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The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Artwork for original release
Soundtrack album by Elton John, Hans Zimmer and various artists
Released	May 31, 1994 (original release) September 30, 2003 (Special Edition)
Recorded	1992–1994
Studio	Media Ventures, Los Angeles Ocean Way, Los Angeles Snake Ranch, London Angel Recording Studios, London BOP Studios, Mmabatho
Genre	World film score pop afro pop
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: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992) The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994) Pocahontas: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (1995)
Elton John chronology
Duets (1993) The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1994) Chartbusters Go Pop (1994)
Singles from The Lion King: An Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Released: May 2, 1994 "Circle of Life" Released: August 9, 1994

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	(for 2003 Special Edition)
Robert Christgau	C
Filmtracks
Smash Hits	3/5
Sputnikmusic	5/5
Vox	(10/10)

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the eponymous Disney film. 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. Hans Zimmer was awarded an Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995. 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.

In 2010, Rhapsody included the soundtrack as one of 10 essential Disney and Pixar soundtracks.

Track listing

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

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.

Commercial performance

The soundtrack shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. and eventually was 10× platinum in 1995, thus becoming the biggest-selling soundtrack ever from Disney's 1994 animated feature film. Its certification was promoted to Diamond when the award was instituted in 1999 by the RIAA. 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.

Accolades

Personnel

Song Tracks (1–5 & 10–12)

• Elton John – composer (1–5, 10, 11, 12), piano and vocals (10, 11, 12)
• Davey Johnstone – guitar (10, 11, 12), backing vocals, (10, 11)
• Chuck Sabo – drums (10, 11, 12), backing vocals (10, 11), strings (12)
• Phil Spalding – bass (10, 11, 12), backing vocals (10, 11)
• Guy Babylon – keyboards (10, 11, 12)
• The London Community Gospel Choir – choir (10, 11, 12)
• Lebo M – vocal arranger (1, 2, 3), background vocals (1, 2, 3), co-lead vocals (1), African chant (1)
• Mark Mancina – arrangements (2, 4, 5)
• Hans Zimmer – arrangements (1, 3) music supervision (1–5)
• Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella – lead vocals (4, 5)
• Jacqueline Barron, Charles Biddle Jr., Mary Carewe and Louis Price – background vocals (2, 3)
• Richard Harvey – ethnic pipes (2, 3)
• Joseph Williams – co-lead vocals (4, 5)
• Rodney Saulsberry – background vocals (1, 4)
• Carmen Twillie – lead vocals (1)
• Jason Weaver – lead vocals (2), co-lead vocals (4)
• Jeremy Irons – spoken word and lead vocals (3)
• Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin – spoken words (3)
• Jim Cummings – co-lead vocals (3)
• Rowan Atkinson, Laura Williams – co-lead vocals (2)
• Kristle Edwards – co-lead vocals (5)
• Sally Dworski – co-lead vocals (5)
• Rick Astley, Gary Barlow, Kiki Dee – background vocals (12)
• Nick Glennie-Smith, Mbongeni Ngema, Andraé Crouch – vocal arrangements (1)
• Jay Rifkin – arrangements (4)
• Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Zolile Zulu, Terry Young, Yvonne Williams, John West, Oren Waters, Maxine Waters, Luther Waters, Julia Waters, Sam Vamplew, Thandazile, Khuluiwe S’thole, Susan D. Stevens, Sindisiwe Sokhela, Kipizane Skweyiya, Happy Skhakhane, Alfie Silas, Philile Seme, Rick Riso, Phindile, Bobbi Page, Nini Nkosi, Bongani Ngcobo, Nandi Ndlovu, Bheki Ndlovu, Thembi Mtshali, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Vusi Mhlongo, Batho Mhlongo, Myrna Matthews, Abner A. Mariri, Khanyo Maphumulo, Tsidi Manye, Rick Logan, James Langa, Ron Kunene, Thembi Kubheka, Skhumbuzo Kubheka, Stella Khumalo, Faca Khulu, Sphiwe Khanyile, Faith Kekana, Bob Joyce, Kuyanda Jezile, Matoab’sane Jali, Clydene Jackson, Linda Cgwensa, Rick Charles, Lucky Cele, Baby Cele, Johnny Britt, Terry Bradford and Maxi Anderson – choir (1)

Score Tracks (6–9)

• Hans Zimmer – arrangements
• Lebo M – vocal arrangements
• Andraé Crouch – choir arrangements
• Nick Glennie-Smith – choir arrangements
• Tonia Duvall – vocal contractor
• Don Davis, Brad Dechter, Gordon Goodwin, Don L. Harper, Larry Kenton, Dave Metzger, Conrad Pope, Carl Rydlund, Mark Watters – orchestrations
• Yvonne Moriarty – additional orchestrations, french horn
• Steve Becknell, David Duke, William Lane, Brian O'Connor, Richard Todd, Brad Warnaar, Phillip Yao – french horn
• Walt Fowler, Malcolm McNab – trumpet
• Sandy DeCrescent – orchestra contractor
• Bruce Fowler – vocal arrangements, trombone
• Alan Kaplan, Charlie Loper, Bill Reichenbach, Phillip A. Teele, Lloyd Ulyate – trombone
• Richard Harvey – flute, ethnic pipes
• Sheree Ali, Monica Zierhut – music coordinator
• Andy Hill – music supervisor

Charts

Certifications and sales

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States
• Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
• The Lion King (2019 soundtrack)

References

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External links

• The Lion King at Discogs (list of releases)

• 1994 soundtrack albums
• 1990s film soundtrack albums
• Albums produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
• Albums produced by Jay Rifkin
• Albums produced by Mark Mancina
• Disney animation soundtracks
• Elton John soundtracks
• Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children
• Hans Zimmer soundtracks
• The Lion King (franchise) albums
• Disney Renaissance soundtracks
• Walt Disney Records soundtracks
• Tim Rice albums
• Albums recorded at United Western Recorders
• Musical film soundtracks
• Scores that won the Best Original Score Academy Award
• Pop soundtracks