Cinderella: 10 Best Songs From All Versions Of The Movie, Ranked

Cinderella is one of the most frequently adapted fairytales for the screen. There’s something about the humble titular character and her magical night at the ball that audiences through the ages love. From Disney to Rodgers and Hammerstein, there are many interpretations of the story that involve music.

Some Cinderella retellings are more driven by instrumental scores, but others are musicals through and through. Which songs from the various versions of the tale speak to viewers the most?

10 What Has Love Got To Do With Being Married? (Find A Mate)

“What has love got to do with being married?” This is the question the Prince’s inner circle asks him in The Slipper in the Rose (1976), a British Cinderella story. Prince Edward (Richard Chamberlain) wants to marry for love, but his family drones on about how happiness can wait. The palace powers then implore the Prince to “find a mate, dear boy! Find a mate!”

The musical number from the Sherman brothers (of Disney fame) is amusing to watch and sets The Slipper and the Rose apart from other adaptations.

9 Suddenly It Happens

“Suddenly It Happens” is unique to The Slipper and the Rose. The song surrounds Cinderella (Gemma Craven) as she takes her journey to the grand ball. The Fairy Godmother introduces herself to Cinderella before the song and sees that the girl is properly fed and well-rested.

The Fairy Godmother then returns to get Cinderella dressed for the ball. In her lavish pink dress, Cinderella learns that “suddenly it happens, and the dream comes true.”

8 Sing, Sweet Nightingale

One parallel among the many versions of Cinderella is that the stepsisters try to steal Cinderella’s beauty, destiny, and song. In the 1950 animated movie, Cinderella and the stepsisters each have their own takes on “Sing, Sweet Nightingale.” It’s a sight and sound to behold when the stepmother takes the piano, Anastasia plays the flute, and Drizella crows, “Sing sweet nightingale, high above me!”

Cinderella, on the other hand, wistfully sings the song while she’s cleaning the floors. Both versions matter to the story, but the stepsisters’ song adds some great comedy.

7 Tell Him Anything (But Not That I Love Him)

“Tell Him Anything (But Not That I Love Him)” is the most haunting and dark song of any Cinderella story. After Lord Chamberlain tells Cinderella that Prince Edward must not marry her, she offers a message for the Prince.

Richard B. and Robert M. Sherman’s lyrics flow within the minor mode: “Tell him that it wasn’t love. All we shared, all we cared. Make him hate my memory. Make him glad he’s free.” These words surely break Cinderella’s heart, but she knows the Prince will try to rescue her from her exile if she is truthful about how she feels about him.

6 Impossible

“Impossible” is an important thematic song in all three Rodgers and Hammerstein Cinderella films. Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother sing about the title character’s wishes in a whimsical but inspiring way.

“Impossible for a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage. Impossible for a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage.” The very things that sound out of reach are the scenes that soon become a reality for Cinderella.

5 Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

As delightful as “Impossible” is, “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” is the fairy godmother song Disney fans think of first. The song is featured in both the 1950 classic and the 2015 remake. It has a bouncy quality as the godmother recites all the words of her special spell.

Watching the animated pumpkin transform into a carriage as Cinderella is beamed into a gorgeous gown, fans can’t help but sing along: “Put ’em together and what have you got? Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!”

4 A Lovely Night

From Julie Andrews to Lesley Ann Warren to Brandy, every Cinderella in the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptations must sing about “A Lovely Night.” The song captures Cinderella’s newfound feelings of love for the Prince, and the very stars tremble with the imagined whisper of “I love you.”

3 Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful

“Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful” is a Rodgers and Hammerstein trademark in which Cinderella and the Prince sing together in sweet harmony. They each wonder if the other is real or just a figment of the imagination, with the lyrics resonating deeply with the audience, including the line “Are you the sweet invention of a lover’s dream, or are you really as beautiful as you seem?” The song is especially moving in the 1997 Cinderella as it occurs after the soulmates have already shared their first dance.

2 So This Is Love

Disney’s 1950 Cinderella is responsible for one of the dreamiest songs of any love story. “So this is love, so this is what makes life divine,” sings Cinderella about her Prince. He sings along with her, “the key to all heaven is mine.”

The scene of the young lovers dancing in the moonlight stays with viewers of all ages. The lyrics and music are light and smooth, especially due to the subtle hums included amid the text.

1 A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

“A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” is one of the most famous Disney songs of all time, and it is Cinderella’s best. The 1950 rendition is the definitive version, but the 2015 live-action remake also has a lovely version sung by its Cinderella (Lily James). With simple but beautiful lyrics, Cinderella has always inspired her fans to keep believing and dream their biggest dreams.

About The Author