One of the things Disney is known for is their music, so what better way to celebrate the end of the decade than counting down the 10 best Disney songs of the decade.
A couple of rules we went by in making this list. Only one song per movie on the list, otherwise a couple movies would dominate the list. Also, we are not just talking about animated movies, but any movie released by Disney this decade.
10. Try Everything (Zootopia)
This is a song from a non-musical animated film and it perfectly captures the movie's themes of moving beyond obstacles to achieve your goals. Bringing in Shakira was definitely the right choice and while this song was far from a hit, it was perfect for its movie which is what is really important.
9. Trip a Little Light Fantastic (Mary Poppins Returns)
The Mary Poppins sequel was not perfect, but it did give us a few great songs, the best being the Lin Manuel led spiritual successor to Step In Time, Trip a Little Light Fantastic. This song captures the optimistic spirit of lamplighters in the same way Bert did with Chimney Sweeps in the original film. A perfect moment that captures what Mary Poppins can be at its best.
8. We're Doing a Sequel (Muppets Most Wanted)
Early in the decade the Muppets roared back into the public consciousness and gave us two new films and a lot of great songs. Muppets Most Wanted was the weaker of the two, but its opening number was everything a Muppet song should be; funny, filled with pop culture, and doesn't take itself seriously. Its also made all the better that one of its jokes has since come true.
7. Touch the Sky (Brave)
We can debate the merits of Brave as a movie but Touch the Sky was an undeniably great song that helped introduce us to Merida as one of the most active Disney Princesses yet. Pixar isn't known for musicals, but they have given us a few great songs, starting with the classic You've Got a Friend in me, and this song continued that tradition.
6. Show Yourself (Frozen II)
This may not be the hit song from the movie, but it is the best. Following in the tradition of Let It Go it follows the emotional growth of Queen Elsa in a moment where she finds her life's purpose. It has some of the most impressive vocals of any Disney song in history. That's all without mentioning the stunning animation during this scene that will go down in Disney history.
5. Man or Muppet (The Muppets)
We enter the top five songs of the decade with another song by the Muppets from their triumphant return to film. This manages to give us another Muppet filled ballad tackling relatable issues, something that has always been a strength of the Muppets, that sometimes gets lost in their modern content.
4. Remember Me (Coco)
This song was performed multiple times throughout the movie with ever-increasing levels of emotion added with each subsequent performance. It gets passed between most of the major characters and even changes meaning throughout the movie. The power of this song lies in its simplicity and applicability in a wide variety of situations.
3. I See the Light (Tangled)
Tangled was somewhat of a return to form for Disney in their new medium. A more traditional fairytale involving a princess, although this time told from the perspective of the prince (or future prince), Flynn Rider. This song combined with one of the most visually stunning animated scenes in Disney history and will go down as one of the best Disney songs of all time.
2. How Far I'll Go (Moana)
We now go to an untraditional princess story, Moana, which broke most of the rules of the franchise but still gave us a wonderful movie from new to Disney composer Lin Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) giving us a killer score. The standout of the score was undeniably Moana's anthem, How Far I'll Go, which we get several versions of during the movie. This is a powerful song that will surely be remembered as one of the best Disney songs ever.
1. Let It Go (Frozen)
Anyone ranking the Disney songs of the decade and not putting this as number one is kidding themselves. This song defied the limits on a Disney song and became so popular many became sick of it. It deserves all of the praise put on it and more, being a song of self-acceptance and being who you truly are despite what anyone else might think. Combined with the soaring vocals of Idina Menzel, this is a Disney song that will go down alongside classics like When You Wish Upon a song as staples of pop culture decades later.
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