The Lion King (1994 soundtrack) facts for kids

{{Infobox album | name = The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | type = Soundtrack | artist = Elton John and Hans Zimmer with various artists | cover = The Lion King (soundtrack).jpg | alt = | caption = One of cover arts for the original 1994 release | released = May 31, 1994 (original release)
September 30, 2003 (Special Edition) | recorded = 1993–94 | venue = | 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 | chronology = Walt Disney Animation Studios | prev_title = Aladdin | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = Pocahontas | next_year = 1995

| misc =

The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the official music album for the 1994 Disney animated movie, The Lion King. It features amazing songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice. The background music, called the score, was created by Hans Zimmer.

Elton John not only helped write the songs but also sang on several tracks. Other talented performers on the album 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 first released on May 31, 1994, as a CD and audio cassette. The music was recorded in three different countries: the U.S., the U.K., and South Africa. This soundtrack became super popular! It's the best-selling soundtrack from an animated movie in the United States, selling over 7 million copies.

A bigger version of The Lion King soundtrack came out on June 24, 2014. It was part of the Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection series. This special edition included 30 extra minutes of music that hadn't been released before. In 2014, a cool vinyl record version of the soundtrack was also released.

Contents

• Songs on the Soundtrack

• The Legacy Collection Release

• Album's Success and Awards

• How the Album Charted
• Awards and Recognition

Songs on the Soundtrack

This section lists all the songs and musical pieces from The Lion King soundtrack.

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

The Legacy Collection Release

Walt Disney Records released a special, expanded version of The Lion King soundtrack. This version, part of Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection, includes about thirty minutes of music that was never heard before. It also has early demo versions of some songs. This new edition was carefully mixed again by Alan Meyerson to sound even better.

Album's Success and Awards

The Lion King soundtrack was a huge hit around the world! It sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. In 1995, it earned a "Diamond" award, which means it sold more than 10 million copies. This made it the best-selling soundtrack ever from an animated movie.

As of April 2014, it had sold over 7.8 million copies in the U.S. It's also the best-selling vinyl album since 1991, with over 1 million copies sold. In 2010, the music service Rhapsody called it one of the greatest Disney and Pixar soundtracks of all time.

How the Album Charted

The soundtrack reached high positions on music charts in many countries:

• It hit number 1 in Canada, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the U.S.
• It reached number 3 in Australia.
• It was in the top 10 in Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Awards and Recognition

The soundtrack and its creators won many important awards!