By Rebecca Harrell
Music Journalist
A lover. A hater. An inbetweener. One must fall into one of these categories regarding a beloved childhood carried into adulthood brand: Disney.
From classic fairytales of princesses and dragons to original movies premiering on television, there is no denying the creation of absolute slappers to come from these musically based films.
However, because Disney released its first feature-length film in 1937 with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,”how can one keep track of every great piece of music to grace their ears? This is where I come in.
I’m here to provide you with a list of five different tracks from the oldies you may have missed to the contemporary Disney Channel Original Movies you might have grown up on.
If you’ve never heard any of these before, trust me when I say you have been robbed.
- “Stand Out” and “Eye to Eye”
In 1995, the cartoon classic film “A Goofy Movie”blessed us with the vocals of Tevin Campbell as the character, Powerline.
“Stand Out” premieres near the beginning of the film as our main character Max Goof, Goofy’s high school son, pulls a lip-syncing stunt at a school assembly performing as Powerline.
Contrastingly, we have “Eye to Eye” in the final scene of the movie when Max and Goofy crash the Powerline concert and ultimately end up on stage with the star.
These ‘80s-Esque electro-pop tracks combined with Campbell’s sweet, delicate voice give off Michael Jackson vibes that make you just want to get up and dance, maybe even pull off “the perfect cast.”
- “Get A Clue”
Featured in the 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie “Get A Clue” starring Lindsay Lohan, this ultimate alternative-rock pop piece by the Canadian group Prozzäk captures the spirit of the early 2000s.
This song played an impressionable role in my music taste, as my sister and I were fortunate enough to have recorded the music video during a commercial break of The Little Mermaid IIon Disney Channel.
The music video features Simon and Milo, the cartoon characters who embody Prozzäk, in a colorful cartoon world as the visuals paint the picture of a boy hopelessly in love with a girl who toys him around like a kitten with a ball of yarn.
Nonetheless, this song should be blasted in your car with the windows rolled down on a summer night.
- “Dig It Up”
From one of Disney Channel’s best original movies (subject to opinion), “Dig It Up” from “Holes”is an intense R&B track outlining the struggles each camper undergoes while endlessly digging holes in the middle of the desert day after day.
Short verses come from our favorite characters such as Stanley Yelnats or “Caveman” played by Shia LaBeouf, Hector Zeroni, or “Zero” and other characters like “Armpit” and “X-Ray.”
The song crosses off the full list of variables necessary for a head-bobbing song such as unique verses, a catchy tagline and overlapping vocals.
- “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”
On the aged side of Disney, we have an instant jazzy classic from “The Aristocats”.
What starts as a smooth swing-style piece quickly escalates to a double-time bebop jazz song. The duo sound of Phil Harris as Thomas O’Malley and Benjamin, or Scatman, Crothers as the scat cat in harmony makes you wish you were a cool, swingin’ cat.
- “You Make Me Feel Like a Star”
Something about Hilary Duff riding through the streets of Rome posing as an international pop star with a man named Paolo just brings a smile to my face.
This bop by The Beu Sisters featured in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003) embodies the sounds of the early 2000s from the programmed steady drumbeat and high hat to the slap of the bass.
Although each of these tracks are my personal favorites, they should not be overlooked. If you are a Disney fanatic or simply looking for a blast from the past, check out these tracks, and I hope they will satisfy you.
For my ultra Disney people, listen to “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” by Rex Allen to spark your memory of Tomorrowland seen through the Carousel of Progress.
Featured image by Rebecca Harrell via Canva.
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