Although Disney’s animated movies have begun to switch up some of their more classic formulas, there are still some staples that remain. One of them is that when the movie is a musical, and there’s a villain, chances are, there’s going to be a villain song. Sometimes the song will be slinky and slow, other times it will be bombastic and something out of Broadway, but in either case, it highlights the villain’s journey/schemes or their inward thoughts.
Most of the time, this song becomes one of the most famous tunes in the soundtrack, with examples like “Be Prepared” from The Lion King or “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid becoming huge hits upon release. There are even times when one that isn’t as loved becomes bigger as the years go on, like “Mother Knows Best” from Tangled. But, even within Disney, some villain songs undeservedly fall under the radar.
“Mine, Mine, Mine” Is Catchy, Comedic, and Ironic
Ratcliffe is one of Disney’s most forgettable villains, even despite his lengthy role in Pocahontas. This movie was released in 1995 and was an extremely loose (and highly criticized) interpretation of the history of Jamestown and interactions between colonizers and the Native tribes. Based on a real person, Governor Ratcliffe was sent by the King of England to the New World with the task of creating a colony. He does so, establishing Jamestown, but his greatest desire in this new world is to find gold.
Thinking that gold would be easy to find and plentiful, as it was in the lower Americas for the Spanish, Ratcliffe gets his men excited to dig for gold by singing the song “Mine, Mine, Mine.” The song’s lyrics follow the reason for his journey to the Americas, what he hopes will come of it, and are a rally cry for all to dig for gold. True to a Disney villain, the song is entirely self-serving, but it’s also rather catchy with the accompaniment of his men in the background and clever wordplay used in the lyrics.
“The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” Is an Ego Boost for One of Disney’s Most Underrated Villains
When The Great Mouse Detective was released in 1986, fans weren’t sure if it would be a musical or not, since movies during Disney’s Bronze Age (also known as the Dark Age) weren’t all musicals. The film was a loose interpretation of Sherlock Holmes and featured a mouse named Basil chasing down a mystery involving his nemesis, a rat named Ratigan. Although the movie contains a few songs, it is certainly not a musical. But this is why Ratigan’s song stands out so much.
Ratigan’s song, “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind,” is, in classic Disney villain fashion, a song about how much he loves himself and how great he thinks he is. It’s pompous and grand, with piano solos, a dramatic monologue, and a pause where the villain feeds a minion who steps out of line to a cat. But, the best part about the song has to do with who sings it – Vincent Price. Price is, of course, known for his role in horror movies and as a villain, but is perhaps most widely recognizable for his voice in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” monologue.
“Get Lost” Is a Breath of Fresh Air in the Lackluster Moana 2
One of the newer Disney villain songs, it is more akin to a Disney antagonist song than a full villain song, but that is because Moana 2 doesn’t have a true villain (just as the first one didn’t). This might be why it is so underrated, but the song’s status has more to do with the fact that although 2024’s Moana 2 was a box office hit, the sequel movie that took fans on another (less interesting) adventure across the ocean wasn’t well received by fans who thought it to be cluttered and overall lacking.
Matangi isn’t even a true antagonist, and that is why this bat goddess is so fascinating. “Get Lost” is an exploration of boundaries, where Matangi tells Moana that the journey isn’t about the end result; it’s about how you get there, and sometimes, you need to get lost to find your way. With Broadway-style vocals and impressive belts, Matangi’s song is a fun burst of energy and a bright spot in a movie that gets bogged down with subpar songs and forgettable moments.
“Trust in Me” Sets a Different Tone in The Jungle Book
It may seem a bit strange that a song from The Jungle Book would be on this list, given that the movie is so beloved and many songs within it remain famous to this day, but “Trust in Me” remains under the radar for a few reasons. First of all, when The Jungle Book was released in 1967, it was clear that although other antagonists may exist, all the villainous focus would be on Shere Khan. But the imposing, terrifying tiger does not have a song of his own; Kaa does.
The song coming from Kaa is another reason why the song flies under the radar, as he is not as memorable as the suave tiger. But it also has to do with the fact that “Trust in Me” is a very different type of song than the other, more popular, songs. It is slow, calm, and purposefully hypnotic to match the purpose of Kaa trying to hypnotize Mowgli. Although it possesses comedy like the other songs, it does not have the jazzy tempo that made “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You” so famous.
“Hellfire” Is Uncomfortably Realistic Even With Intense Religious Imagery
Dramatic, visually impressive, and filled with bone-chilling lyrics, “Hellfire” is one of the most terrifying Disney songs of all time. But, due to The Hunchback of Notre Dame‘s placement as an underappreciated movie in Disney’s lexicon, the song remains underrated, as does the villain who sings it.
When The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released in 1996, it was meant to loosely follow the famous Victor Hugo book, but there are some notable exceptions. Frollo in the book was the Archdeacon rather than a judge, with more complexity revolving around his relationship with Quasimodo and how he thought of Esmeralda. Disney took much of this away, fearing controversy, but it changed very little about how viewers perceived Frollo.
The song “Hellfire” talks about how conflicted Frollo is between the lust he feels for Esmeralda and his dedication to chastity and the church. As he sings, religious symbolism reigns supreme, and words in Latin are chanted at him as he concludes that Esmeralda must either choose him or be burned alive. The song shocked fans, as the imagery of an older man with power trying to control a woman seemed a bit too realistic and dark for Disney. But that’s also what makes “Hellfire” so noteworthy.