The 40 Best Villain Songs, from Disney to Your Villain Era Playlist

What is the best villain song?

"Poor Unfortunate Souls", Ursula's song from The Little Mermaid, is often called the best villain song ever written, along with Scar's "Be Prepared" from The Lion King and Frollo's "Hellfire" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Outside of Disney, "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish and "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift are favorite songs for villains and for anyone in their villain era.

The best Disney villain songs

1. "Poor Unfortunate Souls", The Little Mermaid, 1989: the sea witch Ursula's theatrical sales pitch.
2. "Be Prepared", The Lion King, 1994: Scar's dark, marching plan to take the throne.
3. "Hellfire", The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996: Judge Frollo's chilling, choir-backed confession.
4. "Gaston", Beauty and the Beast, 1991: a rowdy tavern song in praise of the town's vainest man.
5. "Friends on the Other Side", The Princess and the Frog, 2009: Dr. Facilier's jazzy, spooky New Orleans number.
6. "Mother Knows Best", Tangled, 2010: Mother Gothel's manipulative show tune.
7. "Shiny", Moana, 2016: the giant crab Tamatoa's glam rock boast.
8. "Cruella De Vil", One Hundred and One Dalmatians, 1961: a jazzy portrait of the puppy-snatching villain.
9. "Trust in Me", The Jungle Book, 1967: the snake Kaa's hypnotic lullaby.
10. "Prince Ali (Reprise)", Aladdin, 1992: Jafar's gloating twist on the hero's parade song.
11. "Mine, Mine, Mine", Pocahontas, 1995: Governor Ratcliffe's greedy gold-rush song.
12. "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind", The Great Mouse Detective, 1986: Ratigan's song, sung by Vincent Price.
13. "Oogie Boogie's Song", The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993: a swinging, sinister big band number.
14. "This Is the Thanks I Get?!", Wish, 2023: King Magnifico's bitter rant.

Broadway villain songs

15. "Cell Block Tango", Chicago, 1975: six murderesses explain themselves.
16. "Master of the House", Les Misérables, 1985: the crooked innkeeper Thénardier's comic showstopper.
17. "Stars", Les Misérables, 1985: Inspector Javert's solemn vow.
18. "The Phantom of the Opera", The Phantom of the Opera, 1986: the Phantom's thundering title duet.
19. "Epiphany", Sweeney Todd, 1979: Sondheim's furious turning point for the demon barber.
20. "No Good Deed", Wicked, 2003: the moment Elphaba accepts being called wicked.

Songs for your villain era

21. "Bad Guy", Billie Eilish, 2019: a whispery, bass-heavy hit that won the Grammy for Record of the Year.
22. "Look What You Made Me Do", Taylor Swift, 2017: a number one about leaving her old self behind.
23. "Anti-Hero", Taylor Swift, 2022: a self-aware number one hit.
24. "Bad Blood", Taylor Swift, 2014: a revenge anthem with a star-studded video.
25. "Smooth Criminal", Michael Jackson, 1988: a gangster story with a famous lean.
26. "Bad to the Bone", George Thorogood and the Destroyers, 1982: the ultimate bad-guy entrance music.
27. "Bad Reputation", Joan Jett, 1981: a punk anthem for not caring what anyone thinks.
28. "Sympathy for the Devil", the Rolling Stones, 1968: the devil himself tells the story.
29. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears, 1985: a number one hit about power and ambition.
30. "Criminal", Fiona Apple, 1997: a sultry, Grammy-winning confession.
31. "Seven Devils", Florence and the Machine, 2011: a dramatic song made famous by a Game of Thrones trailer.
32. "Natural", Imagine Dragons, 2018: a stomping, cinematic rock anthem.
33. "Evil Woman", Electric Light Orchestra, 1975: a strutting, string-laden hit.
34. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", the Charlie Daniels Band, 1979: a fiddle duel with the devil.

Classical music for villains

35. "In the Hall of the Mountain King", Edvard Grieg: a creeping theme that gets faster and wilder.
36. "Night on Bald Mountain", Modest Mussorgsky: the witches' sabbath made famous by Disney's Fantasia.
37. "Danse Macabre", Camille Saint-Saëns: skeletons dancing in a graveyard at midnight.
38. "O Fortuna", Carl Orff: the thunderous chorus from Carmina Burana.
39. "The Imperial March", John Williams, 1980: Darth Vader's theme from The Empire Strikes Back.
40. "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor", attributed to J.S. Bach: the organ piece every haunted house needs.

What makes a great villain song?

A great villain song tells you who the villain is and what they want, and it is usually the most fun song in the show. They often borrow from cabaret, tango, jazz and big band, styles that let a performer strut, sneer and steal the scene, and they lean on minor keys, low brass and big dramatic pauses. Many are also the funniest songs in their movies, because the villain is the only character allowed to say exactly what they think.

The Disney villain song tradition

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who wrote The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and much of Aladdin, made the villain song a showcase of the Disney renaissance. Ashman reportedly modeled Ursula's swagger on the drag performer Divine, and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" plays like a Broadway number. Elton John and Tim Rice wrote "Be Prepared" for The Lion King, Menken and Stephen Schwartz wrote "Hellfire", which many fans consider the darkest song Disney ever made, and Randy Newman gave Dr. Facilier a New Orleans voodoo groove in "Friends on the Other Side". For more show tunes, see our best musical theatre songs.

What does villain era mean?

"Villain era" is a phrase that took off on social media for a time when someone stops trying to please everyone, sets boundaries and puts themselves first, often with a playful dose of attitude. A villain era playlist mixes confident, dark-edged pop like "Bad Guy", "Look What You Made Me Do" and "Anti-Hero" with rock attitude like "Bad Reputation" and "Bad to the Bone". It is meant to be empowering and fun, not actually evil.

Villain songs for Halloween and costume parties

For a Halloween party, mix the spooky Disney numbers, "Oogie Boogie's Song", "Friends on the Other Side" and "Trust in Me", with "Danse Macabre", "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" for atmosphere, and "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal" for the dance floor. For a villains-themed costume party, play each guest's villain song when they arrive. Planning a villain-themed birthday? See our birthday songs.

Villain songs for a workout

Villain music is perfect for a hard workout. "The Imperial March", "O Fortuna" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" make dramatic warm-up music, and "Natural", "Bad Guy", "Seven Devils" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" keep the intensity up through your last set. Add "Bad to the Bone" and "Sympathy for the Devil" for the cool-down walk, when you have earned a little swagger.

Villain songs for karaoke

At karaoke, these songs let you ham it up. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" and "Gaston" are crowd favorites, "Be Prepared" and "Mother Knows Best" are fun for theater lovers, and "Cell Block Tango" is a great group number if you can recruit five friends. For more, see our best karaoke songs.

A villain origin story, starring them

Every villain has an origin story. A personalized song can turn a friend's funniest habits into one: their name, their legendary stubbornness, the time they ate the last slice of cake. It makes a hilarious birthday gift or roast for someone who loves Disney villains or is proudly in their villain era. For more ideas, see our funny songs and funny love songs.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: rock, pop, jazz, classical and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them their own villain anthem: create a song and hear four previews for free.