Top 10 Hardest Disney Songs to Sing

#10: “Zero to Hero” “Hercules” (1997)

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This Disney film follows a group of Gods, so what better way to honor that theme than with some gospel music? “Hercules” is notable in the Disney canon for containing gospel, with the muses inhabiting the genre while discussing the events of the story. “Zero to Hero” is a whirlwind of a song performed by seasoned professionals, including R&B legend Tawatha Agee and Tony Award-winning Broadway performers Lillias White and LaChanze. As is often the case with gospel, the song contains a lot of difficult high notes, and it moves along at a zippy speed that could easily leave behind more inexperienced singers.

#9: “Friend Like Me” “Aladdin” (1992)

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Proving his incredible talent as an all-around performer, Robin Williams absolutely killed it with “Friend Like Me”. The vocals obviously don’t stand out, as Robin Williams wasn’t a professional singer. But it’s the energy and the multifaceted nature of the song that prove immensely difficult. Williams rapidly varies between voices, tones, and inflections, and the lyrics are both dense and fast-paced. It’s hard to sing this one without quickly running out of breath, and only a performer with the manic energy of Williams can do it justice. It’s this quality that makes “Friend Like Me” such a joy to watch on stage, and it quickly became the most popular number of the Broadway musical.

For such an underrated Disney film, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” contains some killer tunes. “Out There” is a heartbreaking song beautifully performed by Tony Jay and Tom Hulce, playing Frollo and Quasimodo, respectively. But the most technically demanding song of the film is arguably the opening number, “The Bells of Notre Dame”. It’s mostly performed by Paul Kandel, a supremely talented tenor singer and Tony-nominated Broadway performer. There’s a reason tenors are so respected - what they do can be incredibly difficult, but their effort pays off in magical and gorgeous ways. Plus, that extended high note in the finale is absolutely heavenly. It could very well be the greatest opening number in any Disney film.

#7: “Almost There” “The Princess and the Frog” (2009)

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Known for playing the first African American Disney princesses, Anika Noni Rose has received two Tony nominations, two Drama Desk Award nominations, and one Tony win throughout her long stage career. She’s obviously supremely talented, and that shows in the beautiful song “Almost There”. This is Tiana’s main song, signaling her ambition and pride. Most of the song is wonderfully sung by Rose, her voice proving buttery smooth and captivating. But like “The Bells of Notre Dame”, much of the wow factor comes in the final line, when Rose holds an impressively extended high note that caps the song in thrilling fashion.

After providing the singing for Jasmine in “Aladdin,” singer Lea Salonga returned to lend her voice for Mulan. And “Reflection”, while quite a short song, at just two minutes, has long proven one of the most memorable and difficult Disney Princess tunes. Both an Olivier and Tony Award-winning singer, Salonga has a marvelous voice. She is forced to hit and hold many challenging high notes throughout “Reflection”, and just thinking about trying it makes our throats hurt. It’s a perfect representation of Salonga’s commanding stage presence, as she has the ability to belt out vocals with amazing clarity.

#5: “Be Our Guest” “Beauty and the Beast” (1991)

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One of the most famous songs in the Disney canon, “Be Our Guest” is a showstopping Broadway number performed mostly by baritone vocalist Jerry Orbach. Orbach’s vocal performance has long garnered critical acclaim and award recognition, and “Be Our Guest” was nominated for the American Film Institute’s 100 Years...100 Songs list. Part of its difficulty undoubtedly stems from Lumière’s accent, as Orbach, a New York native, was forced to sing in a convincing French accent. Singing this song and hitting its signature low notes is hard enough, let alone in a completely different accent.

#4: “How Far I’ll Go” “Moana” (2016)

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With songs co-written by the Pulitzer-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda, the soundtrack to “Moana” has proven one of the most popular of Disney’s modern efforts. It features a fantastic yet deceptively challenging villain song in “Shiny”, which is wonderfully performed by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement. But “How Far I’ll Go” is a shining example of the Disney “I Want” song, and it is sung with amazing precision by Hawaiian native Auliʻi Cravalho. Cravalho shows off her enviable range throughout the song, and caps the piece with an impressive flourish. Miranda knows how to write a killer showtune, and Cravalho certainly knows how to sing them, but it ain’t easy.

#3: “Into the Unknown” “Frozen II” (2019)

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Often regarded as one of the finest vocalists of our time, Idina Menzel has become a Broadway legend owing to her powerful mezzo-soprano voice. “Frozen II” serves as a perfect showcase for her rare talent, featuring fantastic performances in both “Show Yourself” and “Into the Unknown”. The latter is arguably the more popular, owing in large part to its catchiness, signature vocalizing, and Menzel’s magnetic vocal performance. Menzel hits and somehow sustains many challenging notes throughout the song, proving her capabilities as a Broadway belter. It’s clear that she has decades worth of experience, as her voice is amazingly clear, precise, and loud. It’s one of the best vocal performances in Disney history.

#2: “Let It Go” “Frozen” (2013)

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It’s not often that we get a song like “Let It Go”. As seemingly everyone in the world knows, “Let It Go” transcended its movie to become a genuine pop culture phenomenon, and it’s mainly due to the aforementioned Idina Menzel’s matchless voice. There’s simply no one else out there who can do what she does behind a microphone. Some critics called it Menzel’s best vocal performance since “Wicked”, displaying her signature power, clarity, and belting technique. She hits the type of high notes that few others can, and she ends “Let It Go” with the most famous sustained note in Disney history. Bravo for the pros! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Under the Sea” / “The Little Mermaid” (1989) Calypso Is Hard to Do Right “When Will My Life Begin?” / “Tangled” (2010) Not Everyone Can Sing Like Mandy Moore “I Wonder” / “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) Lots of Operatic High Notes “With a Smile and a Song” / “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) Enduring Classic That’s Tricky to Handle “Circle of Life” / “The Lion King” (1994) We Sing it in the Shower, but It Doesn’t Sound the Same

While both “Spoonful of Sugar” and “Step in Time” are great yet tricky tunes, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is unlike anything heard in film, either before or since. Performed by both Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, the song’s tongue-twisting title has entered the common vernacular, and can even be found in the Oxford English Dictionary. The song gallops along at quite a rapid tempo, and both Van Dyke and Andrews require great skill to sing at high speed. Simply saying the word is difficult enough, let alone integrating it within such a fast-moving song! These performers have astonishing breath control and vocal clarity, and they make the most challenging Disney song look easy.