You might have heard thousands and thousands of songs all your life, but for sure, only a few of them made a mark. And although you have your own choice of music – either ’90s R&B classics or pop tunes, you cannot deny the fact that there are certain songs that can easily get your attention.
While many classic songs are still music to your ears, others have been added with a contemporary touch to make it more appealing to the modern day listeners. Hence, cover songs are born. Among all covers, the Disney songs have become very much recognizable. This is because they don’t only have catchy lyrics, they are also sung by our favorite Disney characters themselves. So, here we compile the best Disney covers in history.
Check them out:
7. “When You Wish Upon a Star” by NSync
Movie: Pinocchio
Since it was used in the film, it has become an icon of The Walt Disney Company. In fact, it is still played in the opening credits of all Walt Disney anthology television series.
Due to the song’s popularity, it has been covered by various artists, including Glenn Miller, Horace Heidt, and Guy Lombardo. But, among all, NSync’s acapella version has been the favorite of many.
6. “Kiss the Girl” by Colbie Caillat
Movie: The Little Mermaid
The song has received positive responses from listeners and was nominated for both Golden Globe and Academy for Best Original Song. Sad to say, it lost to “Under the Sea,” which happens to be another song from the same film.
Several cover versions of “Kiss the Girl” has been released. But, Colbie Caillat‘s rendition has amassed the most number of views and shares. Maybe this was because she’s the only person who can sing the song as smooth as Sebastian.
5. “Once Upon a Dream” by Lana Del Ray
Movie: Maleficent
It was originally performed as a duet by Bill Shirley and Mary Costa, who were cast in the roles Prince Philip and Princess Aurora. Later on, it was covered by No Secrets, an American girl group, as well as Emily Osment.
Lana Del Ray covered the song for the 2014 dark fantasy film Maleficent, which served as a prequel to the original Sleeping Beauty film. Angelina Jolie, who played the title role Maleficent, chose Del Ray to perform the song.
4. “Tale as Old as Time” by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson
Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Originally sung by Angela Lansbury, an English actress who voiced the character of Mrs. Potts, the song’s lyrics basically implies that the feeling of love is a “tale as old as time”. In the same year the film was released, the song was recorded as a duet by American singer Peabo Bryson and Canadian singer Celine Dion.
Although Lansbury’s version was praised by critics and won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, the duet version by Dion and Bryson also became an international success, winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo.
3. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” by Disney Channel Circle of Stars
Movie: Frozen
It was sung in the beginning of the movie when Elsa kept herself locked in her room because her parents were afraid that she might lose control of her powers and hurt Anna.
The song has been translated to different languages, all of which have been successful. But, the version that really caught the attention of the masses is the version of Disney Channel’s Circle of Stars.
2. “Let It Go” by Demi Lovato
Movie: Frozen
The song was played when Queen Elsa abandoned her kingdom after her powers were discovered by her people. She walked her way up the mountains, where she realized she no longer needs to hide her magical abilities.
“Let It Go” won several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2014 and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 2015. It has since gained international acclaim, becoming one of the most globally recorded Disney songs. It has even got lots of covers, including Demi Lovato’s pop rendition, which has now amassed almost 400,000,000 views.
1. “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera
Movie: Mulan
Also in the same year the film was released, Christina Aguilera released her own rendition of the song, which was also very successful. Before she was given the opportunity to record her own version, she was asked to hit a certain musical note.
Because of this, she spent several hours recording a cover of “Run to You” by Whitney Houston. This was her way of practicing in hitting the note. When she was able to sing it perfectly, she then called it “the note that changed my life” for she was granted the chance to record her version of “Reflection”. Aguilera was then asked to perform on television, where she got the attention of songwriter Diane Warren.
Apparently, Disney isn’t just focusing much of their efforts on film-making. They’re also devoting time on music. Based on this list, plenty of their songs gained international acclaim and brought home some awards. So, in the near future, maybe we can expect more iconic songs from them that are music to our ears.
