Possibly one of the best things about a Disney movie, is the infamous villains that undoubtedly feature, trying to thwart the ever-struggling heroes. And of course, what does every truly evil villain need? A sword? Magical powers? Heart made of stone? Nope - a good song, of course! Yep, these following villains have got their wicked songs down to an art form, making sure that we're bound to remember them even after the movie has finished. So, what are The Top 10 Best Disney Songs from Villains, I hear you cry? Well, whilst everyone may have a different opinion in that respect, the following are my favourite Disney Songs by those despicable villains we all love to hate. With so many great villainous songs out there, it can often be hard to choose (and order) the 'best' 10 that are out there, but here we go, kicking it off with number 10:
10: Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)
Oh yes, getting the ball rolling at number 10 is the song from the original 1961 animated version, as sung by Roger Radcliffe (singing voice provided by Bill Lee) in the film. Roger's song about the infamous and original Queen of Monochrome herself, Cruella, is certainly delightfully hilarious to watch and listen to, and Anita's attempts at getting him to stop in the original film are pretty classic. It's no question that Cruella is certainly creepy, after all, she wants to slaughter a load of dogs just so she can have a weird fur coat? With such lyrics like 'she's like a spider waiting for the kill' and 'if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will', it's no wonder why this song deserves its place at number 10. Plus, bonus points for Roger for putting in some creepy hand movements while she is literally standing at the door waiting to come in, and for his dedication in continuing the instrumentals while she is talking to Anita downstairs. A* for effort.
9: Love is an Open Door (Frozen)
Ok, before you ask, is this really a villain song? Well, there's been much debate about whether 'Love is an Open Door' is Hans' villain song, and I'd lean more to the yes. So, perhaps surprisingly, Frozen's sickly sweet and utterly fake song between the deceptive Hans and the innocent Anna is number 9 on our list. The Reason why? If you have seen the movie, then you may understand, but 'Love is an Open Door' represents all the idealisms that Disney has put into most of its movies (and in this case, everything about being 'in sync' and two parts of the same coin) is completely false. The way in which Hans deceives Anna into believing that they are perfect for each other is why this particularly manipulative song manages to sneak its way into our list at number nine. 'Love is an Open Door' is one of those twisted songs where you are not quite sure whether it is totally right the first time round, but by the second time it kind of leaves a bad taste in the mouth listening to it, knowing what Hans actually wants.
8: Friends On The Other Side (The Princess and The Frog)
One of the best things about The Princess and The Frog was undoubtedly Doctor Facilier a.k.a The Shadow Man's 'Friends On The Other Side', which was performed in front of Prince Naveen and Lawrence. The wonderful Keith David sings the song as The Shadow Man, and it certainly ranks points for being creepy, slightly psychotic and disturbing. Listened to best alongside the video, the shadows and strange wall masks that join Keith in his singing certainly put a little shiver in our spine and remind us why The Shadow Man is pretty terrifying, but unusually charismatic in his performance of this new classic song. 'Friends On The Other Side' has got everything; references to voodoo and creepy tarot cards, insinuations of spirit friends and of course a charismatic and soulful singing voice. All of this ensures that 'Friends On The Other Side' makes it way to number 8 on our list. Whilst we would have liked to rank it higher, there are unfortunately 7 other songs that encompass everything great about being a villain, but The Shadow Man's song is certainly up there.
7: Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)
An undeniable narcissist, Gaston is an unusual villain in that he has that almost 'hero' look to him - muscular, in love with the main girl etc. But, if you've ever seen Beauty and the Beast, it becomes very clear, very quickly that Gaston has eyes for only himself. As vain as the day is long, Gaston's song, aptly entitled 'Gaston' is immediately opened by his second in command, Lefou. With such bizarre lines like 'no one's neck is as thick as Gaston's' and 'as a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating', Gaston's duet with Lefou has all the makings of a great Disney song, and is actually really annoying, in the sense that it's probably going to get stuck in your head for the next 7 days. Try focusing on your revision now.
6: Savages (Pocahontas)
Possibly one of the most racist and generally dodgy songs from a Disney movie, 'Savages' from the film, Pocahontas certainly earns marks for being creepy, disturbing and incredibly, incredibly, racist. With such lyrical gems as 'Here's what you get when races are diverse' and 'they're not like you and me, which means they must be evil', 'Savages' contains sentiments from certain corners of society that are still, unfortunately, evident today. What makes 'Savages' such a scary villain song is of course, the fact that it is sung by a ruthless and greedy government official (gee, we don't have a lot of those, do we?) named Ratcliffe, and that he has so much power and influence, despite his extremely warped views of society and other people. 'Savages' has a strange applicability to life today, and it is this which makes it one of the best (and utterly disturbing) Disney Villain songs.
5: Mother Knows Best (Tangled)
Stepping up to abuse her motherly position is none other than Mother Gothel from Disney's Tangled, who plays on Rapunzel's insecurities and weaknesses in order to get her to stay inside with her and never leave. Talk about manipulative much? What makes 'Mother Knows Best' a truly great Villain song is that it is, like so many songs, deceitful in its design, by presenting itself as a good natured song (with a rather uplifting, happy tune) despite its clearly manipulative under-layer. Mothers are of course, meant to look out for their children, however Mother Gothel has only the intention of looking out for herself, and this song is a bitter reminder how devious the character is (but it sure does make a great song!). Not to mention, Donna Murphy really does a great job at belting out those dramatic verses!
4: You're Only Second Rate (The Return of Jafar)
The lesser known of the Aladdin films, but definitely the one with the best song from Jafar, The Return of Jafar documents well...the return of Jafar. Fancy that. And in the course of the Dark Vizier's return, he manages to crack out a song entitled 'You're Only Second Rate' to Robin Williams' Genie. One of those songs which is just going to be in your heads for years (prepare to learn all the lyrics off by heart), 'You're Only Second Rate' is a couple of minutes worth of pure villainous magic. The forever scheming Jafar is a great villain and this song proves why he is number 4, with lyrics like 'i'll set the record straight, you're simply out of date, you're only second rate' and 'so for your education, I reiterate, you're only second rate'. In short, the rhyming dial is off the charts in this song, as so is Jafar's charisma.
3: Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)
Now we're getting into the heavyweights; the top 3 Best Disney songs from Villains. And with this entry at number 3, I implore you to try and deny you didn't think of it when you imagined what could be on this list. Yes, it is the evil Sea Witch herself, Ursula, with her song 'Poor Unfortunate Souls', which exudes gravitas. A slightly different villain song, 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' is pretty self-explanatory, in the sense that it literally details what will happen to Ariel, in the words of Ursula. If only the girl had ears...oh wait. A truly fantastic Disney Villain, Ursula is sure to repulse and delight audiences in equal measure, as is her catchy song. Indisputably charismatic and exceptionally frightening, Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) has villain songs down to a fine art. And the fact that she's a giant octopus/human mash-up only adds to her terrifying nature.
2: Hellfire (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
At this point, you're probably wondering what we could stick at number 2 that would beat Ursula, and indeed, all the fantastic songs from Villains that we've heard so far. Well, a slightly lesser known classic; The Hunchback of Notre Dame offers a solution in that respect. Enter the ever so 'honourable' Judge Claude Frollo. I know what you're thinking, what can he possibly sing to beat all the great songs we've heard so far? Why a song about lust, temptation and murder of course! Oh yes, the maniacal Frollo is as dark as they come and his song reflects his psychotic nature. 'Hellfire' starts off as a quaint religious song, a type of ode to the Saint Maria in a church, but quickly derails itself as the song progresses. With lyrics that include 'this fire in my skin, this burning desire, is turning me to sin' and 'don't let the siren cast her spell, don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone, destroy Esmerelda, and let her taste the fires of hell, or else let her be mine and mine alone', I think we can all agree that 'Hellfire' is an extremely disturbing but exceptionally villainous song. Now hands up who watched this as a child and understood none of this?
1: Be Prepared (The Lion King)
OK, here we are - the numero uno spot. So, who's taking home the crown? Well, it's none other than Scar with his killer track 'Be Prepared', from Disney's The Lion King. Assisted by his fellow Hyena comrades, Jeremy Iron's Scar belts out his lyrics with such a lingering level of finesse that it's hard to forget. After all the way in which he says 'Sensational News' is pretty well..er...Sensational. It's dark, it's deadly, it's authoritative, and it's deliciously evil. Not to mention the visuals that accompany the track are pretty spectacular. Scar is the quintessential villain, so it seems fitting that his song is the quintessential villain track, not to mention its ridiculously catchy and powerful. So, rejoice in the knowledge that although Scar may not end up with Pride Rock, he has managed to scoop victory in this Disney Song battle. Be Prepared for the next Top 10 countdown!
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