Greetings once again! Let’s hop right into the next batch of animated Disney songs that miraculously made this list. Here is how we graded these songs:
- 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
80. “Thomas O’ Mally”, The Aristocats (1970)
Me: This song has such character! Phil Harris is a great voice actor and brings so much charm to Thomas O’Malley in this movie. Sometimes I like to watch this short song on repeat and take notes on how much we learn about Thomas as a character in a short amount of time.
My Brother: I simply love this song no more no less. I am a big part of it getting so high on the list and am unapologetic about how high this song is on the list. Phil Harris is one of my favorite voice actors and his singing of this song is one of my favorite parts he played.
79. “Ma Belle Evangeline”, The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Me: Once upon a time, I was super obsessed with The Princess and the Frog and would watch this song on repeat. It made my 19-year-old heart flutter. Although much of that puppy love is gone now that I’m older, I do think this song has impeccable choreography. I also think it’s a song advocating for welcoming love into your life, which is what starts happening for Naveen and Tiana. All in all, this is a lovely ballad with beautiful visuals.
My Brother: I remember when i first heard this song quite vividly, I was 9 years old and it to put it simply charmed my 9 year old mind in a way I had never been charmed before. As an adult I can say how great the choreography is and how well preformed the vocals are. Love is the great motivator in storytelling and this song portrays love so beautifully and respectfully.
78. “Oo de Lally”, Robin Hood (1973)
Me: Remember how I talked about how much I like Disney’s Robin Hood? Well, here we are again. I am pretty sure this song became somewhat of a meme maybe five or so years ago. . . or maybe I just like it so much for its subtle humor and character-building. Fun fact, when I teach kids about animation I make sure to let them know characterization in animation has three layers to it:
- Overall Design
- Voice Acting
- Movement
This song is a great example of how Little Jon and Robin Hood’s movements establish their personalities.
My Brother: Aubery really said most of the praise that can be said for this song, I love it and it is a big part of my childhood. I will just say that this is a great way to introduce characters and show interactions between them through great visuals and great vocals. I say it again please go watch this movie.
77. “Making Christmas”, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Me: Basically every song from The Nightmare Before Christmas will be on this list so just stay tuned. As for this song, It shows time pass in such an eerily wonderful way. It is strange to think how the many not-so-melodic voices make this song so memorable. My favorite part is when the weird creature with the detaching upper head remarks, “See how I transform this old rat into a most delightful hat!” and Jack responds with a slightly better grotesque option.
My Brother: I dont have much to say about this song other than that i find it really charming and unique. Me and Aubery joke about the rat hat thing and other parts of this song often and probubly always will.
76. “I’m Still Here”, Treasure Planet (2002)
Me: I really loved this movie when I was a young teenager. Now, I look back on it as a great memory and film mostly because of this song and its visuals. It tells such a powerful story of betrayal and abandonment being healed by found mentorship and friendship. Little tidbit, I LOOOOOOVE the character animation for Jon Silver throughout this clip (and basically the entire film).
My Brother: I think this is one of the most well loved songs of a film that is often forgotten. I love the mature themes and the ways that the budding relationship between Jon Silver and the young mant are shown to grow. I also really like the animation throught the song as well.
75. “When You Wish Upon A Star”, Pinocchio (1940)
Me: The fact this song is so low on this list is a travesty. I love Pinocchio and tear up when I hear this song. In fact, when they did a short rendition of it in Once Upon a Studio I almost cried. It has such a wonderful, nostalgic clarity to it. The visuals aren’t anything really special, since Jimony sings it in the opening credits, but I don’t care.
My Brother: I am the maker of this tragedy, this song is so beautiful and iconic and I love it to death but it has one big glaring problem. That problem is the fact that other than the vocals there is nothing else that adds to the expirience. There are no stimulating visuals nor are there any establishing story points it is just the opening song for PInnocio nothing more and nothing less.
74. “Heigh Ho”, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Me: Such an iconic song! I can’t really sing with it, which brings it down a bit for me, but I love the different shots of the dwarfs locking up and walking home. My favorite shot is when they cross the log over the river.
My Brother: I can tell you why this song is so high on the list with just one word “Iconic”. this is the song that everyone thinks of when they think of the true start of disney as a company. I have so much appriciation for this song and the visuals that accomany it.
73. “Kuzko”, The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Me: Talk about a song that declares everything you need to know about the main character. I didn’t appreciate this song enough when I was younger but now it makes me laugh SO HARD. Even the slight pause where the old man is thrown out the window is well-timed! My favorite shot is probably either when the theme song guy bursts out of a cake or when the guards start river dancing on a stage.
My Brother: I LOVE this song and I think it is so funny and unique. I feel like I am copying Aubery but my favorite scene is either the old man, the guy in the cake, or the sequence on the throne. This is a song that screams who the main character is, what he wants, and even what kind of story this will be.
72. “Little Wonders”, Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Me: I have so many beautiful memories of this song. When I was 16 I thought to myself, “What a wonderful thing it is to find where you belong and to be accepted with all your quirks.” Rob Thomas did a great job writing and performing this song, and although the visuals are simple I think they are powerful in their own right.
My Brother: As an adult I look back on this song and I feel a rush of emotion run through me. It just reminds me of my own journey and growth from a young man into the man I have become today. The visuals are simple but I think that is what makes this song mean so much and have the impact that it does.
71. “Trash in the Camp”, Tarzan (1999)
Me: As a kid, I thought this song was loud, but I’ve grown to appreciate it over the years. It was fun to see how Phil Collins made this song with a bunch of random kitchenware and instruments. Visually, this is probably one of the more interesting because it is a sound feast. What I mean by that is it’s so great to see what types of noises make and how they become music. That is probably my music nerd self coming out.
My Brother: This is the song that all the sweaty drama nerds I knew in highschool loved so much. I personally love its character and charm and how the music makes you feel like these animals are really discovering new things. The visuals only enhance this expirience all blending into an amazingly great time for the monkeys and for us as the listeners/viewers.
Thank you for reading! See in the next set!
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 
Kuzco’s opening song was sooo hype, perfect tempo for the film…