Disney movies and music are synonymous with each other. You cannot think of a Disney film without the glorious songs they feature. While not every movie Disney produces is a musical, those featuring music are beloved worldwide. But what films have the very best songs?

On a popular movie forum, users ponder which film would qualify as having songs of the highest caliber. It's a difficult task to narrow it down. Movies such as Pinocchio, Bambi, The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Norte Dame, Tarzan, Frozen, and Newsies almost make the cut. Let's take a look at the greatest musicals in the Disney canon.

1. Mulan

Mulan is one of those Disney animated classics that inspires us to always be true to ourselves. Thus, it's no wonder that Mulan has topped the list with some of the best songs.

2. Moana (2016)

Several members exclaimed how much they loved all the songs from the Disney animated movie, Moana. Who can blame them? 

3. Beauty and The Beast (1991)

The collaboration between composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman reaches a glorious peak with Beauty and the Beast. The film follows the Broadway musical structure, where each song tells a story, reflects the character's feelings, and moves the plot forward. “Belle” perfectly establishes the differences between the townsfolk and Belle, “Gaston” demonstrates his ego and influence in a rousing fashion, “The Mob Song” is a frightening spot-on depiction of fear, prejudice, and the mob mentality, and “Be Our Guest,” is a show-stopping crowd pleaser.

The film's love songs are beautiful as well. “Something There” is a sweet duet reflecting the mysterious magic of falling in love. And the title song is a glorious crescendo of a love story that's a “tale as old as time.” Every piece has a purpose, making Beauty and the Beast a masterful musical achievement.

4. Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is Walt Disney's crowning glory for many reasons. One is the spectacular songs from Richard and Robert Sherman. The songs range from inspiring to delightful to profound, rounding out the story and all the characters. There are 16 songs in Mary Poppins, and each one is remarkable. There are so many wonderful songs that choosing a favorite is difficult.

There's Mary's optimistic “A Spoonful of Sugar,” the effervescent and joyous “Jolly Holiday,” the unique and clever “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and rollicking rooftop numbers “Chim-Chim-Cher-ee” and “Step in Time.” But one would be remiss not to mention the women's rights anthem “Sister Suffragette” and the satisfying “Let's Go Fly a Kite.” Of course, the gorgeous “Feed the Birds” is the defining heartbeat of the film and Walt Disney's favorite song.

5. Fantasia (1940)

Disney's most unique and unconventional musical blends animation with classical music for glorious segments proving that animation can delight, move, and inspire without dialogue. The film's conductor is Leopold Stokowski, who leads the orchestra and the audience on an artistic, musical journey. There are highlights of the film.

“The Sorcerer's Apprentice” by Paul Dukas is the movie's trademark, with a scene featuring Mickey Mouse as an apprentice who attempts some of the Sorcerer Yensid's magic and loses control. “The Nutcracker Suite” is a gloriously beautiful marriage of Tchaikovsky's music and ethereal images of fairies, flowers, and more.

The other stand-out segments are Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring,” which showcases a captivating look at Earth's beginning, and Modest Mussorgsky's “Night on Bald Mountain,” a frightening scene of the demon Chernabog awakening ghostly spirits.

6. Aladdin (1992)

If I chose my favorite Disney soundtrack, it would be Aladdin. The music by Alan Menken is unsurprisingly superb, and the lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice are endlessly clever and brilliant. “A Whole New World” alone solidifies Aladdin as a film with the finest music. Disney's most glorious love song is a lilting, high-flying delight that reflects the wondrous feeling of love.

But there's also the rousing “One Jump Ahead,” its melancholy “Reprise,” and the flashy, spectacular, and lyrically impressive “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali” that showcase the wonders of this movie's music.

7. Cinderella (1950)

Composed by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman, the songs from the 1950 classic Cinderella make for the sweetest and gentlest soundtrack. “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” has become synonymous with the hopeful nature of the company in the same vein as “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

But other songs make Cinderella one of Disney's finest, such as the lyrically silly, magical, and fun “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” the cute little ditty by her mice friends “The Work Song,” and the luminous and delicate “So This is Love” and “Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale.”

8. The Little Mermaid (1989)

As a child, The Little Mermaid captivated my heart infinitely. A big reason for this is the songs by Menken and Ashman. What makes The Little Mermaid's music work so swimmingly are the great lyrics and influences from Broadway and reggae music. “Part of Your World” is a glorious masterpiece in the grand tradition of “I want songs,” and “Poor Unfortunate Soul” is a deliciously villainous epitome of manipulation.

The reggae-inspired songs “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea” are fun-filled show-stoppers imperative to the story. In particular, the Academy Award-winning “Under the Sea” is filled with lyrics that are puny, funny, and even miraculous in their cleverness. Only a genius like Howard Ashman could write, “Each little clam here know how to jam here. Under the sea. Each little slug here, cuttin' a rug here. Under the sea.”

9. The Lion King (1994)

With music by Sir Elton John and Tim Rice, The Lion King is a movie that's difficult to choose a favorite song. The brilliance of the music, beyond the fantastic lyrics, is the instrumentation that includes authentic African pieces and choral backgrounds. Moreover, the choices made with the songs are ingenious.

The character-driven and fun-filled “Hakuna Matata,” “I Just Can't Wait to be King,” and the imposing and powerful “Be Prepared” are sung by the characters on screen. In contrast, the majestic “Circle of Life” and romantic “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” are sung by unseen singers reflecting s the grand, larger picture of the scenes. The audience might not notice it, but it only adds to the music's caliber.

10. Enchanted (2007)

The film, both a parody and a loving homage to Disney films, also features incredibly underrated music. The songs are lovely and effervescent, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. They are a perfect companion to the plot and journey of the main character Giselle. “True Love's Kiss” is the traditionally animated and romantic love-at-first-sight piece sung by Giselle and Prince Edward. Giselle's solo “Happy Working Song” has the same upbeat feel as “Whistle While You Work” but with hilarious lyrics filled with absurd realism.

Giselle continues her journey with the optimistic and grand “That's How You Know,” which showcases her long-held beliefs and enchanters everyone whose voices join in the song. Lastly, the gorgeous “So Close” and “Ever Ever After” leave Giselle's voice as she's become more well-rounded without leaving her genuine beliefs behind. They're beautiful and uplifting.

11. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Walt Disney's first animated film set the stage for all that followed. And that began with choosing his movie to be a musical. The songs are catchy, sweet, and ubiquitous concerning the company. In particular “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and “Whistle While You Work” are synonymous with Disney in an undeniable way.

Though not as well known, the unabashedly romantic “I'm Wishing/One Song” and delightful “Dwarfs Silly Song” are incredible pieces that add to the everlasting appeal of the film.

12. Tangled (2010)

The first time I saw the lantern scene in Tangled and heard the song “I See the Light,” I was overwhelmed by the beauty before me. Can a song be described as incandescent? Because it's a glorious piece of artistry that sounds lit from within. But Tangled's other songs shine as well.

“When Will My Life Begin” is a bright and pop-inspired showcase of the tedious daily life of Rapunzel. “Mother Knows Best” is brilliant because it's a master class in gaslighting and manipulation while remaining fun and entertaining. And “I've Got A Dream” is a lively and hilarious romp.

13. Pocahontas (1995)

Although the film is somewhat divisive, the music for Pocahontas is some of the most beautiful and epic in the Disney songbook. There is no other song as glorious, with as powerful and profound a message as “Colors of the Wind.” The ingenious lyrics reflect the beauty of the world. It encourages tolerance and respect for nature and all living creatures. The song never fails to move me.

The other songs in Pocahontas are powerful as well. The lilting “Just Around the Riverbend” reflects the importance of choice. “Mine, Mine, Mine” showcases the dangers of greed, and the severe “Savages” shows how blind hatred fuels prejudiced people. Lastly, the beautifully melancholy “If I Never Knew You” is Disney's most mature love song. For a studio built on the idea of happily ever after, it's a haunting and refreshingly realistic song.

14. Hercules (1997)

“Who put the glad in gladiator- Hercules.” Employing gospel-inspired songs in the Greek-inspired story was a stroke of genius. They two may feel contradictory, but they work so perfectly together that it's hard to imagine any other style of music.

Of course, “Go The Distance” remains in the grand Disney tradition of uplifting songs. But the rest are just pure fun. The finest is “I Won't Say I'm in Love,” which employs a chorus of gospel muses to encourage our heroine Meg to stop denying her feelings. And “Zero to Hero” is the most lyrically creative song in the Disney catalog.

15. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

The Princess and the Frog has wonderful, upbeat songs with soulful twists. Set in New Orleans, the music throughout the movie really digs into the history and culture of the city. From “Dig a Little Deeper,” to “Almost There,” the music is upbeat and inspirational all at once. Even the villian's song “Friends on the Other Side,” is so good that all the songs will be stuck in your head all week long.

Source: Reddit.