Like its parent company Disney, Pixar knows the importance of music within a story. With just the right needle drop, the emotions of a story can be cemented into the hearts and minds of an audience forever.
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[RELATED: Top 10 Disney Songs]
Over the years, Pixar filmmakers and composers have delivered their fair share of enduring tunes. From Finding Nemo to Toy Story, find our picks for the Top 10 Pixar songs below.
10. “Nemo Egg” (Finding Nemo)
Pixar-produced movies don’t always follow the musical format Disney employs in most of their releases. In the case of Finding Nemo, Pixar curbed the addition of character-driven songs for an orchestral score. Nevertheless, the music in Finding Nemo is just as timeless as its Disney counterparts.
The main theme of the movie, “Nemo Egg,” recurs throughout the movie. With a swell of strings and a gentle piano, the song feels as vast and formidable as the ocean itself.
9. “Touch the Sky” (Brave)
The release of Brave marked a number of milestones for Pixar. It was their first movie with a female protagonist, their first full-length project with a female director, and prompted a rewrite of their animation system for the first time in 25 years. Nevertheless, the movie and its protagonist, Merida, didn’t get quite the same traction as other princess-led projects.
While many things about Brave deserve more attention, the movie’s soundtrack should be first on your list to revisit. Brave‘s opening song, “Touch the Sky,” was recorded by Scottish singer Julie Fowlis. She lets her traditional lilt fly free while singing this song, acclimating the audience to the Highlands where the story takes place. It may not have the same pedigree as songs like “Part of Your World” or “Reflection,” but, it’s enchanting in its own right.
8. “Life’s Incredible Again” (The Incredibles)
The score for The Incredibles feels reminiscent of a Bond film. The same jazzy instrumentation used in ’60s spy films is well accounted for here. The Michael Giacchino-composed track, “Life’s Incredible Again,” is most evocative of that motif.
“Life’s Incredible Again” plays as the titular Mr. Incredible gets his groove back midway through the movie. It’s upbeat and rousing, mirroring the action on screen. With a meandering melody and punchy trumpets, it’s hard to keep a smile at bay while this one plays.
7. “Beyond the Sea” (Finding Nemo)
While “Beyond the Sea” wasn’t written for Finding Nemo, it fits perfectly within the narrative. The song pops up during the end credits, performed by Robbie Williams, closing things out on a high note.
The song, popularized by Bobby Darin in the ’50s, floats against the backdrop of an ocean while the master creators behind Finding Nemo get their dues. The addition of “Beyond the Sea” is evidence of Pixar’s ability to curate a vibe through borrowed hits as well as original songs.
6. “Married Life” (Up)
The first few minutes of Up can only be described as an emotional rollercoaster. The main characters, Carl and Ellie, cycle through the seasons of life in the blink of an eye. While the beginning of the sequence feels childlike and hopeful, the end shocks the viewer with a sobering sense of mortality.
All the while, a simple (yet deeply emotive) theme is playing titled “Married Life.” Also composed by Giacchino, “Married Life” has to be one of the most recognizable tunes in Pixar history.
5. “Le Festin” (Ratatouille)
Yet another stunner from Giacchino, “Le Festin” is the main theme from the 2007 movie Ratatouille. “Le Festin,” which translates to the feast, immediately evokes mental images of the glimmering lights and romance of Paris.
Giacchino employs all the typical Parisian accouterments – an accordion, a rich string section, and a flittering trumpet line – to help set the scene for Ratatouille.
4. “When She Loved Me” (Toy Story 2)
Master of the tearjerker, Sarah McLachlan, recorded “When She Loved Me” for Toy Story 2. You’ll likely never feel as bad for an inanimate object as you do during this scene when cowgirl Jessie reveals how her former owner abandoned her while the dulcet voice of McLachlan rings out.
“When She Loved Me” went on to earn a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture as well as nominations for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Original Song.
3. “If I Didn’t Have You” (Monster’s Inc.)
The Monster’s Inc. soundtrack is a fun listen from start to finish. Though Randy Newman composed a number of original songs for the project, it’s “If I Didn’t Have You” that is most synonymous with the movie.
Performed by lead voice actors John Goodman and Billy Crystal, the song details the two main characters’ friendship with the actors’ trademark humor. As far as duets in Pixar movies go, this is one of the best.
2. “Life is a Highway” (Cars)
Rascal Flatts covered this Tom Cochrane song in 2006 for the first Cars movie. Though Cochrane originated the song in 1991, it’s the country group’s rendition that has become the signature version.
Anthemic and driving, it’s hard to think of another song that could better match Lightning McQueen’s journey throughout the movie.
[RELATED: Who Wrote “Life is a Highway?”]
1. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story)
Coming in at No. 1 is “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story.
Toy Story was the first movie ever to be produced by Pixar, which gives it a level of prestige in the studio’s history. Given that, we’ve chosen the title card song from the film to round out this list. This lighthearted tune is the quintessential example of Pixar’s ethos.
Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage
