Deep Dive Disney: Wes's Top 20 Disney Songs (Honorable Mentions)

Welcome everyone to the first of three very special articles. I’ve been looking forward to counting down my Top 20 favorite Disney songs, but before we get there, there’s some housekeeping to take care of. As you may well know, Disney musicals have produced some of the most beloved musicals of all time, and naturally there are a lot more than twenty songs worthy of praise. And indeed, there were A LOT of songs that didn’t make the final list, and a lot of them are fan favorites, some are even masterpieces. So, to make this series of articles feel even more complete, here, in order of film release, is a list of the songs that just barely missed the cut. Think of this as a nice little appetizer before we get to the main course. Enjoy!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:

Heigh Ho – A fun and iconic number that people have been humming for almost ninety years, that’s got to count for something.

Pinocchio:

When You Wish Upon a Star – A beautiful song that’s become the theme song and motto for the Walt Disney company itself. Not too shabby.

Dumbo: When I See an Elephant Fly – Yeah, I know the crows are a bunch of racially insensitive caricatures, but I can’t help it, this song is incredibly catchy and I love it. Call it a guilty pleasure if you must, but it’s still one of the most pleasant moments in the entire movie.

The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad:

Ichabod Crane – I’ve always enjoyed the music of Bing Crosby, and this is a nice fun number that introduces us to Ichabod Crane. Thematically, I also feel it may have inspired the opening of Beauty & The Beast as well.

Cinderella: Bippity Boppity Boo – This song was one of the saving graces of Cinderella and one of the only points in the film where those god damn mice shut the hell up. Thank you very much Verna Felton.

Mary Poppins: The Life I Lead – One of my favorite numbers in this classic and one that is often overlooked.

Spoonful of Sugar – Iconic doesn’t even begin to cover it. Julie Andrews knocks this beautiful number out of the park.

Feed the Birds – It physically hurt to leave this one off the list. I cannot emphasize enough how hauntingly beautiful this song is.

Chim Chim Cher-ee – Another one that was tough to leave off the list. Bert is just such a fun character and this is his signature number.

The Jungle Book: Bare Necessities – A chill number performed by the great Phil Harris that sticks in my head to this day. Great stuff!

Bedknobs & Broomsticks:

Portobello Road – A fun and catchy number performed by the one and only David Tomlinson. I love the bit where he calls other con artists out on their tricks.

The Great Mouse Detective: Let Me Be Good to You – STRIPPER MOUSE!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Why Don’t Ya Do Right – I bet this song helped a lot of young men and women in the 80’s hit puberty.

The Little Mermaid: Part of Your World – Look, I make it no secret that I can’t stand Ariel, but Jodi Benson has a beautiful voice and as much as I don’t like the character associated with it, the song is still beautiful.

Beauty & The Beast:

Belle – One of the strongest opening numbers in Disney history that perfectly sets up Belle and what she’s all about, as well as Gaston and the townsfolk.

Be Our Guest – The first pleasant moment of Belle’s incarceration in Beast’s castle, this song is wonderful and a feast for both the eyes and ears.

The Lion King: Circle of Life – Nevermind what I just said about Belle, THIS is the strongest opening number in Disney history. This song very nearly made the final list but I had to edge it out, something I’ll regret for a long time.

Hakuna Matata – A fun song and a much-needed bit of levity at this point in the film. It’s just a feel good number through and through.

A Goofy Movie:

Nobody Else but You – A powerful and emotional reconciliation between father and son.

Eye 2 Eye – The grand finale to one of my favorite movies of all time, Tevin Campbell delivers this awesome number and in doing so, brings a lot to the role of Powerline even with minimal dialogue.

Pocahontas: Just Around the River Bend – Judy Kuhn is a hell of a singer, what can I say.

Colors of the Wind – See above

Toy Story: You Got a Friend in Me – A nice chill song that sets the tone for the first Toy Story movie and by extension the entire franchise

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Bells of Notre Dame – Another strong opening number. It’s dark, moody and features a man murdering a woman and attempting to drown her baby. A perfect tone setter for this film.

God Help the Outcasts – Another beautiful song that had to be taken off the final list at the last minute. Esmerelda sings not for herself like the typical princess crowd, but rather hopes for the best for others.

Heaven’s Light – An underrated song that everyone forgets about since it’s followed by the incredible Hellfire.

Esmerelda – This song was not in the movie, but rather an original written for the stage musical. It’s a beautiful and energetic ensemble piece sung while Frollo and his men burn down the city in search of Esmerelda

Aladdin & The King of Thieves:

Out of Thin Air – It’s not exactly A Whole New World, but it is a beautiful song that deserves more attention.

Hercules: The Gospel Truth – Yet another strong opening number that introduces us to the muses, the backstory of the film and the gospel music tone the soundtrack will be going for.

Go The Distance – A great song from Young Hercules about find where you belong in the world.

Mulan: Reflection – A beautiful song about being your true self. I imagine this song has had a lot of positive influence on the transgender community.

Lion King II: He Lives in You – This song is so great, it actually made it into the Broadway version. It’s not Circle of Life, but it’s damn close.

We Are One – This melody is incredibly catchy and the song in generally is a lot of fun.

He Is Not One of Us – Hauntingly beautiful song, but not quite enough to make the list.

Tarzan: Two Worlds – Yet another strong opening song, are you sick of hearing that yet?

Son of Man – This song is a great montage of Tarzan mastering his environment. It’s fun, catchy and triumphant.

Lilo & Stitch: Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – A nice bit of Hawaiian flavor as our protagonists forget their problems for a moment and go surfing.

Pirates of the Caribbean:

A Pirates Life for Me – The iconic song from the theme park ride, I had to give it a mention. He’s a Pirate – I made a rule for the main list, only songs with lyrics, but this is easily my favorite instrumental piece ever written for a movie. It’s getting an honorable mention.

The Princess & The Frog: Down in New Orleans – Yet another strong opening number that feels like an absolute love letter to the movie’s New Orleans setting. Personally I prefer the reprise at the end sung by the otherworldly voice of Anika Noni-Rose.

Gonna Take you There – I love this song and can almost never get it out of my head. I just wish it were a little longer.

Dig a Little Deeper – A fun and exciting gospel number sung by Mama Odie that tells us that what we want is less important than what we need.

Toy Story 3:

Hay Un Amigo En Mi – The Spanish version of You Got a Friend in Me blows the original completely out of the water.

Tangled: When Will my Life Begin – Yeah, I know, another strong opening number. Mandy Moore is a great singer and this song is incredibly catchy.

I See the Light – A love duet that truly feels earned, and on top of that, it’s a beautiful song in its own right.

Frozen: Frozen Heart – One of the most unique and overlooked songs in Frozen. Truth be told, a lot of the songs in Frozen don’t stick out that much, making this one all the more fun by comparison

Big Hero Six: Immortals – What can I say, I like Fall Out Boy

Zootopia: Try Everything – What can I say, I like Shakira more than I like Fall Out Boy

Moana: Where You Are – I had to give props to General Washington himself, Christopher Jackson, who sings this fun song.

How Far I’ll Go – A beautiful I want song from one of my favorite Disney Princesses.

I Am Moana – A reprise of the previous song that hits harder, especially the part where she triumphantly declares “I AM MOANA!”

Beauty & The Beast (2017):

Evermore – Dan Stevens gives us this excellent original number that gets better every time I hear it. The Beast is filled with sorrow, but also hope and happiness to have finally experienced love.

Coco: Un Poco Loco – A fun number that Miguel uses to stand out in the contest.

Proud Corazon – The closing number of Coco that has a very powerful message of family togetherness behind it.

Aladdin (2019): One Jump Ahead – This is Disney nerd blasphemy, I know, but I don’t care. I like this version of One Jump Ahead better than the original.

Speechless – Finally, Jasmine has her own song, and it’s a hell of a powerful one. Naomi Scott has a beautiful singing voice and she makes great use of it here.

Frozen II: Some Things Never Change – Yet another great opening number with a nice bouncy tune that helps us catch up with our heroes. Show Yourself – A sort of spiritual sequel to Let It Go that completes Elsa’s journey that began during that song.

Encanto:

The Family Madrigal – Easily the best opening number in a Disney movie since Circle of life and a great introduction to each member of the Madrigal family and what they’re all about.

We Don’t Talk about Bruno – The song that has been stuck in the world’s collective head for the last several months and with very good reason. I love this song and really wanted to add it to the list, but it just missed the cut.

And that’s it for the honorable mentions, but stay tuned, the list will be coming soon.