Alan Irwin Menken is an American composer and conductor, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Skydance Animation. Menken's contributions to The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995) won him two Academy Awards for each film. He also composed the scores and songs for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Newsies (1992), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Home on the Range (2004), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010), Disenchanted (2022), and Spellbound (2024), among others. His accolades include winning eight Academy Awards — becoming the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman, a Tony Award, eleven Grammy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Daytime Emmy Award. Menken is one of twenty-one people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.
"Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, Pocahontas (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by American singer and actress Judy Kuhn in her role as the singing voice of Pocahontas. A pop ballad, the song's lyrics are about animism and respecting nature, finding its roots in indigenous Native American culture, perspectives which have later been adopted in both transcendentalist literature and New Age spirituality.
Aladdin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1992 Disney animated film Aladdin. The album was released by Walt Disney Records on CD and cassette tape on October 27, 1992. The soundtrack was intertwined with demos, work tapes and unreleased masters, as well as original scores in 1994 in a four-disc box set entitled The Music Behind the Magic: The Musical Artistry of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Tim Rice. A remastered reissue with altered lyrics and new artwork was released on March 27, 2001. A special edition reissue featuring two previously released demos and new artwork was released on September 28, 2004. The Legacy Collection: Aladdin was released on September 9, 2022, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Aladdin.
Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the official soundtrack album to the 1991 Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast. Originally released on October 22, 1991, by Walt Disney Records, the album's first half – tracks 2 to 9 – generally contains the film's musical numbers, all of which were written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman, while its latter half – tracks 10 to 14 – features its musical score, composed solely by Menken. While the majority of the album's content remains within the musical theatre genre, its songs have also been influenced by French, classical, pop and Broadway music. Credited to Various Artists, Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features performances by the film's main cast – Paige O'Hara, Richard White, Jesse Corti, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, Robby Benson and David Ogden Stiers – in order of appearance. Additionally, the album features recording artists Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, who perform a pop rendition of the film's theme song of the same name, which simultaneously serves as the soundtrack's only single.
Henry Pryce Jackman is an English composer. He composed music for films such as Kong: Skull Island, X-Men: First Class, Puss in Boots, Monsters vs. Aliens, Captain Phillips, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, Wreck-It Ralph, Turbo, Big Hero 6, Pixels, Ron's Gone Wrong, The Interview, and Detective Pikachu, as well as the video games Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Disney Infinity 2.0. He has also collaborated with film directors such as Don Hall, Stephen J. Anderson, Rob Letterman, Matthew Vaughn, Raman Hui, Russo brothers, Jake Kasdan, Sam Hargrave and Rich Moore.
"I See the Light" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater for Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated film Tangled (2010). A duet originally recorded by American recording artist and actress Mandy Moore and American actor Zachary Levi in their respective film roles as main characters Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, the folk-inspired pop ballad serves as both the film's love and theme song. Lyrically, "I See the Light" describes the developing romantic relationship between Rapunzel and Flynn, and is featured as the seventh track on the film's soundtrack album.
Wreck-It Ralph is a 2012 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Rich Moore and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay written by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee, and a story by Moore, Johnston, and Jim Reardon. John Lasseter served as the film’s executive producer. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch, the film tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain who rebels against his "bad guy" role and dreams of becoming a hero.
"Belle" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Disney's animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). Recorded by American actors Paige O'Hara and Richard White, "Belle" is a mid-tempo classical music-inspired song that borrows elements from Broadway and musical theatre. It was the first song Ashman and Menken wrote for Beauty and the Beast, which they feared Disney would reject due to its length and complexity, but the film's producers ultimately liked the song.
Wreck-It Ralph: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2012 animated film Wreck-It Ralph. The film's score was composed by Henry Jackman, and the soundtrack featured three original songs and three incorporated songs, with Jackman's score accompanying the remainder of it. Artists featured in the soundtrack are, Owl City, AKB48, Buckner & Garcia, Skrillex, Noisia, Kool & the Gang and Rihanna. The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on October 24, 2012 and received positive reviews from critics.
Ralph Breaks the Internet is a 2018 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to the 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph. The film was directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay written by Johnston and Pamela Ribon, and a story by Moore, Johnston, Ribon, Josie Trinidad, and Jim Reardon. John Lasseter, Jennifer Lee, and Chris Williams served as the film's executive producers. John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and Ed O'Neill reprise their character roles from the first film, and are joined by Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, and Alfred Molina as part of the new cast, as well as Alan Tudyk, who voiced a new character in this film. In the film, Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Silverman) must travel to the Internet to get a replacement for the Sugar Rush cabinet's broken steering wheel and prevent Mr. Litwak (O'Neill) from disposing of the game.
The music of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) covers the soundtracks of the American media franchise and shared universe, which is centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The soundtracks include the original scores composed by various composers for the films and television series of the franchise, as well as the songs that are heard in each film.
"How Does a Moment Last Forever" is a song written by lyricist Tim Rice and composer Alan Menken for the Disney live action film Beauty and the Beast (2017), a remake of the animated musical of the same name. This Broadway-inspired ballad is performed in the movie by American actor Kevin Kline in his role as Maurice. It describes the relationship between his character and that of his wife, Belle's deceased mother. Later in the film, Belle performs the song as she discovers the truth about her mother's fate. "How Does a Moment Last Forever" was also recorded by Canadian pop singer Celine Dion, whose version was also included on the film's soundtrack, released on March 10, 2017. Her version plays over the ending credits of the film.
"Evermore" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice for the musical fantasy film Beauty and the Beast (2017), a live-action remake of Disney's 1991 animated film of the same name. Originally recorded for the film by English actor Dan Stevens, who performs the song in his starring role as the eponymous Beast, "Evermore" was first released as a single by American singer Josh Groban on March 3, 2017. Stevens' version became available on March 10, 2017 when the film's soundtrack was released online, while Groban's cover is played during the film's closing credits.
"Days in the Sun" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice for the musical fantasy film Beauty and the Beast (2017), a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1991 animated film of the same name. Rice and Menken developed the concept in 2007 during the first discussions about a remake. Performed by Adam Mitchell, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Audra McDonald, and Clive Rowe, "Days in the Sun" is one of four songs added to the 2017 film. It was released on March 10, 2017, as part of the film's soundtrack.
Wreck-It Ralph, sometimes also referred to simply as Ralph, is a Disney media franchise primarily consisting of an animated comedy film series produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The series tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain named Wreck-It Ralph, who rebels against his "bad guy" role and dreams of becoming a hero. The series has grossed $1 billion worldwide.
Aladdin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a soundtrack for the film of the same name, released by Walt Disney Records on May 17, 2019. The soundtrack features a cover of "A Whole New World" by Zayn Malik and Zhavia Ward, songs from the original film, a new song written by the original film's composer, Alan Menken, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a score composed by Menken. The soundtrack was released on May 17, 2019.
Big Hero 6 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to Disney's 2014 animated superhero film Big Hero 6. The album was released by Walt Disney Records digitally on November 4, 2014, and through physical formats on November 25. It featured 19 tracks, from the background score composed by Henry Jackman, and an original song titled "Immortals" written and recorded by American rock band Fall Out Boy. The track was released as a single on October 14, 2014. The score consisted of electronic and orchestral music, to balance with the film's emotional depth and heroic themes.
Ron's Gone Wrong (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2021 animated film Ron's Gone Wrong. It was released digitally on October 15, 2021 by Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records, followed by a physical edition being published on October 22, the same day as the film's theatrical release. The soundtrack album featured music composed by Henry Jackman, along with an original song titled "Sunshine" sung by Liam Payne, which was released as a part of the soundtrack on September 24.
Disenchanted (Original Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2022 film of the same name directed by Adam Shankman. The sequel to Enchanted (2007), the film's original music included songs written and produced by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, both of whom wrote the music for the previous installment. Menken also composed the incidental underscore for the film. Menken's longtime collaborator Michael Kosarin conducted the songs and score. Unlike the first film's soundtrack, the sequel was intended to have more songs, and all those tracks were performed by the film's cast members, including Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, Gabriella Baldacchino, Maya Rudolph, Griffin Newman, James Monroe Iglehart, Ann Harada, and Michael McCorry Rose.
Strange World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2022 animated film Strange World produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The original score is composed by Henry Jackman in his fifth scoring assignment for Disney film, after Winnie the Pooh (2011), Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Big Hero 6 (2014) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Jackman referenced most of James Horner and John Williams' electronic and symphony orchestral score for big-budget films, to create a "larger-than-life and fantastical, but organic" score suiting the world. He relied on orchestral music and harmonies, with exception for electronic and synth-infused score in few sequences.
