Sorry for the three-day hiatus from this list! I was busy hiking in the mountains. We’ll continue where we left off. Keep in mind that these were the criteria we judged these 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
70. “Town Meeting”, Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Me: I probably like the songs in this movie a bit too much. But, it’s my list so that’s that. Anyway, I actually do think this song has some great wordplay and musicality. I tend to gravitate toward songs that have clever rhymic patterns and this song is a great example of it!
My Brother: This song is just charming with great dialogue and awesome characterization shown by both Jack and the townsfolk. I think that this song is a prime example of how to progress a plot through simple dialogue and catchy musical lyrics.
69. “Frozen Heart”, Frozen (2013)
Me: I am not the biggest fan of Frozen. I’m sorry. I think the music is pretty good for the most part but none of the songs really pop for me. However, I do like how this song feels like a men’s working song rather than a Broadway musical number. Like I said in the last song, I like songs with distinct, interesting rhythms. I can actually picture men and women coming together and line-dancing to the music.
My Brother: This is the only song from Frozen I genuinely like. It is the only song that truly feels like it is from the type of culture that they are trying to portray in the film. I do think that this song is quite simple and a bit short but on the whole, I like the ice guys who cut ice and sing about cutting ice.
68. “When We’re Human”, The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Me: I love how this song showcases three distinct personalities through actions and words. None of them outright come out and say blatantly obvious things like “I love to play the trumpet”, “I am a bit of a womanizer”, or “People who don’t work hard are scum.”. Rather, they display their personalities through subtext. Besides that, I actually hum this song quite often! It’s catchy and gets stuck in my head in a good way.
My Brother: I love the energy I see and feel in this song, when this movie first came out in 2009 I remember singing the lyrics to this song all the time much to the dissatisfaction of my siblings. It is a catchy and overall just enjoyable song to listen to and to watch and like Aubery said it does a great job displaying who the characters are and what motivates them.
67. “One Jump”, Aladdin (1992)
Me: This was a great way to introduce Aladdin as a character. It shows his place in his world, how he interacts with a myriad of characters, and leads the audience into more important scenes that establish his personality, like when he gives his bread to two children and stands up to the rich man. All in all, this song has always impressed me. (Fun side note: You should slow this song down and watch the squash and stretch for Aladdin! It’s kind of hilarious but is yet another reason why the animation for this scene is truly high quality).
My Brother: I was a big advocate for this song when we discussed this list and I really pushed for this song to be put here in the ranking. If I am being honest my favorite part of the song is hard for me to say however I will settle for saying that this song is Aladdin as a character personified. It displays both Alladins views on his situation as well as the views of those who think he is a good-for-nothing scoundrel. It also does a great job setting up the plot in later parts of the film.
66. “Pink Elephants on Parade”, Dumbo (1941)
Me: I often see this song on people’s top most scarring scenes from animated movies. For those who did. . . you’ve never seen movies like Watership Down (1978). That aside, I was never scared of it. I actually sing this song around the house and LOOOOOOOOVE slowing down the animation to watch the characters’ subtle bizarre movements. Love or hate it, it is one of the animated scenes in film history that proves animation is an ART FORM.
My Brother: This song is so nostalgic for me and I can’t help thinking about the many times growing up I listened to it. For context I had an MP3 playlist I would always use and this song had a habit of coming on and playing at the weirdest of times. I really like the delivery of the lines, you can tell it is done in such a way to spook kids and provide an innocent amount of fright to the young listener. I also love the strange and unique visuals as well and I can’t help but admire the skill of the animators who made it.
65. “So This is Love”, Cinderella (1950)
Me: I love this song for two reasons. First, I used to sing this song to my siblings when they got boyfriends/girlfriends and fiances. I thought I was hilarious, though they probably thought I was being an annoying twirp. Secondly, I truly think this scene is BEAUTIFUL. Before making this list, I hadn’t taken the time to take in Mary Blair’s gorgeous backgrounds.
My Brother: Aubery stole my trick as I too sing this song when people are being lovey-dovey but perhaps it is the other way around and I stole hers ;). As for what I think of this song well I guess the best I can say is that it is fine. I think the backgrounds are pretty and the vocals are great but the rest of the song I am pretty indifferent about.
64. “What’s This”, Nightmare Before Christmas
Me: I might be one of the few people who find this song ironically funny. From Jack creepily crawling into a child’s bedroom, to him posing as a snowman, this could easily turn into a Christmas HORROR movie. I also love watching the subtle wonder and excitement Jack displays as he experiences Christmas for the first time.
My Brother: I really like how they take something that should be really creepy and strange and make it about the discovery of new things and places. The word I would use to describe this song is wonder followed closely by delight. I think that this is just an overall charming and excitable song about Jack finding something new for the first time in years.
63. “Goodbye So Soon”, The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Me: I didn’t include this song and score it higher because of the visuals. Rather, the presentation and ironic humor made Marty and I laugh and created a wonderful tone in the film. Overall, it was a clever storytelling tactic that made The Great Mouse Detective’s climax all the better.
My Brother: I love this song purely because it is a diss track that the main characters listen to before they die. It shows how great of a character the villain is and how spiteful and sarcastic he can be. I love this scene so much.
62. “Cruella De Ville”, 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Me: Some might be wondering how this song could possibly be this low. Well, it’s difficult to listen to this song straight because it’s chopped into pieces during the movie. That makes it hard to watch the scenes and study the song cohesively. Don’t get me wrong, I still love this song! However, given the judging criteria, it didn’t get higher.
My Brother: I LOVE this song so much and the only reason it is not higher is because it is choppy in its delivery. That does not mean I don’t randomly start singing this song all the time and have done so for over 15 years.
61. “Dig a Little Deeper”, The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Me: This song has great energy and the animation is colorful and vibrant! It is vital to the overall story, shows character progression, and subtly hints at future lessons and plot points. If I could make this my gospel anthem I would do it!
My Brother: This is a Cooky old lady song sung by an old witch in the middle of the swamp and I love it. Not much else to say that has not been said about other songs from this film on this list. This movie just does a great job of showing who the characters are and how they grow through the use of music. I also really like the use of colors throughout the song as well.
Thank you for reading! See you next time
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 
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