Mentioning soundtracks of animated musical films would likely immediately conjure up the image of Elsa strutting over the snow, singing “Let It Go”. Songs in kids’ films are not a new concept, but they have gotten better over the years to the extent where they are nominated for and win Academy Awards.
However, there are several criminally underrated songs in animated films that are just as good as the prize winners (sometimes even better).
“Great Spirits” – Brother Bear
Brother Bear, released in 2003, tells the story of Kenai, a Native American boy, eagerly awaiting manhood. However, when a bear kills one of his brothers, Kenai seeks revenge, angering the spirits and transforming into a bear himself. This profound story is accompanied by fantastic music.
The soundtrack, written by Phil Collins (who also wrote the songs for Tarzan), includes truly excellent songs. A prime example is “Great Spirits”, performed by the iconic Tina Turner, who also lent her voice to the James Bond film, Golden Eye.
“I See The Light” – Tangled
Tangled is not only an underrated film, often overshadowed by Frozen, but it also boasts several underrated songs. This fresh take on the Rapunzel story features gems like “When Will My Life Begin”, “Mother Knows Best”, and “I’ve Got A Dream.”
The standout track, however, is “I See The Light”, featured at the film’s climax when Rapunzel’s dream of seeing the floating lanterns comes true. Performed by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, this epic song remains incredibly underrated.
“Deliver Us” – The Prince of Egypt
Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt has an awesome soundtrack, including “When You Believe,” but some songs are surprisingly overlooked. “When You Believe”, sung by Tzipporah and Miriam, won an Oscar for Best Original Song after Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey recorded a pop version in 1998.
The scores by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz, especially the opening number “Deliver Us”, are also mostly overlooked. Ofra Haza and Eden Riegel deliver powerful vocals that set up the story of the Hebrew slaves’ struggle.
“When We’re Human” – The Princess And The Frog
The Princess And The Frog is one of Disney’s most underappreciated gems. This reworked tale of The Frog Princess features Tiana, a waitress dreaming of owning her own restaurant, who ends up kissing a prince turned into a frog and becomes a frog herself.
The film features great songs, two of which were nominated for Academy Awards. However, the fantastic “When We’re Human”, starting with the quip “enjoy your loneliness, my friend”, definitely deserves more love.
“Lost in the Woods” – Frozen II
Frozen delivered some of the best songs in animated films. “Let It Go” became a smash hit, winning both a Grammy and an Oscar and being recorded in at least 41 languages.
Idina Menzel shone again in 2019 with “Show Yourself” in Frozen II. However, Kristoff’s (Jonathan Groff) ballad, “Lost in the Woods”, sounding like a nod to Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration”, is highly underappreciated, even featuring a nod to Queen in one scene. And let’s never forget about “Reindeer Are Better Than People.”
“I’ll Make a Man Out of You” – Mulan
Mulan, based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, tells the story of Fa Mulan impersonating a man to take her father’s place in battling a Hun invasion during the Han dynasty.
The action is set to a great soundtrack including songs like “A Girl Worth Fighting For”, “Honor To Us All”, and “Reflection.” One of the best songs is the inspiring “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, performed by Donny Osmond & Chorus as Mulan and her army transform into warriors. Stephen Schwartz was initially tasked with scoring the soundtrack for Mulan but was persuaded by Dreamworks to make music for The Prince of Egypt instead.
“When She Loved Me” – Toy Story 2
The Toy Story movies are hugely popular. The original film was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Song for “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
The Toy Story movies have sad moments, with one of the most heartbreaking being in Toy Story 2 when Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl ruminates about being forgotten by her owner Emily. The song “When She Loved Me”, sung by Sarah McLachlan, is a true underrated tearjerker.
“Immortals” – Big Hero 6
During the trailers of Big Hero 6, “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” by Fall Out Boy played. Big Hero 6 follows the adventures of Hiro Hamada and Baymax and is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters.
The film grossed the most out of animated movies in 2014 and won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The soundtrack includes a great song by Fall Out Boy called “Immortals”, written specifically for the movie and selling one million units. Despite its success, it still doesn’t make many ‘best of’ lists.
“I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)” – Hercules
Development of the animated classic, Hercules, began in 1992, and the movie was released in 1997. The film didn’t perform as well as its Disney predecessors, and the soundtrack received mixed reviews. Recognizable songs include “Go The Distance” by Michael Bolton and “One Last Hope” by Danny DeVito.
The most underappreciated song is “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)”, performed by Susan Egan, Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman, and Vanéese Y. Thomas. The pop ballad is reminiscent of 1950s songs and its lyrics are about denying romantic feelings, in this case Meg denying feelings for Hercules.
“You’ll Be In My Heart” – Tarzan
Tarzan was the most expensive animated film ever made until Final Fantasy. It grossed $448 million worldwide and became the second highest grossing animated release in 1999, after Toy Story 2. The success led to two sequels, a TV series, and a Broadway show.
The songs on the Tarzan soundtrack were composed by music legend Phil Collins. “You’ll Be In My Heart” won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The soundtrack was the first to be recorded in several languages and became Collins’ best-selling album in ten years. Despite its success, “You’ll Be In My Heart” is still one of the most underrated songs in animated films.
Animated movie soundtracks are full of hidden treasures that go beyond the mega-hits. These underrated songs offer unique styles and emotions, deeply enriching their films. It’s time to give these fantastic tunes the recognition they deserve and add them to your playlists!
Which of these underrated animated movie songs is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
