[1] It was written for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in which it was sung by actress Judy Garland[2] in her starring role as Dorothy Gale.

[1] About five minutes into the film, Dorothy sings the song after failing to get Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and the farmhands to listen to her story of an unpleasant incident involving her dog, Toto, and the town spinster, Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton).

In 2017, it was selected for induction into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[3] For their work together on The Wizard of Oz, Harburg claimed his inspiration was "a ballad for a little girl who... was in trouble and... wanted to get away from... Kansas.

In March 1940, that same recording was included on a Decca 78 four-record studio cast album entitled The Wizard of Oz.

The film version of "Over the Rainbow" was unavailable to the public until the soundtrack was released by MGM in 1956 to coincide with the television premiere of The Wizard of Oz.

It was used in versions by Cliff Edwards, Tony Bennett, Al Bowlly, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Mandy Patinkin, Trisha Yearwood, Melissa Manchester, Hilary Kole, Jewel, Eva Cassidy, and Norma Waterson.

Judy Garland sang the introductory verse at least once, on a 1948 radio broadcast of The Louella Parsons Show.

[14] Lyrics for a second verse ("Once by a word only lightly spoken...") appeared in the British edition of the sheet music.

[15] In March 2017, Judy Garland's 1939 Decca single was entered in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as music that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[16] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) ranked it number one on their Songs of the Century list.

"Over the Rainbow" was given the Towering Song Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was sung at its dinner on June 12, 2014, by Jackie Evancho.

[17] In April 2005, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Yip Harburg that includes a lyric.

[19] According to his family, Gene Wilder died while listening to "Over the Rainbow" sung by Ella Fitzgerald, one of his favorite songs.

[20][21] The first German version in the English language was recorded by the Swing Orchestra Heinz Wehner (1908–1945) in March 1940 in Berlin.

[24] On the album Facing Future (1993), Israel Kamakawiwoʻole included "Over the Rainbow" in a ukulele medley with "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

[34] Kamakawiwoʻole's version of "Over the Rainbow" has been used in commercials, films and television programs, including 50 First Dates, Charmed, Cold Case, ER, Finding Forrester, Horizon, Life on Mars, Meet Joe Black, Scrubs, Snakes on a Plane, Son of the Mask, and the television series South Pacific.

In December 2000, a clip of Cassidy performing the song at Blues Alley was featured on the BBC2 program Top of the Pops 2.

[49] Following the premiere, it became the program's most-requested video in history, and demand for the album soared after the clip was re-aired in January 2001.

On December 3, 2001, the British singer Cliff Richard recorded a cover of the mashup "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"/"What a Wonderful World" on his album Wanted.

Danielle Hope, the winner of the BBC talent show Over the Rainbow, released a cover version of the song as a digital download on May 23, 2010, and a single on May 31, 2010.

[61] The single was a charity record that raised money for the BBC Performing Arts Fund and Prostate UK.

[62] UK digital download CD single In July 2021, German musician, DJ and record producer Robin Schulz and the German DJ and producer Alle Farben released a mashup "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" based on Kamakawiwo'ole's version and voice on Sony Music Entertainment, B1/Warner Music.

[74] Nicholas David, a contestant on the third season of The Voice, recorded a version that went to number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2012 with sales of 48,000 copies.

The choirs sang from: Elstree at Elstree Studios the studio, just outside of London, where the main telethon was held,[80] Manchester at The Science and Industry Museum,[80] Bristol at Aerospace,[80] Glasgow at BBC Pacific Quay,[80] Newcastle at The Discovery Museum,[80] Newbury at Brockhurst and Marlston House School,[80] Belfast at The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum,[80] Halifax at The Piece Hall,[80] Cardiff at The Broadcasting House[80] and Nottingham at The Albert Hall[80]