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twistedtummies2 · 4 months ago

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Top 15 Disney Animated Movie Villain Songs

Earlier in the month, in honor of both the Halloween season - Disney’s Season of the Villain - and the fact this year marks the 101st anniversary of Disney as a company, I talked about my favorite portrayals of Cruella De Vil. I’m still in a Disney Villain mood (which, to be fair, is far from uncommon with me), so to continue our Halloween series of lists, I think it’s time I discussed a subject that I’ve actually had brought to my attention several times: Disney Villain Songs. While Villain Songs have existed practically as long as musical theatre, in any of its formats, existed - from the opera to Gilbert & Sullivan’s operettas to beyond - I think most would agree that Disney has effectively “cornered the market” when it comes to these particular parts of many musicals. Whenever people talk about great villain songs, you can be darn sure that not only are you going to see at least one Disney bad guy number in the list, but it’s honestly quite likely you’ll see multiple entries.

This is what made making such a countdown properly REALLY difficult. Because, just as there are numerous Disney Villains from all sorts of mediums and properties, there are all sorts of dastardly musical numbers related to them. So, I decided to apply the same basic rule to this list that I’ve applied to other villain-related countdowns: I’ll only be including movies, and therefore songs, from the core sixty-something movies in the Walt Disney Animation Studios catalog (with one film’s exception, and I doubt that film’s title needs to be named; you’ll find out which, regardless, in the rundown). I’ll probably do a second list for other villain songs from Disney that DIDN’T fit those criteria, but for now, that’s going to be our focus. Also, I’ll only be including one song from every movie, because some of these films actually have more than one villain song. The only exception to that rule will be reprisals of the same tune. With that said, let’s waste no more time! Sing along (most deviously) with me, as I present My Top 15 Favorite Animated Disney Movie Villain Songs!

15. Heffalumps & Woozles, from The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh.

I initially considered placing either “Pink Elephants on Parade” from Dumbo, or possibly “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, in the bottom spot. In both cases, I felt neither song was really a VILLAIN song, so much as just…well…sort of spooky and weird. They have the VENEER of villain songs, but Bruno in the latter film is decidedly NOT the bad guy, and that’s revealed within about five minutes after the song takes place, if even that. And in the case of Pink Elephants…that’s literally a trip-out scene about a small elephant being drunk. Everything about that sequence is INSANE, but it’s hardly a VILLAINOUS scene in the strictest sense. It was at that moment I remembered this number: “Heffalumps and Woozles” is actually pretty similar to “Pink Elephants." It is a very strange and surreal number with a lot of cartoonish and absurd imagery, and takes place in the form of a sort of dream sequence. However, the titular monsters that silly old Pooh Bear imagines are much more overtly villainous, and the lyrics paint them as such, describing them as bizarre and frightening beasts who will steal and devour everything you care for most (in Pooh’s case, this primarily means his precious honey). Later spin-offs of this compilation feature would actually feature Heffalump and Woozle characters, and often (though not always) they were, in fact, evil creatures. So at the end of the day, it counts a bit more easily than the two that might have been. Plus, it’s VERY catchy.

14. Prince Ali (Reprise), from Aladdin.

I’m counting this one low on the list because it’s extremely short, as it isn’t so much the villain’s OWN song as it is just a sort of “dark reprise” of an earlier number in the story. But hey, it’s become as iconic as many of the other “proper” villain songs, and when people think of Jafar getting a musical number, they usually think of this sequence first and foremost. This song is a pure celebration on the villain’s part; Jafar has just gained control of the Magic Lamp, and with it, he’s made first a wish to take over Agrabah, and then another to dub himself as the most powerful sorcerer in the universe. Jafar is on a power high like no other during this whole scene, unhinged with glee as he toys with his victims, revealing Aladdin’s true identity to Jasmine before sending the street rat rocketing into space. All the while, he’s giddily dancing and prancing about, and the scene ends with him letting out the mother of all evil laughs: easily one of the greatest bits of diabolical, utterly deranged cackling EVER put to the screen. Jonathan Freeman’s exuberant performance, and the power of the animation, sell every second, and while the scene is short and goes by pretty fast, it still makes a BIG impact. Jafar would get his own TRUE villain songs, all his own, later on, but his mocking reprise of “Prince Ali” is still more than worthy of a spotlight here.

13. Shiny, from Moana.

Tamatoa might be one of the best villains to come out of Disney in recent years, which is funny because he’s really only onscreen in his respective feature for…what, five minutes? Under ten, tops? But what he lacks in screentime, he makes up for in personality, and a HUGE part of that comes from his villain song. This musical number actually does quite a lot in a rather limited time, and yet it never feels bloated or overpacked with information: it sets up Maui’s origins, establishes his rivalry with Tamatoa in a more direct fashion, explains exactly who and what this monster is and what he’s all about, provides a malevolent counterpoint to the titular protagonist’s philosophy…and it does all of this with interesting visuals and a glam rock style directly influenced by Jareth the Goblin King-I mean, David Bowie, and performed by Jemaine Clement. Like Tamatoa himself - and, indeed, like a LOT of the greatest Disney Villains - the song fluctuates between campy humor and dark, half-crazed menace throughout, both lyrically and in its instrumentals. Speaking of, the song is the work of the mighty Lin-Manuel Miranda. If that doesn’t earn it a few points just right off the bat, I don’t know what else will.

12. Gaston, from The Beauty and the Beast.

This may be the single jolliest of all the songs on this list. It almost doesn’t sound like a villain song at all, and I think that’s the point. “Gaston” is a pretty simple number, but that’s exactly what makes it so catchy and memorable. There’s not a whole lot that happens: basically, Gaston needs a pep talk after being rejected by Belle, so LeFou and the other townsfolk in the local pub all begin singing a song about how awesome he is. Gaston - being…well…Gaston - quickly buys into the hype over himself and soon begins bragging in-between bouts of praise from the rest. It’s literally just a comical ode to the character’s own narcissism, not much else. However, one could argue it also establishes an important factor in the story: Gaston is NOT going to change his ways. Any chance of him re-evaluating himself or his approach to things is quickly squashed by everybody else singing his praises, and he’s certainly not going to complain or look into changing on his own terms under those circumstances. It’s only moments after the first take on the song that a reprise occurs (so soon after I wasn’t even sure if I should name said reprise directly in the title), and it’s at this point Gaston goes from just being sort of an annoying jerk to a true villain, as he plots to send Belle’s father to the madhouse and force her to marry him. From this point on, it’s clear who the bad guy is, and the fact we were just enjoying watching him flaunt his own silly superiority makes the moment a bit more tense. Very well-written storytelling there.

11. Mother Knows Best (and its Reprise), from Tangled.

Like “Gaston,” this song also has a reprise, but since the latter takes place much later in the story, I did feel I needed to address it separately in the title. (And I did want to include the Reprise because, in some ways, I like it more than the earlier, fuller rendition.) This song is sung by Mother Gothel to her adoptive daughter, Rapunzel. Years before the main part of the plot, Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel from the palace of the King and Queen of Corona. Why did she do this? Not because she wanted a daughter of her own, but because Rapunzel’s hair contains magical properties that heal wounds and restore one’s youth. Fearing age and death, Gothel obsessively uses the power of Rapunzel’s golden locks to effectively make herself immortal. Not wanting to lose her “medicine,” nor have her crimes revealed to the world, she forbids the captured (and unknowing) princess from venturing out in the outside world. In the first iteration of the song, Gothel tries to convince Rapunzel to stay by singing a song about all the dangers out the outside world, not-so-subtly demeaning the teenaged girl in the process by claiming Rapunzel would never survive if she left their tower. There’s a grand string of irony in the song, brought on not only by the fact that Rapunzel has shown she’s extremely intelligent (albeit admittedly naive) before this fact, but also in the tone the song has, as the melody is spritely and playful, contrasting hilariously with lyrics that literally include mentions of cannibals, quicksand, and the Black Death. (Yikes.) Later in the story, the song takes a much darker, more vicious turn, as Gothel tracks down the escaped Rapunzel and tries to convince her to return home. When Rapunzel refuses, Gothel flies off the handle, starting off slow and passive-aggressive before plunging into a snappy tantrum, deriding the girl as a fool and saying that if things go wrong, she shouldn’t come crying to her. This is all just further manipulation, but it’s dramatically intense, and is heightened by much more foreboding instrumentals. One interesting thing I noted in the reprisal is that you can actually hear what sound like church bells going on at points, and there’s a sort of ticking-clock quality to the melody in both renditions; perhaps foreshadowing of Gothel’s steadily deteriorating state. That, or it just sounds spooky and cool, which…hey, I’m all for that.

10. The Headless Horseman, from The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad.

This is one of the more underrated songs on this countdown, although I have noticed it’s gained more and more of a following over the years, fittingly and especially around this time of the year. Much like “Heffalumps and Woozles,” this song isn’t so much a song BY the villain, so much as a song ABOUT the villain: it’s a description of the antagonist put to music, told by another party. In this case, the song is a musical retelling of the legend of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, iterated by Brom Bones as a means of scaring the heck out of Ichabod Crane. The song is both upbeat and sinister at the same time, with a sort of jazzy beat that’s contrasted by eerie wailing and the spooky story the lyrics tell. It’s arguably the best and most catchy song in the movie, and it’s only made better by the fact it was originally performed by the crooner himself, Bing Crosby. (Proving he can be just as much the voice of Halloween as he is Christmas.) The song has been covered more and more frequently over the years, the most famous probably being the one by Thurl Ravenscroft. It works great within the context of the story, but it also makes for a fun, jaunty, yet appropriately creepy Halloween ballad on its own terms: versatility is always appreciated, in music as in other things.

9. Trust in Me, from The Jungle Book.

As a couple of songs so far have shown, sometimes the best tunes aren’t the ones that belong to the main baddies. In fact, in cases like this, sometimes the main baddies don’t even HAVE songs: Shere Khan is the main villain of Disney’s Jungle Book, but he never really gets a song in the original film. Instead, musical kudos goes to the secondary and tertiary antagonists of the movie: Kaa and King Louie. While Louie’s song is a lot of fun, I think most agree that “Trust in Me” is a real standout among bad guy songs. The tune happens during the second encounter Mowgli has with the hungry serpent, as Kaa successfully hypnotizes him, and sings this lullaby-like melody to help keep Mowgli in his power. All the while, the python toys with his prey before coiling him up, ready to lazily consume his victim. The tune is as slinky and serpentine as Kaa is, and is one of the surprisingly few in the film that holds the sort of Indian styling the setting would allow for. Sterling Holloway sells the music with a dangerously mischievous lilt, giving the song both a sinister, almost seductive quality, while also injecting humor into it, given his vocal mannerisms and choices. It’s the closest Kaa comes to being a real threat in the movie, and I’m pretty sure it’s the main reason so many people remember this snake the way they do. Heck, one of the biggest upsets I hear people complain about with the live-action remake is that, despite including two of the songs from the film in the form of “Bear Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You” (both of which sort of just come right the heck out of nowhere and interrupt the story, anyway), “Trust in Me” was cut from the film and relegated to only playing over the end credits. Thank goodness the original will always be around on its own terms.

8. Cruella De Vil, from 101 Dalmatians.

This is the last song on the countdown that’s more a tune ABOUT the villain than anything else, and it’s arguably the most famous of the lot. The context of this famous, blues-y ballad is pretty simple: Roger Radcliffe, one of the main human characters, is inspired by the appearance of Cruella De Vil at the home of his and his wife, Anita’s, domicile. While Cruella annoys Anita downstairs, Roger - who very clearly does NOT like Cruella (and who can really blame him for that?) - begins to compose this mocking tune that describes Cruella with a series of utterly deplorable lyrics that frankly would make the Grinch a bit envious. What’s funny is that, while the song doesn’t really do much for the story, and is meant to be an exaggeration of a humorous nature…the song actually ends up being sort of an anthem for Cruella, as it’s quickly made clear she is, indeed, just as nasty and wicked as the song (somewhat inadvertently) describes her to be. Much like with Kaa, I’m frankly convinced that this song is a big part of why Cruella is so well-remembered, as the song and the character almost seem to go hand in hand with each other when either one is referenced. Indeed, many would argue people remember this song more than they remember the character or even the movie in general. That fact alone easily earns it placement in the Top 10 for me.

7. Be Prepared, from The Lion King.

Of all the choices on this countdown, I am pretty sure placing “Be Prepared” so low in the ranks is going to be one of the most controversial. Just as most people would probably name Scar as one of their Top Three favorite Disney Villains, I’m pretty sure “Be Prepared” would be in most people’s Top 5 Disney Villain Songs. Heck, it would probably be in most people’s Top 5 Villain Songs PERIOD. Well, I am not “most people”: just as I love Scar, but simply don’t love him AS much as other Disney Villains, I do love “Be Prepared,” but I just don’t love it as much as other Villain Songs. Do not misconstrue this, however, to mean it’s a bad song in ANY way: this mincing, malicious, and quite ominous song is, in my opinion, the moment where I think a lot of people figured out Scar was going to be a GREAT Disney Villain. Sure, he had some fun scenes before this, but “Be Prepared” is the point where he ascends to the ranks of such characters as Maleficent and Chernabog: a truly iconic baddy. The tune occurs as Scar spells out his plans of domination to the hyenas, and offers to give them all the food they desire if they join forces with him. The song once again has a sort of playful edge to its evilness, but also has a haunting, dangerous quality; it’s a tune that both revels in its own dastardly side, while also sort of acting as a warning of things much less enjoyable still to come. And considering it’s not long after this point that - spoiler alert - SCAR KILLS MUFASA? Yeah, I’d say that’s an accurate description of the situation, if nothing else.

6. Poor Unfortunate Souls, from The Little Mermaid.

This is another song that I’m pretty sure most people would put in their Top 5 Disney Villain Songs, and which only barely misses that mark on my own personal list. Once again, don’t take this to mean I dislike the tune, because I absolutely do not. The song is performed by Ursula the Sea Witch, as she offers Ariel a deal that will allow the mermaid princess a chance to romance the human Prince Eric. However, if Ariel cannot fulfill her end of the bargain properly, then her soul will belong to Ursula, and she will be transformed into a deformed polyp in the Sea Witch’s most unsettling little undersea garden. The song never lets up on its darkness; the first half is a sort of waltz-like tune, very smooth with swooping moments of grandness, as Ursula tempts and lures Ariel by presenting herself as a well-meaning, misunderstood figure, who really only wants to help. However, once Ariel is “hooked,” the song intensifies, getting louder, faster, and more aggressive in its lyrics and orchestrations. This culminates in the glorious, eerie climax, as Ursula casts the spell that will transfer Ariel’s voice over to her own power. As the song goes on, not only does the music intensify, but so does Ursula herself. Her movements become sharper and more sudden, and she forgets all about personal space. Her expressions become increasingly deranged and frightening as she clearly gets a rush out of what she’s doing. My only problem with this song, and it’s the reason it doesn’t make it into the top five, isn’t the song itself…it’s Ariel. And it’s kind of a problem I have with the movie, to be honest: I know everything Ariel has gone through by this point, and I know she’s absolutely head-over-heels and clearly naive, but…considering everything within the film itself, disregarding even spin-offs and such…why does she NEVER turn away from this deal? She’s clearly uncomfortable and unsure, but it’s hard for me to buy she’d see this incredibly scary lady and her incredibly scary lair and NOT try to run away at SOME point. I guess she’s just that desperate to know what sand feels like between her toes. Spoiler alert: not as good as everyone makes it sound, my dear lady. :P

5. The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind, from The Great Mouse Detective.

Before Ursula and Scar essentially reinvigorated the villain song formula, there was Professor Ratigan. And just as it’s a little surprising that this movie, in general, often seems to be overlooked by Disney fans, I’m kind of surprised this tune is, too. Especially since it’s really one of only two proper, full-out songs in the film. That, and it has VINCENT PRICE SINGING. (pauses) Honestly, having said that…I don’t think I need to say anything else about why this musical number is awesome. IT’S VINCENT PRICE. SINGING. AS A RODENT VERSION OF PROFESSOR MORIARTY. Any other arguments about why this should or should not be in the Top 5 become automatically invalid at that point, so let’s move along…

4. Oogie Boogie’s Song, from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Yeah, you all knew this one was coming. Anytime I make lists like this, I ALWAYS make an exception in the rules for TNBC. This is partially because the film has sort of been “adopted” in to the core canon, in a way…and partially because it’s a strong candidate for my favorite movie of all time, as well as, by extension, my favorite Disney movie of all time. Keeping these facts in mind, it’s no surprise that Oogie Boogie’s Song gets high marks on my countdown. Inspired by the work of jazz singer and musician Cab Calloway (in fact, there’s a direct quote from a Calloway music number in the sequence), this menacing, almost ragtime-esque tune presents the menacing Oogie to us in lurid blacklight, as he taunts and torments his captured prey: Santa Claus himself. Oogie laughs in Santa’s face, deriding him as a joke, literally throwing his weight around as he shows off his casino-themed torture chamber. Oogie has been teased a few times before this, so his entrance is appropriately as gigantic as he is, creating one of the broadest and most fun Disney Villain songs of all time, while also having the weight, power, and sense of cruel brutality that make it one of the freakiest introductions to a Disney Villain, as well. The imagery is wild and in-your-face, matching Oogie’s bullying and somewhat mercurial personality. If any moment in the film indicated Christmas might be doomed beyond all others, this gambling boogieman teasing Santa with how he’s going to torture and eat him is probably your best candidate.

3. Savages, from Pocahontas.

Pocahontas is far from the greatest of Disney Movies, and its central antagonist - the greedy Governor Ratcliffe - is, in turn, hardly one of the company’s most lauded villains. Indeed, many consider him to be one of the weakest bad guys in the Disney film canon. But, for any faults the character may have, you have to give him this: he had not only one, but TWO absolutely fantastic villain songs, just in his first appearance. The first one, “Mine Mine Mine,” is a fun enough tune on its own terms…but it’s the latter, much more menacing “Savages” that takes the cake. This song takes place after the Powhatan Tribe of Native Americans capture Captain John Smith. They plan to execute Smith at dawn, before declaring war on the “pale-faces” who have invaded their land. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe - who wishes to exterminate them in totality, after finding out if they know where the treasure he seeks may be found - rallies his men to plan an assault on the tribe at the same time. After a brief interlude, where Pocahontas officially decides to intervene (so brief I’m not even sure if the second part of the song counts as a “Reprise” or not), the two factions march towards each other, still spilling their sadistic vitriol. This is one of the most bloodthirsty, vicious, and yet strangely tragic songs of the entire Disney canon: the Powahatans are retaliating largely due to a massive misunderstanding, but they’re just as much at fault here as Ratcliffe and his cronies. It’s the moment where Ratcliffe, himself, goes from a generally comical, pompous figure to a genuine threat. The war-mongering hatred both sides express as they march towards seemingly inevitable, mutual doom, makes for probably the darkest part of the entire feature, and one of its most memorable sequences.

2. Friends on the Other Side, from The Princess and the Frog.

While the soundtrack for this movie is, generally speaking, somewhat “meh” (none of the songs are BAD, but I wouldn’t say most of them are among Disney’s best), most people agree the best tune in the movie - and, indeed, probably the best part of the film in general - is this one. Occurring early in the film, “Friends on the Other Side” is a bit like “Poor, Unfortunate Souls” in storytelling placement, among other elements, yet I would argue is even better. The tune takes place when the evil voodoo master, Dr. Facilier - a.k.a. The Shadow Man - lures Prince Naveen and his servant, Lawrence, into his shop. He offers to read their fortunes, and in the process, tempts Lawrence with a chance at a revenge the butler has always craved, while also tricking Naveen into making a sort of Faustian deal at the same time. You can’t really blame Naveen for being fooled, because a.) it’s established in-universe that he isn’t exactly the brightest bulb to begin with, b.) he’s a stranger in a foreign land who has no idea who and what Facilier really is, and c.) he doesn’t even fully realize he’s entering INTO a deal with the Shadow Man in the first place. It’s all a con game, and it’s one that’s displayed in glorious fashion. All throughout there are not-so-subtle hints to Facilier’s true, evil nature, but it’s not till the pair shake hands with the witch doctor that things go totally off the rails, visually, musically, and in terms of the plot. The song is catchy, vibrant, wild, and has that wonderful balance of fun and fear so many of the best of this sort do. It’s once again a huge part of what makes Dr. Facilier such a well-remembered villain, and in my opinion, there hasn’t been a villain song in any Disney movie since that’s topped it.

1. Hellfire, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

For once, my opinion seems to align with the popular vote: most people seem to agree that this is the greatest Disney Villain Song of all time, and I see no reason to dispute that. In fact, it’s not only my favorite Disney Villain Song, but one of my top three favorite villain songs IN GENERAL. This haunting, forbidding, almost operatic number is performed by the corrupt Judge Claude Frollo, as he reflects on his sudden feelings for the Romani dancer, Esmeralda, and muses on how he feels he may be going mad as a result of them. He vows by the end to capture the beautiful young lady - no matter the cost - swearing that if he can’t have her, then the fires of Hell can instead. Gothic in style and thematics, with a Latin choir chanting meaningful prayers between Frollo’s frenzied spiel of denials, inane questions, and promises of retribution, it is one of the single darkest and most risky scenes in any Disney film. It’s yet another example of a song that’s become so well-known, I think more people know about the tune than the film itself, or even the villain who sings it. There are more covers and even analyses of this scene, this song, than perhaps any other Disney Villain song out there, and it’s not without good reason why that is. From the animation, to the orchestrals, to Tony Jay’s divinely devilish vocal performance (it was NOT an easy song for him to perform, and he knocks it out of the park by a nautical mile), it is perhaps the ultimate Disney Villain moment, at least in terms of musicals, there has ever been. In fact, the song has become something of an anthem for the Disney Villain lineup, as various live shows at the parks tend to use this song as a musical synonym for evil itself, even when Frollo isn’t involved at all. For these reasons and many others, “Hellfire” more than earns its place as My Favorite Animated Disney Movie Villain Song.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

We Don’t Talk About Bruno, from Encanto. (Hey, I said it didn’t count for the main list, doesn’t mean I can’t count it here. It may not ACTUALLY be a villain song, but lyrics like "he sees your dreams and feasts on your screams" definitely allow for an Honorable Mention, in my opinion.)

Mad Madam Mim, from The Sword in the Stone.

The Elegant Captain Hook, from Peter Pan.

Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee, from Pinocchio. ...And no, "This is the Thanks I Get" isn't ANYWHERE here, because - like most people - I don't like that song very much. I used the screenshot as a banner just to make you all panic. It's almost Halloween, give me a break. XD

#disney #list #countdown #best #favorites #music #animation #film #movies #disney villains #villain songs #top 15

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twistedtummies2 · 4 months ago

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Top 15 OTHER Disney Villain Songs

A couple days ago I went over my Top 15 favorite villain songs from animated Disney movies (not counting Pixar or previously non-Disney properties). However, as anybody who knows Disney is doubtlessly aware…yeah, they’ve got a LOT more you can look at than just those movies. Disney has expanded its mighty empire of media to all kinds of outlets: animated television, direct-to-video features, video games, musical theatre shows, and live-action screen productions. Just about every outlet, somewhere and at some point, has featured its fair share of villainous musical numbers. While the majority of these tunes aren’t as renowned as any of those in the theatrical animated pictures, some of them are pretty good villain songs in their own right, and I feel they deserve to be recognized. So, I’m going to go over just a few of those musical numbers today: terrifying and traitorous toe-tappers that come from all across Disney’s expanded media. Once again, I should point out, I won’t be including things from Marvel, LucasFilm, or other such properties that have sort of fallen under the Disney banner over time: these will be for things that were always directly Disney-related. With that said, however…just about anything goes. From the theme parks to the silver screen, these are My Top 15 OTHER Disney Villain Songs.

15. The Happiest Home in These Hills AND Every Little Piece, from Pete’s Dragon.

This entry is the one and only entry on this countdown where I decided to count two songs instead of just one, both from the same feature. Why? Well, not only BECAUSE they’re from the same feature, but because both are actually pretty similar in terms of tone and approach! “Happiest Home in These Hills” is sung by the Gogans - a rowdy family of violent mountain folk who have become the abusive surrogate family of our titular character, Pete, right at the start of the film. It is merrily performed by them as they hunt down a runaway Pete through the forest. The Gogans are the secondary villains of the story; the main baddies show up later. They are Dr. Terminus, a wiley con artist, and his right-hand stooge, Hoagy. When the two find out about the titular dragon, Elliot, they plot to capture the creature and chop him up, using and selling his body parts to make a fortune. (YIKES.) Both songs have this sort of “overlay” of being chipper, catchy ditties that have an upbeat tone…but when you really look at the lyrics and what’s going on, it’s actually VERY messed up in both cases. Songs like this can be hit or miss, and it’s weird how both primary sets of villains in the movie get such numbers. I like both songs, and I couldn’t decide which one I really enjoyed more, so I decided to just lump them together.

14. Brimstone & Treacle (and its Reprise), from Mary Poppins: The Musical.

The original movie of “Mary Poppins” doesn’t really have a villain to speak of. The closest thing one could argue fits is the creaky old Bank Chairman, who acts as Mr. Banks’ boss, and even he doesn’t really count. In the stage musical, however - which takes more from the books than the film, really - things change. Enter Miss Andrews: a nasty old hag who is the antithesis of Mary Poppins. While Mary can be strict and prim, Miss Andrews is just pure nightmare fuel: a foul-smelling woman who delights in tormenting children for the very slightest offenses, her “Brimstone & Treacle” elixir a direct contrast to the “Spoonful of Sugar” philosophy Mary has. While her time in the story is brief, Andrews makes quite the impression, as it’s revealed that she was Mr. Banks’ nanny AND the Chairman’s nanny when they were each children (which explains QUITE a lot, I fancy). When Andrews first appears, she sings the titular song as a means of justifying her actions: claiming, essentially, that one has to be cruel to be kind. Later, the song is reprised, as the two nannies face off, with Mary using her powers to humiliate and defeat the wicked old screw, and revealing her for who she really is: a bully with no soul. In the original staging, Mary even goes so far as to BANISH MISS ANDREWS TO HELL. I am dead serious. I…would be utterly SHOCKED at this, but frankly, I say good riddance to the sadistic witch!

13. Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? From The Three Little Pigs.

Hey, no reason I can't include songs from the old cartoons, is there? It is pure iconography and stubborn catchiness in the popular consciousness that lands this little ditty on the countdown. This classic song BARELY qualifies as a villain song, when you really look at it: it’s really just the same few lines repeated over and over, but somehow it’s managed to become just as recognizable and well-remembered as many, MANY other Disney Villain Songs, and Disney songs, in general! People quote it all the time, reference it constantly, and so on. I think it’s the irony of the tune that makes it so memorable, above all else: In the original cartoon, when the Pigs sing this song, it’s usually either just before or just after the Wolf attacks them. In the former case, it serves as slightly humorous foreshadowing: “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Let’s see if YOU are!” essentially. In the latter case, it’s kind of funny, because the Pigs were very, VERY clearly afraid only SECONDS ago. Personally, I’m a little more afraid of Virginia Woolf…but that’s another story.

12. Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me), from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Yep, a song from the Parks! I also considered including “Grim Grinning Ghosts” from The Haunted Mansion, but I decided against it because, while that song is certainly a “spooky” song, I don’t really think it’s a “villain” song. The ghosts aren’t singing about doing evil things, they’re basically just having a nice after(life)party. This song, however, I DO think qualifies as a villain song. Yes, it’s a fun tune - bouncy and merry and all that good stuff - but the lyrics literally have the pirates singing about how much they enjoy being absolutely awful scoundrels. They make no secret of the fact they’re crooks and thugs, and just revel in their own mad antics. It’s a humorous sort of villain song, but it’s still villainous in its lyrical content, and even its context! In the ride, the pirates are singing this WHILE BURNING DOWN AND RANSACKING A CITY. If that doesn’t make this famous little sea shanty a villain song, I don’t know what else will do it!

11. The Frigate That Flies, from The Pirate Fairy.

TOM HIDDLESTON SINGS. Did I get your attention with that? Good! In “The Pirate Fairy” - one of several prequels to Peter Pan made as part of the “Tinker Bell” film series - our main villain is…who else? Captain Hook! Of course, he’s not CALLED Captain Hook YET. Here, he’s simply “James.” In the movie, James and his crew of pirates manipulate an outcast fairy called Zarina, planning to use her powers to make their pirate ship fly, and thus allow them to go anywhere in the world and steal anything they want. However, for the first half of the film, Zarina and the audience are unaware of James’ villainy (I don’t think saying he’s the villain is really a spoiler, for various reasons, hence why I didn’t bring it up earlier). When we first meet the pirates, they sing this jaunty shanty as a way of celebrating their impending victory, as they make plans for what treasures they’ll go after. Much like the two tunes I mentioned from “Pete’s Dragon,” the song is very upbeat and humorous, which makes the underlying menace of these thieving scoundrels (and their later-revealed manipulation) all the more intriguing. For me, though, the highlight is when Hiddleston, as a young James, sings: he somehow makes lines like, “No wicked deed cannot be done!” sound so pure and wholesome, it’s absolutely insane. Not a tune many people are likely to recall, but definitely one worth looking up.

10. It’s Our House Now! From Mickey’s House of Villains.

If you’re a major Disney Villains fan, chances are you’re EXTREMELY aware of this song and its source material. “House of Villains” was a TV movie spin-off of the series “House of Mouse”: the show focused on the cartoonish happenings inside a Toontown nightclub, run by Mickey Mouse, where…basically every single2D animated character in Disney history (and even a few characters from the Parks, surprisingly) would congregate to eat, drink, be merry…and watch various cartoons, with the stories of each episode really just being framing devices that happened around the presented shorts. In this Halloween special, literally ALL of the Disney Villains - both major and minor - join forces. Led by Jafar, they take over the House of Mouse at the stroke of midnight (what better time?). As they lock all their nemeses up in the backrooms, and throw Mickey and his friends out into the streets, the villains all band together to sing this short but very fun song, rejoicing in their success. While the song is great, and it’s really, REALLY cool to see SO MANY VILLAINS all onscreen at the same time…my one complaint with it isn’t so much the song itself so much as the context. And it’s really my major problem with the special as a whole. See, once the villains take over the House of Mouse…well…nothing happens. Like…literally. The cartoons they share don’t take on a more villainous theme, they…don’t seem like they’re doing anything especially illegal or diabolical, when you really think about it. Literally all that seems to REALLY change is the lighting turns red and Jafar becomes the host instead of Mickey. (pauses) Like…that’s it? That’s really it? You have characters like Hades, Ursula, Captain Hook, and so on all working together and…all they do is sing, dance, and then just go back to watching cartoons like nothing happened? LAME. Again, the song itself is fine, and it’s a shining moment in Disney Villain history as far as seeing all the baddies together…but it’s REALLY a shame that all this story and the song itself led up to was…absolutely freaking NOTHING, really. I don’t know what I expected, exactly, but just about anything would have been more interesting than the final result.

9. Do What You Gotta Do, from Descendants 3.

Ah, the Disney Channel Musicals…I guess I couldn’t avoid THEM entirely, could I? As just about anybody can tell you, most Disney Channel Musicals are essentially cookie-cutter products that amount to the same thing: a bunch of teenaged stock characters trying to “stick it to the man” and singing pop-style songs that range from “okay, that’s actually pretty fun and catchy!” to “someone silence this vapid excuse for music IMMEDIATELY, please.” Needless to say, not a fan of a lot of these…and the Descendants films are no exception. These movies focus on the lives of the sons and daughters of many classic Disney Villains…and those sons and daughters are mostly teenage stereotypes, with the actual villains mostly depicted being about as out-of-character as it gets. I really WANT to like these movies, to be honest, and I know the series has its fair share of fans…but for me, these are just so utterly, UTTERLY disappointing. I will say this though: there ARE some good songs strewn throughout all the films, and given the subject matter, nearly ALL of them can qualify as villain songs. I debated what tune I’d place here - other options which arguably would have been more fitting were “What’s My Name?”, “Queen of Mean,” and “Evil Like Me.” (Because even if I can’t stand Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent, I’ll admit that WAS a catchy song.) After some consideration, I went with the arguably more controversial “Do What You Gotta Do,” from the third film of the series. This old-time-rock-and-roll-style duet is sung by our main protagonist, Mal - the daughter of Maleficent and Hades - and her father…whose name I just mentioned. :P Hades is played by Cheyenne Jackson, and is admittedly one of the villains I felt was handled okay in this reimagining, which is part of why this song gets the vote. The song takes place when Mal tries to get something from Hades to help her on her quest, which leads to a confrontation between the two, as Hades left Mal and her mother many years ago, and the two have had almost zero contact since then. The fact that Mal has joined the heroes’ side doesn’t really sit well with the Lord of the Underworld, either. Hades tries to convince Mal to give him a second chance, not out of any real desire to connect with his child, but mostly because he wants to leave the island he’s trapped on and find new ways to commit evil schemes. Mal, however, is onto him, and is in NO mood to do him ANY favors, under the circumstances. While not STRICTLY a villain song in the typical sense, I felt it qualified enough to gain some recognition, and it’s also quite possibly my favorite song out of all these films. Therefore, I selected it for the coveted placement on this list. I can’t stand the movies, but this melody and sequence is a fun one.

8. I Want It All, from High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

I don’t remember enough to say if the “High School Musical” movies INVENTED the formula for the Disney Channel Musicals, but I think I can safely say they became the debatable gold standard for every single one that followed. Pretty much every Disney Channel Musical after these films has felt like it was basically the same story and characters, just with little tweaks here and there to give them their own unique gimmick, so to speak. While I really didn’t like the first or the second film of the series, I will admit that a.) all of the movies in the franchise have their fair share of fun tunes, and b.) call me crazy, but…I legitimately kind of like the third film. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, or one of my favorite movies ever, but it’s a slight guilty pleasure for me. I could go into the reasons why, but that would probably take all day: suffice to say, it stands to reason, with that in mind, that my choice of villain song from the trilogy would come from that picture. “I Want It All” is unironically a GLORIOUS villain song, in my opinion: it’s catchy, has a great sense of humor, but also has this wonderful vein of manipulation and even underlying danger. The setup is that the main antagonist of the series - Sharpay Evans, who I can only describe as a G-rated version of Regina George - creates a scheme to sabotage her rivals, so she can get a special scholarship. To this end, she turns to her brother and former henchman from the past two films, Ryan. However, Ryan has seen the light by now, after several years of Sharpay’s knavery, and refuses to take part in whatever villainy she has in mind. So, Sharpay decides to try and persuade Ryan to join her in one last plot. How? By using the one thing she knows she and her sibling share: delusions of grandeur. Sharpay enthusiastically entices Ryan with the idea that, if he helps her this one final time, they could both benefit, and the results could catapult them to stardom. Ryan resists at first, but eventually he’s lured in by the temptation. Not only is the song really fun, but it shows some intelligence on Sharpay’s part: we’ve never really seen her manipulation on display in a MUSICAL form before, and it actually makes sense this would work, since while Ryan may be more or less reformed, it’s known that he’s a bit of an attention-seeker…and also isn’t necessarily the brightest bulb in the bunch. Plus, being an over-the-top, musical-loving thespian sort myself, I can’t deny that the ambition and flamboyance of the number speaks to me in its own way.

7. Tree of Life, from The Lion Guard.

There are MANY great villain songs in “The Lion Guard” (and many great songs in general…seriously, the people behind the music for this show really brought their A game to it). Some marvelously fun tunes I considered that didn’t make the cut were “Outta the Way,” “Panic and Run,” “Let’s Bring Back a Legend,” “When I Led the Guard,” “Lions Over All,” “You Best Not Mess With Mama,” and “Beware of Poa.” I ultimately decided, however, to go with this tune, and not only because of the ironic title (although that certainly does give it some extra points). The song is performed by the central antagonist of Season 3 of the show: Makucha the Leopard. Makucha was a recurring villain in a couple episodes of the first two seasons, but it was in the third and final season where he really stepped up his game, becoming the leader of an army of villains out to take over a mystical place called the Tree of Life. Why does he do this? One word: gluttony. Makucha is interesting because his entire motivation is based around the fact he’s a giant greedy guts. He’s not out to take over the tree for power or glory, and even though he convinces others to join his cause by offering them a chance at revenge on the Guard, among other possible benefits…all that is secondary or even tertiary to him. In this song, he makes it very clear what his plan is: he wants to take over the tree for the simple and singular purpose of eating every single animal he can catch there. That’s it. I don’t know why, but the fact this character becomes such a threat, gathering a whole army to his side and becoming the main climactic antagonist by the end of the series, with such a simple and basic motive is kind of fascinating to me: other villains were ravenous before Makucha in this franchise, certainly, but most of them were either followers of greater foes, or had other motivations besides their hunger that were more prominent, or both. Makucha is just a voracious pig of a leopard, who takes delight in eating animals that are rare or one of a kind in particular, which would be something the Tree of Life is absolutely teeming with. The song has a fun rhythm and some good lyrics, but what I think sells it most is the performer: Makucha is voiced by Steven Blum, of all people, and he’s a surprisingly good singer. He sells this number deliciously, and I think that, above all else, is what gives this tune so much credit in my books.

6. You’re Only Second Rate, from The Return of Jafar.

As I think I said in my previous list, while I do love the “Prince Ali” reprise Jafar sings with such maniacal and mincing passion in the original film, I’ve always felt it’s a little sad that he never got a full and proper villain song all his own in the movie. Thankfully, later Aladdin spin-offs and materials have amended this problem: in the Junior Edition stage show, for example, Jafar originally had a song entitled “Why Me?” In later editions, as well as the Broadway musical, he and Iago gained a duet called “Diamond in the Rough.” And there are several other Jafar-related tunes you’ll find in other places. However, in my opinion, the very best is this one: in the sequel to the original film, Jafar got his own belated musical spotlight. Now with the powers of a genie at his disposal, the villain gets into a sort of magical spitting contest with Genie, and soundly defeats the comical blue fellow, mocking him relentlessly the entire time. The lyrics are wild, the visuals - considering the budget - have a lot of creativity to them, and it’s just great to have Jafar get a song all to himself that allows him to do what he does best: derisively mock people while losing his mind. A somewhat underrated entry in the villain song catalogue for Disney, in my opinion.

5. Snuff Out the Light, from Kingdom of the Sun.

This song is unique on the list, and if you don’t know about it already, you might be a bit confused. For example, you may be saying, “Hey, why is there an image from Emperor’s New Groove here? And what is Kingdom of the Sun?” Well, to make a long story short: “Kingdom of the Sun” was the movie that BECAME “The Emperor’s New Groove.” Originally the film was planned to be a sort of more “traditional” Disney movie, with a plot that combined elements of “The Magic Flute” and “The Prince and the Pauper,” with the familiar Aztec-or-Incan-inspired aesthetic motif that the final film had. However, somewhere along the line, the project changed…but one thing remained the same: the villain, Yzma. At least, a few things about her remained the same: her design was largely kept about the same (albeit handled by a different animator), her name was the same, and her voice actress - Eartha Kitt - was also the same. However, the character’s role in the story did change: in the final film, of course, Yzma is the Emperor’s advisor, and is depicted as a mad scientist who wants to - of course - take over the world. Originally, however, Yzma was a witch, who commanded all the creatures of the night, and her goal was to try and gain eternal youth. In this original version, she had a villain song…but when the film’s script and plot changed, the song was removed, as it no longer had a place in the story. While Yzma would get some other songs in later spin-offs, such as “Feel Like a Million” and “Yzmopolis,” her original song - in which she conjures an army of the night after making a deal with the demon Supei - is ironically her greatest moment in music, in my opinion. While I do like the final result of the film, it’s a shame such a brilliant song never got to see full fruition.

4. My Lullaby, from The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

“Tree of Life” was great, but when it comes to Lion King-related villain songs…well, let’s face it, nothing beats “Be Prepared.” BUT, I dare say this tune comes relatively close. In the direct-to-video sequel to the Lion King (which is actually one of the better Disney sequels out there, though still not as good as its predecessor), this song is performed by the utterly demented Zira: a former follower of Scar who acts as the mother to the dark lion’s chosen heir, a mysterious young cub named Kovu. After an encounter between Kovu and Simba’s daughter, Kiara, Zira begins to work out a long-reaching plan to take over the Pride Lands: as Kovu goes to sleep, she plots to train him to be an assassin, who will kill Simba, trick Kiara, and allow her return to power. The resulting “lullaby” is frankly one of the most bloodthirsty and sadistic villain songs not just from any Disney movie, but frankly just in general. Zira is basically fantasizing a bloodbath the entire song through, imagining the murder of Simba and his family and the glory Kovu will bring to her and her pride. It’s a delightfully dark and twisted tune…but in my opinion, it has one major stumbling block: the visuals. The setting, angles, colors, and even the “pattern” of the scene - where interjections from other characters take place, how they happen, when certain shots occur, etc. - all feel EXTREMELY close to “Be Prepared.” It’s pretty obvious that’s the intent, but I wish the visuals had taken a few more risks and gone for a more original approach. There’s a few good moments, mind you, and the song itself is fantastic, but it is a nitpick I cannot overlook.

3. Professional Pirate, from Muppet Treasure Island.

I debated whether or not to include the Muppets, but they’ve been part of Disney much, MUCH longer than Marvel or Star Wars, and this film was released under the Disney banner, so…eh. I’ll give it a pass. “Muppet Treasure Island” is quite possibly my favorite Muppet movie. While other films like “The Great Muppet Caper” are great showcases for the Muppets, and “Muppet Christmas Carol” is a fine adaptation of a classic story I love, this film is BOTH of those things, in my opinion, and balances the elements in a way that I think is more…well…balanced. This song is performed by the great Long John Silver: our central antagonist who leads a band of mutinous pirates on a quest to retrieve long lost treasure. Silver forms a bizarre bond with the main hero of the story, Jim Hawkins: the young boy who discovered the treasure map. In this song, after kidnapping Jim (and while some of his gang work on taking over the ship in the meantime), Silver and his closest confidantes (most of whom are Muppets) try to convince Jim to join their side. They claim that pirates really aren’t as bad as people think…with the irony being that, throughout the song (and the movie as a whole), they’re shown to be completely false in these claims. What I love about this song - aside from the fact it’s…well…just a darn good song, frankly - is two things. One, Silver is played by Tim Curry. Automatic win. Two…Silver actually MEANS what he’s saying. What’s interesting about the character in the Muppet film is that he genuinely and truly believes in a sort of “honor among thieves” mentality: he’s quick to turn on Captain Kermit-I mean, Smollett, but when it comes to the other pirates, he only seems to turn on them or get nasty when they aren’t following his personal code of honor. He also admits that he genuinely cares about Jim, and the two form a sort of father/son bond, which gets strained as the film goes on. He’s genuinely sincere in everything he’s saying, which makes the irony of the truth both hilarious and kind of tragic: it’s telling that, at the end of the film, he reiterates some of the lyrics from this song by saying to Jim, “You’re honest, brave, and true. You did learn that from me.” Jim’s response, “I learned it from my friends, Mr. Silver,” has to cut him to the quick.

2. Ready As I’ll Ever Be, from Tangled: The Series.

This song is very similar to “Savages” from Pocahontas. (Which makes sense, since I THINK this was written by the same people; feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I very well could be.) Only about half of the song PROPERLY belongs to the villain, but it’s the villain who really drives the song and context of the scene, so I think it counts. “Ready as I’ll Ever Be” occurs in the final episode of season one from “Tangled: The Series” (which would later be retitled “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure”). The villain of the hour is my favorite character from the show, Varian: a young alchemist who - for a LOT of reasons - has kind of gone off the deep end into crazy-ville, and kidnapped Queen Arianna - Rapunzel’s mother. The heroes form a plan to attack Varian from two different routes - one side trying to sneak into his castle hideaway and ambush him, while the other leads a frontal assault - but Varian, who is one step ahead of the heroes, is making his own preparations. There’s a lot of gret things about this song, but it really is Varian who sells it: first of all, he’s played by Jeremy Jordan. Again, like the previous pick, automatic win. Second of all…Varian is maybe 15 years old, at best, when he does all this. And it is taking an ARMY, and a LOT of strategy, to even TRY and beat him. And it’s made pretty clear that both of those attempts from either side are not going to be as successful as they hope. Something about those facts ALONE just makes the whole song, situation, and the character himself SO fascinating to me: the tension, determination, and desperation of the song are only intensified when you realize it’s literally a battle of the villain against the world…and, shortly after this number, the world nearly LOSES. Later villains would follow Varian, as well as later villain songs, but for me, none of them ever TOPPED this moment. It’s my favorite song in the entire series, and for good reason. That reason, in a nutshell, is Varian.

1. I Put a Spell on You, from Hocus Pocus.

If any “other” Disney Villain song arguably equals the iconic status of nearly any from their animated movies, I think it’s fair to say this would be it. Which is ironic, since the song isn’t even native to the film. “I Put a Spell on You” (originally the work of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) was a staple of many a Halloween-themed music compilation long before “Hocus Pocus” came out…but nowadays, it’s hard to think of the song, for most people, without specifically thinking of the version performed in the film by the wicked and wonderful Sanderson Sisters: the trio of soul-sucking witches whose devilish antics are the crux of the story. The Sisters - played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker - have the power to hypnotize people with their siren-like voices. They use this to their advantage when they find themselves at a Halloween costume party, where the parents of their victims are all dancing the night away. The witches perform the song to cast a spell on the rest of the partygoers, keeping them under their thrall for the rest of the night, and have a rockin’ good time while doing it! For many, it’s the most famous scene in the entire film, and the sequel tried to replicate it with a similar scene, which had the Sisters singing a cover of “One Way or Another” by Blondie. That scene was fine, but nothing can really top the original. It’s arguably become just as well-known as songs like “Hellfire” or “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and for that reason above all else, it easily takes the top spot on this list. Case closed.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Things Are Not What They Appear, from Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.

Don’t Fall in Love, from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.

Chow Down, from The Lion King: The Musical.

Run, from The Jungle Book Groove Party.

Petey's King of France, from Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers.

Impress My Professor, from Phineas & Ferb. (Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a LOT of songs, I chose this one simply because it was the first I thought of.)

#disney #list #countdown #best #favorites #disney villains #villain songs #animation #tv #film #movies #theatre #disney parks #top 15

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