August 2, 2011 – The Tribute Album Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney is Released
On August 2, 2011, the tribute album by classical violinist Jenny Oaks Baker, titled When You Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney was released through Shadow Mountain Records. The album contains classical interpretations of classic Disney songs ranging from “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “God Help the Outcasts.”
August 27, 2002 – The Tribute Album Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“I only have eye for you, I love your skin so blue.”
On August 27, 2002, the tribute album to the Pixar animated feature film Monsters, Inc., entitled Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites was released through Walt Disney Records. The songs on the album were recorded by American Western and comedy band Riders in the Sky, who started their relationship with Pixar after performing the song “Woody’s Round-Up” in the film Toy Story 2. The Scream Factory Favorites album featured songs based on the film, and the instrumental piece “Big High Wire Hop,” which was featured in the short film that premiered before Monsters, Inc., For the Birds. The album would go on to win a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
May 20, 2008 – The Compilation Tribute Album Disneymania 6 is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“Music stars sing Disney, their way!”
On May 20, 2008, the sixth compilation tribute album in the Disneymania series, aptly titled Disneymania 6, was released through Walt Disney Records. The album mostly featured artists under the Hollywood Studios record label or featured on Disney Channel, such as Demi Lovato and Plain White T’s. The album had four promotional singles: “Cruella de Vil” by Selena Gomez, “That’s How You Know” by Demi Lovato, “Kiss the Girl” by Colbie Caillat, and “Real Gone” by Billy Ray Cyrus. The album peaked at number 33 on the Billboard 200.
October 25, 2011 – Tribute Album In the Key of Disney by Brian Wilson is Released
“The Beach Boys sound and the Disney people make a fantastic collaboration. I tried to do justice to all their songs.”
On October 25, 2011, the tenth studio album by recording artist Brian Wilson, titled In the Key of Disney, was released through Walt Disney Records. The second album for Disney, Wilson took his distinctive Beach Boys style and applied it to a variety of Disney staples, ranging from “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. Disney had approached Wilson with an idea for a Disney tribute album in 2009, but Wilson wished to create a Gershwin tribute album first, which he released in 2010.
September 30, 2008 – The Nightmare Before Christmas Tribute Album Nightmare Revisited is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“Boys and girls of every age, wouldn’t you like to see something strange?”
On September 30, 2008, the tribute album for the animated feature The Nightmare Before Christmas, titled Nightmare Revisited, was released through Walt Disney Records. The album was released to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the cult classic film, and featured a myriad of artists with their renditions of the film’s songs. Evanescence vocalist promoted the album by performing her cover of “Sally’s Song” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Other artists featured on the album were Marilyn Manson, Korn, and Plain White T’s. The album went on to peak at number 31 on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Billboard Top Compilation Albums.
April 1, 2003 – The Tribute Album O Mickey, Where Art Thou is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“The voices of Bluegrass sing the best of Disney”
On April 1, 2003, the compilation tribute album O Mickey, Where Art Thou was released through Walt Disney Records. The album featured a Bluegrass take on classic Disney songs, from “When You Wish Upon a Star” to “When Somebody Loved Me,” by stars of the genre, including Elizabeth Cook and Stonewall Jackson. The album received mostly mixed reviews. It peaked at number 21 on Billboard’s Top Kid Audio chart, and 51 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart.
September 17, 2002 – The Compilation Album Disneymania is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“Superstar artists sing Disney…their way!”
On September 17, 2002, the first album in the Disneymania series, Disneymania (also known as Disneymania 1) was released through Walt Disney Records. The idea of the album was to have popular modern musical artists perform various Disney standards, with some songs having music videos released on the Platinum Releases of Disney animated films. The album peaked at number 52 on the Billboard 200 chart, and achieved Gold certification status from the RIAA. Artists involved in this project included Usher, N’Sync, Hilary Duff, and Jessica Simpson. Four singles were released to promote the album: “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera, “Beauty and the Beast” by Jump5, “Colors of the Wind” by Ashanti and Lil’Sis Shi Shi, and “I Wanna Be Like You” by Smash Mouth.
May 26, 2009 – The Compilation Album Disney Pixar Greatest is Released Through Walt Disney Records
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, we stick together, we can see it through ‘cause you’ve got a friend in me, yeah, you’ve got a friend in me.”
On May 26, 2009, the compilation album Disney Pixar Greatest was released through Walt Disney Records. The album contains a mix of songs and scores from the Pixar films released through 2009, ending with Up. The scores, composed by Randy Newman, Thomas Newman, and Michael Giacchino, are recognizable pieces from the films, including Randy Newman’s “The Scare Floor” from Monsters, Inc., Thomas Newman’s “Define Dancing” from WALL-E, and Michael Giacchino’s “Carl Goes Up” from Up.
December 30, 1957 – The Dave Brubeck Quartet Album Dave Digs Disney is Released on LP
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“Dave [Brubeck] was ahead of his time tapping into the Disney songbook. Look at how many artists have done the same since.” – Album Producer George Avakian
On December 30, 1957, the jazz album Dave Digs Disney by the Dave Brubeck Quartet was released on LP. Inspired by a family trip to Disneyland, pianist Dave Brubeck and alto saxophonist Paul Desmond began composing jazz variations of classic Disney tunes. The album is notable for being the first time a modern jazz group took Disney songs seriously, and one of the first times a musician devoted an entire album to interpretations of Disney classics. The album has been reissued over the years, to cassette tape, CD, and digital format.
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