A couple days ago, the local variety radio station was talking about an article they found at Vanity Fair about their top 50 soundtracks from films. Their number one pick? Purple Rain. However, they found a couple hours later Entertainment Weekly’s top 100 film soundtracks. Their number one? A Hard Day’s Night. Vanity Fair won’t be posting the full top 50 yet (we have to wait until next month) but EW does have their’s posted. Disney was on there a few times with classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, and Fantasia. But the most exciting Disney soundtrack to make the list? Beauty and the Beast (#80)!!!! The following is what they had to say about it:

The Disney musical was moribund before Howard Ashman and Alan Menken reinvented it with The Little Mermaid (1988). They topped themselves with Beauty and became the new kings of musical comedy, though, with Ashman’s untimely death in ‘91, the reign was short-lived. If you can think of a more wickedly funny and adult send-up of machismo than “Gaston,” be our guest.

Reading that, I totally agree with them. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken were an unbeatable team. Not only did the two collaborate on three of the biggest Disney movies that revitalized the animated Disney musical (much less the Disney animation team, all together), but they also worked on one of the biggest off-Broadway productions ever: Little Shop of Horrors. It’s a shame that Howard had to die of AIDs, but Alan went on to score beautiful music for Hercules, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Speaking of which, a revitalization of the Disney animation department needs to be done. I can’t wait to see what they’ve been up to since…what was the last animated movie? Lilo and Stitch?  I’d like to see Enchanted at the theatres when it comes out, since it’s half animated. I’ve been doing some research for upcoming Disney releases, and though it’s still in its ‘to be announced’ stage, if everything is going right, a new animated musical (this one having songs written and scored from the great Randy Newman [Toy Story]) should be released in 2009. It’s called The Princess and the Frog or The Frog Princess and shall be set in old New Orleans with the main character being an African-American princess. Though its never been done with any animated musicals prior (at least not to my knowledge) it definitely sets the stage for originality.

Here’s what Movie-Source.com has to say:

A musical set in the legendary birthplace of jazz — New Orleans — “The Frog Princess” will introduce the newest Disney princess, Maddy, a young African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana’s mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm at every turn. Randy Newman will write songs and the score for the film.

Hey, if you want to be a Disney Princess, there’s basically a couple of requirements: 1) SING! 2) You need to have some sort of animal as your mascot 3) Be loved by all around you

Sounds like Maddy already has the makings of a true Disney princess. Hope it goes well for her.