Top 10 Best Disney Songs (1989-Present)

Same rules as before: only films from the Disney Animated canon and no songs that were made before the film. A reminder that this list is the culmination of several top tens, which were averaged out to get the list you see now. Remember to click the links in the titles!

10. "Go the Distance" (Hercules)

An epic song for an epic movie. By being one of the few songs in this movie not to involve the Muses, it has a much different tone. The music was written by Alan Menken, as will most of the songs on this list (spoiler alert?), while the lyrics were written by David Zippel. "Go the Distance" is considered Hercules' featured song, and enjoyed a moderate success outside of the movie thanks to renditions by Michael Bolton and Ricky Martin. The song may not be as fun or soulful as many of the other songs in Hercules, but this one sticks with you because its pretty darn inspiring. This is probably a perfect song to work out to. For the very few that haven't seen the movie, this song takes place when Hercules is trying to find out about his origins and travels to the Temple of Zeus. I'm very happy that this song made the list, and not just because I love this movie. It's a very solid song in the Disney music library and hopefully will be remembered for a very long time.

9. "One Jump Ahead" (Aladdin)

This is one of the songs that I'm a little surprised made the list, but I'm happy it did. It's not a serious song like many on the list, in fact it's downright silly. You're going to see a lot of nostalgia picks on this list I'm afraid, as all those polled were born from 1983-1992. These movies were our childhood and we connected with them more than some of the older Disney movies, if only because we got to see them at the movie theater. Anyway, this is one of those songs that is a riot to try to sing-a-long to. I've heard it a million times and I still can't get the words right. It's Aladdin's intro song, showing us what he goes through on an average day, which includes stealing food, running from guards, inadvertently causing street performers pain, and women who think he's "rather tasty." The music itself is nothing really special, but the lyrics and visual comedy make this a special song. Definitely a Disney song that is better viewed in the movie than listened to on your Walkman (yeah I'm going retro).

8. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (The Lion King)

I knew this song would make it on the list, but it's honestly not my favorite. I didn't like it as a kid (too lovey-dovey I guess) so I'm predisposed to not caring much for it. I always thought Nala's "come hither" look near the end of the song was really creepy. All that being said, it is a great song, and arguably the best in The Lion King. Composed by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice (another name that will pop up a lot in this list), it plays twice during the movie, sung by Kristle Edwards first, and then Elton John in the credits. The song was originally meant to be a comical song sung by Timon and Pumbaa, but John insisted that it become the "Prince and Princess" moment. In fact, the song was pretty close to getting cut, but again John pushed Disney to include it, which we are all pretty thankful for.

7. "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (Mulan)

This song is arguably pretty sexist, but at the same time, women love it, so interpret that any way you like. I had no idea this song was as popular as it was until a few years ago. I guess people really like inspiring songs sung by Donny Osmond. Also, people must really like montages more than I thought because that's all this song is. I'm not a big fan of them myself, but this song is so fun and ridiculous/awesome, that I can't help but love it. Didn't think this song was cool enough before? Jackie Chan performed the song for the Chinese release. How about now? I would say that this is another nostalgia pick, because it's definitely not a masterful song music wise. None of that matters, because this song is as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

6. "I Just Can't Wait to be King" (The Lion King)

I'm actually a little surprised that this made it on the list, and not "Hakuna Matata." Don't get me wrong, this song is fun and all, but "Hakuna Matata" is "Hakuna Matata." That being said, this song is a lively romp involving Simba and Nala attempting to ditch Zazu. It ends with Zazu getting sat on by a female rhino, so mission accomplished? This song is all about naivety, as Simba sings how he'll be able to do anything he wants, and nobody can stop him. Of course that's not what being king, or an adult, is like, but it's the song we all loved as kids, because that's exactly what we wanted as adults: to be able to do anything you like and have nobody boss you around. We all know better now. The songs in The Lion King do a great job of showing Simba's internal struggles, whether it's aspirations of being grown up, aspirations of running away from problems, or finally accepting who you are. This song is great because we've been that dreamer before, though most of us aren't destined to be king of the jungle.

5. "Colors of the Wind" (Pocahontas)

"Colors of the Wind" is arguably Pocahontas' best song. I say arguably because people argue about it all the time. This song is excellent, but so are all of the other songs in Pocahontas. I really didn't realize it until a few years ago, but this is a solid musical. "Colors of the Wind" was composed by Alan Menken and performed by Judy Kuhn. The song went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. "Colors of the Wind" is Pocahontas' way of showing John Smith that the Earth is not something to be conquered or owned. It's the perfect song about tolerance, too. This song is epic, and the animated sequence does it justice. It's the most visually appealing part of the whole movie, and that's saying something. It's near perfection in my book.

4. "I See the Light" (Tangled)

One thing that makes this song different from many others in Disney movies is that the voice actors also do the singing. Frozen is the same way, but that entire cast is basically made up of Broadway stars. While we all knew Mandy Moore could sing, it was honestly a surprise that Zachary Levi could. The song itself is beautiful, but what makes it one of the best is the animated sequence with the floating lanterns. You can see Rapunzel and Flynn's relationship becoming closer throughout the film, but it's this song that really cements it. It's nice to have a more recent song on this list, considering that Disney went on a drought for about ten years. The Princess and the Frog had some great songs, and that has started the musical trend again. With both Tangled and Frozen grossing ridiculous amounts of money, it's safe to say that we can look forward to many more great Disney musicals. I would go so far as to say that I liked the music in this movie more than Frozen, and I know people will get mad about that because Frozen is the "bee's knees" right now. It just has a more classic Disney feel in my mind, and this song is part of that reason.

3. "Reflection" (Mulan)

We've all gone through those times where we felt we weren't able to be ourselves around others. That's probably why so many people love this song, mainly because it's relatable. Also, it's strikingly beautiful. It is sung by Lea Salonga, who also provided the singing voice for Jasmine in Aladdin, during the movie, and Christina Aguilera for the cliche 90's Disney credits. Compared to the other songs in Mulan, this is by far the best, whether some people want to admit that or not. It's not fun like the others, but there had to be a serious song in this film. It's one of the more serious films, dealing with war, identity issues, and honor. In every good movie, there's a solid emotional core. That's this song.

2. "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the Beast)

Also known as "Tale as Old as Time," this classic song is sung by none other than Angela Lansbury. There isn't much to say about this song that hasn't been said already. It's as close to perfection as Disney has probably ever gotten. This entry and the number one were extremely close, so if you feel a bit disappointed, know that they are basically the same in quality. This song is great not only in music, lyrics, but also in visuals. The whole ballroom scene is iconic, and there's a reason for it. The song went on to win just about any award that could be won, though the picture itself lost the Best Picture race at the Oscars. I consider this the turning point in Belle and Beast's relationship, though it isn't spoken out loud until the end. It's a masterful song expertly composed by Menken and written by Howard Ashman, the latter passing away shortly after the movie was released. That's quite a memory to leave behind.

1. "A Whole New World" (Aladdin)

This ballad takes our top spot, and one can hardly argue with that. Actually, I'm sure there will be a few people who will. Well, the people spoke, and they like Jasmine and Aladdin's duet across the world. Seriously, they go around the known world during the whole song. They should have had jet lag by the end of it. There's even a hint about future movies with a visit to Greece and China (insane theory: Aladdin, Hercules, and Mulan all took place at the same time)? Probably not, I don't think Disney was thinking that far ahead. Like the last entry, this one is near perfect and a staple among the Disney animated music library. The song is fantastic, the animation superb, and there's even a little bit of humor in there. It's so beautiful that you almost forget that Aladdin is pretending to be someone else. Oh well, it all works out in the end. Let me know what your top picks would be for this era!

Disney's Tangled

Tangled happens to be the first Disney animated film that I saw in theaters since The Emperor's New Groove, so I was kind of out of the game for awhile. Is it weird that out of all the films that were made between these movies that I chose a princess movie? Not at all. While some of the other films may be considered more manly, they sucked, and I knew it just by watching previews. I had a good feeling about Tangled ever since I watched the trailer for it, and I wasn't disappointed.  I'd like to think that I have a pretty good taste in movies, though that may be my conceited side coming out. Anyway, I think what also contributed to the long absence of Disney movie watching was the fact that I was in high school and the early years of college when most of the movies came out. Once I was in high school it wasn't cool to like Disney movies anymore, or like Pokemon, or a bunch of other things I was so used to at that point. So I stopped going. I remember being interested in seeing The Princess and the Frog, but for one reason or another I just didn't get around to it. I think that Tangled truly took Disney back to its 90's roots; having a princess movie based on a fairy tale, but also extremely funny. I have become nostalgic in my old age and seeing something more like the movies of my childhood really spoke to me. Like I said, I really liked the movie and consider it one of my favorites, not just because of the good story, but because it is probably one of the funniest Disney movies ever. Hercules, Aladdin, and The Emperor's New Groove are some of my favorite Disney movies, and the reason is because they are hilarious. I identify with comedic movies, give me a break! Was I a little surprised that Tangled was so funny? Yes, but I had an inkling that it would be much more than movies like Brother Bear or Home on the Range. Blech. I'm hoping that Disney is turning over a new leaf and this is what we can now expect from them.

Tangled is of course based off of the famous Brother's Grimm tale of Rapunzel. Grimm's tale coincidentally is somewhat based off of the French story Persinette, and the 10th century Persian story of Rudaba. In the story of Rapunzel, a couple live next to an enchantress, whose house and garden are walled off from the outside world. The wife feels that she is becoming pregnant, and at the same time begins to pine for a rapunzel plant that is growing in the enchantress' garden. Her husband decides to get her some of the plant and successfully breaks into the enchantress garden two nights in a row. On the third night, however, the enchantress catches the husband and accuses him of theft. He begs for mercy and the enchantress, named Dame Gothel, decides to be lenient. She will let him go, but all he has to do is give her the couple's child once it is born. Out of desperation the husband agrees and scampers back to his house. Once the baby is born, she is given to Dame Gothel and lives a solitary life there. Ironically, Dame Gothel names the baby Rapunzel, who eventually grows up to be the most beautiful child in the world, with long golden hair. Once Rapunzel reached her twelfth birthday, Dame Gothel locked her up in a solitary tower, with no door or stairs. All it had was one window and one room. When Dame Gothel wanted to visit Rapunzel, she would call out her name and ask her to let down her extremely long golden hair. Don't worry, she tied it around a hook first so she wasn't literally having some old hag's complete weight on her hair.

A prince is riding through the forest one day and hears Rapunzel's lovely singing, so he goes over to her tower to investigate. He quickly realizes that he won't be able to gain easy access to the tower so he comes back everyday to find out if there is a secret. He eventually sees the enchantress approach the the tower, thus finding out how to enter. Once the enchantress leaves, he calls out for Rapunzel to let down her hair. Apparently Rapunzel doesn't check to see who is climbing up, and is not at all concerned with the fact that whoever is calling her has a much deeper voice than the enchantress. The prince climbs up and surprises Rapunzel, quickly asking her to marry him. She agrees and they hatch a plan to help her escape. He will come back every night when the enchantress is not around and give her some silk so that she may make a ladder. Fool proof! Their plan doesn't work out, however, as she accidentally reveals that she is pregnant by saying absentmindedly that her dress is feeling tighter. Dame Gothel goes bananas and cuts off Rapunzel's hair. She then forces Rapunzel to climb down her detached hair and live in the woods. Geez, and you thought you'd be in trouble if you got pregnant at a young age. The prince comes back that night, not knowing of what transpired and calls out for Rapunzel to let down her hair. He climbs the hair like usual and lo and behold, it's not Rapunzel but some shriveled hag. After what I can only assume was a bunch of cackling and a few corny one-liners, she pushes the prince out the window, who falls onto some thorns, causing him to lose his eyesight (In some versions he falls out of surprise, and in others, when he falls, the detached hair falls with him, thus stranding the old woman in the tower). He wanders the forest, blind I might add, and I'm sure ran into his fair share of trees. Then he hears the most wonderful thing in the world, the sound of Rapunzel's singing. He follows the singing to her and her twins whom she had apparently given birth to recently. Wait a minute...how long was she in the woods? How long was he wondering blindly? Months? Oh man, this is weird! They embrace and her tears magically heal his eyes. They run off to his kingdom and live happily ever after. So...happy ending, right? What's the moral supposed to be? Don't steal plants? Always ask your realtor if an enchantress lives close by? Be good at hiding your pregnancy? Tangled doesn't exactly follow the same story line  Sure there's the enchantress that steals Rapunzel, and the man that saves her, but this is not a prince, but a thief. And, in this version, her hair is magic. It heals people and makes them young, which is why the enchantress is so interested in her.

Tangled was in production for about six years and went through a few changes along the way, the most notorious being the name of the film. When the idea first came up to do a Rapunzel story, Disney called it "Rapunzel Unbraided." Not bad, but not exactly good. It was quickly changed to just Rapunzel. It would have probably stayed with that title had The Princess and the Frog did better in the box office. Apparently $270 million worldwide was not good enough for Disney and they considered The Princess and the Frog to be a little bit of a letdown. Who was the culprit? Girls. Disney had spent all the money on a princess movie and all that saw it were a bunch of girls! Or so they believed. Guys apparently didn't go to see The Princess and the Frog, so Disney decided to change the focus of their next movie. Instead of calling it Rapunzel, they would call it...oh I don't know, I'm just spit-balling here....Tangled! Yeah, that's the ticket! Disney announced that they were changing the name to Tangled and people started to call shenanigans on them. Justin Chang of Variety claimed it was about the same as The Little Mermaid changing its name to "Beached." Disney was also  accused of sexism, among other things. To put it plainly, people weren't too happy about the change. What's the name of the movie now? That's right, it's still Tangled, which means Disney didn't give a crap about what people thought about them. The directors of the film, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard,  defended the name change by saying it was a marketing decision. The film was about Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, therefore it should be given a title that didn't put one character above the other. They likened it to calling Toy Story, "Buzz Lightyear."

The film has a very unique animation style due to the fact that it incorporates the best parts of both CGI and traditional hand-drawn animation. Yes, It is a CGI film, but the look of it is modeled after the look of oil paintings on canvas. The Rococo paintings of French artist Jean-Honore Fragonard, particularly The Swing, were used as reference for the film's artistic style, a style described as lush and romantic. To create the impression of a painting, non-photorealistic rendering was used. Think of cel-shaded animation, like what they used in Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. On top of the stellar animation, the movie also had some pretty good music. I'm glad Disney is trying to keep this new trend going. The score of the film was done by who else by Alan Menken, and the lyrics done by Glenn Slater. Menken decided to have a mix of medieval music and 1960's folk rock to give the movie a broad appeal. So there are a few songs that stand out in the movie, like "I See the Light," "When Will My Life Begin," and "I've Got a Dream." Since Mandy Moore does the voice of Rapunzel, and Zachary Levi does Rider, they sang their own songs. Not too often that the voice actors are able to pull off the singing too, but they deliver. I knew Levi could sing, but I didn't know he could sing that well. While the songs are by no means on the level as any in Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King, they are still excellent and sure to please.

This movie doesn't really have a large cast of characters, and the ones it does have aren't voiced by famous people for the most part. Like I mentioned before, you have the very talented Mandy Moore (A Walk To Remember) as Rapunzel, and Zachary Levi (Chuck) as Flynn Rider. They are beyond perfect for their roles.  Maybe even more so for Zachery Levi. I may just love him from his role on Chuck, but I think he was most of the reason the movie was so funny (him, Pascal, and Maximus the horse. Note to Disney: Horses are funny. I don't know why, but they are. That includes winged ones.) Donna Murphy (The King and I) voices Mother Gothel, the villianness of the story. She's also great in the movie, with her highlight being her song "Mother Knows Best." These three were not the original choices for the roles, however. At the very beginning, it was planned that Kristen Chenoweth would voice Rapunzel, Dan Fogler voice Rider, and Grey DeLisle voice Mother Gothel. For whatever reason, Disney decided to go a little bit younger, and hipper, and went with the current cast. Other well known actors in the movie include Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond), Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), all of whom play thugs at the Snuggly Duckling Inn.

Tangled was released on my birthday, November 24th in 2010 and earned a whopping $11.9 million on that Wednesday, breaking the record for a pre-Thanksgiving release. It went on to gross $590 million worldwide, against a $260 million budget. Tangled still stands as the most expensive animated movie ever made, and the second most expensive movie ever. Disney really put themselves on the line with this one, and thank God it paid off. With its gross, it is the second highest grossing Disney movie, only behind The Lion King. Critics loved the film, saying that though it may not be the best Disney film ever, it is still visually stunning, and a thoroughly entertaining edition to Disney's canon. Most criticism was leveled at the unmemorable songs and the perceived marketing ploy of the name change.

Tangled is a worthy addition to the Disney canon in my opinion, and I believe on of the modern classics. It may not be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, but that's not really what people want these days. They want humor, and action in their movies. Tangled has tons of it, and I think that boys and girls can like the movie. Sure, the name change thing was probably done to get boys interested, but you can hardly blame Disney. If a name change was all that stood in the way of an extra $300 million, you bet they would do it. So we are very close to the end of my history of the Disney canon. All there is left is Winnie the Pooh, which I can guarantee will be a short one, then Wreck-It-Ralph, which has yet to come out.  After that I will move on to other movie topics, so I hope my Disney readers are not too disappointed.