Top 20 Disney Princess Songs

We first meet Snow White when she’s busy washing the steps. As she goes to get more water, she begins to tell the animals about wells and their magical properties. Of course, she then proceeds to sing about her own wishes. After all, what else is one to do when face-to-face with a wishing well? Her voice is angelic and sweet, which infuses this melodic song with a delicate energy. The lyrics reveal how Snow is longing to find her true love. As luck would have it, it’s her voice that leads to the Prince’s arrival. He even serenades her in response! As Snow White’s introductory number, “I’m Wishing” gives viewers a good sense of her gentle persona and warmth.

#19: “I Wonder” by Princess Aurora “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)

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Top 10 Disney Princess Songs

Haven’t we all wondered when we would find love? As one of the original Disney princesses, Aurora stands out for her operatic soprano, voiced by Mary Costa. This dreamy song, sung to the birds, makes us fall in love with the classic princess – who actually doesn’t know she’s a princess at this point. Living in the forest with the good fairies so that she can be kept safe from the curse Maleficent placed on her when she was a baby, Briar Rose’s innocence and wonder about life and nature are captured beautifully in this sweet little tune.

#18: “Just Around the Riverbend” by Pocahontas “Pocahontas” (1995)

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While “Colors of the Wind” is the most popular song to come out of this 1995 movie, this tune deserves recognition as well. Pocahontas sings “Just Around the Riverbend” far earlier in the film, after her father tells her she is to marry Kocoum. She struggles with the thought of doing so. She can’t shake the recurring dream she’s been having, even though she hasn’t quite deciphered its meaning yet. This captivating number, effectively Pocahontas’ “I Want” song, has her using the river as a metaphor for her life. She’s grappling with which path to take: the steady one, or the one filled with an excitement she can’t yet fathom? Needless to say, it’s riveting from start to finish.

This number tells the story of two sisters torn apart through the years. Who amongst us isn’t moved to tears when Anna asks Elsa if she wants to build a snowman, only to be shut down? She doesn’t know that her big sister wants to protect her. As they get older, Anna keeps trying to get Elsa’s attention. She fails each time, and has to find creative ways to entertain herself. But the biggest gut punch comes when their parents die. Afraid of her powers, Elsa isolates herself, leaving Anna alone. The heart of this movie is undoubtedly the relationship between the sisters. This heartbreaking song wonderfully showcases that while simultaneously bringing viewers up to the present day timeline.

#16: “Speechless” by Princess Jasmine “Aladdin” (2019)

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In Aladdin’s live-action remake, Princess Jasmine is a well-rounded woman who cares deeply for her people. She is smart and capable, though Jafar would have her believe otherwise. The Princess delivers a powerful performance when she sings this song about a woman speaking up despite society telling her not to. The tune is divided into two parts throughout the film. At first, she’s scared, but she knows she has to challenge those trying to silence her. The number really hits its peak in part two though, both melodically and lyrically. It marks the moment when Jasmine steps into her voice to take a stand against Jafar. This is her shining moment, and we love watching every minute of her becoming a powerful leader for Agrabah.

This 1996 Disney movie is, at its core, about how being different is a good thing. Esmeralda understands this better than anyone, so she refuses to sit back and watch as the town ridicules Quasimodo at the Feast of Fools. Much to Frollo’s dismay, she stands up to him but gets sanctuary at the Church before he can arrest her. As she wanders its halls, she begins to sing this hauntingly beautiful tune where she pleads for help not just for her, but also for all those who are tossed aside by society. And just like Quasimodo, we were absolutely mesmerized by her performance.

#14: “True Love’s Kiss” by Giselle “Enchanted” (2007)

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Giselle sings this cheerful song about wanting to find her prince and true love’s kiss at the beginning of the movie . It does a great job of establishing her fun - and somewhat naive - personality. Not to mention, it also acts as a catalyst for the events of the movie. Towards the end of the number, Prince Edward shows up and sings with her. They decide to get married, but she gets banished to New York City by his evil step-mother instead. While there, she infuses joy everywhere she goes, as evidenced by the epic “That’s How You Know” group number (x-ref). She also grows tremendously. By the end, everyone realizes love isn’t as simple as they thought, which results in a modern twist on happily ever after.

Sure, we’ve all fantasized about singing through the streets of our hometown, saying hello to everyone we pass. And as the village people sing, “Bonjour,” it’s hard to resist joining in during the movie’s opening number. While “Belle” has received widespread acclaim, it is a group affair - so it’s the “Reprise” in which Belle - on her own - sings of her desire for something greater that gets this spot. Recalling “The Sound of Music,” as we find both singers on hills in billowing dresses, this little ditty is both emotional and hopeful at the same time – much like Belle herself.

Voiced by Adriana Caselotti, Snow White has one of the most iconic and recognizable voices of all the Disney Princesses. In what’s the first Disney animated feature film, this song is first sung to the dwarfs, and describes the titular character’s dream of meeting and marrying her prince and living happily ever after. Ranked within the top 20 of the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest songs in movie history, it’s dainty, pretty and oh-so-fitting for Snow White.

#11: “For the First Time in Forever” by Anna “Frozen” (2013)

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Coronation Day is a big deal in Arendelle. Sure, the fact that Elsa is ascending to the throne is a momentous occasion. But for Anna, that’s not the best part of the day. What makes it special for her is that the castle doors will be open. She’ll finally have the chance to socialize with people who aren’t paintings. This prospect terrifies Elsa - which we briefly hear about in the first version of the song - but it is what her little sister has been longing for for years. So that’s what we see as Anna runs around singing “For the First Time in Forever'', an upbeat melody filled with hope, anticipation, and some humor. She’s understandably bursting with pure excitement at the thought of meeting new people, and possibly even falling in love.

#10: “Show Yourself” by Elsa “Frozen II” (2019)

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While “Frozen” centered around Elsa understanding her powers and reconnecting with Anna, the sequel takes a deeper look at their family’s history. An unknown voice reaches out to Elsa. She’s reluctant but tempted to embark on a new adventure, as evidenced by her powerful rendition of “Into the Unknown” (x-ref). Ultimately, she, Anna, and the rest of the group embark on a journey of self-discovery. It comes to a head when Elsa makes it to Ahtohallan, the river of ice said to hold the answers to the past. There, she learns who she is as she sings “Show Yourself”, a song that is emotionally charged, to put it mildly. It’s a moment of joy and vulnerability that is incredibly stirring and touching to watch.

#9: “How Far I’ll Go” by Moana “Moana” (2016)

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Moana, voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, sings this song as she grapples with how she yearns to explore the waters. The ocean calls to her, and she can sense in her bones that she is destined to be a voyager. This tune is the expression of that feeling, mixed with the fact that she knows it goes against the rules her father has set. But once her grandmother gives her her blessing on her deathbed, Moana follows her intuition and sets off on a voyage to save her people. This is when we get to hear the tune’s equally mesmerizing “Reprise”. These refrains do a wonderful job at showing how deep her desire to go beyond the reef is, and makes us want to sing along!

Who can resist a Cinderella story? This rags-to-riches tale features one of Disney’s most iconic songs. Notable for both its tune and message, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” has Cinderella singing to her animal friends about the power of hope and optimism with respect to making your dreams come true. Simple as it may be, this theme runs throughout the film (and re-appears in other Disney movies), and ultimately sets the tone; making us root for Cinderella all the way to her happily ever after. Cinderella’s enchanting solo isn’t the only time the princess’ singing chops are on display in the film; who could forget the juxtaposition between her and her step-sister’s voice in “Sing, Sweet Nightingale”?

#7: “I Won't Say (I'm in Love)” by Megara “Hercules” (1997)

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This is one of the more unconventional love songs in the Disney universe, which is what makes it so captivating. Megara knows she has feelings for Hercules, but she doesn’t want to admit it for fear of getting hurt again. She’s essentially singing about pushing away what’s in her heart. This is vastly different from most other songs that feature Princesses leaning into the possibility of love. But as the Muses make clear with their charming background vocals, there is no running from the fact that she is in love. Not only is it a catchy song, but it also provides important insight into Megara’s personality and the walls she puts up to protect herself.

#6: “When Will My Life Begin?” by Rapunzel “Tangled” (2010)

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This contemporary Disney show tune has a modern pop feel, and is hard to resist. In the first scene of the movie, audiences get a glimpse of Rapunzel’s memorable golden locks, and see how innovative the Disney character gets with her hair. Famous pop artist Mandy Moore lends her voice to the lead character, and sings this memorable “I want” song in “Tangled”’s opening. The kidnapped and imprisoned princess – who has yet to know these things about herself - describes her daily ritual in this optimistic, fun, and catchy number that perfectly sets the tone of the film.

#5: “Almost There” by Tiana “The Princess and the Frog” (2009)

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This catchy jazz number makes you want to get up and dance. Unlike most of the Disney princess songs, “Almost There” doesn’t have Tiana singing about finding a man. Instead, she is dreaming of opening her own restaurant and following her father’s advice. She is one of the few female leads reluctant to get romantically entwined. This solo by the progressive princess, who technically only earns the royal title when she marries Prince Naveen, became such a celebrated number that it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.

#4: “Let It Go” by Elsa “Frozen” (2013)

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There’s probably not a parent, child, or Disney fan on Earth who hasn’t heard this relentlessly catchy tune. Sung by Elsa after she leaves her kingdom in fear that her icy powers will hurt the ones she loves, this liberating number reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 list, and won both an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Thanks to Idina Menzel’s powerful vocal performance and the track’s importance to Elsa herself, this is a show tune we just simply can’t let go.

This motivational song presents the world as a living entity where everything in nature is connected. Unlike other princess songs, this one sees Pocahontas singing to enlighten the male lead rather than to woo him. “Colors of the Wind” won all the major awards, including the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Featured and covered by countless artists across the Disney universe and beyond, this celebrated Disney track wouldn’t be as timeless as it is without its poetic nature and its memorable presentation of the Native American point of view.

Though this heartfelt ballad was recorded by then-17-year-old Christina Aguilera and peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, it’s the original movie version by Filipina artist Lea Salonga that we’re talking about here. While Ming-Na Wen does an excellent job as Fa Mulan’s speaking voice, it’s Salonga who takes the reins when it comes time to sing. “Reflection” sees her wonderfully bringing to life the character’s struggle to reconcile her real feelings with the role she’s expected to play in society.

Sung by Jodi Benson, who also voiced the title character, this is a classic “I want” song. The musical theater ballad sees Ariel singing about how she is unsatisfied with her life in the sea and wants something more. This theme song may not have been not nominated for an Oscar (though “Under the Sea was – and won!), “Part of Your World” was still critically acclaimed. Thanks to its style, how it so effectively expresses Ariel’s goals and stirs our emotions, the tune also paved the way for future Disney Princess songs.