So, my brother and I sat down and listened to every Disney animated song ever and it was quite a ride. (There were HUNDREDS of them). There were great ones, stupid ones, and really monotonous ones I don’t want to hear again. But, it was great going back and re-living so many of these songs! Based on our error-proof system (cough, it’s probably still biased) we think we narrowed it down to a great list of 100 songs.
Note: I apologize in advance to Frozen (2013) fans. We don’t like the songs that much but tried to be unbiased. Tried. . . but most likely didn’t do it right.
Here are the categories we graded the songs on!
- Overall Musicality- 30 points
- How Well the Visuals Enhance the Song- 30 points
- Can the Song Hold Up Without Visuals?- 10 points
- Personal Preference- 10 points
Sometimes, we moved songs up or down despite their score because we thought they deserved a higher spot. I included both our takes on the songs for variety.
So let’s get started!
100. “Sing Sweet Nightingale”, Cinderella (1950)
Me: I’m firmly planted in the “Cinderella isn’t what you think it is” group and really like how soft this song is. I also think her two stepsisters doing their more “refined” version upstairs as she works is funny. That’s why this song feels wholesome to me. Cinderella doesn’t need money to develop into a wonderful and accomplished woman.
My Brother: In contrast to my sister I am in the “the Cinderella Story is overused” group of thinking. Despite this, I truly love and appreciate the original film made by the Walt Disney Company. I think that this song in particular has really stuck with me over the years. The contrasting renditions of the song given by the stepsisters and then by Cinderella provide the listener with a clear view of the type of people the individual characters are even without needing any dialogue before or after. Cinderella’s interpretation in particular feels clean, pure, and refreshing just like the soap bubbles drifting in the air.
99. “Walrus and the Carpenter”, Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Me: Behold the movie that works better broken into separate pieces! I mostly like this song because of the Walrus’s line “The time has come my little friends to talk of other things! Of ships and shoes and sealing wax; of cabbages and kings!” The visuals are also very interesting during the song, like how the Walrus twirled his baton and nonchalantly walked into the ocean or how the sun and moon separate two sides of the beach at night and day.
My Brother: I absolutely love this entire sequence, I have been quoting and referencing this song since I was a little kid and if I am honest I’m a partial reason this song got so high on the list. I think that my sister is correct in saying that the visuals help make this whole scene more cohesive and enjoyable. They help tell the narrative in a very smooth and natural way and help us as the audience understand the personality of the characters simply by showing how they move and interact. I also love how the music pairs with the visuals to tell a simple but meaningful tale with a moral at the end.
98. “Another Believer”, Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Me: Don’t tell anyone, but I secretly liked this movie better than Ratatouille (2007) because of this song and “Little Wonders”. Its visuals are clever, and I like how Rufus Wainwright chose to sing it as a soft/alternative rock ballad.
My Brother: To be honest I just like this song, I think it shares a great message and helps the listener understand and root for the main character Lewis. The visuals show Lewis’s progress using both his successes and his failures to display how he is growing and learning. The end result of the sequence is of course a successful project that Lewis can show at the science fair.
97. “Stand Out”, A Goofy Movie (1995)
Me: This song has a Michael Jackson sort of twist to it. It’s refreshing, yet confusing, why this song has gotten so much of a hype lately. But who am I to complain? The only thing going against this song is its limited time frame and its bland visuals during the movie.
My Brother: Me and my sister are in complete agreement about this song. I think that the Michael Jackson-esque visuals and vocals are unique and refreshing. However, for me, this entire film is overhyped and is thought to be far more than what it really is by most people. Most of the songs are average save for two of them this song being one of them. The story of the film is really nice though so I guess there is that.
96. “He’s a Tramp”, Lady and the Tramp (1956)
Me: I advocated HARD for this song. If you know me, you know how much I love Lady and the Tramp for no specific reason. although it’s not altogether visually stimulating I do enjoy how it calls back to speakeasy female singers, lamenting past loves.
My Brother: Unlike my sister, I did not advocate for this song. I do have some praise for how the song is swanky and has a great attitude but the main problem I have with this song is that there is almost no substance beyond the vocals. The visuals are quite simple and the song honestly doesn’t have much impact on the story as a whole. I will say again however that the vocals of the song are great and I really appreciate the way the singer delivers the lines.
95. “Winnie the Pooh”, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Me: This song is my childhood come to life! I had one of those sing-along VHS tapes that would hop along with the song lyrics. I must have seen that tape at least 100 times. (Sorry, Mom and Dad). What I like most about this song is its storybook feel. It makes words from the book an integral part of the visual storytelling, especially during this and other songs.
My Brother: I don’t have much to say about this song other than declaring that I love Winnie the Pooh and that I love this song. Just like my sister said this is my childhood personified.
94. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, Cinderella (1950)
Me: I sing this song on repeat all the time. I didn’t put it this low, but I do think it lacks a certain SPARK in its visuals at times. I don’t go out of my way to WATCH this clip with the song. I just put the song on with little regard to what’s in the movie.
My Brother: My sisters sing this song all the time so much that I sing it all the time now. In all seriousness this song is great, it conveys all of Cinderella’s hope and longing in such a whimsical and refreshing way. I will say that my sister is right about the visuals, they are quite simple and I only watch them when I watch the film.
93. “Gospel Truth”, Hercules (1957)
Me: What Hercules lacks in cohesion it makes up for with its soundtrack. Although I couldn’t listen to this song ALL the time, I enjoy its gospel flare and bombacity. The visuals, especially at the beginning of the muses’ narrative with the stairs are very clever and I like the overall look of the song.
My Brother: The time has come for a song that honestly is better than most of the film it comes from. I think that if the whole film stayed at the level of quality displayed in this and several other songs it would rise from being just an ok film to being a truly great film. The visuals are great and the singing is well executed, and the only reason this song is so low is because there are songs from the film that follow this same style that are better.
92. “Headless Horseman”, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Me: Bing Crosby could literally sing ANYTHING and make it lovely to listen to. Although this song isn’t particularly “scary” I love watching it in October, along with the short film that goes with it.
My Brother: I LOVE this song, I LOVE Bing Crosby singing it, I LOVE the themes and suspense shown in it. I literally have nothing else to say about it.
91. “Hakuna Matata”, The Lion King (1994)
Me: I might get maimed for putting this song so low. . . but I don’t care. Even when I was a kid this song’s message bothered me. It never sat well in my little heart that Simba should just dismiss his past and live a carefree life without “consequences”. That aside, I do think this song is catchy and I find myself humming it sometimes when it pops in my head.
My Brother: Unlike my sister, I don’t care what you think so here I go I am saying what many are too afraid to say which is that this song is VERY overrated. Don’t get me wrong the song is iconic, great, and all that other good stuff which is the whole reason it made the list but I am not going to pretend like I support the message being shown in this song. Throw all the stones you want but I am unafraid to tell you that the whole point of this song is to help Simba know how not to act and how not to live.
Thank you for reading! See you for the next 10 songs!
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 
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