Disney has been a huge part of my whole life. I am a big Disney fan; I can sing the songs from the animated movies and most of the original movies as well. I tend to watch Disney whenever I need a pick-me-up and it usually does the trick. With the upbeat songs, cheesy and predictable plot lines, and the nostalgia that comes attached to some of these movies, it’s hard to resist their charm. Here I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Disney Channel original movie musicals that you can hopefully use as a mood booster.
6. The Cheetah Girls
This series is iconic and deserves all the love. The first two films are hands-down the better movies of this trilogy. This series shows the power of friendship and is all about overcoming the troubles that comes with trying to succeed. With a star-studded cast and people like Whitney Houston behind the series it is not hard to see why this was such a success. Some catchy songs from these movies include: “Cheetah Sisters,” “Amigas Cheetahs,” “Cinderella,” “Strut,” “Together We Can,” and “One World.” The Cheetah Girls is one of the first popularized Disney Channel Original Movies, which set the foundation for all future films.
5. Teen Beach Movie
This cute summer movie is not talked about that much, and it’s really sad because while the premise may seem a little cringy, it is actually a solid movie with likable characters and great music. This movie takes on a semi-popular concept of being transported into another film and then trying to get back to their original world without messing up the timeline of the film. While Teen Beach Movie didn’t rise in popularity like some of the others on this list, it is still one of my favorites as it takes inspiration from classic musicals like Grease. Some songs I enjoy are: “Falling for Ya,” “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’,” “Surf’s Up,” “Meant to Be,” and “Like Me.”
4. Descendants
With the latest installment of this trilogy coming out this past summer, the series has risen to even greater popularity with the current target audience of Disney kids. However, this is not a series to sleep on. If you don’t know, this series follows the children (or descendants) of the villains from classic animated Disney princess movies and their transition to living with the royals from their original stories. This whole trilogy has a soundtrack that incorporates many types of music genres including rap, musical theater, hip-hop, electronic, dance, and ballads. There is something for everyone to enjoy in both the soundtrack and movies in general. Some bangin’ songs are “Queen of Mean,” “Night Falls,” “Rotten to the Core,” “Ways to Be Wicked,” “What’s my Name,” and “If Only.”
3. Camp Rock
If nothing else, the Camp Rock duology launched the careers of Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers and deserves to be on this list solely because of that. But that is not the only thing going for these movies: the story and music of both the movies are very well executed. The plot, while a bit cliche, is done in a refreshing way that keeps drawing me back to these movies even though I’ve seen them more than fifty times each. I’m pretty sure that everyone has at least seen or heard of this series, especially with all the clapping/marching memes about the song “It’s On” from the second movie, but these movies are great to watch whenever you’re feeling down. Some of my favorite jams are “This is Me,” “We Rock,” “Here I Am,” “Our Time is Here,” “Brand New Day,” “Can’t Back Down,” and “Introducing Me.”
2. Lemonade Mouth
I know that some people either love or hate this movie, as it was targeted more towards teens than a younger audience. However, I personally think that this take was the right call as it gave this Disney movie a wider audience and a more upbeat soundtrack that I find myself going back to still to this day. Lemonade Mouth, like a lot of these movies, celebrates music and the importance of it in everyday life, and it does not come off as too cheesy. The only downfall of this movie is that it is a standalone that leaves you wanting more. But, that just means you can listen to the great soundtrack. Some great songs are “Somebody,” “Determinate,” “She’s So Gone,” “More Than a Band,” and “Breakthrough.”
1. High School Musical
There might not be any other Disney Channel Original Movie that is more iconic than the High School Musical trilogy. The cast, the plot, the music – everything about this series is so good! It was so popular that the third installment went to theaters instead of straight to TV. If the Cheetah Girls set the foundations for future Disney Channel movies, then the High School Musical series built the stadium for all future Disney Channel Original Movies to be played on. The whole soundtrack slaps, and if you haven’t heard a single song from High School Musical then here is one for you:
These movies have a soft spot in my heart and I hope that by watching them they can brighten up your day!
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