It is springtime, and that means my mind is set towards the Magical corporation that is the biggest name in animation, Disney. Since I like to space out my Disney movie reviews, at least my reviews of the movies in the Animated Canon, I decided that I would do an editorial that has been sitting in the back of my mind for at least a year by now, and since you've probably read the title, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Disney songs have become an iconic part of their movies, these songs were probably a lot of kids first introductions to music in general. So many people can sing every lyric to these songs, know the music by heart, every key change, each and every dialogue exchange in between the songs. Whether we grew up with these songs on Sing-along Video Tapes, on Soundtrack albums, or streaming them online, Disney songs have stayed with us from childhood to adulthood. So of course, there is always discussion about which songs are the best, from the show stealing title tracks, to the iconic villain songs, to the songs that play in the end credits, people have their favourite Disney songs. I am absolutely no different in that regard. So, I want to share with you, my favourite Disney songs, even if you can probably guess a few of them already. Of course, the basic rule must apply, that being, only songs from the official Disney animated canon qualify for this list. So no Live-Action, No Direct-to-Video Sequels, no Nightmare Before Christmas, and no Disney TV songs, though a separate list about the best Disney Cartoon Theme Songs sounds like a fun idea... I'll put a pin in that. I should also mention I am going with the soundtrack versions of these songs, more often than not, it doesn't actually matter.
Without further ado, here are my top ten Disney Songs.
#10. Strangers Like Me - Tarzan
To be frank, I think the Tarzan soundtrack may be one of my favourite Disney soundtracks of all time, up there with The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol, it is kind of weird not having any of the characters actually sing these songs, but as a whole I don't mind to much. I really like the theme of Strangers Like Me, a song about Tarzan learning about his own kind, a song of fascination and infatuation, and of course I am just a sucker for songs that have big and bombastic endings, where the singer just puts all their power and passion into it. I do like Phil Collins as a singer and I think he and Mark Mancina did a fantastic job here, even if the backing music of the bridge of the song sounds like a turn signal.
#9. The Phony King of England - Robin Hood
Robin Hood and Country? Oddly a match-up that works pretty well. It's not really that often you hear a Disney song about how inept the villain actually is. Off the top of my head there was "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" from The Three Little Pigs, but that was more bluster on the pigs' behalf, so it's kind of fun to have a song just about how lousy the villain actually is, even if it isn't really that historically accurate, considering John actually was King, the taxes were more for Richard's crusades, and if Robin Hood was around the time of King Richard the Lionheart and was a noble like many stories say he was, he would have been French, well Norman anyway. Hey, who would have thought that Shrek had the most accurate interpretation of Robin Hood? Anyway, there isn't really much I can say about this song, it's just fun.
#8. Under The Sea - The Little Mermaid
Speaking of fun, when making a song all about how it's more wonderful to live beneath the waters than it is on land, you better pick a genre that is upbeat and bouncy. There are a lot to choose from, Ska would probably be my go to, love me some "We Are Number One", but Calypso was definitely the right choice here. To be absolutely fair, Sebastian does make some fairly good points, I mean, what do we have up here? Green forests and big dirty cities. Colourful coral reefs, calm vastness of blue and a lot of unique creatures, many of which are too small to actually kill us, unlike on land. Of course, we are also making sure that none of those stay around much longer, but conservation of the ocean is for another blog. This genuinely is a song that would make me want to pull a Captain Nemo and live under the sea. Rest in peace Samuel E. Wright.
#7. Let It Go - Frozen
Yeah... I'm one of those people. Like I said, I am just a sucker for songs that build upon themselves, where the power and passion is put into the singing and the music. It's funny because I'm not actually a fan of Idina Menzel's music, I have nothing against her, it's just not my thing. That being said, I think what really makes me fond of this song is the subtext, or maybe it's context. Elsa is finally free, free from the expectations placed upon her, free from the guilt of hurting Anna, free from her fears and she finally has a chance to just let it all go. She can do what she wants now, she can use her powers for whatever, and it's fitting that during the song, she builds a snowman, the thing Anna wanted to do with her for such a long time, arguably Elsa wanted that too. I think a lot of people just look past the song because, outside of overplay, they just kind of see it as Elsa running away from her problems, because you know, it isn't like distance can be a solution, or can help with finding a solution. Anyway, I still love this song, and it's fine if you disagree, just, you know, let it go.
#6. Friend Like Me - Aladdin
Again, this is just a really fun and bouncy song. Really fitting considering the late-great Robin Williams sang it. It is a song that really does seem to perfectly fit his energy, and really introduce the character of the Genie really well. I guess you're probably wondering what I thought of Will Smith's rendition of this song. Honestly, while I prefer Will Smith's version of Prince Ali, for the most part, I do prefer Robin Williams version of Friend Like Me. Will Smith, being an actual musician, does give the song a different kind of sparkle, but I just think the energy of the music paired with the energy of Robin Williams just fits the song better. Really, we never had a talent like Robin since.
#5. Heaven's Light/Hellfire - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
I know everyone loves Hellfire, but the soundtrack puts these two songs together so I'm doing the same. Putting them together is actually really great though, since it shows the contrast between how Quasimodo and Frollo see Esmeralda. Heaven's Light is very pretty and ends with bells and a cheerful symphony, contrasting that to how Hellfire begins, with a deep Latin choir and a slower, much more haunting bell sounds. The contrasting elements go further, with Tony Jay's singing voice being much deeper than Tom Hulce's. I don't think I need to say this, but Hellfire is the best part of this song, again it's the build up and the passion put into it. The Latin is a nice touch too. Still, these two songs together do make a very interesting piece. I think more people should talk about Heaven's Light, because it is a nice little song. Two sides of a beautiful coin, One side is much more traditionally Disney, the other is much more risqué and unique.
#4. Circle of Life - The Lion King
It was a toss up between this and Be Prepared, I was gonna cheat and put them both on this list as a tie, but then I realized, Circle of Life is one Hell of a way to open a movie. Be Prepared is an excellent song, but I love the instrumentation and beat of Circle of Life. I could also talk about the pretty lyrics and the use of actual African language in the song (Apparently it's Zulu, but correct me if I'm wrong) which is a nice touch, but let's be honest, the one best thing about the song is that it's big. As soon as you hear that "NAAAAAAAAAA" screaming with the the rising sun, you know exactly what kind of movie you're in for. Believe it or not, that actually used to terrify me as a kid, it was this harsh screaming paired with this harsh reds and it was just awful. Still somewhat terrified, but I still have to admit, this is a pretty fantastic song.
#3. Beauty and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
Taking things down a notch, this song is beautiful. I could talk about the lyrics and how the reflect upon the story, theme and character arcs of the movie, or I could point out the beautiful orchestra work, but if I'm going to be honest, the one thing that makes this song work so well and what puts it in my top three is simple, Angela Lansbury's voice. Her voice is just the chocolate drizzle on top of the strawberry shortcake of this song. Like yes, the lyrics and the score are exquisite and darn near perfect, but some songs need the right singer. Under The Sea needed Samuel E. Wright, Friend Like Me needed Robin Williams, and this song needed Angela Lansbury. May she rest in peace.
#2. We Don't Talk About Bruno - Encanto
You know, I think a big reason I enjoy Let It Go is simply because I wasn't as overexposed to it as a lot of people say they were, like I knew it was a charted hit song, but like, I never really absorbed how big it actually was. The same can definitely not be said about "We Don't Talk About Bruno", I heard that song playing in a McDonald's at least twice. What is it about this song that works though? Well, to start with, the different musical beats to represent the different family members and how they sing about Bruno makes the song a lot of fun to try and sing along with, anyone else remember the Singstar games? Anyway, this is easily one of the best songs to just get up and move to, but then you think about how this song is also a bit of a subversion. Bruno is somewhat of a subversion of Disney clichés, he wears green, a colour associate with Disney villains. On top of that, you notice little things in the song, like Isabella saying "I'm fine", sounding like... well anyone who is forcing an "I'm Fine" would sound, and the entire song hinting that Bruno is still in the house. It's a clever song, and it would easily be my favourite of the modern Disney era... but...
#1. I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme) - Treasure Planet
You know, I'm not actually that big a fan of the Goo Goo Dolls, but John Rzeznik was easily the best singer and writer they could have gotten for this song. The best thing about this song is easily how it relates to the main character, so many of the lines relate back to him, especially in the chorus with "Wanna hold on and feel I belong". Best lists are always difficult to write, because there are only so many ways to say something is beautiful, or well-made, or relatable. You would think I'd have something more to say about my favourite Disney song, but outside of it perfectly relating to Jim, and probably a lot of audience members, I can't really describe it. I'm not a music guy, I'm an animation guy. Either way, this is my favourite Disney song, and one that I think is fairly underrated, seriously, give this song another listen, it's worth it.
And of course, because this is Disney we're talking about, here are the honourable mentions:
1. Friends on the Other Side - The Princess and the Frog; Easily one of Disney's best Villain songs.
2. I Won't Say (I'm in Love) - Hercules; Again, I love the twist here, as it's a Disney love song, where the heroine is trying to convince herself to not be in love.
3. I'll Make a Man Out of You - Mulan; You're seriously telling me this was Donny Osmond singing this? This song is way too good.
4. The Three Caballeros - The Three Caballeros; Again, this song is just fun.
5. Goodbye May Seem Forever - The Fox and the Hound; HA, I just made some of you feel like crying.
6. Colors of the Wind - Pocahontas; Eh, this song is pretty, but very preachy, but like... maybe rightfully so I guess? I don't know how I feel about this one.
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