# The Lion King (1994 soundtrack)

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

Awards :
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Won |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | "Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | "Hakuna Matata" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Score | Hans Zimmer | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Original Music | Hans Zimmer | Nominated |
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Sound | Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David Hudson, Doc Kane | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | "Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Score | Hans Zimmer | Won |
| Grammy Awards | Song of the Year | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Song of the Year | "Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television | "Circle of Life" – Elton John and Tim Rice | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Hans Zimmer | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" performed by Elton John | Won |
| Grammy Awards | Best Musical Album for Children | Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas, Hans Zimmer | Won |
| Grammy Awards | Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) | Hans Zimmer and Lebo Morake – "Circle of Life" (performed by Carmen Twillie) | Won |
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Song from a Movie | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John | Nominated |

## 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 horns
* 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 – trombones
* Richard Harvey – flute, ethnic pipes
* Sheree Ali, Monica Zierhut – music coordinator
* Andy Hill – music supervisor

## Certifications and sales

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Original album release |||
| Australia (ARIA) | 4× Platinum | 280,000$^^$ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Platinum | 50,000$^*$ |
| Belgium (BEA) | Platinum | 50,000$^*$ |
| Brazil | — | 1,200,000 |
| Canada (Music Canada) | Diamond | 1,200,000 |
| China | — | 1,000,000 |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | Platinum | 20,000$^‡$ |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 1,000,000 |
| Germany (BVMI) | 3× Platinum | 1,500,000$^^$ |
| Italy | — | 600,000 |
| Japan (RIAJ) | Gold | 150,000 |
| Netherlands (NVPI) Mercury Records B.V. edition | Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) Universal Music edition | Gold | 50,000$^^$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000$^^$ |
| Poland (ZPAV) | Gold | 50,000$^*$ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 50,000$^^$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | 2× Platinum | 100,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 300,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Diamond | 10,000,000$^^$ |
| Summaries |||
| Europe (IFPI) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000$^*$ |
| Original cast recording |||
| Australia (ARIA) | Gold | 35,000$^^$ |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 100,000$^*$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 250,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^‡$ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000$^^$ |
| Sing-Along shortform |||
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 60,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000$^^$ |
| Hans Zimmer Re-release |||
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000$^‡$ |
| Summaries |||
| Worldwide | — | 20,000,000 |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||