Top 25 Disney Songs, Ranked
Top 25 Disney Songs, Ranked
Mostly an "Alan Menken Appreciation" Ranking
What is a Disney song? Simply put, a Disney song is a song that was written for a Disney property. The Walt Disney Company has a rich history of musical storytelling in all aspects of their creative output, from movies to TV shows, and even theme park attractions. But Disney is not a monolith— hundreds of songwriters have made classic tunes for the company over the years, in varying genres and styles. Still, these are the 25 that have etched their way into my heart.
I’m looking at these songs from a songwriting perspective, removing them from their context in their movie/show/attraction.
Some honorable mentions include “King of New York,” (Newsies), “Remember Me” (Coco), and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (The Lion King).
“The Climb” (Hannah Montana: The Movie) was not originally written for a movie, and is therefore ineligible for this list.
25. PRINCE ALI (Aladdin)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Songwriter Howard Ashman was nothing short of brilliant, and while he sadly passed from AIDS before completing the songs on Aladdin, three of his songs do end up in the movie, the best of which is this bombastic entrance celebration sung by Robin Williams.
Best lyric: “Genuflect, show some respect, down on one knee!”
24. “DUCKTALES” THEME (DuckTales)
Writer: Mark Mueller
The irreverent 80s cartoon series may not have held up (in its original iteration— the reboot was wonderful), but its theme song certainly did. You don’t need to be a fan to recognize that this song duckin’ slaps.
Best lyric: “DuckTales! Woo-oo!”
23. I WON’T SAY I’M IN LOVE (Hercules)
Writers: Alan Menken and David Zippel
One of the riskier yet clever decisions made for Hercules was to lean into the gospel sound, but it’s the Motown-esque girl group number sung by Meg (Susan Egan) and the Muses that hits it out of the park. Menken has a particular penchant for writing in this style, and “I Won’t Say” is very reminiscent of his work on Little Shop of Horrors. Shoo-doop, indeed.
Best lyric: “If there’s a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I’ve already won that.”
22. I2I (A Goofy Movie)
Writers: Patrick DeRemer and Roy Freeland
This is 90s feel-good synth pop at its finest. A perfect blend of Michael Jackson and Prince, this high-energy tune is the kind of finale that makes you forget any plot holes or inconsistencies in the movie. A Goofy Movie has become something of a cult classic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this anthem had something to do with it.
Best lyric: “If we listen to each other’s heart, we’ll find we’re never too far apart.”
21. SURFACE PRESSURE (Encanto)
Writer: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Miranda is showing off. The lyrics and whimsically placed rhymes are just a part of this super-catchy, super-relatable song, sung by Luisa (Jessica Darrow) in a dream sequence in the film.
Best lyric: “Under the surface, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service.”
20. HEAVEN’S LIGHT / HELLFIRE (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Writers: Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
One of the film’s most thrilling moments is the juxtaposition between protagonist Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) and antagonist Frollo (Tony Jay) as each comes to terms with their own love/lust for Esmeralda. These two songs are presented as one track, but it’s the boundary-pushing “Hellfire” that presented a dark, dramatic leap for what we call a Disney song.
Best lyric: “Protect me, Maria, don’t let this siren cast her spell; don’t let her fire sear my flesh and bone.”
19. THEME FROM “SOARIN’ OVER CALIFORNIA” (Soarin’)
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Located in both Epcot and Disney California Adventure, the flight simulator Soarin’ is a beautiful journey through some of the visual splendors of the world. The theme changed for Soarin’ Around the World, but in its original iteration, Jerry Goldsmith’s emotional five-minute score is one of the most majestic sounds you’ll ever hear.
Best lyric: N/A
18. WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Writers: Frank Churchill and Larry Morey
Before Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch,” how were the masses supposed to know about a hard day’s work? Snow White was the first American film to have a soundtrack album, and what a precedent to set! It predates even the earliest Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, and this earworm still makes people tap their toes nearly 90 years later.
Best lyric: “It won’t take long when there’s a song to help you set the pace.”
17. ONCE UPON A TIME IN NEW YORK CITY (Oliver & Company)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Barry Mann
The opening number, performed by Huey Lewis and the News, is a catchy, bittersweet ode to hope in the hustle and bustle of New York.
Best lyric: “Keep your dream alive; dreaming is still how the strong survive.”
16. HOW FAR I’LL GO (Moana)
Writer: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Arguably the standout song from Moana, her “I Want” song is a catchy ode to the perennial teenage dream. A girl torn between duty and desire finds her calling and trusts herself. Lyrically, the song is simple, but still vulnerable, and profound. This is the song that made audiences fall in love with Moana.
Best lyric: “I wish I could be the perfect daughter, but I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try.”
15. I SEE THE LIGHT (Tangled)
Writers: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
When you have Alan Menken scoring a Disney movie, you know you’ll be getting a killer love song. In Tangled, the balladic duet is at the heart of the movie. The song and its visual sequence might be one of the most beautiful scenes ever animated— but I promised myself I wouldn’t take the visuals into account here.
Best lyric: “All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were.”
14. SO CLOSE (Enchanted)
Writers: Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
As stated earlier, composer Alan Menken can write a ballad that melts our hearts. What makes “So Close” stand out, though, is how earnestly it leans into the 90s contemporary pop sound.
Best lyric: “So close to reaching that famous happy ending.”
13. BE OUR GUEST (Beauty and the Beast)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
When you look up showstopper in the dictionary, do you see a suave candlestick emcee? The flamboyant vaudevillian production number is certainly a sight to behold in the movie, but its resonance as a Broadway tune is equally as entertaining. “Be Our Guest” is a testament to the theatrical pastiche at which Menken and Ashman were so adept. And it’s all in perfect taste— that you can bet!
Best lyric: “Try the grey stuff, it’s delicious— don’t believe me? Ask the dishes!”
12. A WHOLE NEW WORLD (Aladdin)
Writers: Alan Menken and Tim Rice
Can you believe that this signature song from Aladdin won the Grammy for SONG OF THE YEAR? I can; this sweet duet takes you wonder by wonder— over, sideways, and under on a magic carpet ride. Visuals aren’t needed to enjoy the evocative lyrics and soaring melody here.
Best lyric: “Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky.”
11. LET IT GO (Frozen)
Writers: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Plenty of people hate it, but it’s pretty damn catchy. Even before it made its way into Frozen, this vibrant, badass song has Elsa (Idina Menzel) learning to free herself from society’s shackles. When the film’s directors heard the song for the first time, they decided to enhance Elsa’s role in the movie. Its orchestration is masterful, but it’s the melody and lyrics that make this stunner stand on her own.
Best lyric: “Let the storm rage on… the cold never bothered me anyway.”
10. PART OF YOUR WORLD (The Little Mermaid)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Coming in at number 10 might just be the most influential song in the Disney canon, cementing the legacy of musical theatre in the animated medium. During the film’s production, lyricist Ashman had deep convictions for how he wanted this song to sound, and every ounce of his passion is evident in this stunning, empowering tune.
Best lyric: “But who cares? No big deal… I want more…”
9. COMPASS OF YOUR HEART (Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage)
Writers: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
Yes, the 9th-best Disney song is something you may never have heard. At Tokyo DisneySea, a boat ride about Sinbad was in dire need of repair, and when Menken and Slater wrote this seafaring tune, the attraction was recreated around it. It’s a testament to Menken’s songwriting (the way that most of this list is) that this beautiful saga can elicit such heart and emotion in another language.
Best lyric: “Life is the greatest adventure— there is no map, there’s no chart.” English version here:
8. FEED THE BIRDS (Mary Poppins)
Writers: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Supposedly, Walt Disney would invite the Sherman brothers into his office on a Friday afternoon; he’d look out a window and say, “play it.” Its lullaby-esque nature and haunting yet lilting melody was described by Walt Disney as the heart of Mary Poppins. I’m not sure I agree, but it’s certainly the most affecting song in the movie.
Best lyric: “Though her words are simple and few, listen, listen, she’s calling to you.”
7. REFLECTION (Mulan)
Writers: Matthew Wilder and David Zippel
One of the biggest crimes of the 20th century is the fact that “Reflection” was cut down to one verse and chorus in Mulan. The melodic writing is wrought with emotion and beautifully shows off any singer’s voice. (Really, any— there are no bad covers of this song.) Disney has plenty of songs where characters describe what they want— but this is perhaps the canon’s most successful “who am I?” song.
Best lyric: “Why must we all conceal what we think, how we feel?”
6. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beauty and the Beast)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
It’s a tale as old as time, a tune as old as song, yet humanity had to wait until 1991 to hear “Beauty and the Beast.” I have tremendous respect for anyone who can write a song where each line is only 5 syllables, but even moreso that Ashman is able to poignantly and succinctly portray the budding romance between these two unlikely lovers. Menken’s tearjerking composition here is classic Menken.
Best lyric: “Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.”
5. OUT THERE (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Writers: Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Some of Alan Menken’s best work is in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which, ironically, was the first animated movie that did NOT net him an Oscar. At its core, this epic “I Want” song is not just about liberation or freedom— it’s about being accepted as an outcast. It’s a sweeping celebration of the need for human connection, as well as hope in the face of confinement.
Best lyric: “Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives, heedless of the gift it is to be them.”
4. UNDER THE SEA (The Little Mermaid)
Writers: Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Ashman and Menken were experts at musical pastiche, and nowhere is it more effective than in the brilliant calypso showstopper from The Little Mermaid. The lyrics are perfection— if I were Ariel, this song would have convinced me; I would have stayed under the sea and the movie would end there.
Best lyric: “The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake.”
3. WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR (Pinocchio)
Writers: Leigh Harline and Ned Washington
What appears to be a simple song is actually a harmonically complex piece unlike anything else in the canon. The score for Pinocchio is brilliant, but it’s this stunning opener that tugs at the heartstrings. Forever a fixture of pop culture, it’s very possible that the 7-note theme might be one of the most played tunes ever.
Best lyric: “When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.”
2. I’LL MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU (Mulan)
Writers: Matthew Wilder and David Zippel
The upbeat song moves as swift as a coursing river. Its chorus blusters in with all the force of a great typhoon. The epic scope roars with all the strength of a raging fire. If there was ever a Disney song to pump you up, it’s this one.
Best lyric: “Mysterious as the dark side of the moon.”
1. COLORS OF THE WIND (Pocahontas)
Writers: Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
The best song in the Disney canon— and undoubtedly the most powerful— is this soaring ballad from Pocahontas. Elements of the song are inspired by Native American music and poetry, while its lyrics invoke animism, prejudice, and respect for the environment. The song conveys its thought-provoking message in a way via an electrifying anthem, singing with all the voices of the mountain. It’s a song that I could listen to all day long.
Best lyric: “You can own the earth and still, all you’ll own is earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind.”