Welcome again! Let’s keep making our way through our list of songs! Once again, here are our judging criteria.
- 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
30. “I Wanna Be Like You”, The Jungle Book (1967)
Me: This has consistently withstood the tests of time as one of my favorite Disney songs. I like the other songs from The Jungle Book but this is the one that slaps the hardest. The best moment would have to be when Baloo bursts into drag to sing with King Louie.
My Brother: I sing this song to myself all the time, it is one of my favorite Disney songs and has had a place on my music playlist since i was a little kid. Everything comes together perfectly from Baloo to that one monkey butting in with his own music such a classic.
29. “This is Halloween”, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Me: Creepy, well-paced, and energetic this is the perfect way to open The Nightmare Before Christmas. Even before I ever saw the film when I was a teenager, I automatically connected this titular song with Halloween and the film. One sign you have a great song is when people 100% associate it with your film and understand its message without needing to see the film. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have stellar visuals! Stopmotion students can learn a thing or two about staging and angles from watching this song.
My Brother: This song does its job perfectly by taking a holiday we all know and bringing it to life with unique characters, impressive visuals, and incredible vocals. I am most impressed by the fact that everything in this song is shown in stop motion making what is shown all the more impressive. I also like how the rest of the film follows the lead of this incredible show opener perfectly making you know what kind of film you are watching from the very start.
28. “Belle”, Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Me: This song is a masterclass in establishing the setting and how its characters fit into their world. Through remarkable visual storytelling, this song showed the audience two main characters and how people felt about them. Not only that, but we also know these two characters’ passions and personalities. I never get tired of studying this song!
My Brother: I really love the storytelling displayed by this song from the way it shows the lives and daily activities of the villagers to how it introduces Belle and Gaston and their roles in the story and even more what the villagers think of Belle as a person and their support of Gaston.
27. “Oogie Boogie”, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Me: I have a heyday watching and listening to this song! From its various homages to old cartoons and singers, to its sinister neon lighting, it is a visual feast for my eyes! Ken Page is a remarkable voice actor and performer and I can’t gush about him enough.
My Brother: I can’t really say enough how much I love the visuals shown in this song but seeing as Aubery talked about them already I will just mention how much I love the vocals showcased in this song. I don’t even need the visuals to know what is happening who the two people involved are as characters or what their roles are. This is simply one of my favorite Disney villain songs and I cannot praise it enough.
26. “I Won’t Say I’m In Love”, Hercules (1997)
Me: This is my favorite song from Hercules. Period. Susan Eagan is an underrated singer and voice actress all around. From the Muses working as her backup singers throughout the garden, to her great emotional performance, this is a truly wonderful song.
My Brother: I love this song I have listened to it for years it was on the same disc as Kiss the Girl and I would listen to it all the time. The singer is awesome the muses in the background are a great enhancer for the song and its overall message.
25. “Into the Unknown”, Frozen II (2019)
Me: I played this for my Dad and he really liked this song. He said it had great emotional tension and dynamics. I agree with him. I don’t really like most of the songs from the Frozen soundtrack, but this. . . this is a masterfully written and executed song by Idina Menzel and AURORA. It has great build-up, transforms its message, and provides some stunning visuals.
My Brother: Remember earlier in the list when I said that there were only two songs I like in Frozen 2 well this is number 2. I wish the rest of the film was at the same level as this song in terms of quality but alas it is not. like Aubrey said this is a masterfully written beautifully executed song and literally makes this very mediocre film watchable.
24. “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, The Little Mermaid (1989)
Me: Goodness I love how Pat Carroll sings this song! While “Belle” is a masterclass in establishing characters in their world, this song is a masterclass in using music to guide your characters through major plot points. Not only does Urusula establish her intentions and relationship with Ariel, but she also moves Ariel into the human world without unnecessary exposition. We don’t need anyone to explain to us the gravity of Ariel’s choice or why Ursula is clever or evil. It is evident through the song’s lyrics, the characters’ body language, and how the music itself changes in tone.
My Brother: I can’t praise this song enough it establishes the villain, what her intentions are, and how she is using Ariel to further her own intentions. It is so hard to see what Disney villain songs have become when you compare them to masterworks like this one. The visuals are impeccable, and the music is outstanding I genuinely just love this song and I think It truly deserves to be in the top 25 Disney songs
23. “Jack’s Obsession”, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Me: Hello to my second favorite song from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I love how Danny Elfman delivers this song and how he decided to write it. Danny Elfman may be a bit creepy, but he is a fantastic composer. This song never remains predictable in its melody or harmonies. It grows with Jack and transforms from a frustrated song of discovery to a song demonstrating a man’s newfound resolve.
My Brother: I really like the personality shown in this song It showcases Jack’s literal obsession over Christmas and what it means for him to understand it. It does such a good job of using music and visuals to show the development of both Jack’s character and the plot of the movie.
22. “I am Moana”, Moana (2016)
Me: I don’t know how this song brushed past me when I watched Moana for the first time. Upon rewatching, I think this is the best song in the movie. It has a powerful message about family, life after death, following through with your life mission, and believing you have the power to change the world. Plus, it is a visual feast with beautiful shades of purple and blue blossoming from the ocean. (Note: I honestly think this is one of the most beautifully animated films ever made. This song is a great example of why this is so).
My Brother: I am weak to emotional scenes like this one that deal with failure and how we overcome it. Visually it is inspiring and musically it is incredible. It is the best song in this film and leagues better than most of the music in modern Disney films. Literally one of the most beautiful scenes in animation history both musically and emotionally.
21. “Out There”, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Me: When I was a child, this song had a deep impact on me. I was an empathic child and I wanted Quasimodo to find somewhere he truly belonged. That feeling has not diminished into adulthood. Now, this is how you write an “I want” song. It isn’t so much about what a character wants. It is creating an emotional connection with an audience to a character based on these desires. Tom Hulce was definitely the right choice for this song because his delivery was emotionally resonant.
My Brother: This is arguably my favorite scene with Quasimodo in the film. It shows who he is and what he wants in such a beautiful way that makes ME care about what he is saying. He has such a pure longing to go out into the world and see it for himself. Like Aubery said this is how to write an “i want song” and I cannot say enough how much better it is compared to the films of today. There are many reasons why this movie is a contender for my favorite Disney film and this song is one of those reasons.
Thank you for reading! See you in the next post.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 
1 Comment