After popular countdowns on Disney's Animated Classics and Live Action Films, in the spring of 2005 UltimateDisney.com began polling for a third countdown. The focus for this was songs from Disney movies, both animated and live action. First, a list of 129 nominees was devised by forum members. Then, sixty-two site visitors compiled lists of their favorite Disney songs from the nominees.
From these votes, we bring you the 100 Top Disney Songs. Each weekday, for four weeks, we counted down 5 songs, all the way to #1.
25) "Heigh Ho" (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Even if most people mistakenly sing "it's off to work we go," "Heigh Ho" has entered the vernacular in as great a way as any Disney song. Written nearly seventy years ago, this anthem of the dwarfs is both enduring and endearing. This is perhaps the first song from a Disney film to become popular on a great national level. Decades later, even the Gremlins found it eminently catchy.
Available on Snow White Soundtrack (out of print) / Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs DVD Review
24) "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" (The Lion King)
With youthful exuberance, lion prince Simba sings this grand number about his expectations of ruling Pride Rock.
It's all in an effort to ditch royal advisor Zazu, who provides memorable and comic counterweight to Simba's soaring dreams. In the film, scene bursts with color and the stylized animation enhances the energetic song.
Available on The Lion King Special Edition Soundtrack / The Lion King DVD Review
23) "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (Mary Poppins)
With this catchy tune, Mary Poppins introduced a word into the English language, a word as long and exclamatory as any other. The sequence is animated, literally and figuratively, and the refrain of this fast song remains as memorable as any other Sherman Brothers tune. For a song about a word, the lyrics may not make too much sense, but it is the fun spirit and energy that make the song and the rest of Mary Poppins work so well.
Available on Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Soundtrack / Mary Poppins: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD Review
22) "The Bare Necessities" (The Jungle Book)
The lovable bear Baloo gives young Mowgli some laid-back life lessons in this Oscar-nominated tune. It's hard not to like this mix of Phil Harris' vocals, a smooth jazzy beat, and the rhyme-heavy lyrics which aptly serve the point.
Available on The Jungle Book Soundtrack / The Jungle Book DVD Review
21) "A Spoonful of Sugar" (Mary Poppins)
Mary Poppins finds the element of fun in cleaning up a room with this cheerful song. The magic that the nanny works dazzles both the Banks children and viewers in this irresistible film. The song is also noteworthy for its strong use of a whistling bird.
Available on Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Soundtrack / Mary Poppins: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD Review
20) "Belle" (Beauty and the Beast)
With the 5-minute song "Belle," Beauty and the Beast sets up a central contrast of its pretty protagonist with her quaint provincial town. There's a Broadway feel to this number, and a host of voices from ordinary citizens counterweigh the dazzling vocals of actress/artist Paige O'Hara.
Available on Beauty and the Beast Special Edition Soundtrack / Beauty and the Beast DVD Review
19) "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" (Mary Poppins)
This song, Walt's personal favorite, doesn't have a great deal to do with the rest of Mary Poppins. The lyrics aren't particularly poignant or meaningful, either. Why, then, does it manage to captivate us so well? One might conclude that it's either Julie Andrews' voice or the unique Sherman Brothers melody which makes this peaceful little bedtime song so effective and haunting.
Available on Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Soundtrack / Mary Poppins: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD Review
18) "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (Mary Poppins)
Out of the unrivaled collection of songs that the Sherman Brothers penned for Mary Poppins, "Chim-Chim-Cheree" is the one that won the Oscar. The bubbling charm of Dick Van Dyke, Cockney accent and all, mixed with this unique and striking Sherman Brothers melody, just works as well as any of the memorable songs from the film.
Available on Mary Poppins 40th Anniversary Soundtrack / Mary Poppins: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD Review
17) "Hakuna Matata" (The Lion King)
The Swahili phrase for "no worries" had been used with popular effect, but it took on a new life altogether after it was applied to this catchy tune from Tim Rice and Elton John. In this song, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are entirely entertaining as the sly meerkat and his faithful warthog friend. Their philosophy of no rules and a slimy yet satisfying diet embraces Simba and the song is actually able to make audiences forget about perhaps the most powerful sequence in a Disney film that comes just a little earlier. "Hakuna Matata" is the type of fun Disney song that everybody knows.
Available on The Lion King Special Edition Soundtrack / The Lion King DVD Review
16) "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
The first 'romantic' Disney song remains a favorite with folks today. Snow White's high-pitched dreams of a man are practically the theme to Walt's first animated feature.
Available on Snow White Soundtrack (out of print) / Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs DVD Review
14) "Reflection" (Mulan)
"When I first heard “Reflection” on the Mulan film, I was very amazed by it. It’s a very powerful and strong song.
I guess I fell in love with the song because what Mulan sang. I also can’t wait this October to get Mulan. “Reflection” is great from beginning to end." - Alex Pantoja
"Another classic song from Disney. The viewer can really see the desire Mulan has to be herself while at the same time pleasing her family." - DisneyVillains
Available on Mulan Soundtrack / Mulan: 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Review
12) "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (Song of the South)
Like Splash Mountain, the attraction it is theme to, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" has taken a life separate from Song of the South. While modern audiences may lack the film context provided by Disney's much-demanded but still never-on-video 1946 film, they nonetheless find the song as free-spirited and upbeat as ever. This is also known for being the second of many Best Song Oscars that the Disney studio has won over the years.
Available on Disney's Greatest, Volume 1 / Sign up to be notified of a genuine DVD release
11) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" (The Lion King)
Having to pick a Best Song from The Lion King must not have been an easy task for Academy Award voters. From the three nominated songs by Tim Rice and Elton John, it was this one that took home the Oscar. As far as Disney love songs, this one manages to not be sappy or cliched. Its refreshing exuberance and unique structure make it one of the true musical gems of the '80s/'90s Disney Renaissance.
Available on The Lion King Special Edition Soundtrack / The Lion King DVD Review
8) "Be Our Guest" (Beauty and the Beast)
Parodied on everything from "The Simpsons" to Conan O'Brien, "Be Our Guest" is probably the most frequently heard song from Beauty and the Beast. Inside the Beast's castle, the enchanted objects put on quite the grand production for Belle. They're led by Lumiere, voiced unexpectedly to some, by "Law & Order" star Jerry Orbach.
Available on Beauty and the Beast Special Edition Soundtrack / Beauty and the Beast DVD Review
5) "Part of Your World" (The Little Mermaid)
In the fifteen years since its release, The Little Mermaid has been given much credit as restoring Disney animation to a level of greatness it hadn't reached in years. The quality of the film, which embracing audiences made a popular success, sparked a resurgance that would inspire three other transcendant films before five years had passed. "Part of Your World" inspired other songs in which female protagonists hope for more, but this first song manages to be more poignant and uplifting than any of those which would follow.
"This is one of the first Disney songs that I can remember as a kid. In this sequence, one can see the true yearning that Ariel has for the human world. It is really a great piece of music that has a great animated sequence." - DisneyVillains
Available on The Little Mermaid Soundtrack / The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition DVD Review / The Little Mermaid: 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack CD Review
3) (tie) "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Pinocchio)
The classic opening number to Pinocchio earned Disney their first Best Song Oscar.
For many, this is a pinnacle of the best Disney music, a song which embodies the studio's ideal of dreams coming true. The song's sweet message paints Pinocchio with a most appealing brush, and speaks to the hopes and desires of all.
"This is the quintessential Disney song. It's got everything: sappy lyrics, lush orchestration, and warm fuzziness." - snowbot
Available on Pinocchio Soundtrack (out of print) / Pinocchio DVD Review
3) (tie) "Circle of Life" (The Lion King)
The power of The Lion King's opening makes it stand out among Disney's animation as a whole. A perfect blend of music and artwork, the "Circle of Life" sets the film's tone flawlessly. It was so effective an opening that Disney used it in its entirety to initially promote the film. But, as Jack Seiley points out, "While the song is most remembered for the knockout prologue it is paired with, the music itself is spectacular on its own." Without this song, the scene just isn't as potent. In the years since The Lion King, other Disney films have tried to duplicate this kind of awe-inspiring opening, but never as well. The "Circle of Life" sequence stands out not just as a high point in Disney animation, but as one of the strongest openings ever recorded, in film at large.
Available on The Lion King Special Edition Soundtrack / The Lion King DVD Review
2) "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the Beast)
The ballroom dance scene is one of the highlights of Beauty and the Beast. In a movie noted for drama and romance that is not dumbed down for young audiences, the scene establishes Belle and Beast as lovers. There's a vintage feel to the song, which is performed by Angela Lansbury's character (the teapot Mrs. Potts) with surprising effectiveness. Compared to other title songs, "Beauty and the Beast" is brimming with life and originality, and it makes the perfect companion to the captivating on-screen animation.
Available on Beauty and the Beast Special Edition Soundtrack / Beauty and the Beast DVD Review
1) "A Whole New World" (Aladdin)
Voters agreed that this magic carpet ride song was quite magical! One of a number of popular Disney songs to come out of the resurgent '90s, "A Whole New World" can be viewed as somewhat of an anthem to the new Disney. What distinguishes this from love songs and other Disney ballads that cover the hope and exhilaration of true love? It just may be an intangible quality of magic that seems to cast its spell over Aladdin and Jasmine's happy wonder-filled moment together.
"Quite simply one of my favorite songs of all time. I especially like how it's not just the typical love song, but also speaks to the movie's theme of the need for freedom in life- freedom to experience new things and freedom to be yourself. " - iamthejo
Available on Aladdin Special Edition Soundtrack / Aladdin: Platinum Edition DVD Review
