This past weekend, Ariana
Grande and John
Legend officially released the video for “Beauty and
the Beast,” their cover of the 1991 Disney classic from the upcoming live
action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast.' The video features the two artists
placed in the middle of the grand ballroom where Belle and the Beast have their
big dance number, with Legend seated at the piano in a suit period-appropriate
for Beast and Grande in an extremely puffy red gown.
There have been many top artists that have taken Disney film
music to a new level of popularity. Every so often, Disney themselves will
release an album of covers featuring the top pop artists of the day reworking their
songs. Other times, they will commission top-name artists to write or sing the
songs in the first place, making them even more likely to become hits.
Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top music outlet, has decided
to take a look at some these Disney songs that were made popular by top
artists. A mixture of covers and originals, all of these tracks were hits on
the Billboard charts for that artist and continue to show the kind of staying
power Disney music can have.
1.
Christina
Aguilera, “Reflection”: Written for the 1998 film ‘Mulan,’ “Reflection” became
Aguilera’s first single, ever. Though not the voice heard in the movie, her
version hit the charts at number 19, setting the singer up for superstardom.
2.
Idina Menzel, “Let It Go”: There was no place to
go in 2014 where you wouldn’t hear this song. Menzel, who had already won
multiple Tony awards for her work on Broadway hits like ‘Rent’ and ‘Wicked,’
became a household name because of the reach this song had. “Let It Go” peaked
at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Heatseekers
chart.
3.
Elton
John, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”: Elton John wrote two very successful
songs for ‘The Lion King,’ the other being “Circle of Life,” but “Can You Feel
The Love Tonight” transcended its role as a movie song to become a legitimate hit.
It peaked at number four on the Hot 100 in 1994 and can still be heard on adult
contemporary radio today.
4.
Vanessa
Williams, “Colors of the Wind”: Winner of the 1995 Oscar for Best Original
Song, Williams’ version of “Colors of the Wind,” from the film ‘Pocahontas,’
was a success with listeners too. The song also peaked at number four on the Hot
100 and was eventually certified gold.
5.
Phil
Collins, “You’ll Be In My Heart”: Like Elton John did for ‘The Lion King,’
Phil Collins wrote a number of songs for the animated film ‘Tarzan.’ However,
it was “You’ll Be In My Heart” that ended up being one of Collins’ highest
charting songs ever. The song peaked at number one, where it stayed for 19
weeks in 1999.
6.
Lana Del Rey, “Once Upon A Dream”: Originally based
on a ballet by Tchaikovsky, “Once Upon A Dream’ was the theme for ‘Sleeping
Beauty.’ And while many others have covered it, it was Lana Del Rey’s cover of
the song for the 2014 live action ‘Maleficent’ that got the charts buzzing. The
song was a low-key hit, peaking at number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100
Singles chart in the US.
7.
Regina
Belle and Peabo
Bryson, “A Whole New World”: Released as part of the soundtrack to ‘Aladdin,’
Belle and Bryson topped the charts with the now classic “A Whole New World.’
The song peaked at number one on both the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts
in the US and Canada.
Disney has had many of their songs made popular by top
artists. Whether it is through covers or commissioned originals, their reach
has been far, even commanding high spots on US sales charts. It still remains
to be seen if “Beauty and the Beast” will be a hit for Grande or Legend, but
with Disney’s history, it is not impossible.
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Find music from all of these artists and more at Long Island’s
top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to
choose from both in store and online at vinylbay777.com. Browse our wide
selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, DVDs and cultural
memorabilia. New titles are being added frequently, so it’s always a good time
to stop by.
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