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==Music== {{Main|The Lion King (1994 soundtrack)|l1=''The Lion King'' (1994 soundtrack)}} Lyricist [[Tim Rice]], who was working with composer [[Alan Menken]] on songs for ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' (1992), was invited to write songs for ''The Lion King'', and accepted on the condition of bringing in a composing partner. As Menken was unavailable, the producers accepted Rice's suggestion of [[Elton John]],<ref name="making" /> after Rice's invitation of [[ABBA]] fell through due to [[Benny Andersson]]'s commitments to the stage musical ''[[Kristina från Duvemåla]]''.<ref name="pride" /> John expressed an interest in writing "ultra-pop songs that kids would like; then adults can go and see those movies and get just as much pleasure out of them", mentioning a possible influence of ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (1967), where he felt the "music was so funny and appealed to kids and adults".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Elton John: The Billboard Interview|last=White|first=Timothy|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|pages=95–96|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27|date=October 4, 1997|via=Google Books|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=September 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928214157/http://books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27|url-status=live}}</ref> Rice and John wrote five original songs for ''The Lion King'' ("[[Circle of Life]]", "[[I Just Can't Wait to Be King]]", "[[Be Prepared (Disney song)|Be Prepared]]", "[[Hakuna Matata (song)|Hakuna Matata]]", and "[[Can You Feel the Love Tonight]]"), with John's performance of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" playing over the end credits.<ref name="music" /> The [[IMAX]] and DVD releases added another song, "The Morning Report", based on a song discarded during development that eventually featured in the [[The Lion King (musical)|live musical version of ''The Lion King'']].<ref>{{cite AV media | title =The Making of The Morning Report|location=The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1) | medium =DVD | publisher =[[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | year=2003}}</ref> The score was composed by [[Hans Zimmer]], who was hired based on his earlier work on two films in African settings, ''[[A World Apart (1988 film)|A World Apart]]'' (1988) and ''[[The Power of One (film)|The Power of One]]'' (1992),{{sfn|Finch|1994|pp=192–193}} and supplemented the score with traditional native African music and choir elements arranged by [[Lebo M]].<ref name="music">{{cite AV media | title =The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), Music: African Influence | medium =DVD | publisher =[[Walt Disney Home Entertainment]] | year=2003}}</ref> Zimmer said while uninterested at first due to a dislike of Broadway musicals, accepted the job to have a work he could watch with his daughter, and given he also lost his father as a child, used that as inspiration for the music regarding Mufasa's death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/hans-zimmer-ridley-scott-denis-villeneuve-christopher-nolan-timothee-chalamet-b1217562.html|title=Hans Zimmer says childhood trauma ‘poured out’ while composing The Lion King|work=The Standard|author=Roberts, Hannah|date=19 March 2025|accessdate=13 April 2025}}</ref> Zimmer's partners [[Mark Mancina]] and [[Jay Rifkin]] helped with arrangements and song production.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=The Lion King |others=Hans Zimmer, Elton John, Tim Rice |publisher=[[Walt Disney Records]] |type=Booklet |year=1994 |id=60858-7}}</ref> Jason Weaver recorded his song vocals as young Simba for "I Just Can't Wait to be King," "Hakuna Matata," and an unused song, 'Warthog Rhapsody," the day he came in for what was supposed to be an audition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-24 |title=The Lion King {{!}} BTS: The Voices - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8unYvxjlPY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731201636/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8unYvxjlPY |archive-date=July 31, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> His mother turned down Disney's initial financial offer and negotiated a fee of $100,000 plus royalties.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Spencer |first=Ashley |date=2024-06-24 |title='The Lion King' at 30: Jason Weaver Sang for Simba but Few Knew It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/24/movies/lion-king-simba-jason-weaver.html |access-date=2025-01-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The ''Lion King'' original motion picture soundtrack was released by [[Walt Disney Records]] on April 27, 1994. It was the fourth-best-selling album of the year on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and the top-selling soundtrack.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601191853/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200 |archive-date=June 1, 2008 |title=Year-end 1994 Billboard 200|access-date=August 5, 2008 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> It is the only soundtrack to an animated film to be [[RIAA certification|certified Diamond]] (10× platinum) by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. Zimmer's complete instrumental score for the film was never originally given a full release, until the soundtrack's commemorative [[Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection#The Lion King|twentieth anniversary re-release]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Grisham|first1=Lori|title=Walt Disney Records to release legacy collection|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/|access-date=June 25, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|date=May 7, 2014|archive-date=September 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914072407/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Lion King'' also inspired the 1995 release ''[[Rhythm of the Pride Lands]]'', with eight songs by Zimmer, Mancina, and Lebo M.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Rhythm of the Pride Lands: The Musical Journey Continues ...|magazine=Billboard|date=January 5, 1995|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=July 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704181925/http://books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80|url-status=live}}</ref> The use of the song "[[The Lion Sleeps Tonight]]" in a scene with Timon and Pumbaa led to disputes between Disney and the family of South African [[Solomon Linda]], who composed the song (originally titled "Mbube") in 1939. In July 2004, Linda's family filed a lawsuit, seeking $1.6 million in royalties from Disney. In February 2006, Linda's heirs reached a settlement with Abilene Music, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney for an undisclosed amount of money.<ref name="undisclosed">{{cite news|work=BBC News|date=February 16, 2006|title=Disney settles Lion song dispute|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm|access-date=August 12, 2008|archive-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222062508/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
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