On March 15th 2017 Billboard ranked every song from the Disney Renaissance (1989-199) and it was done by various staffers. Now everyone is entitled to their opinions but their opinions are wrong. You can read it here if you want.
For Hunchback the ranking are as follows;
42: God Help the Outcasts
41: Heaven’s Light/Hellfire
38: A Guy like You
37: The Bells of Notre Dame
34: Topsy Turvy
30: Out There
Court of Miracles didn’t count as the article called it “Super Slight” but Trashin the Camp ranked #26 even though it’s just scat, just saying. It’s important to know that the list was out of 45 songs, Hunchback didn’t get even in the upper half. Honestly it doesn’t really matter that as it seem the “staffers” have a very weird sense of what a “Disney” song should be.
First off they said God Help the Outcasts was “sombre and flat.” Heaven’s Light/Hellfire was “it’s one least memorable tunes” (Are they saying Hellfire is not memorable??? The Heck you say). The really didn’t say anything bad about A Guy like you. They said The Bells of Notre Dame “lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.” They called Topsy Turvy the “most Disney-like of the entire Hunchback film and soundtrack.” And Out There again nothing bad, though Out THere is pretty much Part of your World 2.0 and that song ranked #9 so it’s really not surprising that these people would like it more that the other Hunchback songs.
Just looking at the way they ranked the Hunchback song I’m not sure these people understand anything about anything. They seem to like either bright happy song, love songs or the I want type song, you know typically Disney stuff. Oddly the highest ranking Villain song was Be Prepared at #15.
With that in mind yes, their ranking make a weird sense but how does one say that Hellfire even if it’s paired with Heaven’s Light, is a worse song than A Guy like you? Sure, if you like bright happy things, but Hellfire is one of great villain songs and Heaven’s Light is the perfect foil. My guess is that these “staffers” collectively didn’t like Hunchback as much as other movies as Hunchback is one more a-typical Disney movies.
They can rank the songs however they want, with bias or not but but I take their credibility as critics into question with how they dismissed Hunchback songs as being “unDisney” because they are not as bright and colorful as the “popular” songs.
Prove these critics wrong and get the soundtrack
and maybe if Hunchback products make money, Disney will see the merits of a Live-action movie.