Whether it's Sebastian singing about life under the sea or Ariel belting out a powerful song, wishing to be part of a different world, The Little Mermaid is packed full of great musical numbers. In what is one of Disney's classic princess movies, this story is filled with a range of music from uplifting party atmosphere's to the dark, eerie world of Disney villains.
The story itself is a strong one, with plenty of great characters helping to tell it. However, it's the music that really brings it all together, allowing the emotions to hit the highest possible points, creating some memorable scenes along the way. But which of these songs is truly the greatest?
"Fathoms Below"
This is a song that most people likely forget about, as it takes place right at the start of the movie before any of the main characters are properly introduced. Focusing on a ship and its crew, they're singing almost like pirates, telling a tale of what lives down below, under the sea.
It's smartly done, with myths and legends onboard ships like this being commonplace, as they all sing together explaining the world of Triton and his daughters. Of course, that all turns out to be true, but it doesn't help make this a memorable song. At the very least, it does provide our first glimpse of Eric.
"Daughters Of Triton"
This is one of the other more forgettable songs within the movie, but it does serve its purpose in showcasing that Ariel is a free spirit, happy to do whatever she wants. This is supposed to be a big musical performance from all of Triton's daughters and is Ariel's debut with them.
It builds up nicely in quite an operatic fashion, introducing all of the daughters as it highlights their great singing abilities. However, when Ariel doesn't appear, the song quite abruptly comes to an end. While it works well for the story, it doesn't help the song itself actually become a classic.
"Les Poissons"
Chef Louis singing while he works is something that provides a nice break from the main story, with this being placed into the movie for comedic value. The song is upbeat and funny, with Chef Louis clearly having a great time while he puts the meal together.
However, this also does act as a great reminder of what Sebastian has been saying all along in that it is actually safer for Ariel to be living under the sea because this is how fish are treated by humans.
"Part Of Your World (Reprise)"
This song provides the most famous scene from the entire movie, with Ariel popping up out of the water onto the rocks as the waves crash around her as the princess sings about what she wants. It's certainly a very well-known moment, but it isn't the greatest song from the movie.
A reprise is very rarely better than the original, mainly because it's something that everyone has already heard, and this is no different. This particular version is far more emotional, and a little slower in pace, but it is just as powerful.
"Part Of Your World"
When it comes to iconic Disney songs, there are few more well-known than this one. It's an epic tune that allows Ariel to vent and get out all of her frustrations at feeling trapped having to live underwater, and it all comes together in one beautiful song.
There's a lot of passion here, and the lyrics are creative, with Ariel not quite understanding the human world properly. When it comes to Disney's "I Want" songs, this is certainly one of the strongest and is something that everyone remembers at the end of the movie.
"Kiss The Girl"
As is the case with the majority of Disney's princess movies, there is, of course, a romantic song. However, this one is done with a twist, as Ariel has no voice at this point in the movie, therefore it is Sebastian, with the help of a variety of other animals, that bring this one together.
The song has a unique vibe and the relaxed music is very different from the rest of the movie. The scene of him trying to get Eric to kiss Ariel so she can get her voice is funny, but the song still comes together in a nice way, with the romance being clear.
"Poor Unfortunate Souls"
Ursula is one of Disney's best villains, having such a commanding presence, and a lot of that is down to the sass and confidence that she provides. That is never clearer than within this amazing villain song, with the voice of Pat Carroll really booming here, with the deep vocals giving this a truly eerie feel.
The song might be dark in tone, but with the way Ursula sings with such style and energy, it becomes very catchy and easy to enjoy. The huge instrumental moments at the end of the song once Ariel has signed the contract wraps things up well.
"Under The Sea"
When people watch a Disney animated movie, the main reason they do so is to simply have a good time. That is exactly what "Under The Sea" brings to the table, with this being a song that everyone can bop along with and enjoy, as it feels like a true party atmosphere.
Sebastian is a fun character and one that is full of charisma, which is on display at its fullest potential throughout this one. He's simply trying to explain to Ariel why it's safer and smarter to live underwater, which is his job, but he does it in such a fun way that it creates one of Disney's best songs.