Top 10: Disney Villain Songs

by Daniela

In case you didn’t know, I’m the resident Disney fanatic. Whether it’s music or movies or the musicals on Broadway... I’m your girl. So here’s something a little different today. I’ve put together a few songs from the Disney films (*Edna Mode voice * NO SEQUELS) and just to clarify, this is purely my own opinion! I’d love to hear about other songs that you feel should be on this list too! So let’s get started…

10. Prince Ali (Reprise) – Aladdin

It's the end for Aladdin's Prince Ali sham through a short, but really catchy song ending with Jafar's infamous maniacal laughter. He uses his newly granted magical powers to expose Aladdin as a street rat and sends him flying. Like a real Disney villain he enjoys the misery of others... while singing a song. At least it's unlike your traditional villainous monologues. One wonders what would have happened if he got his own song in the original... I imagine it would be full of amazing puns.

Farewell ex-Prince Ali!

9. Cruella de Vil – 101 Dalmatians

When one thinks of 101 Dalmatians, this song is definitely one of the first things to pop into your mind. Unlike the rest of the songs on this list, this song is sung completely by one of the protagonists, Roger. We are first introduced to the "wretched, wretched" woman herself, Cruella when she visits Roger and Anita. Judging from his lyrics she's not exactly a daaaaarling. Growing up I always considered this as one of my favourite parts in the movie and let's be honest, Roger creeping about and making a racket with all the instruments makes the whole scene.

If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will...

8. The Mob Song – Beauty and the Beast

The song title is pretty self-explanatory, pitchforks, and torches a-blazing. I've always appreciated the Broadway-like tunes of Beauty and the Beast and I love how The Mob Song utilises the entire cast. It's a piece of lyrical genius and full of great, memorable lines that basically tie the themes of the movie together. "We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us..." It sets up the idea that the villagers are just reacting because the Beast is automatically associated with terror and destruction. Therefore, their first instinct is it kill it before it kills all of them. And to top it all off it's lead by Gaston, the who isn't the villain the eyes of the villagers.

KILL THE BEAST!

7. Friends on the Other Side – The Princess and the Frog

Now here's where the creepiness levels start to go up a few notches. In this scene, Dr. Facilier calls upon the help of his voodoo friends by showing a naive Naveen his future through tarot cards. He goes from a sketchy shaman to a frightening voodoo, hoodoo witchdoctor in one number. I love the animation of the cards and it must be voodoo if he can deal them like that! Plus, Keith Davis' voice is hypnotising yet also menacing. When the transformation sequence begins, the bass kicks in and the colour scheme changes, adding a daunting feel. Naveen MUST have been distracted by Dr. Facilier's smooth voice and fluid card tricks. The poor Prince probably only realised he was in deep trouble when it was too late. Dr. Facilier definitely earns some villain points with his creepy skull mask exit as the scene fades to black.

Are you reaaaaady?

6. Mother Knows Best + Reprise – Tangled

Mother Knows Best is one of the most manipulative and abusive villain songs. At this point, we know that Gothel was the old lady who kidnapped the baby in the opening but the poor girl is left in the dark. To an innocent and gullible Rapunzel, it may seem like Gothel is merely warning her about the dangers of the outside, but there are hints of Gothel's true intentions. For example, she holds Rapunzel's hair to her face when she sings about keeping her "safe and sound." The reprise is probably one of my favourite reprises in the Disney universe. If you compare the two, Gothel already looks much older and more dangerous when Rapunzel refuses to go back to the tower with her. The first she sings, Mother Knows Best is light and upbeat but the reprise is the complete opposite as she attacks Rapunzel for her naivety in a more harsh manner. Also, they're both undeniable catchy!

Skip the drama, stay with mama!

Don't be a dummy, come with mummy...

5. Savages – Pocahontas

War is about to break out between the Native Americans and the English, John Smith is about to be executed and it's up to Pocahontas to stop the hatred amongst the people. One of the most controversial songs from Disney is Savages from Pocahontas. I'm actually not too sure if this one is counted as a villain song but hey, Ratcliffe sings some pretty thought provoking lines. I can say that I was part of the group of children who were completely oblivious to the lyrics and message in the 90s. Revisiting the songs when I was a bit older was nothing short of an eye-opener. The difference with this song is that both the Native Americans and the English claim that the other party is more dangerous. There are so many elements to this song that make it memorable. Especially how it cuts to each camp every line or so or even with Pocahontas singing her own tune over the top of the chanting of SAVAGES, SAVAGES.

They're not like you and me, which means they must be evil!

4. Be Prepared – The Lion King

Mufasa is the king of the Pridelands but not for long if Scar has a say... or song about it. Scar's voice is enchanting, sultry, captivating and at times hypnotizing as he sashays his way around the hyenas. Instead of the traditional villainous monologue we get a whole song about Scar's plan to kill Mufasa and Simba therefore making him the, wait for it... LION KING. Although, in my opinion it may not have the catchiest lyrics, it definitely has a contagious beat. As if it wasn't eerie enough, let's add a pinch of Nazi allusions and a dash of Communism references too! This is another display of me being completely oblivious in the 90s... yay.

My teeth and ambitions are bared... be prepared!

3. Gaston + Reprise– Beauty and the Beast

This is the second time a song from Beauty and the Beast has featured in my countdown but Gaston goes in a different direction in comparison to The Mob Song. The whole song is a pick me-up for the narcissistic but dejected Gaston after Belle refuses to marry him. LeFou tries to keep Gaston's spirits up by proving that there's no man in town half as manly as the one and only Gaston. This song is probably one of the main reasons why Gaston is one of my favourite Disney villains of all time (that's a whole other list for another time!). If we compare this to The Mob Song, it spends its entirety praising the actual villain in the story while the latter depicts the Beast, one of our heroes, as a vicious monster. To quote Belle "he's not a monster Gaston, YOU ARE!" It's a great drinking song and seriously, how does the man not have high cholesterol from the amount of eggs he eats a day?

As a specimen yes, I'm intimidating!

No one plots like Gaston, takes cheap shots like Gaston!

2. Poor Unfortunate Souls – The Little Mermaid

After King Triton destroys all of Ariel's treasures, she's ready to be a part of the human world and escape the rule of her father. She then seeks out the help of Ursula, the sea witch and hopes her magic will give her a pair of legs to walk along those streets with the humans. Poor Unfortunate Souls comes in at a very close second in this top 10! From Ursula's over-dramatic performance, to the moment where Ariel signs her voice away, to the BODY LANGUAGE! Poor Unfortunate Souls has become an iconic scene/song in Disney history. It's often been pointed out that the song is full of terrible messages to send to Disney's target audience about the relationships between men and women. She insists that "it's she who holds her tongue who gets her man." Don't worry ladies, Ariel does prove her wrong in the end. Ursula is manipulative, strategic, cunning and deliciously evil. 

BODY LANGUAGE!

1. Hellfire – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hellfire is a clear winner and I often wonder how Disney even got away with this. It's another of Disney's most controversial songs as it toys with ideas about hell, damnation and lust. We start off with Heaven's Light, Quasimodo's song about his love towards Esmerelda and suddenly, we transition to the dark and heavy themes of Hellfire. Frollo prays to Mary and questions why he lusts for Esmerelda, a gypsy, who he believes to be the vermin of Paris. Terrifying hooded figures appear all around Frollo and sing mea culpa (throught my fault) as he pleads and tries to explain that his infatuation with Esmerelda was caused by the devil. He imagines Esmerelda dancing in the fire and is completely captivated by her image but blames her for being a temptress. In the end he decides that he'll burn down all of Paris if she doesn't choose him. Hellfire is the perfect combination of villainy with jaw-dropping lyric, frightening visuals, and taboo themes. To top it all off, Frollo is hair-raisingly creepy yet you also want to smack that smirk off his face.

She will be mine or she will burn!