Happy Monday! It is a very happy Monday for me indeed. My weekend was hopeful, I'm starting to (slowly) get into the Christmas mood, and I only have two weeks left until Thanksgiving break. I hope your days have been filled with joy too.
Obviously, plenty of Disney content brings me joy, but Disney music remains my favorite. Because of its iconic storytelling purposes, great world-building, or amazing villain songs, I am always more prone to listen to Disney music than other music. You may have noticed that I have fierce opinions on my favorite Disney villain songs, but this extends to Disney songs as a whole. To show you my (possibly unpopular) opinions on Disney lyrical soundtracks, I've created a top ten ranking. Read on to find out which movies made the list!
Note: This list only includes lyrical soundtracks. Movies with amazing scores that don't feature lyrical songs have a special place in my heart, but I find it hard to compare an instrumental score to a lyrical score. Be on the lookout for a ranking of instrumental scores.
Few things make me happier than a musical Mickey.
Image Retrieved from Pinterest.
10 The Princess and the Frog
I love the jazzy tones of the music in The Princess and the Frog, and as you probably know from my previous blog posts, "Friends on the Other Side" is one of my favorite villain songs (and overall Disney songs, really). All the songs in The Princess and the Frog are catchy and well-written, and Anika Noni Rose is a stunning singer; however, the movie comes in at number ten because, with the exception of "Friends on the Other Side," none of the other songs stick out to me. While I like both versions of "Down in New Orleans," the repeat of the same song hurts the soundtrack in this ranking.
9 Moana
Expectations are high when Lin-Manuel Miranda is involved. Moana has a stunning soundtrack with bops like "Shiny" and "You're Welcome" and the amazing "How Far I'll Go." The soundtrack to Moana is beautiful and calming, and I would easily listen to it any day. However, (and this may be an unpopular opinion), there isn't a song in Moana that sticks out above and beyond the arsenal of Disney music. Yes, I love "How Far I'll Go," and I'm not saying it isn't a great song. But when I think of the iconic songs from Disney, "How Far I'll Go" doesn't make the list.
8 Frozen
Frozen, overall, has great music, but there are two songs that really make the soundtrack fun. "Let It Go" is one of them, of course, but I also love "Love is an Open Door." I am forever struck by the tragedy that is "Love is an Open Door" actually being more of a creepy, manipulative song than a love duet...but, it is one of the catchiest songs out there. While I still love "For the First Tim in Forever," "Do You Want to Build a Snowman," "Fixer Upper," and "In Summer," they rank a little more averagely for me, which is why Frozen didn't hit higher.
7 Frozen 2
Similar to its predecessor, Frozen 2 has two amazing songs in its soundtrack: "Into the Unknown" and "Show Yourself." I will forever argue that "Show Yourself" is better than "Into the Unknown," better than "Let It Go," and better than probably 95% of Disney songs. It's definitely in my top five favorites, which is why I ranked Frozen 2 higher than Frozen. However, Frozen 2 falls into the same trap as Frozen, with a handful of other songs that are good ("Some Things Never Change," "When I Am Older," etc.), but just don't hit the mark quite as much.
"Show Yourself" is an incredible journey of character development and self-love. Forever ranking this song above "Let It Go" and "Into the Unknown."
Photo Retrieved from Steam.
6 Hercules
Because the princess movies are known for their amazing music, it's already an accomplishment for a non-princess music to be featured in this list. Hercules, though, has an outstanding soundtrack. Filled with several full-length songs and a few shorter ballads, Hercules' music is fun and well-written. I have to give credit where credit is due: the Muses are the main reason Hercules has such an amazing soundtrack as their narration provides bops like "Zero to Hero," "A Star is Born," and "The Gospel Truth." "Go the Distance" is one of the best main character songs, and "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is another great track. Overall, the movie is filled with hits, although many of the songs are a bit similar.
We owe a lot of Hercules' iconic nature to the Muses.
Photo Retrieved from Nylon.
5 Aladdin
Of course my favorite movie made it on the list. Boasting an Oscar for best original score and best original song (like several other Disney movies ), Aladdin's soundtrack is impressive. Robin Williams proved he can transfer his quick-witted, comedic talent to music with his catchy and fast-paced "Friend Like Me," a masterpiece that perfectly captures the essence of Genie. "Prince Ali" is another fun one, along with the upbeat "One Jump Ahead." Aladdin's real gem, though, is its Oscar-winning "A Whole New World." From the lyrics to the singing to the visuals, "A Whole New World" is a beauty of a song that utilizes the Magic Carpet in spell-bounding ways and speaks to Jasmine's and Aladdin's wishes. The only critique I have for Aladdin is the lack of a legitimate villain song ("Prince Ali (Reprise)" only sort of counts).
4 Tangled
There isn't one song in Tangled I don't like. There isn't even one song I feel meh about. "When Will My Life Begin" is a great intro song, and "I Have a Dream" is a pure, fun-filled bop. Tangled's true strengths are in its villain song and love ballad. I've written about the iconic nature that is "Mother Knows Best" and its reprise, but "I See the Light" is a beautiful song and one of my all-time favorite love ballads. That being said, with the exception of "I See the Light," all of Tangled's songs are great, but they fall short of distinguishing themselves from other Disney songs, whereas the top three movies in this ranking have multiple iconic tunes.
3 The Lion King
There are a lot of great things about The Lion King, and no doubt the music is one of them. Scar's "Be Prepared" is an iconic villain song, and "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is both fun to listen to and watch. And we can't forget "Hakuna Matata!" The reason The Lion King comes in at number three is because, looking at my three favorite songs from the movie and my three favorite songs from number two, I prefer number two. Also, I know everyone loves "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," and while I do like the song, I also find it overrated.
2 The Little Mermaid
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Ariel is a tad annoying, the plot is interesting (but not amazing), and King Triton sucks. BUT, The Little Mermaid manages to weasel its way into the hearts of so many (including myself) because of its outstanding soundtrack. "Poor Unfortunate Souls," "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl".... all iconic. I'll admit that "Part of Your World" is actually my least favorite in the movie and a bit overrated in my opinion; nonetheless, The Little Mermaid is filled with bops, the soundtrack helped bring Disney into the Renaissance Age, and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" set a new trend for villain songs in princess movies.
1 Beauty and the Beast
Yes, yes, once again "Gaston" has bolstered Beauty and the Beast into a top slot. However, it's not just the iconic villain song that makes Beauty and the Beast so good. Beauty and the Beast is one of the only Disney movies to feature more than one villain song, with "The Mob Song" being a great example of ignorance and fear. "Be our Guest" never fails to bring anyone to their feet, and both "Something There" and "Beauty and the Beast" are beautiful, romantic classics. We can't forget the opening "Belle," an amazing song that does an impressive job introducing us to our protagonist, villain, setting, and conflict all while boasting clever links and a fun melody. In fact, all the songs in Beauty and the Beast do a great job advancing the plot, showing us a conflict, exploring characterization, or all three. There is not one song in "Beauty and the Beast" I dislike; there's not even one song I feel "meh" about. Every song is a masterpiece in terms of music, visuals, and storytelling purposes.
Just the visuals in "Be Our Guest" alone are enough to catapult Beauty and the Beast's soundtrack to the top.
Photo Retrieved from Film Central.
And that's a wrap on my top ten lyrical soundtracks! Did I miss any of your favorites? Which soundtrack would you have placed at the top? Leave a comment or drop me a message below, and don't forget about the Instagram @genielampofstories!
Until later, have courage and be kind.
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