brothers Rap” on Side B. And yes, I was among those who received a copy!

^{"Peaches" on Vinyl} 

Black did plenty of press for “Peaches,” performing it live at the Game Awards 10-Year Concert. As “Peaches” picked up Best Original Song nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, an Oscar bid seemed to be materializing. Despite its presence at multiple precursor awards, “Peaches” wasn’t even shortlisted for the Oscar. While disappointing, it wasn’t a huge shock. The song is barely a minute long, and many of the lyrics are simply the word “Peaches” repeated over and over. It’s understandable why the Music Branch didn’t take “Peaches” seriously. On the other hand, “Peaches” left more of a cultural imprint than the past nine songs that the Music Branch nominated Diane Warren for.

A Minecraft Movie, another video game adaptation starring Black, tried to replicate the success of “Peaches.” Black performed and co-wrote “I Feel Alive” and “Steve’s Lava Chicken,” both of which were submitted for Oscar consideration. For all the viral moments that A Minecraft Movie inspired, neither of the two songs seemed to capture the zeitgeist, at least not to the extent that “Peaches” did. Naturally, neither came anywhere near the Oscar shortlist. Now we have The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, with Black again reprising his role as Bowser.

With ditties seemingly becoming a staple of video game adaptations starring Jack Black, I was looking forward to hearing one in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Maybe “Peaches” was just a small sample, paving the way for a full-on rock operatic song like “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space.” Bowsers is green and in space, after all, although I admit that expecting this crew to turn in something on par with an Alan Menken/Howard Ashman song might’ve been asking too much. Still, I fully anticipated the film to give Bowser another major musical moment. While “Peaches” is briefly referenced, I was let down to reach the end credits without an original tune from Bowser.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie might not have an Oscar-eligible song like “Peaches,” but perhaps the film will open the door for an Emmy nomination. On an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jack Black appeared in a pre-taped promotional piece for the film. Wearing his Bowser ensemble, Black performed “The Ballad of Super Mario,” a recap of the first film with the mystical ambiance of a Western folklore song. Other Mario Galaxy cast members pop up throughout the tune, which sets the stage for Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr., to face off against their rivals in space.

Like “Peaches,” “The Ballad of Super Mario” is catchy, albeit just over a minute long. Even if it had been worked into the actual film, it’s hard to imagine AMPAS going for the song, especially if “Peaches” couldn’t make the shortlist. Since “The Ballad of Super Mario” made its debut on The Tonight Show, though, it could potentially be a contender for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at the Primetime Emmys. The TV Academy is more open to recognizing comedic songs, as evidenced by last year's award for “Let's Put the Christ Back in Christmas” from The Boys. “Agatha All Along” from WandaVision clocked in at just over a minute, but it was such a viral hit that Emmy voters couldn’t deny it. It’s currently unclear if “The Ballad of Super Mario” will even be submitted for Emmy consideration. If it is, though, it may be an opportunity to finally give Bowser his fire flowers.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!