The 11 Greatest Musical Moments in Disney History

With Moana coming out in the next few months, Disney is stepping up its music game by inviting Lin-Manuel Miranda to contribute to the soundtrack. And judging by the man’s track record, it will be phenomenal music that will accompany a hopefully entertaining movie. With Zootopia being a spectacular film, and previous films winning Oscars and breaking records, I’m not worried at all about this upcoming flick. And let’s not forget: The Rock improves nearly everything he is in (Couldn’t save Doom though…)

So, I am going to take a look back and bring out what I believe are the 11 best musical moments in the history of Disney. And this isn’t just about the song, it’s about the way the sequence was filmed and directed and how well it ties to the rest of the movie---as well as how deep it digs into your conscience. So yes, a variety of your favorites will be left out, for there are too many great music moments in Disney; the history is quite deep.

Before we start the list, honorable mentions:

1) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’s “Winnie the Pooh” (Beautiful opening sequence that immediately sets the harmless and charming tone of the movie)


2) Tarzan’s “Strangers Like Me” (Best scene of the movie, which shows Tarzan’s growing intelligence, growing curiosity, slow and sad separation from the gorillas, and subtle rising affection for Jane----all in a couple minutes)

3) Nightmare Before Christmas “Jack’s Lament” (Soundtrack is far, far, far stronger than the movie, but Jack revealing his personal demons in front of a lit sky is a nice sequence)


4) Lion King’s “Circle of Life” (Because I have to…)

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#11:
Song: I’ll Make a Man Out of You
Movie: Mulan

Hercules had a training montage, but Mulan ups it with a superior song and far superior scene. Mulan and the boys have to be whipped into shape before heading out to war, and Li Shang was having none of it. He takes off his shirt, and shows off how awesome they can be within the first couple lyrics. And it looks bad, in the midst of his clamoring that he will improve them. At one point Mulan is kicked out, but she proves that despite gender, she can still be just as brave, just as strong as the best soldiers out there. By the end of the song they are motivated, and we as viewers are just as moved and motivated.

#10:
Song: Friends on the Other Side
Movie: Princess and the Frog

This definitely isn’t as recognized or as memorable or as loved as other Disney classics, but contains one of the best villain entrances in the history of film. Immediately takes over the movie with his swagger and what winds up becoming the best song in the film. The color palate changes, the music gets eerie, and the dark side of New Orleans comes into play with trickery, voodoo, witchcraft, and curses galore. Dr. Facilier winds up being the best character in the movie with his wordplay, delivery, and energetic presence---and his song is the definitive evidence as to why.

#9:
Song: Bella Notte
Movie: Lady and the Tramp

Alright, the love montage is a very clichéd and very cheesy concept----but way back in the 50s you just didn’t see it as often. Lady and the Tramp, already a very charming movie, delivers one of the most popular kisses in cinema, and then follows it up with a nice romantic song as you see the lead dogs frolic in multiple locations through the course of the beautiful night. Animation is gorgeous, the pacing is relaxed, and you just can’t find a flaw within the 3 minutes of Bella Notte. This would become the modern template for a romantic scene.

#8:
Song: Belle
Movie: Beauty and the Beast

This is how you start a movie. Immediately displaying Belle’s character and mannerisms, as well as her unique placement in the small town, Belle is arguably my all-time favorite opening song to any movie. We get to see the fun cast of villagers, see Belle in her bookworm ways, and immediately get introduced to the egotistical and narcissistic Gaston----who winds up becoming the lead villain in the second half. The song is spotless, and showcases why we are watching more than a film, but something seemingly straight out of the best of Broadway.

#7:
Song: When Somebody Loved Me
Movie: Toy Story 2

Pixar is known for heartbreak, utter disastrous heartbreak. But the first time we were truly emotionally disintegrated was Jessie’s montage about her history with Emily----which ended with her being abandoned in a box. Thanks to Hall of Fame Tearjerker Sarah McLachlan, the song is perfect, the transition from being best friend to footnote feels all too real, and Toy Story 2 emerges from kids movie to a film that touches every viewer regardless of age. It spoke layers about the themes of the film itself, all in a couple of minutes. It’s a beautiful sequence, despite the tragedy.

#6:
Song: Friend Like Me
Movie: Aladdin

I could have picked the beautiful Whole New World, but no, the best scene in Aladdin has got to be the appearance of the Genie. Robin Williams would change the film industry forever by applying a gallon of energy into his performance and into the movie itself. Friend Like Me feels like it was written for Williams, and the zany song brings out the best animated sequence in Aladdin, as its speedy, creative, and sometimes outwardly abstract. Aladdin was already very entertaining before the halfway point, and once the Genie was thrown into the picture you couldn’t predict how the rest of it is going to go. Friend Like Me wasn’t just a great song in a great scene, it would launch Aladdin in an entirely new direction and a higher stratosphere of quality.
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#5:
Song: Feed the Birds
Movie: Mary Poppins



Religion is hardly discussed in Disney movies, but Mary Poppins wasn’t your typical Disney flick. Feed the Birds is Disney’s first true jump into religious imagery and combine that with a hauntingly beautiful Julie Andrews performance and you have a scene that stands out not only in Disney, but in cinema history. The importance of the scene meanders through the rest of Mary Poppins, and the soul of the entire company was represented in those three minutes. Mary Poppins was a generally happy film, but took some time off to deliver a powerful message about charity and being good to everyone—which is quintessential Disney.
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#4:
Song: Let it Go
Movie: Frozen



Truth: Let it Go would never have been such a big song is the sequence hadn’t been so visually stimulating. The song is phenomenal (I know, overplayed and probably ruined by 21^st century Disney marketing), but the scene where she lets go of her fears and starts using her powers is simply, quiet powerful. As the song intensifies, the castle starts forming around her in an impressive long take and brings Disney back to 90s level Broadway aesthetics. It was right here when Disney shed its dependence on Pixar and started rediscovering its voice in the animation industry. Let it Go was the beginning of Disney’s rise towards the top of the animation world, sharing it with once-unbeatable Pixar. And, hands-down the best scene in the movie. And yes, Frozen is better than Tangled.
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#3:
Song: Hellfire
Movie: Hunchback of Notre Dame



Hellfire is hands-down the greatest villain song in Disney’s entire history. Hellfire is Frollo going up to God and engaging in an inner struggle of Biblical proportions, and of course ends with him declaring war or anything that stands in his path as he tries to find Esmeralda. This song is toned down (literally) to avoid the PG rating (box office poison back in the day), as the crazy mix of imagery, harsh lyrics, intense religious themes was not only too much for kids, but even adults were struggling back when it first came out. Frollo came into the scene as a simple foil to Quasimodo, and left the scene as a frighteningly powerful villain. Dark, gritty, masterful, and Tony Jay is absolutely perfect as Frollo verbally and when he sings. Best scene in Hunchback, and if the movie had stayed in this course we would have seen a much better movie.

#2:
Song: Married Life
Movie: Up



The opening 10 minutes of Up will stand as some of the best, strongest, most beautiful, and most heartbreaking filmmaking you’ll ever see animated or not. But it wouldn’t be complete, it wouldn’t fully work or fully be engraved in Disney history without the beautiful instrumental piece that accompanies it. The backend 4 minutes didn’t use a single line of dialogue, yet told everything you needed to know about the characters through music and images. This is peak Pixar, as to this day 7 years later we have yet to see a Pixar film quite as good as Up, and its partially because they haven’t developed a score as memorable as Michael Giacchino’s masterful work here. Not a lyric or word required, just pure cinematic magic. And it hits so close to home, its hard to watch with dry eyes.
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#1:
Song: Be Our Guest
Movie: Beauty and the Beast


Welcome to the Renaissance. Little Mermaid was the jump-starter, but Be Our Guest is the defining moment which sent Disney from a great animation studio into a powerhouse factory of artistic filmmaking. This was the moment when you realized Disney just wasn’t making a comeback, but was here to stay. Be Our Guest is the best number in the movie, the most fun part of the movie, and visually the most creative and impressive. Combine that with great vocals, tons of Broadway energy, humor, and a level of glee you just don’t find in regular movies, and this adds up to the best musical sequence ever made by Disney. There is no other answer, this scene represents the Disney Renaissance, the Modern-Day Disney in general.

Bernie's Last Stand

Welcome to the fire of 2016.







We are witnessing a very violent era, as mistakes of the past and the present has led to widespread chaos that has resulted in far more lost lives than we could have ever imagined when the New Year rang in. We’ve seen the top tourist spot in America get attacked, we see cops and Black citizens butting heads and exchanging gunfire, we see more mass shootings in the United States than ever before, we see France once again get pummeled with bad news, and let’s not forget the oft-forgotten horrors of the Mexican Drug War (financed by our fine folks at the NRA), Syria, Iraq, and the Israel/Palestine battling. Then we can throw in rising immigration fears happening in the United States and in Europe, electric rise in public racism as opposed to silent and hidden, continued radical racist attacks on a president whose biggest crime is being black, and last but not least a middle class that is shrinking thanks to the richest class scooping in more money while continuing the greed. Even though there is a lot to be thankful and happy about, we’ve reached a rough year. And we have an upcoming election that will force us to switch leaders.





Enter the Bern.





I’ve supported Bernie Sanders the second I researched him. The minute I heard him speak about the problems this nation and world is facing, I was locked in. Bernie wasn’t blaming a party, wasn’t blaming Republicans or Democrats specifically, he was blaming the system and the small group of rich billionaires that was running the entire show. Money was the root of all the issues: from incarceration rates to shrinking middle class to ridiculous spending of the fat cats and how it affects everyone underneath. We are seeing more jobs than ever before being thrown overseas, and we haven’t seen much punishment dished out to the fiscally irresponsible. Bernie also wanted the taxes to truly pay off; which is why he campaigned for free tuition, increase in minimum wage, and a continued health care system that would be even better than ObamaCare. His track record was spotless, as he had been fighting for minorities for decades and long before it became the norm. He is fully against war, and doesn’t want our soldiers scattered in all kinds of conflicts. This was the guy. And I knew it was a major, major long shot, even if he was eating away at Hillary’s lead and was dominating the debates.

I was part of the loud annoying wave of Bernie supporters that challenged the Democratic Party that was so sure Clinton would cruise into the election. I always said I would fight until the end. I said I’d ride the Bernie Train until it stops. And even when it looked grim, I stayed put. During his losing streaks and winning streaks, I battled the Hillary fans on Twitter, shared Sanders wisdom on Facebook, and calmly stated my points to those willing to listen to me talk about a Brooklyn candidate that looks 100 but speaks for the 15-25 crowd.

And the end came, he was inches away from losing, as Hillary was drawing more supporters, more votes, more voters, and more momentum. Her reputation took a vicious hit thanks to Bernie Sanders, but it wouldn’t be enough to appease those already prepared to lock her in as president. She is the Diet Coke Obama: doesn’t deviate too far from the Obama ideals while lacking the speech skills that Barack had displayed over the years. But she was going to become the nominee, whether you liked it or not.

We lost, simple as that. Despite all the screaming, facts, video footage, uplifting moments, delightful little glimpses of faith, our magical run had ended. Now, Sanders had a few upcoming options. Bernie Sanders isn’t an idiot. He knows an independent run would create more noise, and could potentially even produce an upset. He knows how much momentum he had created, and was poised to continue his run to revolutionize American politics and the country in general. He got the youth and the independents more excited than ever before. Politics didn’t just become an adult/old person ballgame, the late teenagers, college students, and millennials were all on-board towards this revolution. Maybe with a few speeches, a few dramatic moments, more victorious debates against the competitors and who knows? The ceiling was high, as we were in unfamiliar territory of being the best-looking third-wheel candidacy since Lincoln.



But then there’s Donald Trump.



Donald Trump also ignited a fire in groups of people relatively quiet: the racists, bigots, and those selfish enough to blame everything on others, not accept the responsibility, and still manage a way to make it all about them. I truly don’t care about your disdain for Hillary Clinton, it should never overshadow the fact that the leading Republican figure has no experience, no set course, no consistency, no mute button, and no reason to attempt to reason with others. He has been part of the Wall Street problem by hiring illegals and pissing them with extremely low wages, outsourcing thousands of jobs elsewhere (including Mexico, by the way), and just not giving any crap about the middle and lower class. Trump is part of the wave of high-end people that has helped craft a variety of the problems facing America. And any man that recommends the bombing of families to combat terrorism is just unfit to hold any position within miles of the White House.

Under Trump’s rise to popularity we see Neo-Nazis rising, the KKK becoming its most powerful since the early 1900s, a rise in disdain towards smaller groups like Muslims and Hispanics, and just this vigorous hatred towards the current America and an awkward desire to be a certain type of America in the past. And we even see the most supposed-Christian of people willing to overlook all the vicious things he has said in order to try to better themselves in society. There is a Twitter account that quotes the Bible (“Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, your hands for charity, your mind for truth, and your heart for love. Matthew 22:36-40”) and then has the Trump hashtag!!!! Has she not seen what occurs in these rallies? So now we see a majority of White America and Christians (Joel Osteen, come on now…) suddenly waging a silent war against minorities, Muslims, and pretty much the entire community of Democrats. There was even an incident about a truck driver that refused to help a person just because he saw the Bernie Sanders sticker in the back of the vehicle. A nation that is supposed to be united is slipping away.

Now, is every Trump supporter a racist? No, not to start. But they become racist by association because of their affiliation with a man that caters only to a very specific crowd and continues to promote separation as opposed to some type of unity. This is extremely dangerous, and would send America a century backwards while tanking the economy, ruining everything that makes America unique and a more desirable destination, and worst of all would give the platform to the racists and bigots to continue finding ways to torment and attempt to eliminate those that don’t look/sound/act/behave like them. We are already seeing a rise of people being persecuted just because of appearance, and Trump hasn’t even won yet. His numbers are devastatingly high for a man of his caliber and (lack of) experience. Which means, all efforts must be made to ensure he gets slaughtered during Election Day. Not just a defeat, a landslide defeat is required to pretty much save America. The sane must unite to defeat the insane, no matter what the cost.



Even if it means having to cooperate with your competition.



Using a film example, Spider-Man 2 (keep up, hang on, I’ll explain) towards the climax has Harry discovering that the person that killed his father (Green Goblin) was his best friend Peter Parker---a.k.a. Spider-Man. Harry knows the location of the main villain, but is still absolutely furious and in shock that his own friend was responsible for his father’s demise and all the torment that followed. Peter/Spider-Man had a major opportunity to discuss his role, but knows that time is of the essence and New York was in serious danger. He calmly responds to Harry with this:

“There are bigger things happening than me and you”

The Democratic Party has become that quote: they need to set aside their differences, their bickering, their battling, the history, the tough words and statements of the past, and the intense competition to fight the bigger fight, since there is a much larger issue looming in the distance.

Bernie Sanders is choosing the controversial, but required path of unity. He has to take all the support he has gained and find a way to move them towards Hillary territory so she can win and can prevent America from becoming the next unstable country in an already unstable world. Sanders is seeing societies splitting apart, other nations bowing to fears and bigotry (England, how’s that economy coming along?), and seeing warfare fought from all angles, especially the severely-battered Middle East. Although he believes he could run the country better than Clinton, all this must be set aside to fight the larger issue: Trump potentially winning. He couldn’t risk the severe loss by becoming a third wheel and separating the votes and making the race closer than it ever should be---it has to be a two-person race, each person stockpiling on as many important people as possible. And no weapon Trump possesses is as strong as Bernie Sanders and his small yet potent following.

Sanders prolonging the inevitable doesn’t just allow him to build a larger audience to ship into the right path: he’s already changing the Democratic Party with a slew of ideas that have been building steam. Hillary Today is not the Hillary of before, as before Sanders came in with a very attractive (albeit long shot) platform. Bernie Sanders gave it the best long shot fight he could possibly deliver, and did it without stooping low and without attacking on clickbait issues. And now he risked his reputation, all his supporters, and his image in favor of the greater good.

The sacrifice here is underrated honestly. Sanders gave everything up to join Hillary and help fight the cause. He won’t be able to run again, not after these actions (some of the Bernie Bros have already turned on him), and also because of his age. Bernie’s one opportunity as president and making a dramatic move was thrown to the side to support the Democratic Party. If it had been ANY other Republican candidate, be it Herman Cain, Ted Cruz, or even Mitt Romney, the results would have been different. Even if the three previously mentioned candidates aren’t strong choices, there’s at least some sanity and stability in their behavior. We don’t have that with Trump, which scares some, and attracts others.

The world is crumbling, and the United States needs a decent stable candidate to ride the waves and steer the ship. Hillary Clinton is like that boss you don’t like but secretly know their experience and expertise. Clinton is definitely the lesser of two evils, and couldn’t possibly do a quarter of the damage a Trump presidency would accomplish. Bernie Sanders knows this, and that is why in the midst of the madness, he is willing to be a voice of support. And if anyone brings up Jill Stein, I assure you that if Bernie couldn’t beat Hillary/Trump, what on earth makes you think Stein has a smidget of a shot?!!?

This won’t be Bernie’s best hour, but it’s his final major stand in his political career. He has peaked here, and can never rise this high ever again. So in this platform he is challenging the Republicans, he is challenging Trump, and is fighting for the soul of the United States---and that required losing it all. Bernie Sanders shouldn’t be ridiculed or criticized, as I assure you he didn’t come to this conclusion easy, and I’m sure to this very moment a part of him feels slightly sick. But we have a country to save and preserve, and a presidency in need of someone who isn’t going to flip everything upside down. 2016 has been sheer insanity: under the wrong circumstances it was only going to get much, much worse.





Thank you Bernie Sanders, for everything. Sorry we couldn’t do more. And sorry it’s come to this point. But I know you are doing it for your country.









And if you do run again, I will be there, once again, running alongside you.