The iconic song was almost cut from the opening sequence because studio heads thought it made the movie too long. Mervyn LeRoy and Arthur Freed fought to keep it in the film, and they eventually won.
"Over the Rainbow" went on to win the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year. In 2004, the song was ranked #1 by the American Film Institute on AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs list.
Click through to see some the many different versions of "Over the Rainbow."
Judy Garland
Katharine McPhee
Susan Boyle
Joe Satriani
Barbra Streisand
Selena
Leona Lewis and Matthew Morrison
Jason Castro
Andrea McArdle
Keith Richards