Top 10 Best Disney Sequel Songs

Neither sequel to Disney’s “Aladdin” exactly has the magic of the first, but they do have some pretty banger songs. “Out of Thin Air,” a ballad between Aladdin and Jasmine, and “Welcome to the Forty Thieves” come to mind as some of the best numbers from the third movie. But, there’s something undeniably special about “There’s a Party Here in Agrabah.” The song marks the return of Robin Williams as the Genie, seeing as he forwent voicing the character in the second film, “Return of Jafar.” It’s a jazzy opening number celebrating the upcoming nuptials of Aladdin and Jasmine. Williams sings with his signature gusto and pizazz, making this one heck of a ride. A magic carpet ride, that is!

Speaking of “The Return of Jafar,” this direct-to-video sequel doesn’t have quite the number of great songs that the third movie does, but one in particular does stand out from the rest. Jafar’s big song, “You’re Only Second Rate,” serves as a sort of diss track to Genie. Throughout the song, Jafar pokes fun at Genie’s powers and thwarts his attempts to beat him at every turn, of course emphasizing the fact that Genie is “second rate.” Not only is the narrative structure of the song pretty good, but it’s actually fairly catchy as well.

We bet you didn’t even know there was a sequel to “Beauty and the Beast”! It might not go down in the canon of great Christmas movies, but it does have some pretty good songs. “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas” takes place sometime in the middle of the first movie, and involves one of the scariest villains known to Disney: a pipe organ by the name of Maestro Forte. He sings a pretty spectacular villain song, “Don’t Fall In Love,” and Belle’s ballad, “Stories,” is sweet, but the beautiful melody of “As Long As There’s Christmas” takes the cake in this movie. The song is a great ensemble number that allows each character to offer up what they love about Christmas, accompanied by a stunning animation to boot.

“Return to Neverland,” a follow-up to the 1953 “Peter Pan,” isn’t nearly as good as the original, but even an okay movie can beget a great song. The story follows Jane, the daughter of a now grown-up Wendy, who finds herself in Neverland and meets Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Much like the first movie, the sequel studies themes such as belief and faith, perfectly encapsulated by the song “I’ll Try.” Its lyrics deal with overcoming doubt and learning to live with change – much like Jane has to do in the movie – and are set against a beautiful lilting melody that brings the song to life.

“Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure” is an often forgotten part-two, but dedicated Disney fans will know this movie is chock-full of incredible songs. The plot follows Lady and Tramp’s son, Scamp, who longs to be wild and free, meeting and falling in love with a stray dog named Angel along the way. There’s a great “I Want” song in “A World Without Fences,” a love song in “I Didn't Know That I Could Feel this Way,” and a tearjerker in “Always There.” But the showstopper of this film is none other than “Junkyard Society Rag.” In this little tune, the junkyard dogs introduce themselves and their rules in high-energy, ragtime fashion. And it’s a total blast!

Every dynamic duo has an origin story, and none is funnier than Timon and Pumba’s. “The Lion King 1 ½” tells the tale of how these two unlikely best friends came to be. No “Lion King” movie would be complete without show-stopping songs, so it comes as no surprise that “1 ½” is full of them – with “Diggah Tunnah” worthy of a special mention. It’s sung by a meerkat colony explaining why they need to dig so many tunnels – and boy is it a lot! The song is not only reminiscent of the whole “Lion King” vibe, but it’s also just so gosh darn catchy you’ll never be able to get it out of your head!

Like mother, like daughter – but the opposite! “The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea” follows the adventures of Melody, Ariel and Eric’s daughter, who longs to know more about the sea even though she’s forbidden to go there. (Apparently, Ariel inherited her father’s parenting tactics, but we digress.) Melody finds out about her heritage and ends up turning into a mermaid. Cue: “For a Moment.” The song serves as an excellent showcase for Tara Strong, the actress voicing Melody, but is also a pretty heartbreaking mother/daughter duet. At different points, Ariel sings with her daughter, admitting her regrets over not telling her about her past sooner. It’s equal parts exultant and melancholic.

After “Frozen’s” unwaning popularity, we didn’t think there was a chance in Elsa’s ice castle that the sequel could measure up, let alone actually surpass the original. Even the company was worried that the second film wouldn’t be as well-received. Hey, when you have a song as admired as “Let It Go” was, that concern makes sense! Lucky for the creators, “Frozen II” broke box office records. It also didn’t go without some pretty awesome songs. We almost went with “Show Yourself,” but nothing gets us quite as hyped as “Into the Unknown.” Much like “Let It Go,” “Into the Unknown” is a solo song for Elsa, one that allows audiences to belt out to their heart’s content.

You better break out the tissues for this one. In “Toy Story 2,” Woody and Andy are separated when a toy collector takes Woody for himself. After his toy-napping, Woody meets a group of toys all part of a collection based on the TV show “Woody’s Roundup,” including a cowgirl named Jessie. Thinking that Andy has abandoned Woody on purpose, Jessie repeatedly tries to convince him to stay. Eventually, she shares that she too once had an owner, Emily, who gave her away. While Jessie tells the story, a tearjerker titled “When She Loved Me” plays over a montage that’s sure to break your heart.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Where Do I Go From Here?”, “Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World” (1998)
Yet Another Beautiful Ballad Sung by Pocahontas

“I’m Gonna Love You,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II” (2002)
Jennifer Love Hewitt Absolutely Slays This One

“There is Life,” “Bambi II” (2006)
A Wonderful Wintery Ballad

“You’ve Got a Friend In Me/Hay Un Amigo En Me,” “Toy Story 3” (2010)
En Español, Por Favor

One of the better entries in the Disney sequel canon is “The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride.” It, coincidentally, also has some of the best tunes in its roster. There’s a beautiful love song, “Love Will Find a Way,” a great number for Rafiki called “Upendi,” and a stellar chorus in “One of Us.” But, just like the first movie, the opening song is noteworthy. “He Lives in You” was written for an album inspired by the original “Lion King,” and then used in the stage musical adaptation. The song works so well and is such a good companion to “Circle of Life,” it’s no wonder they decided to use it again. You know what they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!