Disney Rankings Finals: Best Music

Disney Rankings Finals: Best Music/Songs

Disney is known for having great music in its animated movies. Music in Disney movies has been a tradition since their very first animated movie, Snow White. Many studios have attempted to copy Disney's musical success (and they're have been some successes such as Anastasia and Prince of Egypt), however, no one does animated musicals quite like Disney does. In this section, I will cover the top 12 Disney animated movies that I feel have the best music and songs. This will include lyrical music, as well as orchestral. Since I can't really show you pictures of the music from these movies, I've decided to search YouTube for some of the best covers of songs from these movies, and have provided videos and links for them. Enjoy!

12th Place: Snow White

Evynne Hollens: Cover of "Someday My Prince Will Come" (here)

Zora Catone: Cover of "Heigh Ho" (here)

So, despite the rest of the movie definitely being rather dull, I found the music of Snow White to be pretty good. It's dated to be sure, but it has that golden classic feeling to it. Snow White's voice is a little grating at times, but the dwarfs to a fantastic job of bringing energy and fun into their music numbers. It's nothing groundbreaking by any means, but I think this movie's songs just do a good job of being fun and somewhat whimsical.

11th Place: Lady & the Tramp

annapantsu: Cover of "He's a Tramp" (here)

Abby Rice: Cover of "Bella Notte" (here)

I used to not really remember Lady and the Tramp's music at all, but after re-watching it, I discovered that this movie has some really nice music. First of all, I love the music score during the first few scenes of the movie--especially the music that plays during Lady's puppy stage. It just matches the movie so well, and I often find my mind playing it in my head. I really liked how organic the songs felt in this movie as well. One example was Lady's "What is a baby?". It was short, and simple, but I just thought it captured her innocence and sincerity so well. I also loved "Bella Notte", the song that plays during Lady and the Tramp's romance montage. In my opinion, that song is the capstone on their romance.

10th Place: Lilo & Stitch

Johnathan Young: Punk Rock Cover of "Hawaiian Roller coaster Ride (here)

Ukulele Underground: Cover of "Aloha 'Oe" (here)

This movie's soundtrack is rather unique. A good chunk of its music is Elvis, which gives it some rather interesting moments. Those songs help add some interesting contrast to the Hawaiian music that plays throughout the movie. "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" is its most iconic song, which does a great job of combining traditional Hawaiian and modernized western music in my opinion. A powerful song in the soundtrack is a cover of Aloha O'e, which was written by the last Hawaiian Queen during the U.S. government's take over of Hawaii. The song beautifully captures both the pain of Lilo and Nani's broken family, but also the hope they cling onto. It's a song that is beloved by many Hawaiians, as it helps them connect to their past, but also have hope for their present.  

9th Place: Bolt

Paola Villalvazo: Cover of "Barking at the Moon" (here)

Miley Cyrus and John Travolta: Cover of "I thought I lost you" (here)

This movie did a pretty good job with its music. The background music that plays during the action sequences adds to the suspense, and the music does a good job of being pensive and gentle during the more emotional scenes. "Barking at the Moon" (or, "there is no home like the one you've got") is a beautiful song that just hits me in the feels every time. It fits perfectly with the movie's themes about home and learning to love one's life. I feel like the music just adds to that humble, homey atmosphere that permeates the movie.

8th Place: The Great Mouse Detective

Russian Translation of "World's Greatest Criminal Mind" (here)

Turkish Translation of "Goodbye So Soon" (here)

So this movie has an awesome score, and great songs. Vincent Price does an excellent job with "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind", and "Goodbye, So Soon". Those two songs are incredibly catchy, capture the personality of the villain perfectly, and are delivered with bombastic energy. The music score is amazing, with probably one of the best main themes I've ever heard in an animated film. The score really adds to the jovial, yet sometimes dark atmosphere that the movie creates.

7th Place: The Rescuers

Doe-Ray-Mimi: Cover of "Somebody's waiting for you" (here)

Nightcore: Cover of "The Journey" (here)

Laura Dickinson: Cover of "Tomorrow is Another Day" (here)

This movie has an absolutely stunning opening theme in my opinion. "The Journey" is such a powerful song that captures the anxieties and fears of a lonely child, and it gives the mostly jovial movie an edge of urgency and anxiety to it. The other songs (beyond the rather silly "Rescue Aid Society" song) are also performed rather well, and give the movie a sort of warmth that I just really find endearing.

6th Place: The Jungle Book

Dave Wave: Electric Swing Cover of "I wanna be like you" (here)

Louis Armstrong: Cover of "Bare Necessities" (here)

Julien Neel and Patrick von Massow: Cover of "That's What Friends are For" (here)

Now we get to the big leagues! The Jungle Book is full of incredible songs, that are still catchy and absolute fun to this day. "Bare Necessities" is probably one of the most iconic Disney songs ever written, and Phil Harris does an excellent job of delivering the song. "I wanna be like you" is a lot of fun to listen to (and sing), and has a great jazzy feel to it. The vulture's song is also a rather nice barbershop choir sort of song that just oozes with 60's feel (I mean, the Vultures do have Beatles' haircuts...). The movie also filled with a bunch of other songs that really make the movie fun watch.

5th Place: The Little Mermaid

Alex Boye: Cover of "Under the Sea" (here)

Whitney Avalon: Harry Potter Parody of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (here)

Stellar Kart: Rock Cover of "Kiss the Girl" (here)

Now we're getting to the Broadway levels of Disney. "Kiss the Girl" is perhaps one of the most iconic romance songs of all time. Ursula gets to deliver "Poor Unfortunate Souls" which I believe was the first song to really make deliciously evil Villain songs a thing. "Under the Sea" is an incredible combined effort of instruments and singing that just feels so well-made. Basically, the music of The Little Mermaid is what saved Disney movies from being afterthoughts. 

4th Place: Princess & the Frog

Johnathan Young: Metal Cover of "Friends on the Other Side" (here) (There's one or two spots where it gets very loud, so be warned XD)

Swing'it Dixieband: Folk Cover of "When we're human" (here)

Logan Kendell: Cover of "My Belle Evangeline" (here) Warning: this will make you cry!

Brittany J. Smith: Cover of "Almost There" (here)

Now we're getting to the songs that will no doubt be playing at my wedding some day, lol. No joke though, this movie (and the rest of the movies after it), have some of the best music ever. My personal favorite from Princess and the Frog is probably "Friends on the other Side" which brought back the classic Disney Villain song with gusto, and offers some rather stunning visuals. "My belle, Evangeline" is one of the best love songs Disney has written, and it makes me emotional every time (half because of Ray, and half because it's just such a pretty song). The rest of the music is practically dripping with Jazz Soul, and is absolutely awesome to listen to.

3rd Place: Tarzan

The Crosby's: Cover of "You'll Be in My Heart" (here)

pellekofficial: Metal Cover of "Two worlds"

Vocal Point: Cover of "Strangers Like Me" (here)

Vivi in a dream: Spanish Cover of "Son of Man" (here)

 In my opinion, Phil Collins did an excellent job writing and performing the songs for this movie. "Two worlds" is the perfect song to introduce the main themes of the movie (and a reprise of it also plays at the end to signal the full circle completion of the movie's themes). "You'll be in my heart" is a beautiful ode to parenthood. "Son of man" and "Strangers like me" are powerful ways to show the growth of Tarzan throughout the movie, as he learns to gain acceptance from his family, and then learn more about the world he truly came from. All of these songs just have a power to them, that not only uplifts, but also inspires.

2nd Place: Frozen

Alex Boye & Lexi Walker: Africanized Cover of "Let it Go" (here)

The Nathanson's: Cover of "Love is an Open Door" (here)

Caleb Hyles and Johnathan Young: Comedy Metal Cover of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" (here)

Jessie Kitty: Pitch edited version of "For the First Time in Forever" (here)

I know, I know "Frozen is overrated, and is sung way too much!" But there's a reason why everyone is singing these songs to death. It's because they're amazing. "Let it go" is pure musical genius, simply put. When Kristen and Robert Lopez wrote this song, they weren't trying to make a pop-culture explosion. They were simply trying to make a song that captured the inner turmoil and struggles of Elsa. The majority of the movie's other songs follow that basic pattern. They capture the raw emotion of the characters so well. Love it or hate it, you can't deny that Frozen has incredibly powerful music that has resonated with audiences everywhere.

Winner: Hunchback of Notre Dame (surprise, surprise)

Voctave: "Carol of the Bells" and "Bells of Notre Dame" mash-up (here)

Sam Robson: Cover of "Out There" (here)

Johnathan Young: Metal Cover of "Hellfire" (here)

Evynne Hollens: Cover of "God Help the Outcasts" (here)

It was a hard decision to make between Frozen and Hunchback of Notre Dame, but the more I thought about it, the more I could hear the Bells of Notre Dame sounding gloriously in my head. This movie's music isn't necessarily the pop-culture powerhouse that Frozen's music is, but it is so masterfully composed and delivered that I feel like it is the peak of Disney's musical greatness. Like Frozen, this movie's music does a perfect job of capturing the characters' emotions and personalities. "Out there" is a beautiful look into the purity and yearning of Quasimodo's heart. "Hellfire" is without a doubt the best Disney Villain song ever, to the point that it's what everyone remembers about Frollo most. "God Help the Outcasts" also does an amazing job of characterizing Esmerelda, and showing her champion-like personality. Then, there's "The Bells of Notre Dame", which does everything pretty much perfectly. As soon as you hear those first few notes, you know that this movie is going to be powerful.

And as an extra bonus:

thatdudette: Cover of "Hellfire" that makes it sound like The Sound of Music (here)

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Alright, well that does it for this round! The next round will be the final round, in which I discuss which Disney movies are the best overall. I will be writing that one soon, so be sure to stay tuned for it.