Many of the Toy Story franchise’s best moments are defined by music. Acclaimed composer Randy Newman worked on all four Toy Story movies and wrote original music that is integral to the beloved and enduring legacy of the long-running Pixar franchise. Newman received numerous Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations for his work on the Toy Story movies. Toy Story 3 earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture.
Newman’s songs are widely recognized and celebrated largely because of how they enhance the Toy Story franchise’s best scenes. Toy Story and its sequels stand the test of time because of the authentic emotion and timeless lessons embedded into the entertaining and family-friendly stories. The franchise is set to further expand with Toy Story 5‘s upcoming release, but there are already many memorable musical moments, with the best being when the story, character development, and themes are memorably elevated by the music.
10
“What About Daisy?”
Toy Story 3
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Toy Story 3 features the origin story of Lotso (Ned Beatty), the toy bear who has taken over Sunnyside Daycare. The heartbreaking montage is narrated by Chuckles the Clown (Bud Luckey), who explains that he, Lotso, and Big Baby once belonged to a girl named Daisy. Newman’s music is joyful and light as the montage shows Daisy playing with all three toys, especially Lotso, who was her favorite and who she never went anywhere without. The music takes a harsher turn when, after being forgotten at a rest stop, Lotso returns home to see that he has been replaced.
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Lotso’s anger is palpable and only escalates further when Chuckles tries to point out that Daisy only replaced him and not all of them. Lotso’s villainous turn is complete with the dramatic music that plays when he, Chuckles, and Big Baby are thrown from a Pizza Planet truck next to Sunnyside Daycare, which will be tormented by Lotso and his unresolved resentment toward Daisy. While “What About Daisy?” is effective in delivering Lotso’s backstory, it pales in comparison with a similar and even more heartbreaking musical scene in Toy Story 2.
9
“Zurg’s Planet”
Toy Story 2
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Toy Story 2 begins with a memorable scene in which Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) flies through space to the planet of his archnemesis, Emperor Zurg (Andrew Stanton). The music has an otherworldly sound to it that makes the scene feel straight out of the opening of an actual science-fiction movie. When Buzz runs down a hallway as an array of spikes closes in on him, the music gets louder and builds, making it feel all the more suspenseful as Buzz narrowly escapes one of Zurg’s many traps.
After falling into a seemingly endless abyss below, Buzz is able to fly upward, creating a sense of relief and victory as triumphant music blares. The many musical shifts throughout the scene help heighten Buzz’s shifting emotions as he narrowly evades the various threats thrown his way, until he is defeated by Zurg. However, the reveal of the whole sequence being from a video game that Rex (Wallace Shawn) is playing ultimately makes this moment less impactful than others in the franchise.
8
“Woody’s Roundup”
Toy Story 2
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In Toy Story 2, Woody (Tom Hanks) learns that he is modeled after the main character of an old children’s television show called Woody’s Roundup. The “Woody’s Roundup” song, which plays at the beginning of each episode, genuinely sounds as if it could be from an old television series. The music sounds like it belongs in a Saturday morning cartoon that is nostalgically remembered. It also helps Woody feel as if he is transported into a world he never knew existed.
The song is one of the few places where the phrase “rootinest tootinest” is ever used, but it only makes the show more charming to watch.
In the style of an older show, “Woody’s Roundup” individually highlights each of the main characters in its lyrics. This includes not only Woody, but Jessie (Joan Cusack), Bullseye, and Stinky Pete (Kelsey Grammer). The song is one of the few places where the phrase “rootinest tootinest” is ever used, but it only makes the show more charming to watch. This music does lose some of its charm, though, given how the show connects to Toy Story 2‘s villains.
7
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself”
Toy Story 4
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Since Forky (Tony Hale) believes he is trash and not a toy, he keeps trying to throw himself away in Toy Story 4. This leads to the aptly titled “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” song as Woody continually runs after Forky before he can dispose of himself in a trash can. Forky is Bonnie’s (Madeleine McGraw) new favorite toy, and regardless of what Forky wants, Woody knows what it means for a child to have a favorite toy, and does not want Bonnie to lose hers.
Woody repeatedly struggling with Forky and his trashcan obsession makes for a humorous sequence. The repetition of the lyrics “I can’t let you” and “I can’t let you throw yourself away” help emphasize Woody’s determination, even as Forky’s attempts to truly become trash grow bolder. This is the second-best musical moment of Toy Story 4 and the movie’s best song with lyrics. However, it is surpassed by one musical moment that is more emotional.
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“Parting Gifts & New Horizons”
Toy Story 4
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Toy Story 4‘s emotional ending sees Woody choosing to stay behind with Bo Peep (Annie Potts) instead of returning with Buzz to Bonnie. Woody and Buzz’s friendship is one of the best in cinematic history, and even if they are parting ways for good reasons, it is still a bittersweet moment. “Parting Gifts and New Horizons” takes the viewer through a rollercoaster of emotions as it begins with sadder music before transitioning into more hopeful notes as Buzz tells Woody, “She’ll be okay.”
Bo Peep’s story between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 4 is told in the Disney+ short movie Lamp Life.
It initially seems as though Buzz is referring to Bo Peep, but he clarifies that he is actually talking about Bonnie. He understands that what Woody needs is to begin a new adventure with Bo Peep and is letting Woody know that he supports him. Woody and Buzz’s Toy Story 5 return threatens to undermine the emotional impact of this ending, but for now, it remains well done, in large part to “Parting Gifts and New Horizons.” It is the best musical moment of Toy Story 4, but is not as musically memorable as some moments in the earlier movies.
5
“The Claw”
Toy Story 3
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Toy Story 3 has the most intense scene in the entire franchise as Woody and the other toys descend into a incinerator and believe, for a moment, that they are going to die. The dramatic music that plays as the toys hold hands and accept their fate makes the moment believable that the animated sequel might just be bold enough to do this. Thankfully, such a grim ending is avoided thanks to the Pizza Planet aliens, who use the incinerator’s claw to scoop up the toys before it is too late.
The hopeful surge of music that can be heard as the claw carries the toys away from fiery oblivion elicits a genuine feeling of relief. While the scene nearly goes to an incredibly dark place, the claw works as a perfect use of deus ex machina, making it a fitting title for the song. “The Claw” is easily the most emotional and memorable moment whose music is purely instrumental in the franchise. It is only outranked by songs that include lyrics, which helps give them more of a legacy.
4
“Strange Things”
Toy Story
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“Strange Things” captures how Woody feels as he is supplanted by Buzz, who becomes Andy’s (John Morris) favorite toy in Toy Story. The lyrics do a great deal to support Woody’s shocked, hurt, and frustrated expressions throughout the scene. “I was on top of the world” and “You’re in it all by yourself” are among the song’s many effective lines that help communicate how lost Woody feels as he is replaced. Not only does Andy play with Buzz more, but the decor of Andy’s room changes, with even the bedsheets and posters on the wall now featuring Buzz.
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While the Toy Story movies are literally about toys, they hold up well because the toys’ struggles and emotions feel real. “Strange Things” is a perfect example of that, with its ability to encapsulate the feeling of overwhelming hurt and betrayal that comes with being replaced and pushed aside. Since Woody and Buzz end up becoming such close friends, this earlier scene is not as memorable as some of their other scenes, but it is because of earlier moments like this that makes it rewarding when their friendship later forms.
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“I Will Go Sailing No More”
Toy Story
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When he sees a commercial advertising Buzz Lightyear toys, Buzz finally realizes that Woody was right about him being a toy instead of a real space ranger. This shattering of Buzz’s reality is accentuated by Newman’s melancholy original song, “I Will Go Sailing No More.” The song plays as Buzz sees the word “Made in Taiwan” on him and as he walks to the railing, which he jumps off of in an attempt to fly. Of course, the attempt ends badly, with Buzz crashing to the ground and one of his arms breaking off.
Toy Story is often thought of as a joyful story, but the movies are also unafraid to lean into sadness when it is appropriate. Buzz having his entire reality upended is a moment where sadness is the appropriate emotion, and Newman’s voice conveys that with his music and the lyrics. Even the title, “I Will Go Sailing No More” is devastating, and that feeling is only further heightened as Buzz learns the hard way that he has been living a lie. The music works perfectly in the scene, but there are two other songs that are even more memorable.
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“When She Loved Me”
Toy Story 2
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Nothing is sadder in the Toy Story franchise than the scene where Jessie’s backstory is revealed. No narration or even dialogue is needed, as the heartbreaking story is told purely through animation and the song “When She Loved Me,” which is written by Newman and performed by Sarah McLachlan. The song shares everything that needs to be known about how much Jessie’s owner, Emily, loved her favorite toy dearly, until she outgrew her.
Jessie’s belief that Woody should not go back to Andy feels more justifiable once her backstory is told.
Jessie spends years underneath Emily’s bed, hoping she will be played with again, only to see that hope shattered when she is put in a box and forever abandoned by the girl who once fiercely loved her. Jessie’s belief that Woody should not go back to Andy feels more justifiable once her backstory is told. “When She Loved Me” is powerful, but Toy Story is ultimately a hopeful franchise, which is why the movies’ best musical moment is more uplifting.
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“You’ve Got a Friend In Me”
Toy Story 2
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“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is the most well-known song from the Toy Story movies that embodies Woody and Buzz’s friendship and the franchise’s many positive themes. The song is used in every Toy Story movie, but its best use is at the end of Toy Story 2. When the squeaker of Wheezy (Joe Ranft and Robert Goulet) is fixed, he says he feels a song coming on, and proceeds to sing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” in a Frank Sinatra-inspired manner.
It is a joyful way to end Toy Story 2 and is made more meaningful by Woody sharing that he is comforted by knowing that even when his time with Andy ends, he will still have his best friend, Buzz, beside him. The song ends the movie in style while also emphasizing Woody’s character growth. All the music in the Toy Story franchise is wonderful, but few are as universally recognized and immediately associated with the movies as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
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Toy Story
Toy Story is a beloved animated franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The series centers on the secret life of toys, primarily focusing on the friendship between Woody, a cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure. The films explore themes of friendship, loyalty, and growing up, resonating with audiences of all ages. Toy Story is widely credited with revolutionizing animation, as the first film was the first fully computer-animated feature. The franchise is not only a critical success but also a cultural icon, influencing a generation of films and storytelling in animation.
Created by
John Lasseter
, Pete Docter
, Andrew Stanton
, Joe Ranft
First Film
Toy Story
Cast
Tom Hanks
, Tim Allen
, Don Rickles
, Jim Varney
, Wallace Shawn
, John Ratzenberger
, Annie Potts
, Joan Cusack
, Michael Keaton
, Estelle Harris
Spin-offs (Movies)
Lightyear