IfDisneyhas taught us anything, it’s that a villain isn’t half as intimidating and compelling without their own theme song. Almost every Disney story has a villain, and not all of them have theme songs, but the ones that do and get to sing about their evil plans are always the most memorable bad guys.
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Considering how vast the collection of Disney music is, stretching back into history for almost a century now, choosing just a few great villain songs is a daunting but enjoyable task. All the best Disney villains have a song, and here are a few of the greatest of all time.
10Hi Diddle Dee Dee - Pinocchio
“Hi Diddle Dee Dee” is one of many great songson the Pinocchio moviesoundtrack. It was good enough to win composer Leigh Harline with lyricist Ned Washington the Oscar for Best Original Score in 1941.
The ironically named Honest John is a funny blowhard to a child, but a chilling predator to an adult, and he lures children away from the straight and narrow path with this catchy tune. Not even Jiminey Cricket’s chirpy voice can get past it.
9Hellfire - The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Some say it was the movie that ended the Disney Renaissance with its dark tone and mature themes, but that’s what some of us liked about it. Part of that evil energy came from the antagonist Judge Claude Frollo and one of the best villain theme songs in movie history, never mind Disney.
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Frollo’s a nasty piece of work anyway, and this song, in which he describes his obsession with Esmerelda, reveals the depths of his evil depravity.
8Gaston - Beauty And The Beast
Everyone hates Gaston, except the people who love him, and nobody is a better stan than the loveable henchman Lafou, who belts out this song to cheer up a sad Gaston. After being rejected by Belle, our antagonistretires to the local tavernand the song is his narcissistic supply.
“Gaston,” tells us not only a lot about the character but why he’s so popular among the townsfolk and how easy it is for him to manipulate everyone.
7Trust In Me - The Jungle Book
Is Kaa really a villain, or is he just being a snake? The same question could be asked of any of the animals in this movie. It’s even easy to argue that Shere Khan did nothing wrong.
RELATED:Modern Disney Characters Reimagined As VillainsThe lyrics of the song, however, that lull the unsuspecting victim into a position of total helplessness, are certainly those of a bad guy. It’s not only a great song, it balances what’s mostly a loud and sometimes humorous soundtrack.
6The Headless Horseman - The Adventures Of Ichabod Crane And Mr. Toad
Folks who are old enough to remember the yearly Disney Hallowe’en special will also recall that this cartoon was always a pillar of the show. It often flies under the villain song radar because it appears in a short film that’s paired with another cartoon based onThe Wind In The Willows.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the second film in the anthology, and it’s one of the best examples of early animated horror you’ll find, partly because of this great villain song.
5Tuppence - Mary Poppins
There are all kinds of great villains in live-action Disney movies too, and plenty of them have songs to sing. What’s more evil than a bank, after all? The financial institution doesn’t do its own singing obviously, but instead, the bankers do, and their ironically joyous lyrics recall the horrors of British Colonialism.
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“Tuppence” has aged well in this regard, as many of the endeavors the bankers sing about are seen as even more heinous in the modern post-colonial era than they were in 1964 when Mary Poppins was made. This makes it even more satisfying that young Michael doesn’t want to have anything to do with it.
4Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid
“Poor Unfortunate Souls” is one of the most iconic Disney songs ever, along with being one of the most recognizable villain themes.
The evil sea witch Ursula doesn’t hold anything backwhen giving Ariel a crash coursein making deals for magical favors and life on land. This was part of the magic that started the Disney Renaissance when The Little Mermaid was released in 1989.
3Shiny - Moana
A tribute to David Bowie in all his glittering glory, this song is sung by the greedy crab Tamatoa. The message is classic cynical villainy; that nobody cares about what you’re really like, because how good you look is all that matters.
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It’s not only a shallow and superficial belief that goes against every wholesome message Disney ever tried to teach us, but the other reference is to the junk humans throw in the ocean. It is more than a little sad that Tamatoa thinks it’s jewelry.
2The Elegant Captain Hook - Peter Pan
Every pirate stereotype that ever existed is here in this song, from parrots to peg legs to walking the plank, and it’s fantastic.
1Cruella De Vil - 101 Dalmations
Modern live-action movies have retconned this character to some extent, but she’s still a screaming harridan that steals and kills dogs. It’s a real-life horror story, and it has one of the best villain theme songs in the whole Disney library.
What makes this lounge-style tune even better is that Pongo’s dad, starving musician Roger Radcliffe, makes bank off this song that he writes about her notoriety.
