Awesome Music / Pixar

aka: Toy Story

"Never underestimate the power of music."

If there's one thing about Pixar that is just as widely renowned as their movies, it’s undeniably their ability to create some of the most powerful and memorable music in animation.

Pixar films with their own pages

• Coco
• Turning Red

Randy Newman

• Toy Story is the only Disney-style musical Pixar film. And all the songs are wonderful. "Infinity and Beyond", which plays during the final flying sequence (or rather, the "falling... with style" sequence), is absolutely beautiful.
  • "You've Got a Friend in Me", the ultimate declaration of long-lasting friendship set to a groovy, swinging tune.
  • "I Will Go Sailing No More". Tragic and wistful as ever, it encapsulates Buzz facing the hard reality of being a toy.
  • "Strange Things" encapsulates the feeling of change, which Woody faces to his chagrin as Buzz Lightyear and his merch come into Andy's life.
• From Toy Story 2:
  • "When She Loved Me". An utterly heartwrenching song by Jessie that was said to have made both Tim Allen and Tom Hanks tear up during the premier.
  • Ride Like The Wind. The reprise of the first movie's "Infinity and Beyond" near the end really sells it.
  • The Cleaner is a solely musical number showcasing the Cleaner's precision and skill in cleaning and refining Woody. After all, "you can't rush art".
  • Woody's Roundup is a cheery western theme with a country tune to hype people for the in-universe show.
• From Toy Story 3:
  • The Spanish version of "You've Got a Friend In Me" (technically, "Hay un Amigo en Mi") completely makes the movie.
  • The Claw from Toy Story 3, one of Pixar's tensest, most nightmarish, most heartwrenching scenes ever has the music to match.
  • So Long. Just listening to it can get your eyes misty.
  • The Oscar-winning song We Belong Together is a cheerful and beautiful track that completes the main characters’ long deserved happy ending and is the perfect capstone to the trilogy.
  • "Cowboy!", the song heard in the intro, provides thrills, chills and soaring enjoyment as the film starts with Woody, Jessie and Buzz's imaginary adventure.
  • Strange Things... Tomorrowland Arrangement features retro-futuristic instrumentation to represent the changing times in that land as it makes way for tomorrow today.
• From Monsters, Inc.:
  • The main theme will make any listener want to get up and dance. It's a jazzy, fast-paced mix of the end song, "If I Didn't Have You". Newman won an Academy Award for that song.
  • Walk To Work is a swinging number to show the everyday hustle and bustle of Monstropolis, which is not unlike our own civilisation.
  • The Scare Floor gives the orchestra and the drums a time to shine, toms and all, to showcase the monsters' full potential scaring at Monsters, Incorporated and the company's busyness to power their world.
• From Monsters University:
  • "Young Michael" is a little introduction to Mike Wazowski and how he became inspired to become a scarer in life. It helps that the number carries awe, tension and desperation all into one track at the appropiate times.
  • "Main Title" rolls in a fast, fun-filled university band to prepare viewers for the main story and show Mike Wazowski's progress to the titular university.
  • "Rise and Shine" brings in the same school band with strings backing it up to encapsulate the everyday life of folks in Monsters University.
  • "Field Trip" evokes awe as the O.K. fraternity ventures to Monsters Inc. for inspiration from actual scarers and desperation to escape the M.I. security.
• From Cars:
  • The mood-altering song, "Our Town". A James Taylor song that details the glory days and then the fall to obsolescence for Radiator Springs. Rich with heartfelt emotion.
  • McQueen and Sally. A perfect score for their budding, emboldened romance.
• A Bug's Life:
  • The Time Of Your Life is a motivational end song to encourage viewers to make the most out of their lives.
  • The Aaron Copland-style theme boasts orchestrations like none other to show the dangers and enjoyment of an ant's life in a colony.
  • The Flik Machine uses a jazzy tune to show Flik's new invention and its potential to improve the lives of his colony.

Thomas Newman

• From WALL•E:
  • "Fixing WALL•E". While not Awesome Music per se, the beginning is a classic moment.
  • "The Axiom" is also a fantastic score. The parts that play when WALL-E and the spaceship are flying past the lunar rover and flag on the Moon, and then through the rings of Saturn, are almost impossibly beautiful.
  • "Define Dancing" is a gorgeous 3/4 song that plays as WALL•E and EVE dance their way through the stars around the Axiom, all while the captain continues to ask the computer to define things on earth, like dancing. It enhances the pure Scenery Porn of that scene.
  • "First Date" is loaded with sweetness and sadness to show how much WALL•E cares for EVE and tries to get her booting up once again - to no avail.
• From Finding Nemo:
  • "Nemo Egg" (the main title) but most especially the ones that play during two very emotionally gut-wrenching scenes.
  • It's surprisingly dark and scary for a Pixar film, but "Swim Down" is amazing. Starts off dark and hopeless but erupts into triumph at the end. It also helps that "Finding Nemo" and "Fronds Like These" follow it on the soundtrack.
  • The "The Turtle Lope" is adventurous and epic, with a swelling orchestra capturing the thrill of being a turtle.
  • "First Day" is subtly exciting while still encapsulating the underwater world with unique chords.
  • "Field Trip" captures the beauty of aquatic life Nemo will witness with a sweet soothing number.

Michael Giacchino

• The soundtrack for Up, by Michael Giacchino, invites you to pick a moment. Really, it's no wonder this won the Oscar for Best Original Score.
  • The four-minute-plus "Married Life" underscores a dialogue-free montage that follows Ellie and Carl from the altar to Carl's arrival home after Ellie's memorial service — whimsical, lyrical, and heartbreaking.
  • "Carl Goes Up". "So long, boys! I'll send you a postcard from Paradise Falls!"
  • "Paradise Found", in which the clouds part to reveal Paradise Falls and the rest of the plateau in all their glory.
  • "Stuff We Did — in which Ellie gets Carl to level up from beyond the grave.
  • "The Small Mailman Returns". Russell ceases to be The Load.
  • ...and basically everything from that point to the end of the credits.
  • And "Escape from Muntz Mountain", and "Memories can Weigh you Down", and that storm song. And everybody's theme at one point sounds epically awesome. Yes, even Russell's, which doesn't sound like much at first in 52 Chachki Pickup.
  • "My Spirit of Adventure" from the credits basically combines every 1930s style possible.
• The soundtrack for The Incredibles is the best James Bond score never written. And then Michael Giacchino went and wrote it.
  • "Life's Incredible Again" packs in sheer joy and relaxation as Bob Parr's family life seems to look up immensely.
  • "Kronos Unveiled". Tense as always just like Mr. Incredible's desperation in researching about the Omnidroids, it builds up to the part where he's caught.
  • "Missile Lock". Everything in the orchestra is jam-packed with tension to simulate the desperation as the homing missiles soar towards Elastigirl and her kids.
  • "Lithe or Death" carries tunes and mysterious riffs reminiscent of the James Bond film series.
  • "The Incredits" is loaded with action, even after the whole film is done, boasting tons of motifs, shrill chords and tensions keeping you at the edge of your seat.
• He came back for Incredibles 2, and knocked it out of the park again. The movie brings back "Incredits" for the credits roll, rearranges the beginning and end parts, and is overall a great way to cap off the sequel.
• Ratatouille: Wall Rat sums up the fast-paced, hazardous life of a rat with its frantic instrumentation.
  • Colette Shows Him le Ropes is a feisty number with enough accordion and guitar riffs and solos to get you cooking, just like Remy. Its awesome, slap bass-tastic reprise still boasts the same kind of action as the original to finish your auditory and visual palate.
  • Le Festin is a soothing number to usher in a new era of the Ratatouille dish and the two friends who made it taste so good like never before.
  • The Main Theme is a scrumptious little tune setting the stage for the story and the setting.
• Cars 2:
  • It's Finn McMissile!. Pretty much the film's Leitmotif, it's a catchy and jazzy spy theme that is reminiscent of the good ol' James Bond music.
  • The World Grand Prix fanfare and the remix for the closing race in Radiator Springs. The former track is a grand piece of music to open a worldwide sporting event, while the latter track gives off the same grandeur in Radiator Spring style. If Cars 3 hadn't been produced, Cars 2 would have been an awesome ending to the story with an awesome Grand Finale vibe track to fit.
• Inside Out has a pretty damn great soundtrack, pretty much chock-full of beautiful and (no pun intended) emotional songs. You should definitely listen to the entire soundtrack, but here are some of the most notable tracks out of it:
  • "Bundle of Joy", played during Riley's birth and the subsequent introduction of Joy.
  • "Nomanisone Island/National Movers", played when Riley and her family are headed off for her ice hockey match as the film comes to a close. Sweet and heartwarming as many of the tracks here, the stirring, soft instrumentation shows the joy of family as Riley's emotions are all back at work, all with a clear purpose.
  • "We Can Still Stop Her", a tense song played when Riley is running away from home, while Joy tries to reach the HQ in time to stop her.
  • "Tears of Joy", played during Joy's breakdown in the memory dump.
  • "Rainbow Flyer", used when Joy and Bing Bong attempt to escape the memory dump in their wagon rocket.
  • "Joy Turns to Sadness/A Growing Personality", which is used during Riley's breakdown to her parents, Joy learning that being sad is an important part of living, and Riley's console getting an upgrade as she gets older.
  • The end theme "The Joy of Credits", which is essentially eight minutes of orchestra/light jazz music.
  • And last but not least, there's the TripleDent Gum jingle. At 13 seconds long it's probably the shortest piece of music from the film. What's awesome about it? The fact it's an intentional Ear Worm written specially for the film, which is no easy feat! No wonder Anger gets so mad when he hears it.
• Lightyear:
  • "Mission Perpetual" plays when Buzz tries and fails to accomplish a mission and ends up time travelling for 62 years. It fits the vibe of a grand space adventure.
  • "The Lone Space Ranger", the bittersweet piano piece that plays with Alisha's final hologram message, is heartwarming and sad as she knew she would pass on.
  • "Zurg's Displeasure" plays when Zurg enters his Space Fighter. The theme is accompanied with a chorus and is both chilling and haunting to the audience.

Other Artists

• From Finding Nemo: Beyond the Sea by Robbie Williams. Swinging with longing and joy with a jazz band and orchestra, it's a great way to calm down from the film's action.
• From The Incredibles:
  • The Anvil Chorus (from Verdi's Il trovatore) in the "every door, button and explosion in the movie" DVD Easter Egg fits perfectly, in both time and mood.
  • The teaser trailer used a remixed version of John Barry's instrumental theme for the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The main theme for the Incredibles seems to be based off this great tune.
• From Cars:
  • "Real Gone" by Sheryl Crow rakes in the slickest racing riff to simulate the high adrenaline of Lightning McQueen's racing career, a perfect start to this underrated film.
  • "Life Is A Highway", sung by Rascal Flatts, is a rocking relaxing groove which surprisingly encapsulates McQueen's journey in life.
  • Brad Paisley:
    • Behind The Clouds is a soothing country piece to groove to as Sally and McQueen bond.
    • Find Yourself is a slow, rather sober song dedicated to co-director Joe Ranft, encouraging listeners to find themselves and their true character and calling, just like McQueen's development ever since crossing paths with the folks from Radiator Springs.
  • Route 66:
    • John Mayer's version is a rocking blues tune encapsulating the thrill of driving on that route.
    • Chuck Berry's version is a rollin' tune which screams of the Fifties, reminiscing of hitting the road in the good ol' days.
• From Cars 2:
  • "You Might Think" as performed by Weezer (originally recorded by none other than The Cars) relives the thrill of travel and seeing new places around the world in the movie.
  • "Collision of Worlds" by Brad Paisley and Robbie Williams. The two nail both McQueen and Mater's travels around the world and some trademark phrases and items in many different countries all set to a rocking band chord progression.
• From WALL•E:
  • "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" carries swinging optimism in a garbage world, and yet it nicely contrasts with the environment WALL•E is in.
  • "La vie en Rose" by Louis Armstrong is a slow stirring jazz arrangement describing the romance of WALL•E and EVE... except she's basically in stasis.
  • "Down to Earth", the credits song by Peter Gabriel, is full of optimism and a swinging triple time signature backed by a choir to wrap up the film and give hope for the world to be renewed by humanity's actions to rejuvenate it.
• From Brave:
  • Touch the Sky by Julie Fowlis brings an air of adventure and valor to this princess story.
  • Noble Maiden Fair (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal) by Emma Thompson and Peigi Barker (Young Merida) is a lovely Scottish number symbolising the sweet, sweet relations between mother and daughter.
• Monsters University ends with MarchFourth Marching Band's "Gospel" to capture life in university one last time while playing a catchy chord progression to chronicle Mike and Sulley's rise to become Monsters, Incorporated's number one scare duo.
• Inside Out has "The Bing Bong Song"; while kind of childish, it's cheery enough to remain in a kid's head and get them engaged.
• From Lightyear: Both the teaser and the official trailers feature an epic remix of, fittingly enough, David Bowie's "Starman" to capture the thrills of Buzz's bizarre and grand adventure through time and space and set the stage for his story.
• Pixar released a number of songs inspired by A Bug's Life in the rather obscure A Bug's Life Sing-Along, most of which are quite impressive, especially "Rolly-Polly Rock 'n' Rolly Pill Bugs", and "Star Of The Show", Gypsy’s Image Song and an amazingly soothing and wistful tune that reveals a fair bit of depth to her character unseen in the movie, as she sings about her desire to be "far from the star of the show" and settle down into a peaceful life.

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