Who doesn’t love Disney music? Not only does Disney produce some of the best animated films of all time, but they also produce some fantastic tunes that have often rivaled top songs on the music charts and taken home Oscars! However, there are so many Disney songs that it’s difficult to pick a favorite or even remember them all. Well, today’s list is attempting to tackle the enormous catalogue of Disney music to bring you the Top 10. Not an easy task, I assure you, but a fun one! Let’s begin!
1. When You Wish Upon a Star-This classic Disney song was performed by Cliff Edwards, who was the voice of Jiminy Cricket, in the 1940 film Pinocchio. This song actually won an Academy Award for best original song that year. Then, in the years that followed, this song became somewhat of a theme for Disney; and today, it’s iconic and instantly calls the Disney magic to mind. This is why this song earns the top slot in our top 10 list.
2. Circle of Life-Written by Tim Rice and composed by Elton John, this song was showcased in the opening scene of The Lion King in 1994. Everybody knows this song; and probably everyone has tried to sing it! All teasing aside, the Circle of Life is an incredibly powerful song; and probably no other Disney film has had such a dramatic opening since. Without question, the Circle of Life is the second best Disney song.
3. Under the Sea-This Calypso style song was one of the highlights in Disney’s The Little Mermaid in 1989. The Little Mermaid marked the beginning of the Disney Renaissance, the rebirth of blockbuster, classic Disney films. Written by Howard Ashman, and composed by Alan Menken, Under the Sea served a role similiar to that you would find in a Broadway play as it help to tell the story. It was also just a lot of fun and one of the most memorable scenes in the whole film!
4. You Got a Friend in Me-Written and performed by Randy Newman, this song served as the theme for 1995’s Toy Story. No one had ever seen anything like Toy Story when it was first released; and coupled with a terrific story and characters, it quicklybecame one of the most popular and successful Disney films ever! Randy Newman’s song effectively communicates the emotion and theme of Toy Story and has been present in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 as well. When you hear You Got a Friend in Me, the magic of Toy Story is instantly brought to mind. This is why it earns a spot in my list for top Disney songs!
5. Be Our Guest-This is another great song that everyone knows and associates with Disney’s 1992 Beauty and the Beast! Written by the Howard Ashman and Alan Menken team, this Broadway style song definitely put on a show! It was actually nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Without a doubt, Be Our Guest deserves a place in our list for best Disney songs.
6. Hakuna Matata-In 1994, this song was very popular, especially with kids! Another hit from The Lion King, this song is pure fun and definitely Disney. Hakuna Matata means “no worries” in Swahili; and it was written by Elton John and Tim Rice. The lyrics are catchy and hilarious; and this number definitely provided some comedic relief after the intense scene where Mufasa dies and Simba tries to escape the hyenas.
7. A Whole New World-This song was incredibly popular following the release of 1992’s Aladdin. Written by Tim Rice and composed by Alan Menken, this song won an Oscar for Best Song! This awesome ballad was both adventurous and romantic; and coupled with one of the coolest parts of the film, a magic carpet ride, it bcame a highlight of the film. Therefore, it definitely belongs in the Top 10 list of Best Disney songs.
8. Colors of the Wind-The song was the theme of 1995’s Pocahontas and it ruled the charts that year. It also raked in some awards, such as an Oscar for Best Original Song, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe! Colors of the Wind was written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and this powerful song really communicated a major theme in the film.
9. Feed the Birds-This may sound like an odd choice, but this song has some serious Disney history behind it. Written by the legendary Sherman Brothers, this song appears in the 1964 classic Mary Poppins. The song appears in more serious moments of the film and it was supposedly one of Walt Disney’s favorites. When talking with the Sherman brothers, he would often say “play it” and they would know exactly what he meant. They would sit down at a piano and play Feed the Birds. This gentle but serious song carries weight and cuts to what is truly important and significant. Therefore, Feed the Birds belongs in our Top 10 list of Disney songs.
10. Heigh-Ho-Finally, our last Disney song is Heigh-Ho from the classic Disney film, Snow White. Written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey, Heigh-Ho is the best known song from the first full-length, animated film which changed cinema history. Despite the fact that this film debuted in 1937, young and old still know and remember Heigh-Ho. It’s a song that is a part of American pop culture and is the part of the film that comes to mind when you think of Snow White. Heigh-Ho is definitely one of the best Disney songs.
So now it’s your turn to share your favorite Disney song? Did it make the list? Be sure to let us know!
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Under the Sea is one of my favs. The Little Mermaid is my fav Disney Princess
I invested in the Disney Classic Music CDs when they first came out, and we listen to them every time we drive to WDW. These are all great songs.
I have 76 Disney songs in a playlist on my phone. The only one I don’t have from the list is Feed The Birds. Will have to buy that one next. Thanks for the list. Didn’t know I was missing something.
Nice list, but it seems heavily weighted towards the post 1989 Disney canon. Assuming it was just films and not ALL Disney music (which would include park songs like “It’s A Small World” and “A Pirates Life For Me” or TV songs like “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” or “Mickey Mouse Club March”) you still left off classics like “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” “Zip A Dee Doo Dah” and “Bella Notte” among others. “Colors of the Wind” and “Hakuna Matata” can’t hold a candle to those songs, but that’s just my opinion and a reason why debate worthy lists like these are fun.