The Lion King (1994 soundtrack) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

One of cover arts for the original 1994 release

Soundtrack album by

Elton John and Hans Zimmer with various artists

Released

May 31, 1994 (original release)
September 30, 2003 (Special Edition)

Recorded

1993–94

Studio

Media Ventures, Los Angeles
Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles
Snake Ranch, London
Angel Recording Studios, London
BOP studios, Mmabatho

Genre

Pop, world, film score

Length

46:40 (1994 original release)
52:08 (2003 Special Edition)

Label

Walt Disney

Producer

Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas

Walt Disney Animation Studios chronology

Aladdin
(1992)

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1994)

Pocahontas
(1995)

Elton John chronology

Duets
(1993)

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1994)

Chartbusters Go Pop
(1994)

Professional ratings
Source	Rating
AllMusic	(for 2003 Special Edition)
Robert Christgau	C
Filmtracks
Vox	(10/10)

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the 1994 Disney animated film, The Lion King. It contains songs from the film written by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. Elton John has a dual role of performer for several tracks. Additional performers include Lebo M, Carmen Twillie, Jason Weaver, Rowan Atkinson, Joseph Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeremy Irons, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, and Sally Dworsky. The album was released on May 31, 1994 on CD and audio cassette. The soundtrack was recorded in three different countries: the U.S., the U.K. and South Africa. It is the best-selling soundtrack album to an animated film in the United States with over 7 million copies sold, with 4,934,000 copies sold in 1994.

An expanded version of The Lion King soundtrack, featuring 30 minutes of previously-unreleased material, was released as part of the Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection series on June 24, 2014. In 2014, Hot Topic released a vinyl picture disc of the soundtrack.

Track listing
- The Legacy Collection release
Chart and commercial success
- Charts
Certifications
- Accolades

Track listing

All music composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. All scores composed by Hans Zimmer.

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Circle of Life"	Carmen Twillie Lebo M.	3:59
2.	"I Just Can't Wait to Be King"	Jason Weaver Rowan Atkinson Laura Williams	2:50
3.	"Be Prepared"	Jeremy Irons Whoopi Goldberg Cheech Marin Jim Cummings	3:40
4.	"Hakuna Matata"	Nathan Lane Ernie Sabella Jason Weaver Joseph Williams	3:33
5.	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"	Joseph Williams Sally Dworsky Nathan Lane Ernie Sabella Kristle Edwards	2:57
6.	"This Land" (score)	Hans Zimmer	2:55
7.	"...To Die For" (score)	Hans Zimmer	4:17
8.	"Under the Stars" (score)	Hans Zimmer	3:45
9.	"King of Pride Rock" (score)	Hans Zimmer	5:59
10.	"Circle of Life"	Elton John	4:51
11.	"I Just Can't Wait to Be King"	Elton John	3:37
12.	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (end title)	Elton John	4:01
Total length:			46:40

The Lion King: Special Edition
No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
13.	"The Morning Report"	James Earl Jones Jeff Bennett Evan Saucedo	1:36
14.	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (remix)	Elton John	4:08
Total length:			52:24

The Legacy Collection release

Walt Disney Records released an expanded edition of The Lion King soundtrack containing an additional thirty minutes of previously unreleased material from the film, as well as a collection of demo versions of cues. This revision contains a new remastered mix by Alan Meyerson.

Chart and commercial success

The soundtrack shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. and eventually went 10x platinum in 1995, thus becoming the biggest-selling soundtrack ever from an animated film. Its certification was promoted to Diamond when the award was instituted in 1999. According to Nielsen Soundscan the soundtrack, as of April 2014, has sold a total of 7.873 million copies in the US. It is also the best-selling vinyl album in the Nielsen SoundScan era (starting 1991), with 1,043,000 copies sold as of June 2014.

In 2010, Rhapsody called it one of the all-time great Disney and Pixar Soundtracks.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak position
Australian ARIA Album Chart	3
Austrian Albums Chart	4
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)	16
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)	5
Canadian RPM Albums Chart	1
Dutch Albums Chart	6
Finnish Albums Chart	19
French SNEP Albums Chart	1
German Media Control Albums Chart	7
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart	20
New Zealand Albums Chart	1
Swedish Albums Chart	4
Swiss Albums Chart	1
U.S. Billboard 200	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	6
Canadian Albums Chart	4
French Albums Chart	4
U.S. Billboard 200	4
Chart (1995)	Position
Australian Albums Chart	32
Austrian Albums Chart	17
Canadian Albums Chart	26
German Albums Chart	37
Swiss Albums Chart	19
U.S. Billboard 200	10

Decade-end charts

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard 200	21

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales
Original album release
Australia (ARIA)	4× Platinum	280,000^{^}
Austria (IFPI Austria)	Platinum	50,000^x
Belgium (BEA)	Platinum	50,000^*
Brazil		1,200,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)	Diamond	1,000,000^{^}
China		1,000,000
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)	Platinum	50,000^{^}
France (SNEP)	Platinum	1,260,000^*
Germany (BVMI)	3× Platinum	1,500,000^{^}
Japan (RIAJ)	Gold	150,000^{^}
Netherlands (NVPI) Mercury Records B.V. edition	Platinum	100,000^{^}
Netherlands (NVPI) Universal Music edition	Gold	50,000^{^}
New Zealand (RIANZ)	Platinum	15,000^{^}
Poland (ZPAV)	Gold	50,000^*
Sweden (GLF)	Gold	50,000^{^}
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)	2× Platinum	100,000^x
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum	300,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)	Diamond	10,000,000^{^}
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)	3× Platinum	3,000,000^*
Original cast recording
Australia (ARIA)	Gold	35,000^{^}
France (SNEP)	Gold	100,000^*
Germany (BVMI)	Gold	250,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver	60,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
Sing-Along shortform
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver	60,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)	2× Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
Hans Zimmer Re-release
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver	60,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Accolades

Awards
Award	Category	Recipient(s) and nominee(s)	Result
Academy Awards	Best Original Song	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Won
		"Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
		"Hakuna Matata" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
	Best Original Score	Hans Zimmer	Won
Golden Globe Awards	Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy	Don Hahn	Won
	Best Original Song	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Won
	Best Original Song	"Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
	Best Original Score	Hans Zimmer	Won
Grammy Awards	Song of the Year	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
	Song of the Year	"Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
	Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
		"Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice	Nominated
	Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media	Hans Zimmer	Nominated
	Best Male Pop Vocal Performance	"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" performed by Elton John	Won
	Best Musical Album for Children	Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas, Hans Zimmer	Won
	Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)	Hans Zimmer and Lebo Morake – "Circle of Life" performed by Carmen Twillie	Won

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The Lion King (1994 soundtrack) facts for kids

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