My Top 10 Disney Love Songs

Ever since the beginning of Disney animation way back in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, love has been a predominant theme throughout the great Disney classics. We can all remember the first time we heard Snow White captivate an audience with the original rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come," hereby setting the tone for Disney animation for nearly thirty years. Some of the most iconic scenes in the Disney canon just so happen to also be some of the most romantic. Think about the top scenes that come to mind when you think about Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, for example. High on that list, if not the number one scene you thought of, were the two ballrooms scenes from those two films. With countless themes abounding in every Disney movie, love prevails in almost all of them. As the classic song from Bambi proclaims, "Love is a song that never ends."

So today, in honor of this Valentine's Day weekend, and by the request of my fellow Disney fanatics on The Mouse Knows Best podcast (shameless plug, check us out on Stitcher or iTunes!), I have decided to celebrate the great Disney love songs by counting down my top ten. Society has changed tremendously since Snow White, and so have the love songs of Disney. In fact, an argument could be made that Disney love songs will never be as they once were (remember the "love" song from Frozen? That's the world we live in now). However, we must never take these great songs for granted, if only for the fact that in those few minutes they are playing, we are transported back to a much simpler time in a much simpler (fantasy) world.

Without further ado, onward and upward to my top ten!

10. "Married Life" (Up)/"Define Dancing" (Wall-E)

While not technically considered songs, the instrumental music provided by the great Michael Giacchino and Thomas Newman respectively in these two Pixar classics are some of the most romantic ballads in Disney history. One of the most memorable and heart-wrenching scenes in animation history is the opening fifteen minutes of Up as director Pete Docter and company, without the aid of much words, compels us all to care deeply for Carl and Ellie as if we have known this couple for years, and by the time the scene comes to an emotional close, through our tears, we will always remember that iconic music that Giacchino orchestrates throughout the montage. Furthermore, Newman's music score while Wall-E and Eve freely dance throughout space outside of the Axiom is spell-bounding. Beyond the animation beyond just stunning, the music here makes this scene so memorable. Being the highlight of a near perfect cinematic classic is no easy feat, but in my opinion, this is the scene that deserves to be studied by animators and composers for generations to come.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: For "Married Life," when Ellie's fate is revealed and the score goes soft, that's a perfect compliment to a perfect scene. For "Define Dancing," all of it. Like it's perfect couple, it's so blissful and so lovely.

9. "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" (Hercules)

Megara from Hercules is one of the most fascinating characters in Disney history. Her character arc is so well-developed and well-crafted, and the climax of her story comes after a perfect evening with Hercules as she wrestles with this notion of love, an emotion she had been determined to suppress. With the assistance of the incomparable Muses, Meg belts out a song that just about anyone who has ever been in love can wholeheartedly relate to. Rather catchy and easy to sing along to, this song is a revolutionary one as the modern day Disney love song was born.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: In the final line as Meg has her breakthrough, she exclaims, "At least out loud, I won't say I'm in love." It truly is the perfect way to end this song.

8. "Kiss the Girl" (The Little Mermaid)

Of all the songs on this list, this is the one that, if I had to choose, I would choose to sing along with. In such a fun scene that perfectly captures the whole tone of the film, everyone's favorite crustacean, Sebastian, takes matters into his own claws in regard to Ariel and Eric's romance and, with the help of some of his underwater friends, implores Eric to take that leap of faith and, well, you know, kiss the girl. Coupled with impeccable animation, "Kiss the Girl" initially brought the love song to the second golden age of Disney in the nineties, and it remains a classic to this day.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: The picture used here is the iconic moment as the audience is lead to believe that Eric is finally going to kiss Ariel, and who can forget Sebastian begging him to do so with lyrics like "You've got to kiss the girl. Why don't you kiss the girl...go on and kiss the girl!"

7. "Once Upon a Dream" (Sleeping Beauty)

As the first golden age of Disney came to a close with the death of Walt Disney, the studio shifted gears quite significantly and ventured off to try something new with its films like Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound in the seventies and eighties. With this change, Disney love songs as they once were found their unfortunate demise. The final one, though, is a glorious finale as Aurora gleefully dreams of a time where her prince would come to give her a life outside of the forest. In one classic scene, she dances with her closest friends, the animals, as they are all suited up in the cape, jacket, and hat that Prince Philip left behind. Perfectly Disney and perfectly innocent, the way all of the great love songs should be, "Once Upon a Dream" is a classic that'll be playing at Disney weddings for decades to come.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: When Philip finally gets in on the dancing to the surprise of the animals and, of course, Aurora, the harmonizing that follows leads to Aurora and Philip singing, "But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," and that is pure Disney gold.

6. "So This Is Love" (Cinderella)

As the quintessential love song of a love story that defined a generation, "So This Is Love" is Disney magic at its finest. Before the chaos of the midnight deadline ensues, Cinderella and her Prince Charming share one perfect evening that still stands in the pantheon of classic Disney scenes. From the beautiful animation to the soothing sound of Cinderella and Charming harmonizing these simple, yet so effective lyrics, the entire sequence is something to marvel. Historically speaking, so much was riding on Cinderella, and if Disney had failed, who knows if they would still be around today in so many corners of the world. Clearly, they hit a grand slam, thanks in large part because, like the song, they kept it simple without removing any of the magic,

Iconic Moment/Lyric: The beginning shot as the camera slowly zooms in on this dance for the ages is something to behold as the animators, like never before, make you feel as if these animated characters are real. Never is that sensation more realized than when Cinderella simply sings, "So this is love," for the first time.

5. "Bella Notte" (Lady and the Tramp)

What can I add to perhaps the most romantic movie of all-time that hasn't already been siad or written? Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp is not only a masterpiece of animation, but it is also a masterpiece of cinema period. Additionally, perhaps the most iconic scene in Disney history occurs with Tony serenading the audience with the rapturous "Bella Notte." The lyrics are so effective in their simplicity as this song perfectly compliments the scene unfolding before our very eyes. Who knew we could care about two dogs from opposite sides of the track so deeply while eating spaghetti in the alley behind an Italian restaurant?

Iconic Moment/Lyric: Obviously, the moment we all think of when we think about this movie is the iconic moment pictured above. That plate of spaghetti remains the most famous dish in the history of Hollywood for a reason.

4. "I See the Light" (Tangled)

This one is the outlier of this list as Tangled is the most recent movie represented here, but this film is taken straight out of the nineties among the giants of Disney classics as far as I'm concerned. Of all the films released by Disney in the last decade, this one is, by far, the best and my personal favorite. When I think about Tangled, the first scene that comes to mind is the scene that I think everyone thinks of, and that's the moment when the floating lanterns first illuminate the sky to the amazement of Rapunzel and Flynn aboard their romantic cruise. Then, Alan Menken and his musical genius hit us in the gut with not only one of the greatest love songs in Disney history, but also one of the greatest songs ever in Disney history. It's a scene that's impeccably animated and so well performed by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. This one gets me every time.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: That moment when the singing moves beyond the inner thoughts of the characters and now they sing together out loud for the first time is mesmerizing.

3. "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the Beast)

Whoever was the brilliant one who first suggested that Angela Lansbury sing the title song to my favorite Disney animated movie is a personal hero of mine. She brings so much powerful emotion while also adding a certain amount of necessary restraint to the climactic moment of the film as she's careful to not overshadow the scene transpiring in front of us. We listen to the words and still get chills at the music. The ballroom scene with Belle and the Beast dancing together is an all-time favorite scene in movie history of mine, and the song just adds so many layers to an already beautiful moment.

Iconic Moment/Lyric: As the camera pans down from the ceiling through the chandelier and to the side of our iconic couple, anyone with a soul would have chills galore.

2. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (The Lion King)

There are so many classic scenes from The Lion King, whether it be the opening with "Circle of Life" or the cult-classic "Hakuna Matata" number. Perhaps the most beautiful love song ever written for a Disney film, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a masterpiece through in through. Awesomely animated and performed incredibly, this love song dares to not only give the world a great love song, but it also progresses the story along, which is a combination that all of these songs on this list share, but this one accomplishes that feat in the greatest form. With this scene, The Lion King transforms from a truly great film to a practically perfect film in every way (see what I did there?).

Iconic Moment/Lyric: The final line of the chorus beautifully declaring, "The world for once, in perfect harmony with all its living things," is a line that'll never cease to be perfect.

1. "A Whole New World" (Aladdin)

The peak in romantic Disney songs takes place on a magic carpet in Agrabah. When Princess Jasmine reluctantly agrees to fly on the magic carpet with Aladdin, audiences are transported into a literal whole new world of Disney animation. The flying sequencing coupled with the sights the couple encounter throughout their journey is stunning from start to finish. On top of that, the lyrics and music for this song are some of the best Disney has ever produced (there goes Alan Menken working his magic again). The duet is beautiful and the orchestra playing in the background provide an excellent backdrop to the pinnacle of Disney songwriting and performing. A perfect love song for a perfect movie

Iconic Moment/Lyric: As the magic carpet ascends above the clouds, that's where the magic is found.

So this is love? Yes, at least in my book. Here's hoping that the future of Disney animation still finds room for some great love songs, because as you can plainly see, they all have become classics over the years. Only time will tell if that ends up being the case, but for now, let's make sure we take some time to appreciate not only the great Disney love songs, but all of the great songs Disney has given us throughout history.

Happy Valentine's Day!

-Cody Fleenor