Everyone has a favorite Disney movie. Disney was there for most of us growing up and it filled our imagination, and probably gave us unrealistic expectations of life and love. It also gave us some of the most adored and memorable songs in history! This is a list of the Ten Best Disney Songs. The list includes only one song from each movie.
Written by Phil Collins, This won an Academy Award (like most on this list) for Best Original Song. This song relaunched Phil Collins’ career after being virtually unknown to younger generations.
Written by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert, this is a song most people know because it has become such a part of our culture. It also was the opening theme music for most Disney movies and TV shows for years.
Written by the Sherman Brothers, this song will probobly be the most argued on the list. This scene has a begger women giving bread crumbs to the locals for a tuppence and to the birds of course. The song is a very different and serious in contrast to the rest of the movie. Therefore I gave it the nod, and because I find the scene to be one of the best in any film.
Written by Alan Menkin and Stephen Schwartz, it won the 1995 Academy Award for best song. It was the highest ranked song when it comes to the American pop charts – reaching number four. It is the most cherished song in the movie by far and it very fairly shows you how the Native Americans view the world around them.
Written by Larry Morey and Frank Churchill, this song appears 17th on AFI’s best songs in film history! This song is known for being an influence not only on Disney movies, but Jazz, and an entire generation of women looking for a prince.
Also written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, this song was also nominated but it lost to the other “Little Mermaid” song “Under the Sea”. This song is on the list however because I find it rather gorgeous and beautifully sung.
Written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, it is sung by one of my favorites: Angela Lansbury. It brought more people to tears then almost any other song in disney history. It won best song at the Academy Awards, the Grammy’s, and the Canadian Film awards (a Juno award).
An Alan Menkin and Tim Rice work, it is arguably the most cherished duet in Disney history. It went on to win Numerous awards at the Oscars and Grammy awards where it took home the Song of the Year award.
Written by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline, it won the Academy Award for best original song in 1940. It is seventh, and the highest ranking disney song on AFI’s 100 greatest songs in film history.
Written by Elton John and Tim Rice this song is no doubt one of the best written songs in any movie. I could have really picked one of about 4 songs from this amazing movie and not gotten much opposition. Though it did not win the award for best song (‘Can you Feel the Love Tonight?’ did) It has become more of an overall fan favorite especially after the Broadway musical really made this song the Best Disney song of all time.
Notable Omissions: Bells of Notre Damn, Once Upon a Dream, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Bare Necessities.
Contributor: Schiesl
My favorite Disney song has always been "That lady is a tramp", from Lady and the Tramp. Sang by the great Peggy Lee.
I like it. I thhguot it was the Beatles when I heard the first line. How do you get the player on your page?
Hey, I can play a few of these on the piano! I actually enjoyed this list. Good job.
My favourite Disney song is ‘Who Will Rescue Me’ from The Rescuers. That era of Disney is so often overlooked/disliked, but it’s my favourite Disney era. Oh well!
I LOVE Disney songs. We have a CD of Disney songs sung by Pop artists called Stay Awake. My favorite on there is Baby Mine sung by Bonnie Riatt. The only version on the web I found is a video on youtube. The person added sounds that take away from the song a little. I will not link it here, but you can go on youtube and put in Baby Mine Bonnie Raitt and it will show up. I also love Aaron Neville doing the Mickey Mouse March. And Suzanne Vega's Stay Awake from Mary Poppins. I just love that cd.
Great list. I love all the songs.
Janet, would love for you to do a smliiar survey on your blog! I’m including a link to your site on mine, too.
Whole message didn’t post. It continued: “As far as #9, I had no idea that was a Disney song, I’ve heard it before, just didn’t know. Fantastic.”
Clockwise guns on the list, g. Disney will outlive anime FOREVER.
Nice list, actually.
When You Wish Upon a Star is one of my favorites. I also liked Bear Necessities from Jungle Book.
I like “A dream is a Wish you make with your heart” in Cinderella.
a dream is a wish your heart makes…
ahhh…Beauty and the Beast was the best…should be joint first with The Lion King lol
“You’ll Be In My Heart” is the song that beat out “Blame Canada” for the 1999 Best Song Academy Award, an accomplishment that apparently didn’t sit well with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In the fourth season South Park episode “Timmy 2000″ Parker and Stone exact their revenge by depicting Phil Collins crowd surfing with his Oscar shoved up his er, posterior
I also like I Wan’na Be Like You.
Oh YEAH Louis Prima did it really well!
nice list, made me smile:)
i agree with most of it, circle of life really is the best in my opinion, and you mentioned almost all my other favs
i know that doesn’t actually matter but hey, i’ve started the day well
this list is really an opinion list but very well done.
I really agree with you and…
I CAN SHOW YOU THE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRLD
There are some great songs in there. I would have added Hakuna Matata because I think it’s the coolest song ever from a Disney film. I’m sure that has many readers tapping their heads.
Nice list.
Great list, but there's some songs that definitely should have been listed, if not mentioned at the end.
I Wanna be Like You from the Jungle Book
and
You've got a Friend in me from Toy Story
At least one song from the Jungle Book got a mention, but I'm really surprised not to see a Toy Story song with how popular that movie is.
Toy Story is Pixar
It is a Disney Pixar movie….it’s called a collaboration. The fact that there is a Toy Story playland in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, just be a clue
should* not just
Actually, I’d have to go with the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, by J. S. Bach from “Fantasia”. That baby’s shown some real staying power!
Wow, I can hardly remember a time when Disney movies made it to the Academy Awards. It’s so sad to see the company that got so many children to believe in magic, love, and curiosity turn into a greedy media conglomerate, and what was once there has shriveled up, died, and turned into the sellout phenomenon known as Hannah Montana. At least I got to experience, during my childhood, what Disney used to be.
Great list! but i don’t completely agree with the order
TDavis: I don’t think you can classify that as a Disney song. I think all these songs on the list were written for the movie. I could be wrong as I am a lot of the time.
Schiesl: Great list. Many memories attached to these for many people. (Tapping my foot all day long with this one)
You could’ve easily and should have made this a top 20 list. Good list still though.
the most catchy tune though is “Its a small world”
damn now its stuck in my head!
i figured at least something from the jungle book would be here. bare necesseties, i wanna be like you, that’s what friends are for. i remember singing along to all of those as a child. i probably haven’t seen that movie in 15 years and i bet i could still remember some lyrics.
Aladdin song is easily #1.
Although it didn’t make the list, “Under the Sea” contains the immortal lyrics, “Darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter…”
Ah, those crazy kids at Disney…
I would have gone for “I Wanna Be Like You” from the Jungle Book – Louis Prima doing a Louis Armstrong impression – wow. Or else “Baby Mine” from Dumbo, which is very beautiful.
Interesting and diverse list though. But I’m not sure about the Phil Collins number!
Very nice selections, got no complaints from me!
But since someone else mentioned it already, I, too, vote for “Who will rescue me” from The Rescuers. Obviously the most underrated Disney song ever.
Hmm..I definitely agree that Hakuna Matata should have been on this list. You could be just about anywhere and start singing along and everyone will start singing, and possibly, dancing around with you. Easily a classic. I don’t think Circle of Life should have been number one though…Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World were much more beautiful, at least I believe. Though yeah, this probably should have been a top 15 or top 20, just because there are so many good songs in those movies.
Great List, I like the original Circle of Life better than this one though!
I love these songs so much. Why wont Disney go back to this and leave the boy***** Zac Efron and slut Miley Cyrus behind?
Good list, but you totally skipped what I consider to be the best Disney song of all time, “When I See An Elephant Fly”.
It’s chock-a-block full of the most absurd puns, and word play ever to grace a Disney movie song.
I would have swapped Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World and kicked out you’ll be in my heart (I do hate Phil Collins anyhoo) for Baby Mine, but that’s just me. Kudos on Circle of Life being number one.
Not bad.
OK sorry not really for this thread but its the only page I can stay on for more than 2 seconds. I thought the pop-up/pop-under ads, whatever they are, only afflict you once per visit. I cant see the home page long enough to choose a list.
32. Neil: change your browser to Firefox and the pop-up/pop-under problem will be history immediately.
“Everybody wants to be a cat” from the Aristocats. Great tune, great sentiment.
This list could of gone on forever. Personally I love the Jungle Book. i do however think Circle of Life is a great choice of #1.
Thanks so much for putting “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)” on there. That’s probably my favorite Disney song, it’s not only beautiful and haunting, but gives me this chill of nostalgia from all the times I heard it as a child.
I agree!!! THANK YOU FOR SOMEONE AGREEING! Haha. It's wonderful and the lyrics are lovely. Julie Andrews is fantastic aswell!
When I saw the title for this list I thought,another lame list. Boy was I wrong. This is the best one in a while. You should not worry about people disagreeing about #8 Tuppence it`s a beautiful song and deserves a spot.These songs (the old ones) remind me of younger days and they just brightened up the morning.Good job Schiesl!
Yeah the circle of life is the ****, both versions
Great list
Love them all, I love ‘can you feel the love tonight’ so I have to disagree with it not being here, but that’s it.
Lovely list! I also like “When You Believe” from The Prince Of Egypt, but it’s from DreamWorks.
Loved this list! I have watched all these movies so many times and they never get old like some of my kids’ other movies. My son (5) loves Pinocchio! It’s so exciting seeing him get into the older Disney movies as much as the newer ones. He also loves Fox and the Hound, which has some great songs too. I might have ordered some of these songs differently but overall a great list.
Oh, and I have to agree with Tuppence for Mary Poppins. Although that movie has so many great songs, that one is hauntingly beautiful. I have a soft spot for that movie though. I grew up with the soundtrack on LP and also played Mary in my 3rd grade play.
suprised nobody noticed
“Bells of Notre Damn”
isnt it notre dame?
Good list – I wish I could turn back the clock, and savior more of Disneys songs and movies – the road runner ( peep peep ). Speedy —— I forgot his last name – he would put Lewis Hamilton to shame in a grand prix.
Wonderful list. Zip a Dee is a great choice, since the song has been released on various albums, but right now there’s zero chance the original movie will ever be put out. (A pity to me…The animation of Brer Rabbit and his friends were good… But the live action part was very much a product of a different era…)
Of course, now there’s room for another list of Disney songs!
Song of the South is available through various web sites. I own a copy and highly recommend finding one. Also would have made the list longer. I would have included Spoon full of sugar and Let’s go fly a kite from Mary Poppins, Prince Ali from Alladin, Baby Mine, and I wanna be like you from Jungle Book.
The Circle of Poo
What? No Mulan, “I’ll make a man out of you”?
Awesome list!
)
(Although some notable exceptions include Baby Mine from Dumbo.. such a beautiful song.. and that song… I think it’s from Mulan.. Something about “When will my reflection show who I am Inside..” or something like that, It’s a wonderful song. Great list either way..
There is no “Be a Man” or that one awesome Gaston song. This list is pitiful!
i love disney movies
the old ones
Im off to disneylan in a week or two, im looking forward to the 13 hours flight to L.A from Auckland and the “Its a small world” plus that song they play in splash mountain.
I agree goof_ball. I am into the old ones myself though some of the newer ones are pretty good. I wish Disney would still draw them by hand like they used to.
My favorite, by far, is Sleeping Beauty. I even purchased this huge kick ass statue of Maleficent during my last trip at Disney World about 5 years ago. It set me back $125 and had to be sent via Fed-Ex to my house, but it is awesome and well worth it. It is about two feet tall. She is holding her staff up in the air smiling a wicked smile and has green flames circling and rising around her. I am looking at it right now and I think I need to dust her off.
Great list, by the way, Schiesl. It is a good way to start the day. I listened to Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and my personal favorite When You Wish Upon a Star. Thanks for the list. I think this day is going to be a good one.
Where’s I Wanna Be Like You? Louis Prima, guys!
This list is also severely lacking in Heffalumps and Woozles.
Okay, so those aren’t necessarily the best Disney songs, but they’re definitely my favorites.
Lovely list, took me right back to my childhood. My personal favourite is undoubtedly The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia (if it counts?)
One timy thing. In the notable ommisions bit, you spelled “Dame” as “Damn”. Just me being picky.
Assuming there are actually GOOD Disney songs.
Good effort, though.
I have heard from several sources through many years that “feed the birds” was Walt Disney’s favorite song. Of course, he died before several of the other songs on the list were written.
Yeah, good times….goood times lol! Anyways my favourite is the Tarzan one, I love it! I like the Spanish version better though
lol…and yeah the lion king one is sooo great! I love it too!, but as a child (and even now) I never got to understand why wwas everyone so happy to see the king if they were going to get eaten later lol…