Last updated November 11th 2023
Criteria: award nominations and wins; accolades; performance on the U.S. Billboard charts; and commercial success
Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Music and lyrics by: Frank Churchill and Larry Morey
Song sung by: Adriana Casselotti as Snow White
Accolades: Listed at #19 in 'AFI's 100 Greatest Songs in Film History'
Worthy of note: Many versions were performed by renowned artists, including Miles Davis, Lena Horne, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock
Someday My Prince Will Come lyrics
Movie: Tarzan
Music and lyrics by: Phil Collins
Song sung by: Glenn Close (as Kala) and Phil Collins
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; nominated for the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'
Charts: Spent 19 (non-consecutive) weeks at #1 on Billboard's 'Adult Contemporary' chart in 1999
RIAA certification: Certified Gold (sold 500,000 units in the U.S.)
Movie: Encanto
Music and lyrics by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Song sung by: Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast
Awards: The song was not submitted for award nominations; Dos Oruguitas was submitted instead.
Charts and success: The song reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and Global 200, which is based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world. It was certified 4× platinum in the United States, having sold over 4 million units, and became Billboard's highest-charting Disney song in 26 years.
We Don't Talk About Bruno lyrics
Movie: The Little Mermaid
Music and lyrics by: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
Song sung by: Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian
Performed in the Broadway musical by: Tituss Burgess
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'
RIAA certification: Certified 2× platinum (sold 2,000,000 units in the U.S.)
Movie: Pocahontas
Music and lyrics by: Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Song sung by: Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas
End title sung by: Vanessa Williams
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'
Charts: Listed at #31 on Billboard's 'Year-End Top 100' in 1995; peaked at #4 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 1995
RIAA certification: The Judy Kuhn version was certified Platinum (sold 1,000,000 units in the U.S.); the Vanessa Williams version was certified Gold (sold 500,000 units in the U.S.)
Movie: The Lion King
Music and lyrics by: Elton John and Tim Rice
Song sung by: Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Kristle Edwards, Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky
End credit version sung by: Elton John
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; nominated for the Grammy Award for 'Best Song of the Year'
Charts: Listed at #18 on Billboard's 'Year-End Top 100' in 1994; peaked at #4 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 1994
RIAA certification: Certified Platinum (sold 1,000,000 units in the U.S.)
Can You Feel the Love Tonight lyrics
Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Music and lyrics by: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
Song sung by: Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts
End title sung by: Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'; nominated for the Grammy Award for 'Best Song of the Year'
Accolades: Listed at #62 in AFI's '100 Greatest Songs in Film History'
Charts: Listed at #64 on Billboard's 'Year-End Top 100' in 1992; peaked at #9 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 1992
RIAA certification: The Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson version was certified Gold (sold 500,000 units in the U.S.); the Ariana Grande and John Legend version from the live-action adaptation was certified platinum (sold 1,000,000 units in the U.S.)
Beauty and the Beast theme song lyrics
Movie: Aladdin
Music and lyrics by: Alan Menken and Tim Rice
Song sung by: Brad Kane as Aladdin and Lea Salonga as Jasmine
End title sung by: Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
Broadway adaptation sung by: Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'
Charts: Listed at #18 on Billboard's 'Year-End Top 100' in 1993; peaked at #1 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 1993; listed at #17 in Billboard's 'Top 100 Adult Contemporary Songs Ever'
RIAA certification: The Brad Kane and Lea Salonga version was certified 2× platinum (sold 2,000,000 units in the U.S.)
Movie: Frozen
Music and lyrics by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Song sung by: Idina Menzel as Elsa
Pop version sung by: Demi Lovato
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'; nominated for the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song'; won the Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written for Visual Media'
Charts: Listed at #21 on Billboard's 'Year-End Top 100' in 2014; peaked at #5 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 2014
RIAA certification: The Idina Menzel version was certified 9× platinum (sold 9,000,000 units in the U.S.); the Demi Lovato version was certified 2× platinum (sold 2,000,000 units in the U.S.)
Global sales: The Idina Menzel version was listed at #5 on the top 10 list of digital singles sales in 2014.
Movie: Pinocchio
Music and lyrics by: Leigh Harline and Ned Washington
Song sung by: Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket
Awards: Won the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'
Accolades: Listed at #7 on AFI's '100 Greatest Songs in Film History'; chosen as one of the 25 sound recordings considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important..." by the National Recording Preservation Board in 2009
Charts: Version recorded by Dion & the Belmonts peaked at #30 on Billboard's 'Hot 100' in 1960
Prevalence in media: Featured as the opening theme song to the Wonderful World of Disney; featured during the opening sequence in Walt Disney Pictures movies, accompanying the castle logo
RIAA certification: Certified Gold (sold 500,000 units in the U.S.)
Here is our ranking of the top 10 best Disney songs of all time:
Honourable mentions:
The Circle of Life (The Lion King)
Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid)
Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)
Into the Unknown (Frozen 2)
The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book)
How Far I'll Go (Moana)