Disney Songs Rankdown (Winner Posted)

[Steven_]

2. LET IT GO

Frozen

 

6.85

CHRIS: 3

MEGAN: 3

SOLA: 4

ERIK: 7

DEREK: 8

WALLACE: 10

ALEX: 13

 

 

CHRIS

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Are we surprised that “Let It Go” is in my Top 3? No, we are not! I’m probably the biggest Frozen fan around here, on top of the soundtrack of both films. For me, "Let It Go" can easily be seen as one of the best Disney showtunes, not just of recent years,  but of all-time among the iconic songs from the Renaissance era, which many consider as the greatest of all times. 

 

For me, what truly distinguishes "Let It Go" from other songs in this top 20 is how Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez seamlessly brought the Broadway/musical theatre sound to the big screen without - to my knowledge - people complaining ; It's funny how people claim to dislike musicals, yet they like Disney animated films, which are musicals so they’re lying to themselves! Back to the song, from its initial key to the melody and the lyrics that manage to drive Elsa's character development in the film. In other words, "Let It Go" makes Elsa connect directly with the audience, breaking the fourth wall, with a powerful song!

But as a musical theatre fanatic, I can't discuss this song without giving a shoutout to the one and only Idina Menzel, whom I've been obsessed with ever since I became a fan of Wicked ; I was over the moon to see her finally getting mainstream recognition with this song. Let's be real here : she truly gave a masterclass on how to slay the heck out of a Disney song. From the very first note, she draws us into the song with her emotional delivery, making us believe every word she’s singing. As the song progresses and builds up, so does her powerhouse vocals, which she makes it seem so effortless. Just when you think she couldn't get any more powerful, she hits us with that VOCAL MOMENT around the 2:30 mark, easily the most powerful part of the song. And then that transition from "Let the storm rage on" to "the cold never bothered me anyway"? Pure perfection! 

Like other songs in the Top 20, there's no denying that this song wouldn't be what it is without Idina's vocal performance, which truly elevated it to one of the most quintessential modern-day Disney songs. It broke records, everyone knows it, and it still resonates with a new generation, even 10 years later. As I said at the beginning of my write-up, it's truly a masterpiece of modern Disney showtunes, and I've yet to see a song in the modern-day Disney catalog that comes close to it. 

 

 

 

 

MEGAN

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The second Elsa gets a girlfriend this jumps to my #1 spot. Because it will be my go to lesbian anthem. Because this is a gay song. That's the truth. And we need Elsa to get a girlfriend. Make it Honeymaren, make it some new character. I don't care. As it is, it sits here at #3. I love Frozen. I love Elsa. I love Idina Menzel. I love that this song has the phrase "Frozen Fractals." There is a reason why the Boston Globe described this song as "musical crack" which "sends kids in to altered states" and that's because it's just an incredibly good song. And I relate to the kids. This song does send me to an altered state and I could listen to it like 50 times in a row. I'm pretty sure when this song came out that I did listen to it 50 times in a row. Also, I really like the animation. I think the entire song suits the turning point for Elsa's character very well.

 

 

SOLA

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I am putting this song into my Top 4 because its an anthem for coming out in the LGBT community.  Yes this song was very much overplayed when it first came out.  I feel these LGBT ballads sung by Ballad were intended to make her come out.  Please let her finally come out in the third movie! Frozen has so many great songs on it, which is why it was such a popular film.  This song stands above them all as a powerful and emotive power ballad used to free Elsa from her shackles and embrace her powers.  It is a great moment in the movie.  Demi Lovato also sang this on the soundtrack, so props to my girl.

 

 

ERIK

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I'm sooo happy this song made it to the Top 20.  I remember how big this song was when it came out. I think it would have been so easy for me to become so incredibly annoyed by it but I just never did. I love Idina Menzels voice on this song. Her delivery on here is amazing. And I also love how it serves as such a powerful moment in the movie as well, it was definitely the standout moment that it was meant to be. Also Courtney's performance of this song on HSMTMTS gagged me it was amazing.

 

 

DEREK

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I’m gobsmacked that this survived to the end. I thought this would be a target early and often, and instead it sailed right through. Is this a threat to win??? Or are haters waiting until the end to tank it or something? This song is huge and popular, like maybe nothing else out of Disney. And I can’t say that it isn’t deserved because it’s really a remarkable piece of art. Having Idina obviously doesn’t hurt either lol. Can we talk about how this song is so powerful that when they wrote it they changed the entire plot of the movie??? Have you seen that concept art for the villain Elsa that they started with? And then they wrote this song and realized that Elsa wasn’t just another Disney villain, she was a sympathetic exciting interesting protagonist. I’m almost afraid to rank this high. How would I feel if it won?? I feel like there’s no way it can… but like… what if it did… idk where to rank this lol

 

 

WALLACE

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I am pleasantly surprised with how "Let It Go" did in this game. I think this is one of the few songs that was never nominated in this game at all. I thought for sure it would have been although if Elliott stayed a ranker in this game, I highly doubt it would have held that honor. I am glad that "Let It Go" made it to the Final 20, especially for some Frozen representation. I do think of this as the best/biggest standout Disney song of the 2010s (and into 2020s) by quite a margin. This is a really strong, powerful and stunning song.  Elsa / Idina Menzel absolutely slays and crushes the vocal of this song!  I definitely get moved and get chills from how she sings this song. I really love the power she has while singing the chorus of the song. Then the bridge is also a great and big powerful part of the song! I also want to shout out the Demi Lovato pop single version of the song, as I really like her version of the song as well.

 

"Let It Go" is definitely amazing and a standout song of this group of songs. I have no doubt that it will do well and rank highly here. I could even see it being a threat to win, which made me question if I should tank this or not but then I decided not to do so.

 

 

ALEX

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A modern day classic! I think Disney knew they had a hit on their hands from the very first second, they promoted it hard. And they weren't wrong! There is such a meticulous and slow buildup to the song that has me on the edge of my seat. So when it finally reaches its climax, it is so well earned and absolutely delivers beyond your wildest expectations. Also one of the best bridges in a Disney song ever. We rightfully honored the renaissance era with this top 20, but I'm happy with the more modern songs that deservingly snuck into the endgame.

 

[Steven_]

1. POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS

The Little Mermaid

 

5.85

SOLA: 2

ALEX: 3

DEREK: 6

WALLACE: 6

CHRIS: 7

MEGAN: 8

ERIK: 9

 

 

SOLA

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I mean, what is there to say?  I love a villain song, and this is the best villain song from Disney.  This is also the best song from the Little Mermaid and Ursula's shining moment in the movie.  This song is all about Ursula tricking Ariel into giving up her voice.  This song is incredibly camp. The original was sung by Pat Carroll.  But it has done by others, including Melissa McCarthy in the live action and of course the live version done by Nicolina in American Idol. This is one of my all-time favourite Disney songs, ever.  I didn’t think there would be any problems with this getting to the end as it’s a popular song.  Still, it’s here.  I hope it does well/possibly wins!

 

 

ALEX

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"And don't underestimate the importance of BODY LANGUAGE" whew deserves at least top 10 for that one line alone. I already sung Ursula's praises in the Disney Characters Rankdown. Simply one of the greatest villains to ever exist. Along with the all important villain is the villain song, and there's very few as good as Poor Unfortunate Souls. It's one of those songs that I listen to once and it just gets stuck in my head the rest of the day. This song just embraces the camp nature of Ursula's character. The lyrics are over-the-top, she shimmys MULTIPLE times throughout the song. It works well in the context of the movie as a plot device, but you can also listen to it without context and still enjoy it just as much. Just a perfect Disney Villains song, no notes.

 

 

DEREK

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AMAZING. Pat Carroll did THAT. Brilliant character, brilliant song. Amazing how it intertwines with the dialogue and the scene in true musical fashion. That’s also what makes covers of this difficult, like you need the context of the scene for the lyrics to make perfect sense. But still. This is the quintessential villain song in my opinion. Devastated to not have Be Prepared here with it, but at least it’s not a total loss. But from this movie Under the Sea was the one that won the Oscar so it’s sad to not have that song here with the others in the end.

 

 

WALLACE

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I feel like I have such an interesting relationship with "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid I never really cared for Ursula and don't think I really paid much attention to this song or care for it while I was a kid and growing up. But I feel I have come around to this song.... over the last 5-10 years or so? Somewhere between that time, I grew to absolutely love and even become obsessed with this song, dare I say? I don't know but something about it made me really love and appreciate "Poor Unfortunate Souls" so much! I love how fun, villianous and camp this song is. Ursula (portrayed by Ursula) SANGS it here! I love the villian quality she brings to this song - she brings a haunting quality to the song in the verses. Then she brings some campy fun on the chorus.... and I love how she sings that part so much. Ursula is so bad on the speaking parts of the song on the speaking parts of the song. But yeah Ursula brings so much entertainment and character with this song. And wow, the last 50 seconds of this song? Incredible! She SLAYS those vocals like whoa.

 

 

CHRIS

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When it comes to quintessential villain songs in the Disney universe, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" stands out as the ultimate villain anthem. I mean, when you think of Ursula, this song immediately comes to mind, unlike some other songs performed by Disney villains.  Alan Menken's composition of the song incorporates elements of Broadway and burlesque, with a touch of suspenseful melody, perfectly complementing Howard Ashman's lyrics, which perfectly showcase Ursula's personality, confidence, and Machiavellian traits. However, it's Pat Carroll's iconic performance as Ursula that truly brings the song to life. Whether in the film or in this musical number, her portrayal of Ursula is unforgettable. There's no denying that this song is the standout from The Little Mermaid and one of the best in the Disney universe overall. While I believe it could easily secure a spot in the Top 5 and even win the entire competition - which I would be more than happy with - I personally ranked it slightly lower than I normally would have, as I felt two other songs needed my support more.

 

 

MEGAN

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There are like different universes I want to experience and the one where Bea Arthur plays Ursula is one of them. That's not to say Pat Carroll isn't phenomenal, I just love Bea Arthur.  OMG Pat Carroll once played Reno Sweeney. Somebody please find some kind of archival footage of this. OMG okay now I am just looking up versions of this song and the HOWARD ASHMAN VERSION. It's good. Tituss Burgess? Also good. And ummm, that's pretty much it. Oh, wait, the Broadway OCR is also good.

 

 

ERIK

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Say what you want about Mrs. Ursula but you definitely cannot deny that she ate this one down. It's definitely in my opinion one of, if not THE best disney villain song of all time. I think that the thing that makes me love this so much is the Pat Carrolls delivery. If I were Ariel I would be shaking in my boots. It was truly a masterful performance on Pat Carrolls part. Rest in peace icon. There are very few villain songs in Disneys catalog that can even compete with this one. It also helps that in my opinion it is a standout in the Little Mermaid movie as well.

 

[Steven_]

#2 and #1 have been posted.

 

@Alex95 @*Chris @FrogLenzen @erik g @totes4totes @Solaris @*Wallace

[Solaris]

Unlike DWTS rankdown, My winner prediction actually won this one.   Both iconic songs, there wasn't a bad choice.

[FrogLenzen]

[Solaris]

I expected more Top 5 placings for Poor Unfortunate Souls.  

[*Chris]

And I was right!

[FrogLenzen]

 

 

[Steven_]

On 1/22/2024 at 11:30 AM, Steven_ said:

CYCLE 1

 

It's time for the game to begin!

I used this gif from “Poor Unfortunate Souls” at the start of the game, and it ended up being the winning song. 
 

[FrogLenzen]

Honestly either would be worthy of the win. I doubted that Ursula would win after the Disney Characters rankdown (and because idk Erik super well yet haha) but she did it! 

[erik g]

[QueenKalie]

Well at least I was wrong about Let It Go winning.

[erik g]

2 hours ago, Steven_ said:

How about the winner reveal on page 100? 

also this is iconic

[*Wallace]

Well done to "Let It Go" on getting 2nd. At around Top 5 or 4, I was rooting against it and worried about it winning - but then I was thinking it wouldn't win as there was my #10 and (I felt 99% sure) Alex's #13 for this song, so I was thinking it would come in 2nd. But it's certainly an iconic song and deserving of making it this far. 

 

I'm happy with "Poor Unfortunate Souls" winning. Definitely an iconic villain song and an iconic song in general. I had a strong feeling this song would win. I especially felt sure of it when I noticed this didn't have any Bottom 10 rankings (with #9 being its possible lowest rank). Not surprised and definitely a deserving win.  

Great job in running this rankdown, Steven!   It was a lot of fun to be apart of - though I didn't love how some of the final results went. But it was still fun.

[Solaris]

Agreed, thanks Steven for running a great rankdown!

[FrogLenzen]

[totes4totes]

Yea sure

[totes4totes]

2 hours ago, Steven_ said:

2. LET IT GO

Robert Lopez - Double EGOT with TWO Oscars for Disney songs

 

LMM - Zero EGOT with ZERO Oscars for Disney songs

 

every time LMM loses an Oscar I think “okay maybe actually the Academy Awards are good”

[Alex95]

Phew!

[Alex95]

Great work @Steven_ as per usual!

[Steven_]

1 hour ago, *Wallace said:

Great job in running this rankdown, Steven!   It was a lot of fun to be apart of - though I didn't love how some of the final results went. But it was still fun.

 

1 hour ago, Solaris said:

Agreed, thanks Steven for running a great rankdown!

 

33 minutes ago, Alex95 said:

Great work @Steven_ as per usual!

[*Chris]

100 pages!!!

[totes4totes]

Thank you @Steven_ for your hard work! I had a fun time!

[Steven_]

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[Steven_]

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