39. Mine, Mine, Mine (Pocahontas, 1995)



Sung by Governor Ratcliffe, Wiggins, John Smith and the Settlers
Performed by David Ogden Stiers, Mel Gibson and Pocahontas Cast
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Best Lyric: Ratcliffe: Make the mounds big, boys. I'd help you to dig, boys, but I've got this crick in me spine.

This is probably a bit of a controversial song to put so high, considering how forgotten it seems to be. What elevates "Mine, Mine, Mine" for me is how it takes the strategies that have been used in other Disney films to make their songs meaningful and applied both here. The first technique is the "goofy fun song sung by the villain, only to have them reveal a truly dark and evil side in a later song" used in Beauty and the Beast as Gaston transitions from his "Gaston" to his "The Mob Song" persona. "Mine, Mine, Mine" is Ratcliffe's "Gaston", and later on he gets his "The Mob Song", and the transition is just as believable and masterfully done, if not more so than in Beauty and the Beast. The other strategy that this song uses is the "two characters sing about the same thing with different motives" seen in "Heaven's Light/Hellfire". Of course, "Mine, Mine, Mine" was released before that number, so technically it used it first and deserves even more credit. Ratcliffe sings of how he plans to use the land they have found and drain it of all its riches. He only cares for himself and doesn't even care enough to help his men dig. John Smith sings of how he wishes to explore and adventure in the New World and learn all of its secrets so that he can improve the lives of the settlers and any natives. He thinks its a land that needs to be "tamed", but he will go on to learn that he is mistaken, The two then converge and sing both parts together in a huge scale musical number, and the whole thing is very exciting. Truly, this is one of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's best crafted songs, and it does not get enough credit.

38. I See the Light (Tangled, 2010)



Sung by Rapunzel and Flynn Rider
Performed by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Glenn Slater

Best Lyric: Rapunzel: All at once everything looks different now that I see you.

Wow. Tangled was holding out on us. After "When Will My Life Begin?" and "I've Got a Dream", Tangled's soundtrack was okay, but nothing great. But Disney pulls out this pinch hitter of a number and knocks it out of the park on nearly every level. "I See the Light" is a classic Disney song from the first listen. The acoustic guitar theme is here just as in "When Will My Life Begin?", but here not only does it feel more natural, it is allowed to blend with a more traditional orchestral score to achieve a feeling of real excitement. The reason this song isn't quite perfect is the lyrics are just a bit too simple, but it does work to an extent, given that it would be out of character for Flynn and Rapunzel to be any more articulate than they are here. The song is just so beautiful, listening to it is like ecstasy. The feeling of love between the two is overwhelming; this scene always makes me well with tears. Great fucking job, Disney!

37. Zero to Hero (Hercules, 1997)



Sung by The Muses
Performed by Lillias White, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, Roz Ryan and Vanéese Y. Thomas
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by David Zippel

Best Lyric: Calliope: Now nouveau riche and famous he could tell you what's a Grecian earn!

Hercules with the Muses is a great movie. Hercules without the Muses is a half decent one. and they get the best songs in the movie, of which this is probably the best known. Zero to Hero is fun as hell, not only conveying the mighty power of Hercules, but also giving a distinct personality to each of the Muses. They may be stock stereotypes (the fat sassy one, the soulful one, the Diana Ross type lead), but they give the song additional spunk. The lyrics are probably the best lyrics in the film, with just the right amount of self awareness, and it never feels as if the Muses are making Hercules more than human. Puns (Grecian urn) and pop culture references (The Seven Year Itch) give the number an almost Dreamworks type feel; this jokey meta humor would not be seen again in a Disney musical until 2010's Tangled. I don't know how Menken thought of gospel music for Hercules,, but somehow it fits like a glove.

36. Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid, 1989)



Sung by Ursula
Performed by Pat Carroll
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman

Best Lyric: If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet, you've got to pay the toll. Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll!

In terms of storytelling, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" really is unparalleled in terms of Disney's music. While the music would stay high quality to the genius of Alan Menken, the Disney films after Aladdin would suffer from his lack of understanding of how to meld a musical number with the story instead of stopping the story. After listening to "Poor Unfortunate Souls", we've learned Ursula's plan, Ariel has been believably hoodwinked into going along with it, and Ursula's character has been developed. Ariel doesn't even look at the scroll as she signs it, let alone does she read it. The lyrics are good, but the melody soars as well. It certainly has that dark sound that befits a villain anthem, but it also has a strangely alluring feel to it. Ursula's signature number is almost hypnotic in its execution, and you almost forget that this spell is a bad thing until you see the trademark Disney villain evil eyes as she tells Ariel to sing. Oh, and Ariel's voice at the end is beautiful too, and it gives the ending of the song a bittersweet feeling, knowing she is losing such a wonderful gift.

35. Happy Working Song (Enchanted, 2007)



Sung by Gisele
Performed by Amy Adams
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Nominated for the 2008 Best Original Song Oscar (Lost to "Falling Slowly")

Best Lyric: So friends even though you're vermin, we're a happy working throng!

The entire point of Enchanted was to make fun of the cliches found in old fashioned Disney movies. Happy Working Song is such a song, especially of "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White where instead of woodland animals coming to help, it is the rats, pigeons and roaches of the New York City sewers and streets. The song is full of witty lyrics involving how traditionally gross jobs are fun when you have a great song to sing. This song is a great acting showcase for Amy Adams, and is a big part of the reason many thought she would possibly receive an Oscar nomination for her role. The tune is so adorable, that the viewer even finds the vermin cute by the end of the song. This song shows that even when Disney is poking fun at itself, it still manages to create classical musical numbers in its on right.

34. The Bells of Notre Dame (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996)



Sung by Clopin, the Archdeacon, and Judge Claude Frollo
Performed by Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers and Tony Jay
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Best Lyric: Clopin: "Who is the monster and who is the man?" sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells of Notre Dame!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame could have been one of Disney's best ever films had they just embraced the darkness of the source material without feeling the need to play down to the lowest common denominator. But luckily, none of this tonal unevenness is present in this brilliant opening number from the film, Disney's longest ever, narrated by Clopin, an interesting character who enters and exits the story himself. Like Belle before it, Menken and and now Schwartz masterfully set up several of the films major players (Frollo, the Archdeacon, Quasimodo)and the major conflict between the gypsies and the Parisians, as well as slipping in tons of great lines about morality and whether or not Frollo is a good person. It's heavily hinted in this song that he is a corrupt Christian leader, but watching his evil side come forward throughout the film is chilling to watch. Really, I''m still honestly shocked that Disney was ever given the go ahead for this project. Even with the neutering of several plotlines from the original novel, the first five minutes of the film already deal with issues such as racism, genocide, infanticide, and corrupt religious zealotry. The score is absolutely sumptuous, with the bell like tolling of the notes underneath a haunting sounding Latin chorus. And the question "who is the monster and who is the man" is a genius way to set up the movie, even if the development that Frollo is a piece of shit is already heavy handed. And Paul Kandel absolutely kills this song, especially the last note (a high fucking D!!!!!!!!!!). Like is he human? About as human as Frollo.

33. A Star is Born (Hercules, 1997)



Sung by the Muses
Performed by Lillias White, Cheryl Freeman, LaChanze, Roz Ryan and Vanéese Y. Thomas
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by David Zippel

Best Lyric: So don't lose hope when you're forlorn. Just keep your eyes upon the skies.

Hercules is a bit of an uneven movie with supporting characters far more interesting and sympathetic than its lead, up until this song, when everything pulls through in absolutely magnificent fashion. "A Star is Born" is probably the most uplifting ending song in any Disney movie. The lyrics, like in "Zero to Hero" are immensely articulate, and far outstrip those of the main characters' ballads. The part where Zeus rearranges the stars into a constellation of Hercules gives me chills every time, and when the big guy says "that's Phil's boy", I start to bawl my eyes out. It's just so moving and happy. Hercules isn't as thoughtful as Beauty, Pocahontas or Hunchback, nor does it have quite as endearing of protagonists as The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, but the soundtrack, while on a technical level may not be as rich, is such a departure from their traditional fare, and still oddly so successful in making the audience feel emotion, as well as get up and dance, they have to be commended. Just listen to this song, and if it doesn't make you want to sing to the heavens that a star is really born, you have no soul.

Alan Menken is a god. Look at this page for petes sake, it's all him.

32. When You Wish Upon a Star (Pinocchio, 1940)



Sung by Jiminy Cricket
Performed by Cliff Edwards
Music by Leigh Harline Lyrics by Ned Washington
Winner of the 1941 Best Original Song Oscar

Best Lyric: If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme.

Here is the big one, Disney's main anthem. After nearly 90 years, this is still what plays before every Disney film. While the song is not nuanced at all, and really has no deeper meaning or significance than exactly what is sung, it has the messages that Disney as a company seems to want to convey in all of their films (dreams and wishes on stars do come true). It is probably one of the few Disney songs that is better known than the film it is found in. The lyrics are fine, but the melody is beautifully sung by Cliff Edwards, and is the perfect segue into the story of Pinocchio. Also, this song and the fact that Jiminy starts the movie outside of the book, really helps to convey that he is the real conscience, or even God of the story. Again, while this song isn't as complex as some of the later Disney songs would be, it has stayed relevant nonetheless.

31. Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)



Sung by Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and the Household Objects
Performed by Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury and Beauty and the Beast Cast
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Nominated for the 1992 Best Original Song Oscar (Lost to Beauty and the Beast)

Best Lyric: Lumiere: Try the grey stuff. It's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!

This is probably the most often parodied Disney musical number after Circle of Life. Its ridiculousness (a number where household objects put on a giant show for a girl as they prepare her dinner) is genius. It's very fun, at times it almost feels like it is trying too hard to please. But throughout most of its run time, it is nothing but charming. It is not the best song in the film, and rightfully did not win the Oscar. Like Under the Sea, while the number is certainly catchy, it lacks emotional depth and true melodic richness that is needed to elevate it to the top. But where that song is lyrically strong, Be Our Guest is lyrically genius. Preparing Belle's meal is believably made into an absolutely huge affair, and you really understand that this is the first time that the household objects have had anything worthwhile to do in ten years. Be Our Guest is what it is, nothing more, but sometimes that is enough.

would put when you wish upon a star in the top 10, still remember the first time I ever heard the song.

30. Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians, 1961)



Sung by Roger
Performed by Bill Lee
Music and Lyrics by Mel Leven

Best Lyric: This vampire bat! This inhuman beast! She ought to be locked up and never released!

101 Dalmatians only has three songs (only of which this one is full length), but this song is so great, it compensates for the at the time lack of music in the film. Unlike most Disney villain songs, this song does not involve Cruella directly at all. She isn't even aware of its existence. The way that the audience gets to witness the writing of the song, with Cruella's name fitting perfectly into the tune of the song, is interesting, as it makes the song more meta and not a traditional musical number, but simply part of Roger's job. The song is jazzy and a departure from the more classical choral numbers Disney had done in the past, and this approach to music would last until the mid 1970's, but only The Jungle Book would also be a resounding success. The lyrics are strong, without seeming like something that it wouldn't be realistic for Roger to write during the course of Anita and Cruella's talk. The song makes it a really interesting and funny scene, and demonstrates the playfulness and innocence of Roger and Anita's young love, while also hinting at Cruella's intentions for the puppies.

29. Heigh Ho (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)



Sung by Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy and Bashful
Performed by Bill Lee
Music by Frank Churchill Lyrics by Larry Morey

Best Lyric: Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it's home from work we go

This song is the most catchy song that Disney has probably ever written. And it's probably the most applicable to real life. I mean, if you've never sung this song on your commute, do so. It makes it much more enjoyable. This is probably the most traditional Broadway type number in Snow White, with each of the dwarfs except Dopey getting a solo. The "dig dig dig dig" verses are great, even if they are not the most well known parts of the song. The main refrain of the song just resonates deeply with me in a way that's inexplicable. I can just feel the swinging beat of the "heigh ho, heigh ho" in my heart when I listen. It's infectious, and it gives the dwarfs a bit of development in a movie that will go on to either ignore them or just have them be comic relief (except Grumpy, who actually has a personality).

28. Friend Like Me (Aladdin, 1992)



Sung by the Genie
Performed by Robin Williams
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Nominated for the 1993 Best Original Song Oscar (Lost to A Whole New World)

Best Lyric: I'm on the job you big nabob! You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend, you ain't never had a friend, never had a friend, you ain't never had a friend like me.

The first song from Aladdin on this list. Aladdin is my favorite Disney move, and I believe it has overall the strongest soundtrack, even with just 5 songs. This is actually my least favorite, which is just a testament to how amazing the songs and the film are. On its own, "Friend Like Me" is a great song. With Robin Williams, it's transcendant. Never before or since has an actor ever blended with a voice role as superbly as this marriage of the genie and Robin Williams. I listened to the Broadway version of this song, and James Monroe Iglehart is fine, but it just feels wrong. The lyrics are full of zippy lines, and the animation sequence is phenomenal, probably one of Disney's best traditionally animated sequences ever. I mean, is this something they could ever achieve with CG animation, I think not. The "duh duh duh! oh yeah! duh duh duh! mm hmm" has become synonymous with the movie, and rightly so. "Friend Like Me" is a big showy number without much substance, but I believe it is pretty much the best of its kind.

I assume A Whole New World is in your Top 3, then. Joining a Lion King song and a Little Mermaid song.

There are none of those movies in my top 3. 1 is in my top 4 and Two of another is in my top 6.

Your favorite Disney movie doesn't get a Top 3 song?!?

No. Is top 4 or 6 not enough?

Hey, it's your list! I'm just here to judge!

Yeah, I did I feel that there are 4-5 songs better than anything in Aladdin.

27. Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)



Sung by Mrs. Potts
Performed by Angela Lansbury
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Winner of the 1992 Best Original Song Oscar

Best Lyric: Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.

Beauty and the Beast is a very iconic song; it is one of the few Disney songs to rank in the AFI Top 100 Songs list. It is probably the most traditional Disney number in the film, lacking the stylistic Broadwayness of the film's other songs. It wouldn't really feel out of place in one of their films of yesteryear. This is part of the reason the song is wonderful: it feels timeless. Angela Lansbury sings it beautifully, and cemented the ballroom sequence as one of the most iconic animated film, if not all film, sequences of all time. The honest, true lyrics accurately describe the unlikely love story, and after the song, Belle and the Beast have really secured their love for one another. While it's not a super flashy number, it is just a gorgeous and rich ballad, and one of Menken and Ashman's greatest triumphs.

26. He's a Tramp (Lady and the Tramp, 1955)



Sung by Peg
Performed by Peggy Lee
Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Winner of the 1992 Best Original Song Oscar

Best Lyric: If he's a tramp, he's a good one, and I wish that I could travel his way..

Lady and the Tramp has a really great soundtrack, and this is one of the highlights. I haven't seen it in years, but I still remember this and other songs from the film. After Lady has been captured and brought to the pound, she is looking for Tramp to be her savior, but the other dogs know Tramp, and they inform her of his colorful, amorous past. The song is at once catchy and even sexy for a song sung by a dog about dogs, but it is also heartbreaking in that Lady now believes that Tramp has lied to her and that she was silly to fall in love with him. It's not a long or complex song, but it is very effective and evokes emotion to a degree that it deserves to be high on this list.

Isn't it "Tale as old as Time"?

The song is titled Beauty and the Beast. Sometimes (Tale As Old As Time) follows in parentheses, like in the youtube link.