Disney songs are the soundtracks to nearly everyone’s childhoods. And with their increasingly complex and serious plots – from Inside Out to Coco and Soul – us grown ups can still enjoy them on heavy repeat too. But which are the most famous Disney songs? Which Disney princess has the best song? And which of the Disney villains sets out their stall best in terms of a tune? We’ve picked out what we think are the best Disney ditties, as we celebrate animation and singing at the top of our lungs.
The Best Disney Songs
- Frozen - Let It Go
- Beauty and the Beast - Be Our Guest
- The Jungle Book – I Wan’na Be Like You
- Aladdin - A Whole New World
- Coco – Remember Me
- The Lion King – The Circle of Life
- Toy Story – You’ve Got a Friend in Me
- Mary Poppins Returns – The Place Where Lost Things Go
- Up – Married Life
- The Little Mermaid – Under the Sea
- Moana – You’re Welcome
- Hercules – I Won’t Say I’m in Love
- The Jungle Book – That’s What Friends are For
- Aladdin – Prince Ali
- The Jungle Book – The Bare Necessities
- The Lion King – Hakuna Matata
- Snow White – Whistle While You Work
- Ariel – Part of Your World
- Belle
- Tiana – Almost There
- Moana – How Far I’ll Go
- The Jungle Book – Trust in Me
- 101 Dalmations - Cruella de Vil
- The Lion King – Be Prepared
- Fantasia
Frozen – Let it Go
The top Disney song of the last decade is surely ‘Let it Go’ – everyone from small children to grown adults at karaoke loves to sing this as loudly as possible. ‘Let it Go’ is an absolute belter about embracing your real self, seizing your power and not giving a damn about society’s expectations. Sung by Tony-winner and prolific Broadway performer Idina Menzel (who also originated the role of similarly outcast Elphaba Thropp in Wicked), the song was written by husband and wife songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and won both an Oscar and a Grammy. It was also the first song from a Disney animated musical to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 since 1995.
You may not be able to go full Elsa-does-Grand-Designs and build yourself an ice castle, but if you fancy a sing-a-long, then dive right in.
Need more kick-ass women? Listen to our playlist.
Beauty and the Beast - Be Our Guest
Hear this song more than once, and every time you sit down to a fancy dinner, you’ll be humming it as you drape your napkin over your lap. Plus, as Lumiere points out, whilst acknowledging that Belle’s feeling alone and scared, ‘The banquet’s all prepared/No-one’s gloomy or complaining/While the flatware’s entertaining/We tell jokes, I do tricks/With my fellow candlesticks.’ A joyous ode to eating, sung by a French candlestick? Mais oui - bon appetit!
The Jungle Book – I Wan’na Be Like You
Ranking as one of the most popular Disney songs, with an addictive rhythm, trumpets and truly swinging jazz (in every sense), this is a top scat banger, sung by Louis Prima, which proves very effective at distracting poor old Baloo. You’ll come for the foot-tapping melody and the cheeky monkeys (‘Obee-do’!), then be dismayed by the fact that King Louie is actually a total villain, who wants something very big from Mowgli in return, in the shape of ‘man’s red flower’ – ie, fire. What does he want it for? We suspect it’s not just for barbecuing bananas, as delicious as that is, even though it’s never actually made explicit, only that he wants to ‘learn to be human’.
Aladdin - A Whole New World
Aladdin and Jasmine’s duet is such a top Disney song that it knocked Whitney Houston’s record-breaking ‘I Will Always Love You’ off the No. 1 spot in the US charts. (Also one of the best ever movie love songs.) Amazingly, it’s the only Disney song ever to make it to No. 1 in the US. A Disney love song that take you travelling around the wonders of the world via a magic carpet? Fun, romantic and better for the environment than a private jet.
Coco – Remember Me
Coco, which tackles hefty themes such as death and dementia, features this tear-jerker. It’s written by Roberto Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the same team behind ‘Let it Go’, and its melody is inspired by Chopin.
For sad songs for your production, have a listen to this playlist.
The Lion King – The Circle of Life
Talk about an iconic opening sequence – if you haven’t seen The Lion King, then you really haven’t lived. No dialogue needed, just the imagery of all the animals and birds coming together across the plains, gathering at Pride Rock to celebrate the birth of Simba, and that huge Elton John/Tim Rice song, complete with Lebo M.’s Zulu chant and Carmen Twillie’s vocals.
The song may have missed out on an Oscar (to ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ from the same soundtrack), but this video’s been viewed over 229 million times, for good reason – it’s an almost biblical epic.
Toy Story – You’ve Got a Friend in Me
Randy Newman has scored nine Disney films, and the most famous song from them is Toy Story’s simple, gorgeous hymn to undying friendship. It appears in all four of the Toy Story films, including a Spanish language version by The Gypsy Kings in Toy Story 3. In terms of classic Disney songs, this has got to be one of the best, as it’s used in so many different ways throughout the series.
Mary Poppins Returns – The Place Where Lost Things Go
This lullaby from Mary Poppins Returns taps into the sometimes stern Mary’s more wistful, emotional side, as she tries to comfort the children, who are mourning their mother. The song took its inspiration from an idea in P.L. Travers’ original Mary Poppins series, that the man in the moon is Mary Poppins’ uncle and he keeps all the lost things on the dark side of the moon.
‘Maybe all those things/That you love so/Are waiting in the place/Where the lost things go’ is certainly a very comforting idea.
Up – Married Life
Is there a sadder opening sequence to a film than the montage that kicks off Up? If you’re a child, you might not 100% get what’s going on, but for an adult, it’s like being presented with a fast-forward version of what your own life might be like. You go through the whole of Carl and Ellie’s relationship, from meeting until her death, with all of the couple’s joys and sadnesses.
Composer Michael Giacchino won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for the tune, ‘Married Life’; director Pete Doctor had requested a song that sounded as if it were from a grandmother’s music box. It’s a masterclass in dialogue-free storytelling.
The Little Mermaid – Under the Sea
Devoting their full time to floating are Ariel’s underwater chums, led by Sebastian the crab, who warns her that her dreams of trying a new life on land are ‘a big mistake’. They know what happens to fish up there (‘One day when the boss get hungry/Guess who’s gon’ be on the plate?’), whereas ‘We got no troubles/Life is the bubbles/Under the sea’. It’s a glorious calypso, whose easy rhythms bring to mind just hanging out in warm waters, doing nothing very much.
Moana – You’re Welcome
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the multi-talented writer of Hamilton, wrote this homage to 60s sunshine pop. Has there ever been an entity with more self-confidence than Maui? ‘I know it’s a lot: the hair, the bod!/When you’re staring at a demi-god’ – plus he’s taken responsibility for supplying the tides, sun, the sky, fire, coconuts… The list goes on. Yeah, we get it, Maui, you’re some kinda guy. Oh, but wait – the one thing Maui can’t do is float, so he’s going to need to ‘borrow’ Moana’s boat, leaving her stranded in a cave. Dammit.
Hercules – I Won’t Say I’m in Love
Heroine Meg sings a love song from the perspective of a girl who doesn’t want to be in love. She knows she doesn’t pick the best (‘If there’s a prize for rotten judgement/I guess I’ve already won that’), but her excellent Greek chorus (geddit) are having none of it; the sassy toga-clad gals are going to be on her case till she admits she’s in love (‘Girl don’t be proud, it’s okay you’re in love’).
The Jungle Book – That’s What Friends are For
Our hero, Mowgli, is not doing well, when he comes across some vultures who endeavour to cheer him up by offering to be his friends (‘we’ve never met an animal we didn’t like’). It’s a barbershop quartet showstopper that was supposed to be voiced by the Beatles (hence their mop-top hairdos – you can also see some physical resemblances in the way they’re drawn and speak), but the Fab Four’s schedule didn’t permit – and apparently John Lennon wasn’t keen either.
It’s a heartwarming song, till baddie Shere Khan shows up at the end to add a very deep solo.
Need a bit of barbershop? Give this track a listen.
Aladdin – Prince Ali
You want extra? You got extra – Prince Ali’s got elephants, monkeys, enormous platters of gold, thousands of servants – not to mention in the animated version, an array of glorious Robin Williams voices and characters. It belts along, throwing more extravagance in with every line, leaving the audience totally dazzled.
You can play compare and contrast with the live action version, which is a bit more slinky, tune-wise, with Will Smith as the genie (riding ostriches at one point) in a gloriously technicolour, Mardi Gras-influenced extravaganza.
The Jungle Book – The Bare Necessities
Nominated for an Academy Award, Baloo the Bear’s song is the ultimate paen to either being a total slacker or, more kindly, living in the moment, de-stressing and adopting a ‘God will provide’ attitude. (Not to mention foraging for ants.) Scratching your back against a tree has never seemed like so much fun.
The Lion King – Hakuna Matata
The spiritual successors to Baloo the Bear are warthog Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) and meerkat Timon (Nathan Lane), whose ‘problem-free philosophy’ of Hakuna Matata espouses the idea of ‘no worries, for the rest of our days’ – plus Timon even tries to convince Simba that eating grubs is great, just as Baloo did with Mowgli and the ants. And you get a lovely little growing-up montage of the three chums walking over a log against the moonlight. It’s an instant earworm, and if you sing along, it definitely cheers you up.
Disney Princess Songs
Snow White – Whistle While You Work
We might’ve been stuck in lockdown in our own homes for too long, but having a load of woodland animals to help with the housework looks curiously appealing. A variety of bushy tails make great dusters; tweeting birds bring you primroses and Snow White trills away very happily. If you’ve got to encourage everyone to do their share of the chores, then make them sing, ‘As you sweep the room/Imagine that the broom/Is someone that you love and soon/You’ll find you’re dancing to the tune’ to one of these jaunty whistling tracks.
Ariel – Part of Your World
Ah, the age-old longing for grass that’s greener, and, in fact, a totally different world. One that involves ‘What do you call ‘em?/Oh, feet’. The iconic song was apparently at risk of ending up on the cutting room floor until lyricist Howard Ashman fought for it. Jodi Benson, Ariel’s ‘voice’, told EW.com that he said, ‘you can’t cut an ‘I Want’ song at the beginning of the film, because you don’t have your hero or heroine to root for the whole film. You lose that piece of the puzzle, especially for Ariel losing her voice. There would be that missing storytelling device.’
After all, how could a world that makes neat things like forks and candelabras not be great?
Belle
Belle does the rounds of her tiny town, being nice to everyone she meets, even as they claim she’s such a ‘funny girl’. Mind you, she thinks they’re a bit provincial, compared with all the adventures and romance she’s reading about. Not that that bothers hunky old Gaston, who just wants to have the most beautiful girl around for his wife.
Check out the live action version with Emma Watson as Belle, and Luke Evans as Gaston:
Tiana – Almost There
The Princess and the Frog’s Tiana suffers from a common Disney Princess problem: she wants something more out of life – and most people think she’s crazy. But unlike quite a few princesses, who have an idea of what they want, but not how to get it, Tiana’s got it all mapped out. Her father told her fairytales can come true, but, ‘you gotta make ‘em happen/it all depends on you’. She’s put in the hard work, made her sacrifices and now she’s almost there. Inspirational and uplifting, it definitely ranks up there as one of the best Disney songs.
Moana – How Far I’ll Go
For the Moana soundtrack, Disney wanted to combine traditional South Pacific culture with pop and Broadway sensibilities, hence getting Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda on board, together with composer Mark Mancina and Tokelauan singer-songwriter Opetaia Foa’i. The songs feature a New Zealand-based vocal group, Te Vaka, as well as a choir from Fiji. ‘How Far I’ll Go’ was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
Moana is an adventurous teenager who wants to become a wayfinder to fulfil her quest to save her people and discover the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. Voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, this song soars as Moana wonders how far she’ll go, leaving her island, and life as a dutiful daughter, behind.
Disney Villain Songs
Who’s the baddest Disney villain? It’s a tough call, but we’re going for Scar from The Lion King. He’s fully terrifying and he destroys a whole kingdom within minutes of taking it over. Not to mention orchestrating a herd of wildebeest to kill your own brother, leaving your nephew booted unceremoniously into the wilderness. But which other villains have great tunes under their evil belts?
The Jungle Book – Trust in Me
Did you know that wicked snake Kaa’s swivel-eyed, hypnotic song was once called ‘Land of Sand’ and was intended for Mary Poppins? Or that Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded a version of it for their album Through the Looking Glass? Never has a lullaby sounded so sssssssinister.
101 Dalmations - Cruella de Vil
It’s surely a strong case for Disney’s nominative determinism, but a woman who skins puppies to make her fur coats is definitely up there for villainous intent. Plus, just look at her – she’s entirely composed of angles that look like they could take your face off with one side-glance. (Her super-long cigarette holder also makes for a great bad gal prop.) She doesn’t get a song to sing herself, but Roger – the 101 Dalmations’ owner, sings a piano and trombone anti-tribute to Cruella’s awfulness. ‘If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will.’ Got it in one.
The Lion King – Be Prepared
As we said, for our money, Scar is the baddest of all the Disney villains – and in ‘Be Prepared’, he really sets out his stall, against a backdrop of pure, evil, green smoke, and a tango rhythm, as he tells the dim-witted, goose-stepping hyenas about his master plan to kill both his brother and his nephew. ‘My teeth and ambitions are bared’ is a pretty snappy slogan – at least you know exactly what you’re getting if you choose Scar as your leader.
Disney Classical Music
Fantasia
In 1940, Walt Disney hoped that Fantasia would bring classical music to the masses. And he also wanted the music to take centre stage: ‘In our ordinary stuff, our music is always under action, but on this... we're supposed to be picturing this music — not the music fitting our story.’
Eight segments are set to an eclectic selection of pieces, including Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Suite’, and Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. From dinosaurs to dancing hippos, the most memorable section is Mickey Mouse’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Paul Dukas’s music gradually moves from a playful, skipping march to something much more sinister, determined and insistent as the brooms multiply, creating a nightmarish army and tidal waves of water.
Find more of Paul Dukas’s music in our Classical Collection.
Need Music for Your Project?
At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!
This page was updated 15/08/2024.
