When you think about Disney Animated films one of the first things that come to mind is the songs. From the many, many Oscars that they have won to the million times each of us have started singing Hakuna Matata these songs are a big part of the culture. Some of them are bad, like Peter Pan’s Follow the Leader. Some of them are just fine, Try Everything from Zootoptia. Others are brilliant like the ones on my list. These are the ones that exceed the super cheesy, don’t get me wrong plenty of these are cheesy, and never become annoying. I am sure that most people will disagree with me and that is okay. This is my opinion. Just so we know I am only counting the Walt Disney Animated Studios canon.That excludes any live action Disney film and Pixar films as well. Another qualifications is that the song has to work well in the movie as well as outside of the movie. First and foremost I included some songs that didn’t make the top fifteen.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
First honorable mention is ”The Backson Song” from 2011’s Winnie the Pooh. In no way does this song work out of context from the film. In the film though, it’s comic gold. Owl describes a made up monster he is improvising the rules of to his very gullible friends. “Something There” from Beauty and the Beast is the moment in every romantic comedy where the couple finally starts falling in love put to song. Pretty great. The Aristocats is a decent film, but “Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat” is an all time classic. The next two basically don’t make it so the top fifteen are not filled with songs from the same movies. “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin and “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid are great songs. “Part of Your World” is a classic trope of explaining what the protagonist wants through song and is done better on the list proper. “Friend Like Me” is a blast and I guess is just too silly or it would be higher. Anyways, with that let’s get to the list
15. I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)
From Hercules
This is one of the most underrated Disney songs. This might be controversial statement, but this is the clear winner for best song in Hercules. Not only is this song annoyingly catchy, but also takes on the criticism that the female characters only want to fall in love with a man. Meg sings about being in denial that she is in love with the hero, Hercules. It’s says a lot about the classic Disney trope that the main character has to fall in love. She doesn’t want to be cliche, but since most people go through life being in love or falling in love, the song works as she claims “at least out loud, I won’t say I’m in love.”
14. Baby Mine
From Dumbo
My list has a criminally small amount of songs before 1989. It makes sense, I was born in the early 1990’s. That means my taste lie with more modern music. Even my enjoyment of classic music only reaches back to the 1960’s. So, why does “Baby Mine” make the list? Because the scene it takes place in is so heartbreaking. Dumbo’s mom can barely reach her son to rock him to back and forth, but she does. Don’t get me wrong the song is good, well sung, but the scene is the main reason it makes the list.
13. Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride
From Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch might be a masterpiece. I recently rewatched it after years of not liking it. “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride” is in the middle of the movie as Nani fails to find a job to support her and her sister, Lilo. Their friend David suggest going surfing as a pick me up. That’s when the song plays during a beautiful montage of the four main characters surfing. The song by itself is great. There is a main singer and behind him a children’s choir in the background. The mix between the English lyrics to the ones being sung in the native language makes the song its own thing.
12. I See The Light
From Tangled
This song is beautiful and calming. I struggled with deciding between “Where Will My Life Begin” or this one and eventually landed here. The other song perfectly sets up the main characters mindset, but “I See the Light” is a payoff to the whole film’s journey. It is a great duet between the two leads who have been through so much and have fallen in love in the course of getting to the lighting of the floating lanterns. It’s not flat out a love song either, it’s more intimate than romantic.
11. I Wan’na Be Like You
From The Jungle Book
This song honestly has nothing to do with much in the movie, just like the other contender for the list, “The Bare Necessities.” This film might just be a collection of scenes more than a cohesive film, and this is the best scene. King Louie claims he wants to be just like Mowgli, because he made it to the top of his circle. A funny nod to evolution and also people of power never being able to be satisfied with a higher status. A more jazzy tone and sung by a jazz singer makes for a unique song.
10. A Whole New World
From Aladdin
Here we go! Top ten. Let’s start it off with a classic, the love song from Aladdin. It is one I find pops in my head all the time, so maybe I’m biased. This is a beloved classic Disney song though as two characters express the magic they are feeling between them as a literal magic carpet flies them around Arabia. This brings the most beautiful images in the film and a wonderful song. I love when they sing over each other, just a nice touch.
9. Out There
From The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a crazy film. If you haven’t seen it lately please go watch it, but the song Out There is a gem. It is basically the same theme as “Part of Your World” or “Reflection” from Mulan. The exception here being instead of a mermaid or a female warrior singing the song, it is a male hunchback. The desire is the same. He wants to leave his current position, which is locked up in the bell tower away from everyone. The song starts with his master saying he is too ugly and creepy to leave and ends with an impassioned plea to spend one day out with everyone else. It’s incredibly lonely and maybe sad knowing the outcome.
8. Circle of Life
From The Lion King
Maybe too low. There might be no other intro to a Disney song that is more iconic. It incorporates African culture on screen and in the song. As it goes on it perfectly describes the theme of the film without being too on the nose. And just as the beginning is iconic the sudden stop as Rafiki shows the African animals their future king is also memorable.
7. Under the Sea
From The Little Mermaid
All Ariel wants is go up on the shore and walk around. That’s it, but because she can only acquire that through some sort of dark evil octo magic, her guardian, Sebastian, tries to stop her. It is here that we get one of most fun, ridiculous songs to ever come out of Disney. Sebastian orchestrates a slew of fish to make all kinds of music as he sings that the sea is better than the land. We see crazy moments like octopus joining together to be the string section or a lobster banging on clams like drums. There also might be no better line than “What do they got? A lot of sand. We got a hot crustacean band.” The best part is Ariel leaves about half way through and all the fish are too into the song to even notice.
6. When You Wish Upon a Star
From Pinocchio
This one is too classic to not include. Sung by Jiminy Cricket after everyone lives happily ever after. It’s a nice quiet celebration that Jiminy has with himself after the chaos that is Pinocchio. It also works as just an inspirational little song about following your dreams. Still after almost 80 years it is incorporated in Disney parks.
5. Be Prepared
From The Lion King
The best villain song, hands down. The Lion King is the only film to have two songs on the list proper, it might be the best soundtrack battling with Beauty and the Beast. Every time this song comes up for me and my wife I say with fully earnestness that Jeremy Irons should of won an Oscar for this song alone. He might give the best performance in Disney history, but that is another post. This song describes Scar’s motivations so well, while being very funny because of the Hyena henchmen asking dumb questions during his passionate deviancy. The nazi imagery is scary as the Hyenas walk in unison, also the setting is crazy with green smoke constantly shooting up from the craters. Where are they? I love this
4. Colors of the Wind
From Pocahontas
I’m sorry everybody, but Pocahontas sucks. That said, “Colors of the Wind” is an absolute masterpiece. It’s the love song, but it’s Pocahontas telling John Smith to look around and sees the bad he is doing which makes John fall for her. The sequence is so visually amazing as they jump into water and run the forest but the animation turns into more an abstract style. It’s Under the Sea, but Pocahontas is making a good point for why her land should stay the way it is. It’s a politically charged song wanting us to keep the Earth safe.
3. You’ll Be In My Heart
From Tarzan
People hate Phil Collins because he is cheesy. I love him for it. The Brother Bear soundtrack is iffy and some of the songs on the Tarzan soundtrack are a product of their time. “You’ll Be in My Heart” though is his masterpiece. The moment in the movie where Kala holds baby Tarzan and starts singing this to him, the tone of their relationship is set. Then Collins comes in as a montage plays of the two bonding. There are two versions of the song and Phil Collins sings the full song in the credits which I prefer. Here though, as we see Kala gain a child, which she previously lost and Tarzan who unbeknownst to him lost his parents is getting a loving mother is extremely touching.
2. Let It Go
From Frozen
Yeah! Sure! Whatever! You are so sick of this song. To be honest I am as well, but who cares. In a few years or so we will all be back to loving this perfect song. Some will hate it, but the cool people will continue to love it. The sequence in the film is beautiful and really could be watched as it’s own music video. Outside of the film it has proven to work, being a huge hit. The song works for so much. The simple statement of “Let it go” has a very inspirational quality to it. In the film it shows Elsa not being bogged down by hiding her powers. This works as anyone getting away from what their parents wanted them to be and being themselves
1. Beauty and the Beast
From Beauty and the Beast
If you could not tell from the list, I love a good Disney love song and none work better than “Beauty and the Beast.” The dance sequence is one of the most stunning animated sequences ever and having Angela Lansbury sing to it, with her gorgeous voice, is great. The fact that Mrs. Potts is telling this to her son is pretty funny and telling it like a goodnight story almost. Like what they are seeing is of legend with the line “Tale as old as time…” being repeated over and over. There is so much going on in this seemingly simple song, but it all comes together.
Schmuck For A Lifetime 