The films produced by Disney are some of the most popular movies in the world. People love the stories, which often have an underlying moral theme, and they can feel a real connection to the characters. Many of the characters that feature in Disney films are good characters, such as cute animated creatures, princes, princesses, and heroes. However, there is no good without bad and that is why the villain is often a key element in a Disney film. They add a level of contrast and help to shape the storyline. Something else that Disney films are known for is their music. Most of the films produced by Disney feature many songs at different points in the storyline and it is these that makes the films so memorable. These songs are sung by different characters and there is usually at least one that is performed by the villain. From all the Disney films, there are some villain songs which are more memorable than others, either because of their threatening nature or because the tune is particularly catchy. Here are 20 of the best villain songs from Disney movies of all-time.
20. Les Poissons- Chef Louis- The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is an animated musical fantasy film that was released in 1989. The film is about a mermaid princess who wants to become human. It is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson. The film was co-written and co-directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The score for this film was written by Alan Menken, who won an Academy Award for this soundtrack. He had collaborated with Howard Ashman on the songs, with Ashman writing the lyrics. ‘Les Poissons’ was sung by one of the film’s villains, Chef Louis. This character was voiced by Rene Auberjonois. This song was also one of the tracks on the soundtrack from the film that was released in the same year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOPeJuvLJYs
19. The Headless Horseman- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ was originally part of the 1949 animated film ‘The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The Sleepy Hollow section of this film was released separately in movie theaters in 1985. This animated film is based on the book of the same name by Washington Irving, which has inspired many other television and film adaptations. It is about a legend relating to a headless horseman in a place called Sleepy Hollow. One of the best songs in the animated version is ‘The Headless Horseman’, which is sung by the villain of the story.
18. Kidnap the Sandy Claws- The Nightmare Before Christmas
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a stop-motion animated dark musical fantasy film that was released in 1993. It is often referred to as ‘Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas’ because he created the story and the characters and co-produced the film. The screenplay was written by Caroline Thompson and the film was directed by Henry Selick. Voices for the main characters were provided by Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, Danny Elfman, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, and Ed Ivory. The soundtrack for this film was composed by Danny Elfman. One of the best tracks from the film is ‘Kidnap the Sandy Claws’. This song is performed by the characters, Jack Skrllington, Sally, and Lock.
17. Trust in Me- Kaa the Snake- Jungle Book
‘The Jungle Book’ was first released as a film by Disney in 1967. This animated musical comedy adventure film is inspired by the book of the same name that was written by Rudyard Kipling. It became the 19th animated feature film released by Disney and was also the last film that was personally produced by Walt Disney. Th movie was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. It is about a feral child called Mowgli who was raised in the jungle by wolves and then becomes friends with other jungle animals. One of the villains in the story is Kaa the snake who famously tries to encourage Mowgli that he can be trusted when he sings the song ‘Trust in Me’. This song was written by the Sherman Brothers and performed by Sterling Holloway.
16. The Elegant Captain Hook- Captain Hook- Peter Pan
The animated action adventure film ‘Peter Pan’ was originally released in 1953 and is based on J.M. Barrie’s play of the same name which was also known as ‘The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up’. The main villain in this story is Captain Hook as he is Peter Pan’s enemy in the storyline. The first first film was co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. Although Frank Churchill and Charles Walcott wrote many of the songs in this movie, that was not the case for Captain Hook’s main song. The music for ‘The Elegant Captain hook’ was written by Sammy Fain while the lyrics were written by Sammy Cahn. The lead vocals for the song were performed by Hans Conried and Bill Thompson with backing vocals provided by The Mellomen. Considering that this film was made in 1953 on a budget of just $4 million, it was exceptionally commercially successful as it took $87.4 million at the worldwide box office.
15. Shiny- Tamatoa- Moana
‘Moama’ is one of Disney’s most recent films as it was released in 2016. This is a 3D computer-animated musical adventure film about the strong-willed daughter of a Polynesian village chief. This film was commercially successful as it grossed $643 million. It was co-written and co-directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The score for this movie was written by Mark Mancina with songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foa’i. The villain in this film is Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab who hoards treasure. His main song in this film is ‘Shiny’. The character is voiced by Jermaine Clements, who also sang this song.
14. Mad Madam Mim- Madame Mim- The Sword in the Stone
Released in 1963, ‘The Sword in the Stone’ is an animated musical fantasy comedy film. It is based on the book of the same name by T.H. White. The story was developed for the film by Bill Peet and Wolfgang Reitherman directed this animated movie. The songs in this move were composed by the Sherman Brotherws. They became an important part of Disney Soundtracks as they also wrote music for ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘The Aristocats’, and ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’. The villain in this film is Madame Mim, who is a black magic witch, and she performs the song ‘Mad Madame Mim’. This character was voiced by Martha Wentworth.
13. Mine, Mine, Mine- Governor Ratcliffe- Pocahontas
‘Pocahontas’ is an animated musical romantic drama film that was released in 1995. The film is loosely based on a famous Native American woman called Pocahontas and is a fictionalized story of her historical encounters with Jamestown settlers and the Englishman John Smith. The film was directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg and co-written by Phillip LaZebnik, Susannah Grant, and Carl Binder. The voice cast included Irene Bedard, Mel Gibson, David Ogden, Russell Means and Christian Blae. There are several great songs from this movie. One of these is performed by Governor Ratcliffe, who is voiced by David Ogden Stiers. This song is ‘Mine. Mine, Mine’. Initially, the soundtrack was a collaboration between Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. However, Ashman died in 1991, so Menken wrote the rest of the soundtrack in collaboration with Tim Rice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UQg4zb9dsA
12. The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind- Professor Ratigan- The Great Mouse Detective
‘The Great Mouse Detective’ is an animated mystery comedy film that was released in 1986. It is based on the book by Eve Titus called ‘Basil of Baker Street’ and is influenced by the stories of Sherlock Holmes. The movie was co-directed by Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, and John Musker. The voice cast included Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Diana Chesney, Eve Brenner, and Alan Young. The movie grosses $38.7 million at the box office. Although this is not one of Disney’s best-known or most successful films, it did have a great soundtrack. This was composed by Henry Mancini. It also produced one of the best villain songs from a film, ‘The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind’. This track was performed by Professor Ratigan, who was voiced by Vincent Price.
11. The Oogie Boogie Song- Oogie Boogie- The Nightmare Before Christmas
‘The Oogie Boogie Song’ is widely considered one of the best racks from the 1993 stop-motion animated film ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. Like all the tracks from this film, it was written by Danny Elfman. The song was performed by Oogie Boogie, played by Ken Page, and Santa Claus, voiced by Ed Ivory. The music from this film was just one of the reasons it was so commercially successful. The movie was made on a low budget of just $18 million but grossed $76.2 million at the worldwide box office.
10. Cruella De Vil- Roger- 101 Dalmatians
One of the most famous villains of all movies is Cruella De Vil, so no list of villains would be complete without including her in it in some way. ‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians’, sometimes written as ‘101 Dalmatians’, is an animated adventure film that was released in 1961. It is based on the novel of the same name by Dodie Smith. The film was directed by Wolfgang Reithman, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronini. The voice cast included Rod Taylor, Cate Bauer, Betty Lou Gerson, Ben Wright, Lisa Davis and Martha Wentworth. Although the song ‘Cruella De Vil’ is about the villain of the film, the song is actually performed by Roger, who was voiced by Ben Wright. It is one of only three songs in the film, which is unusual for a Disney feature film as there are usually many more. George Bruns was responsible for the soundtrack to this film.
9. Hellfire- Judge Claude Frollo- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Based on a novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ is an animated musical drama feature film that was released in 1996. It was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise and co-written by Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, and Jonathan Roberts. The voice cast for this movie included Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony May, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, and Jason Alexander. The musical score was written by Alan Menkel, who has also written many other soundtracks for Disney films. The famous villain song from this film is ‘Hellfire’, which is sung by Judge Claude Frollo who was voiced by Tony Jay. This movie was made on a budget of $100 million and grossed $325.3 million at the worldwide box office.
8. Are You In or Out? – Sa’luk- Aladdin and the King of Thieves
This film is also known as ‘Aladdin 3: King of Thieves’. This is a direct-to-video animated film which was released in 1996 and was inspired by the tale of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ from the ‘1001 Arabian Nights’. The film was directed by Ted Stones and co-written by Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley. There are just six songs in this film, including ‘Are You In or Out?’. This track was performed by the villain Sa’luk, who was voiced by Jerry Orbach. Other voice actors in this film included Scott Weinger, Brad Kane, Robin Williams, John Rhys-Davies, and Linda Larkin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g00kEcGh4j8
7. Friends on the Other Side- Dr. Facilier- The Princess and the Frog
‘The Princess and the Frog’ is based on the E.D. Baker novel ‘The Frog Princess. The 2009 animated musical film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker who both also co-wrote the film with Rob Edwards. Voice actors in this film included Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campus, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, and Peter Bartlett. The score for the film was written by Randy Newman. The significant villain song from this movie is ‘Friends on the Other Side’ which was performed by the character Dr. Facilier. This character was voiced by Keith David. The song is about Dr. Facilier’s plan to take over New Orleans.
6. Prince Ali (Reprise)- Jafar- Aladdin
‘Aladdin’ is one of the best-known and most popular of the Disney films. This 1992 animated comedy musical romantic fantasy adventure film is based on the folktale of the same name in ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. The film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker who also co-wrote the film with Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. The voice actors in this film included Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, and Douglas Seale. The movie grossed $504.1 million from a budget of $28 million. The villain in this story is Jafar and his main song is ‘Prince Ali (Reprise)’. This song was performed by Jonathan Freeman. The score for this film was written by Alan Menken.
5. Mother Knows Best- Mother Gothel- Tangled
‘Tangled’ was a hugely successful film when it was released in 2010 as it grossed $591.8 million from a budget of $260 million. The story is based on ‘Rapunzel’ by the Brothers Grimm and was adapted into a screenplay by Roy Conli. The film was co-directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard. Voice actors in ‘Tangled’ included Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy. The music for this film was written by Alan Menken. Rapunzel’s mother, Mother Gothel, is the villain in this story has she has always controlled her daughter and restricted her freedom. Her main song in the film is ‘Mother Knows Best’, which is sung by Donna Murphy who voices Mother Gothel.
4. Savages- Pocahontas
Another fantastic song from the 1995 animated film ‘Pocahontas’ is ‘Savages’. This song is actually performed in two parts. The first part is sung by David Ogden Stiers, Jim Cummings, and the chorus. The second part features the first singers as part one with the addition of Judy Kuhn. The soundtrack contributed largely to the success of this film and it grossed $346.1 million from a budget of $55 million. An interesting fact is that some of the songs that were originally written for this film were removed before the movie was released.
3. Gaston- Gaston- Beauty and the Beast
‘Beauty and the Beast’ is an animated musical romantic fantasy film that is based on the novel of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The film was released in 1991 and was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. The story was adapted into a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Actors who lent their voices to this film included Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Rex Everhart, and Jesse Corti. The famous soundtrack from this movie was written by Alan Menken. Although many of the songs from this film are well-known, the one which is sung by the villain, Gaston, is called ‘Gaston’. This character was voiced by Richard White. Alan Menken won two Academy Awards for this film. One was for Best Original Score and the second was for Best Original Song for ‘Beauty and the Beast’. The music from this film also won four Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
2. Poor Unfortunate Souls- Ursula- The Little Mermaid
‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ is one of the best tracks from the 1989 animated film ‘The Little Mermaid’. It is also widely considered one of the best Disney villain songs of all-time. This song was sung by the film’s main villain, Ursula. This character was voiced by Pat Carrol. Ursula is a sea witch and she sings this song to Ariel. One of the notable features of the song is the incantation that she sings at the end. The music for the track was composed by Alan Menken and the lyrics were written by Howard Ashman. Other actors who provided voices for this film included Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, and Paddi Edwards. This movie grossed $211.3 million at the worldwide box office.
1. Be Prepared- Scar- The Lion King
One of the best villain songs to come out of a Disney film is almost unarguably ‘Be Prepared’ in ‘The Lion King’. In fact, the soundtrack for this 1994 animated epic musical film is one of the best to ever come from a Disney movie. This film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, while the screenplay was written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The story is about a young lion who will succeed his father until his ferocious uncle, Scar, manipulates the situation so he can become king himself. Voce actors in this film include Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, and Rowan Atkinson. The music for this film was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer, Tim Rice, and Elton John. Alan Menken was originally asked but he was unavailable. Scar’s song in this film is the rather threatening ‘Be Prepared’. This song is performed by Jeremy Irons who provided the voice of Scar. The music from this film won multiple awards, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and two Grammy Awards. The Lion King is also one of the most commercially successful Disney movies of all-time as it grossed $968.5 million from a budget of $45 million.
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