A 2009 album entitled Disney/Pixar Greatest features several of the popular songs sung in Disney/Pixar movies up to that point. The album has been extremely popular on Spotify, so here are its most listened-to songs, in order of individual streams.
The Time Of Your Life
"The Time of Your Life" was in the movie Bug's Life (1998). The song was written by Randy Newman of Toy Story fame and received a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
On Spotify, the swinging tune has 5,200,583 streams within the Disney/Pixar Greatest album. The main line of the chorus is so catchy: "It's the time of your life, so live it well."
Down To Earth
"Down to Earth" from the last robot on the planet. The song is sung by Peter Gabriel (who co-wrote it with Thomas Newman) and features the Soweto Gospel Choir. It's a soothing closing sequence piece that accompanies animated cave art as well as colorful images reminiscent of pointillism and impressionism before fading to black for more credits. The sound of Peter Gabriel's solo vocals meshes well with the full sound of the choir.
Our Town
This James Taylor ballad from quintessential Pixar sad song.
If I Didn't Have You
20,408,928 listens is quite good for this hit from Monsters Inc. (2001), which turns twenty years old in 2021. Billy Crystal and John Goodman don't shy away from the toe-tapping rhythm as they sing, "I wouldn't have nothin' if I didn't have you." Randy Newman's song is actually kind of hard to sing, and Mike and Sulley make it come to life as they tell one another how they really feel.
Real Gone
The feisty Sheryl Crow song "Real Gone" jumps up to 35,121,316 listens. That edgy electric guitar at the beginning sets the tone for this hit that instantly reminds Pixar fans of Cars. "Everybody's lookin' for a way to get real gone," sings Crow. The rest of the song draws on racing imagery as well as the Americana of Route 66 and the open road. It's a little unusual for Disney/Pixar to slip "Bud Light" into a song, but there it is.
When She Loved Me
Sarah McLachlan was the perfect person to sing "When She Loved Me." Jessie in Toy Story 2's (1999) feelings are expressed in this tearjerker: "When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful. Every hour we spent together lives within my heart." Everyone was once a child, so it is emotional to watch a toy being cast aside as its owner grows up. The soft piano chords in Randy Newman's writing carry McLachlan's voice through the sad tale, which is up to 46,799,090 Spotify streams.
Le Festin
Camille Dalmais' voice instantly delights the listener on "Le Festin" (written by Michael Giacchino) from Ratatouille (2007). The singer performs the song entirely in French, and it currently has 47,333,659 streams. "Le Festin" ("The Feast") became part of a huge TikTok trend in early 2020, with some creators connecting Ratatouille to their videos and others using it for completely unrelated things.
You've Got A Friend In Me
"You've Got a Friend in Me" is Randy Newman's Pixar classic. The Toy Story (1995) song has been quoted, sung, and watched on screen countless times. Though it first captures the bond between Andy and Woody, it becomes the perfect buddy song for Woody and Buzz and has now amassed 154,764,333 on the Disney/Pixar Greatest album.
It's safe to say that "You've Got a Friend in Me" is an emblem of the Toy Story franchise. It was most recently reprised in Toy Story 4 (2019). For 1990s kids, it's weird to see Bonnie's name on Woody's boot instead of Andy's.
Life Is A Highway
"Life is a Highway" existed before Cars--it was on Rascal Flatts' 2000 self-titled album--but it could not have been more perfect for Cars. The metaphor is taken literally when it comes to this movie where cars run the world and can ride on the highway "all night long." "Life is a Highway" has 267,812,827 Spotify streams on the Pixar album alone. The song moves people to live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride.
