This week, The Lion King turned 26. Back in 1994, Disney’s 32nd animated feature film released to critical acclaim.
Many thought the film showed Disney trying to please both adults and children with a film that seemed more mature in the emotions it stirred and the beautiful animation. But many will think of the soundtrack when they think of The Lion King.
With a score written by Han Zimmer, the film also featured five original songs written by Tim Rice and Elton John, marking their first-ever collaboration. Many of the awards that the film won were for the score and soundtrack. Hans Zimmer won both a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the Best Original Score, and three of the songs were nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1994. Not only was the soundtrack a critical success, but it was a commercial one too. The soundtrack went 10x platinum in 1995, a year after it was released. The soundtrack remains the best-selling soundtrack of an animated film, and the 10th best-selling soundtrack ever. In celebration of 26 years of The Lion King, I’m going to rank the five original songs from great to greatest based solely on my own opinions.
5. ‘Be Prepared’
Coming in at number five, we’ve got Be Prepared. Performed by Jeremy Irons’ Scar, and his hyenas, Be Prepared is when Scar reveals his plot to murder both Mufasa and Simba so that he can become king. The song works effortlessly to sum up Scar’s character, it has just enough to creepy to edge to make it clear that Scar is the villain of the film and Irons’ deep vocals work perfectly as the villain’s singing voice. I like this song, which is why these songs are being ranked from “great to greatest”, it’s only at number five because I forgot about it and had to google what the fifth original song in The Lion King was.
4. ‘I Just Can’t Wait to Be King
This is probably my least favourite of the songs in The Lion King, and the only reason it’s above ‘Be Prepared’ is because I remember it. I’m not saying it’s not a good Disney song, I just feel for Zazu having to deal with two children who terrorise him constantly, who he then has to save from nearly being killed by a load of hyenas. We all know how annoying young kids can be when they just won’t do what they’re told. It’s a catchy song, but in the same way a tween pop song is.
3. ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’
Can You Feel the Love Tonight won the Oscar for Best Original Song and Elton John’s version won him a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; and I can see why. We hear the song twice in the film. Once as we watch Nala and Simba fall in love, and Elton John’s version which plays over the credits. The song is the only one that feels like it could stand alone as a pop song, which is probably why it did so well in the charts, and sold over 11 million copies worldwide.
2. ‘Hakuna Matata’
After his dad’s death, Simba meets Timon and Pumba who introduces himself to the phrase Hakuna Matata, a Swahili phrase that means “no worries”. While intended to be the comic relief of the film, Hakuna Matata has become one of the most iconic Disney songs, with the phrase becoming instantly recognisable in the same way that “ohana” from Lilo & Stitch did. The song is so iconic that it was even parodied in the song Hasa Diga Eebowai, featured in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon.
1. ‘Circle of Life’
Despite not winning Best Original Song at the Oscars, the Circle of Life wins best song in the film for me. There’s nothing more iconic about The Lion King than those opening Zulu lyrics at the beginning of the song. They’re the first thing we hear as the film starts, and the song underscores the most recognisable scene in the whole film – the animals gathering around Pride Rock to see the new heir. It’s Lion King at its most memorable, and that’s why it’s at the top of my list.
By Robbie Nichols
Feature Image Credit: Disney