I think that Disney music was definitely an important influence on the direction of A/C balladry in the '90s as a whole...the influence is evident in stuff like Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind." In retrospect, it was a revival of polished '70s performers like Elton John, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Barry Manilow.

I agree.

I think that Disney music was definitely an important influence on the direction of A/C balladry in the '90s as a whole...the influence is evident in stuff like Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind." In retrospect, it was a revival of polished '70s performers like Elton John, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Barry Manilow.


You do know 'Candle in the Wind' was originally released with Elton's double album 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' in 1973? If you didn't, it's alright, when I first heard it I thought he had written it especially for Princess Di too. How does one define 'Disney' music, anyway? I thought it would have more in common with musicals of the 50s and 60s, and even the 40s (the golden period of Disney animation), vaudeville, cabaret, and classical/theatrical pop. But yes, many well-known singer/songwriters like Elton John contributed much of the music you seen in Disney movies from the 80s onwards.

"Candle in the Wind" was a song I knew well before Princess Diana's death. They played it mercilessly on radio and on VH1 (it was that video where he was dressed like Mozart, lol and singing about Marilyn Monroe).

"Candle in the Wind" was not a Disney song, per se. But, it did have those qualities.

Songs from "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and "The Lion King" were pure Disney.

Candle in the Wind was a hit in the 70s, 80s and 90s.  The 80s version was recorded Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and was a Top hit world-wide in 1987

Deborah Gibson should've been on the "Beau...oh, wait she did the Broadway show


Celine who?  ??? :P ::)

I think that Disney music was definitely an important influence on the direction of A/C balladry in the '90s as a whole...the influence is evident in stuff like Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and Elton John's "Candle in the Wind." In retrospect, it was a revival of polished '70s performers like Elton John, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Barry Manilow.


True, I think alot of hitmaking artists went the "softer" route in the '90s to stay on the charts. Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Elton, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams, etc. I agree alot of the Disney pop hits circa 1992-95 were an influence on AC. I wonder if "My Heart Will Go On" would've been as successful without songs like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (which is one of my faves, btw).

True, I think alot of hitmaking artists went the "softer" route in the '90s to stay on the charts. Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Elton, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams, etc. I agree alot of the Disney pop hits circa 1992-95 were an influence on AC. I wonder if "My Heart Will Go On" would've been as successful without songs like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (which is one of my faves, btw).


I remember when that song first came out and how huge it was, both with adults and with people in my age group, since I was in Pre-K when The Lion King came out. The "softer" route definitely became popular in the '90s. Even though there had been a number of huge ballads in the '80s, you could look at their rise from 1986-1989 as a sign of them really getting huge until they declined around 1998 with the teen pop coming out. You could also look at it as a revival of the whole Billy Joel/Barry Manilow/Barbra Streisand '70s A/C standard.

Lion King was sooooo popular when I was in kindergarten, the principal dressed up as Rafiki once....my oldest bro had to sing 2 songs from it with his class for some end-of-the-year celebration (I think it was "Can't Wait to be King" and "Circle of Life").  I also love a lot of the songs from Pocahontas and I think the Tarzan music was some of Phil Collins' best work.

I remember when that song first came out and how huge it was, both with adults and with people in my age group, since I was in Pre-K when The Lion King came out. The "softer" route definitely became popular in the '90s.


Sheesh some of you make me feel old.  8)

Actually, that peroid was quite transitional.  Grunge and rap were making inroads into the pop charts, and your more traditional "Top 40" and pop stations were having a hard time finding songs to put on the radio.  Then along came Disney with their new approach to movie musicals.

Of course, those few years were the last really good ones the DIsney animation department had.  After Mulan came out, they kinda fell apart.  I wish they could somehow recapture the magic they had a decade ago, instead of releasing movies like "Treasure Planet".

Of course, Sir Elton is a music legend in his own right.  He has had at least one #1 song in every decade since the 1970's. 

Ashley Tisdale will evolve into the queen of A/C pop  :D

Hey, Alanis & Celine started as teen  pop princesses

Let's not forget about The New Mickey Mouse Club as well.

I remember when that song first came out and how huge it was, both with adults and with people in my age group, since I was in Pre-K when The Lion King came out. The "softer" route definitely became popular in the '90s. Even though there had been a number of huge ballads in the '80s, you could look at their rise from 1986-1989 as a sign of them really getting huge until they declined around 1998 with the teen pop coming out. You could also look at it as a revival of the whole Billy Joel/Barry Manilow/Barbra Streisand '70s A/C standard.


Perhaps another exemplar of 70s/90s parallelism?  ;D Both were sober, reflective decades, the ying to the yang of the 60s/80s.  ;D

The 90's seem to grow dimmer and 00's started to distinguish it self around 2004. Right around when Ruben Studdard came out with "Sorry 2004". One of, if not the first hit for 2004.

The 90's seem to grow dimmer and 00's started to distinguish it self around 2004. Right around when Ruben Studdard came out with "Sorry 2004". One of, if not the first hit for 2004.

I don't remember hearing about that one at all, was it just a minor hit? I agree the '90s started seeming like another time in about late '04.

Speaking of Disney songs: I was listening to one of my many mixtapes and forgot about another pop ballad I've always loved - "Colors of the Wind" by Vanessa Williams.

I don't remember hearing about that one at all, was it just a minor hit?

I think so, I only heard it like twice on the radio.


Speaking of Disney songs: I was listening to one of my many mixtapes and forgot about another pop ballad I've always loved - "Colors of the Wind" by Vanessa Williams.


Love that song too!  Freakin' beautiful, hehe.  I do prefer the version from the movie though.

Love that song too!  Freakin' beautiful, hehe.  I do prefer the version from the movie though.

Yeah, I like sappy pop love songs like that. I wish those were still around as much (the last HUGELY popular song in that style I remember was "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden in 2000 or maybe late '99).

I don't recall the version from Pocohontas, was it slightly different? I hate when sometimes the "hit" versions on the radio or on albums/compilations aren't as good as the one in a music video or in a movie. In fact, I used to hook up a boombox to the VCR sometimes, just to record the "from TV" versions of songs

I miss those too, songs don't seem to have melodies anymore, lol.

The version from the movie was just when Pocahontas is singing it to John Smith when she meets him for the first time.  Here's a clip (it's the 2nd one on this list):

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=cat12085&type=page&sc=Song&qs=colors+of+the+wind&cp=1&sp=Relevance&mipp=25&uq=colors+of+the+wind&_requestid=156144

^Cool, I've never heard that before that I can recall. it sounds more thearical/Broadway-esque if you know what I mean. The hit version is more polished, so I probably prefer that, but it's still cool to hear the differences.

Yeah, there's still some good songs, but not a whole lot of "singalong the first time you hear it" ones. That ended around 2001 it seems.

A Whole New World (the movie version) is my definetite favorite of all the Disney songs.  I also like "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Colors of the Wind"..  I was OBSESSED with the Tarzan soundtrack when the movie was out.  I used to love every single song in that movie.....not so much now (but they are still good).

Yeah, I like sappy pop love songs like that. I wish those were still around as much (the last HUGELY popular song in that style I remember was "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden in 2000 or maybe late '99).

I don't recall the version from Pocohontas, was it slightly different? I hate when sometimes the "hit" versions on the radio or on albums/compilations aren't as good as the one in a music video or in a movie. In fact, I used to hook up a boombox to the VCR sometimes, just to record the "from TV" versions of songs


"Colors of the Wind" is probably the best-known Pocahontas song, but overall I think it was the last really good Disney soundtrack. Vanessa Williams sung the single version, but I personally prefer Judy Kuhn's version within the movie as well...the Broadway vocals of Judy Kuhn were far more suited to the tune than Vanessa Williams. The reason they used Vanessa for the single was because she was a bigger star. "Steady As the Beating Drum", "Just Around the Riverbend", "Listen With Your Heart", and "If I Never Knew You" were some other great songs out of that movie. After that, I think both Disney movies AND their soundtracks declined...I think I actually still own on tape the soundtracks of The Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.

I think that as a whole The Lion King and Pocahontas where the last great Disney traditional-animation movies.  The stuff after that...Hercules, Hunchback, Tarzan, etc just didn't have the same qualities that the early-90s movies did.

Of course, that

"Colors of the Wind" is probably the best-known Pocahontas song, but overall I think it was the last really good Disney soundtrack. Vanessa Williams sung the single version, but I personally prefer Judy Kuhn's version within the movie as well...the Broadway vocals of Judy Kuhn were far more suited to the tune than Vanessa Williams. The reason they used Vanessa for the single was because she was a bigger star. "Steady As the Beating Drum", "Just Around the Riverbend", "Listen With Your Heart", and "If I Never Knew You" were some other great songs out of that movie. After that, I think both Disney movies AND their soundtracks declined...I think I actually still own on tape the soundtracks of The Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.


I forgot I liked so many songs from "Pocahontas." I also liked some songs from "Mulan," too.

Many songs from Disney's 90s musicals, like Beauty and the Beast, Alladin and Pocahontas, were very good, but they reached a peak with The Lion King. That soundtrack is brilliant. Elton John and Tim Rice made magic when they created it. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "The Circle of Life" are two of the most beautiful, unforgettable songs ever.