Every song from the original Lion King, ranked

With the new The Lion King remake dropping this week, here’s our ranking of every song from the original film. Honestly, they’re all classics.

With Disney fully committed to recreating classic animated properties into live-action iterations and updated animated spectacles, The Lion King, arguably the studio’s greatest piece of work, is up next. So far, everything about this movie looks brilliant, even though the critics think otherwise. Most critics aren’t saying it’s bad, it just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. But, what has been praised is the animation/visual effects and, most importantly for the hardcore fans, the music and songs.

One of the most memorable parts of the animated classic is the memorable music. With the new soundtrack dropping last week with the likes of Donald Glover, Beyonce, and so on, we figured we’d revert back to the classics and rank those groovy tracks prior to the release of the movie. From what we’ve heard from the new soundtrack, it sounds mostly the same and it’s pretty great, but there’s simply nothing like the originals, which may be the case for the movie as well.

Regardless, whether you like the original The Lion King or not, you can’t deny the fact that the music is one of the best scores and soundtracks Disney has ever produced. Composer Hans Zimmer is an absolute legend and has orchestrated a timeless classic with his score and musical pieces. Elton John also does a phenomenal job as well. All of these songs are instantly recognizable by almost anyone.

With that being said, let’s get into the list. Before we begin, this is just a ranking of the songs. There won’t be any scores listed on here, even though we do love Zimmer’s “This Land,” and “Under the Stars.” Obviously, this isn’t the definitive ranking of The Lion King songs, it’s just our list. It can always change and it’ll probably differ from others. It’s also worth noting that each song on this list is fantastic. Just because one comes before the other, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. We simply think some songs are better than the others.

5. “Be Prepared”

Every time “Be Prepared” comes on, it always delivers a menacing and chilling feeling. Credit has to be given to Jeremy Irons, who is the voice of Scar. It’s definitely the most different out of all the songs in the film since the rest are mostly inspiring and uplifting. You probably have to be in the mood to listen to this one because of its dark mood, which is why it’s this high on the list. But, great song nonetheless and it really sets the stone for that specific scene while also elevating Scar as a character.

4. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”

“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” always delivers a certain feeling of love and charm. It’s the song you hear right after Nala finds Simba again. It digs into their relationship and also sets the stage for Simba remembering who he really is. It’s also a bit heartbreaking, at least for Timon and Pumbaa, since they think they’re going to lose their friend. But, it’s always a great listen with incredible lyrics and masterclass singing performances by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky.

3. “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”

The second song you hear in the film, “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” is the perfect song to show the audience young Simba’s ambition and character. From a musical standpoint, the orchestration and the mixture of different sounds is second to none. The animation to go along with it also helps it shine even more so. In our opinion, it’s the best singing performance in the film thanks to Jason Weaver’s killer vocals. You can’t help but listen to it whenever it comes on.

2. “Hakuna Matata”

As if you didn’t already like Timon and Pumbaa as soon as they appear on screen, “Hakuna Matata” more than likely convinces you. Sang primarily by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, it’s the most popular song from The Lion King. When you think of songs from this movie, this is the first one that comes to mind, guaranteed. It does a great job introducing those two characters and it also shows their growing bond with Simba as he gets older and matures. Plus, it’s extremely catchy.

1. “Circle of Life”

“Circle of Life” opens The Lion King and literally sets the tone for the entire film. It’s a great mixture of a variety of sounds, but it’s rooted deeply in African roots thanks to Lebo M’s opening sequence and the rest of the different sounds to follow it. In the film, it gives you a great look at the Pridelands, all its inhabitants, and most importantly, the main characters of the movie. The Lion King wouldn’t be what it is without this opening song and we’re eternally grateful for it.