My Fave Five: Disney Villain Songs

Since the Calendar flipped to 2024, I have exclusively listened to one thing: Disney music.

My newfound musical taste got me thinking about how so few songs are sung by villains.

So, in shining a light on the bad guys, here are my fave five Disney villain songs.

5. “Hellfire” - Tony Jay

An underrated song from an underrated Disney renaissance film.

Judge Claude Frollo opens the song by singing about how he is better than everyone else in Paris before having an internal dialogue about his lustful feelings for Esmeralda, turning him to sin.

He then proceeds to threaten to burn Esmeralda if she does not become his mistress.

The song features one of the greatest verses in Disney history: “It’s not my fault. If in God's plan. He made the devil so much stronger than a man.”

That verse alone made the song list worthy, but “Hellfire”’s overall quality cemented its place on his list.

4. “Mother Knows Best” - Donna Murphy

“Tangled” has a bunch of excellent vocal numbers, but “Mother Knows Best” tops them all.

After Rapunzel asks Mother Gothel to leave the tower, Gothel responds by singing a song about how evil and dangerous the outside world is and how she should never leave the tower for her own safety.

My mom and I still sing this song to each other, so it was an easy choice for this list.

3. “Poor Unfortunate Souls” - Pat Carroll

It's as iconic as Disney villain songs get.

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” is sung by Ursula to seduce Ariel into trading her voice for being changed into a human.

The song has everything: Pat Carroll’s awe-inspiring vocal range, brilliant use of a classic orchestra and perfectly written lyrics sealing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” spot on this list.

2. “Friends on the Other Side” - Keith David

An underrated song from an underrated film.

Dr. Facilier performs “Friends on the Other Side,” using a catchy jazz-inspired tune to reveal to Prince Naveen that he acts as an intermediary between the spirit world and the living world.

The back-and-forth in the song between Dr. Facilier and the spirits is done so well, and with jazz tunes being so rare in Disney films, “Friends on the Other Side” needed to be represented on this list.

1. “Gaston” - Richard White, Paige O’Hara, Chorus

Not a traditional villain song, but a villain song nonetheless.

“Gaston” is a humorous number sung by LeFou to cheer up Gaston after Belle rejects him.

LeFou trying to spell Gaston’s name at the end but realizing he can’t makes me chuckle every time. While “The Mob Song” came close to taking this spot, “Gaston” is too good not to round out this list.

Ben Palillo is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.