It would be impossible to list the Oscar-worthy performances of 2010 without highlighting Javier Bardem in Biutiful. Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, 21 Grams, Amores Perros) describes Uxbal, the character Bardem embodies in flesh and spirit, as "devoted father, tormented lover, mystified son, underground businessman, ghost seeker, spiritual sensitive, consumer-goods pirate, guilty conscience and urban survivor." All of this and more can be seen on Bardem's indelibly expressive face. Uxbal wanders the mean streets of Barcelona trying to put his life in order, evading the law while caring for his two kids, Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib) and Mateo (Guillermo Estrella), since their bipolar mother (an amazing job from Maricel Álvarez) is incapable. Biutiful (the title is derived from Ana's misspelling) digs out beauty in the rubble. Shot hand-held with a poet's eye by Rodrigo Prieto, the film is relentless but as riveting as the world a remarkable actor lets us see through Uxbal's eyes. Bravo, Bardem.

“Tonight's the Night”

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."