3 Songs That Were Better Than Their Source Material Suggests

Sometimes, the most unexpected of sources can deliver amazing material. The three songs below exceeded the expectations put on them. They all created masterpieces that transcended their origins. These masterful songs had no right being this great.  

“The Climb” — Miley Cyrus

With no hint of irony, I can wholeheartedly say that Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” from The Hannah Montana Movie is one of the greatest songs of all time. Sure, it’s easy to get bogged down by the source material: a “kids” movie with a fictitious pop star. But, like the movie itself, this song is far greater than anyone could’ve conceptualized.

[RELATED: Miley Cyrus Shares Who Her “Guiding Lights” Are in the Entertainment Industry]

Many artists have tried to deliver a similar sentiment in their music. They’ve tried to capture life’s struggles in a way that feels motivating and fresh. But, somehow, 15-year-old Cyrus outdid them all. Her vocals are tear-inducing, and the lyrics are timelessly relatable. Life is a climb, but the view is great. This is just a great song, period, befitting a once-in-a-generation star that doesn’t need the Disney vehicle to prop her up.

“Rainbow Connection” — Kermit The Frog

Who would think one of the greatest messages of good faith and optimism would come from a talking frog? Well, any Muppet fan would find that easy to believe. This ragtag group of characters has been exceeding the expectations put on puppets for decades. Perhaps their greatest feat, though, was “Rainbow Connection”.

This song may have started out as a tender, sweet song for Kermit the Frog to sing about being green. But it has evolved into so much more. From covers of country music legends and nostalgic tributes, few songs have been as enduring and unifying as this one. It’s quite a powerful effort from such an unexpected source.

“You’ll Be In My Heart” — Phil Collins

Circling back to Disney, Phil Collins’ soundtrack for Tarzan had no right being as good as it was. He delivered a handful of great songs that could work just as well as standalone singles as they did in this movie. His shining moment on this film was, of course, “You’ll Be In My Heart”.

Again, many artists have tried to write songs as tender and universal as this message of devotion from a mother to a son, but no one has really said it as plainly, yet powerfully, as Collins did here.

(Photo by Vivian Zink/Disney Channel via Getty Images)