Every '90s Animated Disney Movie Soundtrack Ranked From Worst To Best

Ranking the animated Disney movies from the House of Mouse's '90s renaissance feels like an impossible task, but there's actually something even more challenging to rank—the film's corresponding soundtracks. Since most of us are stuck at home right now, though, there's not much else to do but sit around, listen to all the soundtracks and rank them. That's what everybody is doing, right? Well, okay, sure—there's also reading, board games and binge-watching a bunch of Netflix shows, too. When you're done with all those things, listen to these iconic Disney soundtracks and then come back and see how your personal ranking compares with ours.

10) Tarzan (1999)

Reason: It's difficult to argue that Phil Collins' Tarzan soundtrack should come in last when every song on the album undeniably slaps. There are two reasons Tarzan comes in last place on this list. First, unlike the other '90s classics, Tarzan isn't a true movie musical. The songs play in the background of the film as opposed to being sung by the characters themselves. The second reason is the Tarzan soundtrack lacks a villain song, which was a staple for this era of Disney films.

Best Song: You'll Be in My Heart

9) Pocahontas (1995)

Reason: Another difficult choice here. While Pocahontas contributed beloved songs, such as 'Colors of the Wind' and 'Just Around the Riverbend', to the Disney musical canon, the soundtrack lacks a true show-stopping number that many other soundtracks from this era are known for.

Best Song: Colors of the Wind

8) A Goofy Movie (1995)

Reason: A Goofy Movie has the most underrated soundtrack from this era of Disney films, which is what landed it in this slot. Despite having a super fun, pop-esque, risk-taking soundtrack, the music from A Goofy Movie is often undeservedly left out of the conversation completely when people talk about this Disney film era. If you give it a listen, though, you'll find that the soundtrack should be given a lot more credit than it gets.

Best Song: I2I

7) Mulan (1998)

Reason: Not only does the Mulan soundtrack include a collaboration between Stevie Wonder and 98° as a bonus track, every song from the film has a staying power that can't be denied. Over two decades after Mulan first premiered, fans still regularly listen to 'Reflection' and 'I'll Make a Man Out of You.' You simply can't hear the phrase "let's get down to business" without wanting to break out into song.

Best Song: I'll Make a Man Out of You

6) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Reason: Like A Goofy Movie, the soundtrack for The Hunchback of Notre Dame is vastly underrated. This most likely has to do with the film itself being less popular than the more lighthearted movies from this era, including The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, but this soundtrack is fire. (Or should I say it's Hellfire? Get it?) If nothing else, The Hunchback of Notre Dame set the standard for villain songs on every future Disney film—and that standard is quite high.

Best Song: Hellfire

5) Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Reason: Beauty and the Beast was the second film to debut in what's now known as Disney's film renaissance. Both the movie and the soundtrack were so good, they reassured fans (and Disney itself) that the success of 1989's The Little Mermaid wasn't a fluke. From the show-stopping 'Be Our Guest' to the timeless classic 'Tale As Old As Time', the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack is near perfect.

Best Song: Be Our Guest

4) Aladdin (1992)

Reason: Another early entry from this era, the Aladdin soundtrack is simply one hit song after another. If movie soundtracks were released like pop albums, picking a lead single from this collection of songs would be a challenging task. Robin Williams' one-of-a-kind voice work as the Genie also elevates both the film and the soundtrack to another level.

Best Song: Friend Like Me

3) Hercules (1997)

Reason: If you're wondering why Hercules is so high up on this list, you probably haven't watched this movie—or listened to the soundtrack—nearly enough. The music from Hercules not only a delight, it's one of the most unique soundtracks Disney has ever produced. One only has to hit play on 'The Gospel Truth' to know what we mean by that. The film is musically narrated by "The Muses," who bring a whole lot of soul to this tale set in Ancient Greece. That may sound like a strange combination at first, but one listen will completely sell you on the combination—and the soundtrack as an underrated Disney classic.

Best Song: Won't Say I'm In Love

2) The Little Mermaid (1989)

Reason: Yes, The Little Mermaid premiered in November 1989 and isn't technically a '90s movie, however, it is the movie that kickstarted the renaissance and is considered to be part of this era of Disney films. Disney fans can thank The Little Mermaid for the style of the modern Disney soundtrack. The previous era of Disney's movie musicals, including Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella, had a classic Hollywood style, while The Little Mermaid was the first animated Disney film to include big, show-stopping numbers on their soundtrack.

Best Song: Kiss the Girl

1) The Lion King (1994)

Reason: Whether or not The Lion King's soundtrack is your personal favorite from this era, it is undeniably the most iconic—possibly of all time. Like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King has one of the best villain songs in the Disney canon with 'Be Prepared.' Like Aladdin, this soundtrack is jam packed with hits we all still know all the words to today, including 'Just Can't Wait To Be King' and 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight.' Put simply: this is a blockbuster album if there ever was one.

Best song: Hakuna Matata

Throughout the weekend, iHeartRadio is celebrating the best of the 90s and counting down the coolest decade’s top hits. Listen on iHeartRadio all weekend long!

Photo: Disney


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