The Toy Story franchise has spanned decades and features eight songs across four films that have become part of the soundtrack of many children’s lives, which can be ranked from worst to best. Randy Newman has served as the composer and writer for all four Toy Story films, and while a few of the songs were recorded by other artists, Newman was the mastermind behind them all. With Newman’s country influence, the eight songs in the Toy Story franchise musically range from Western to upbeat to ballads.
Of the eight songs in the Toy Story franchise, four have been nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, with Toy Story 3 taking home the award in 2010. This is just one testament to the brilliant songwriting and composing of Newman, who has a gift for writing songs that can be fun, catchy, memorable, heartbreaking, and relatable to audiences of all ages. Newman did not compose the score for the 2022 spinoff film Lightyear, which was not a success. Buzz’s ending means Toy Story 5 has to happen, and viewers can only hope that if it does, Newman will be involved once again.
8/8: Woody’s Roundup
“Woody’s Roundup” is the one song in this ranking that appears diegetically in the films, as it is the theme song for the fictional old black-and-white series that the toys of Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete The Prospector all come from. It’s a short, catchy, repetitive tune from Toy Story 2 performed by Riders In The Sky, who bring the classic Western sound that’s perfect for the show within the movie. Its place at the bottom of the list is evidence of how great the songs of the Toy Story franchise are, and had they not gone the Lightyear route, Woody’s Roundup would’ve been Pixar’s best spinoff.
7/8: Strange Things
“Strange Things” is the second song that plays in Toy Story, and while a great song, it has the unfortunate task of playing not even 20 minutes after the franchise’s most well-known and iconic song, “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” It’s an upbeat song on the surface, but the lyrics, in Woody’s point of view, convey his sadness for being replaced by Buzz as Andy’s favorite toy. This also allows for a humorous lyric that refers to Buzz as “some little punk in a rocket.” Had it not been overshadowed by the song that precedes it, perhaps it could have earned a higher spot in this ranking.
6/8: The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy
While there’s a theory that Woody’s ending was never happy, “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy,” which plays over the laugh-out-loud end credits of Toy Story 4, leaves listeners feeling a sense of pride for Woody’s growth. In a similar vein to “Woody’s Roundup,” it feels like a theme song, but for Woody, the Toy Story character, rather than the fictional sheriff his toy was created from. The repetition of “I was a lonesome cowboy/But not anymore,” sung by country star Chris Stapleton, beautifully tells Woody’s entire story in just one line.
Newman’s version appears on the Toy Story 4 soundtrack, but Stapleton was the right choice as the singer for the actual film. While Newman’s singing style borders on country, an actual country singer was required to fit in with the theme, similarly to what Riders In The Sky did for “Woody’s Roundup.” Woody could get a Toy Story origin movie, but if “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy” marks the end of Woody, at least it’s a satisfying one. Yet, as the most recent addition to the Toy Story franchise, it’s hard to compete with the more established songs that have higher spots in this ranking.
5/8: I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away
Just above “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy” is the other original song from Toy Story 4, which also includes lyrics written from Woody’s point of view. What earns “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” a higher spot is partially the scene it plays over that drives home the double meaning of the lyrics. In the scene, Woody is literally trying to stop Forky, who can explain a Toy Story mystery by being able to speak, from throwing himself in the trash. On a deeper level, it’s about not letting the people you care about believe they are replaceable or disposable.
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” has Newman doing what he does best–making a song that can be catchy and fun for children, but also deep and meaningful in a way that teaches them a good life lesson. The addition of a choir to back Newman up during the chorus along with the percussion gives the song a gospel vibe that makes it stand out among the other Toy Story songs on this ranking. However, it has a similar issue to its companion song, which is that Toy Story 4 doesn’t yet have the same impact as the previous films.
4/8: We Belong Together
The ending of the third film is extremely emotional, although there was an alternate dark Toy Story 3 gag ending that would have likely been traumatizing. Luckily, this was just a gag and viewers can wipe their tears while listening to “We Belong Together,” which plays during the end credits. It is the only Toy Story franchise song to win Best Original Song, which could come as a shock, though “Colors Of The Wind” and “You’ll Be In My Heart” winning in 1995 and 1999 might help explain things.
“We Belong Together” is nice and upbeat, with lyrics that fit in with Toy Story 3’s bittersweet ending, as they start off on the sadder side, alluding to the end of Andy’s relationship with the toys. The chorus reveals the true meaning of the song and the Toy Story franchise, which is that it’s not just about toys belonging to a child, but the toys belonging together as well. The credits show them expanding their family as they join every toy Bonnie has. As sad as Andy growing up and leaving the toys behind is, it has also brought Woody, Buzz, and the gang closer together.
3/8: I Will Go Sailing No More
“I Will Go Sailing No More” is the third and final song from the first Toy Story film, but the first to be sung from the point of view of Buzz Lightyear. Woody has a smile of amazement when he first sees and hears “Woody’s Roundup” in Toy Story 2, but when Buzz comes across a commercial for the Buzz Lightyear toy with a disclaimer that he can’t fly in Toy Story, he realizes that Woody was right, he’s a toy, not a space ranger. This leads to Woody’s most important lesson, which Lightyear forgot, which is that the toys have their own purpose.
The song starts with Buzz in a place of defiance as he attempts to fly out of Sid’s house, but ends in a place of resignation as he fails and is left lying alone with a broken arm. The final line, “clearly, I/Will go sailing no more” is an emotional gut punch for both Buzz and the viewers. Luckily, Buzz will learn how to “fall with style” and accept himself by the end, but the heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics and Newman’s powerful singing make it a top three Toy Story franchise song.
2/8: You’ve Got A Friend In Me
“You’ve Got A Friend In Me” is both the first song and the musical heart of the Toy Story franchise, introducing viewers to the toys and Andy, who looks very different in Toy Story 4. It’s not a long song and the lyrics are pretty repetitive, but Newman uses this as an advantage. It’s both easy to remember and for kids to sing along with. With this song, Newman creates an instant sense of nostalgia, which explains why Toy Story returns to it in the third and fourth films. “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” and Toy Story have become synonymous over the years.
1/8: When She Loved Me
“You’ve Got A Friend In Me” might have seemed like the obvious choice for number one, meaning it took an extremely special song to topple it, and “When She Loved Me” manages to do just that. Toy Story 2 was famously accidentally deleted, but thankfully it was recovered, otherwise, viewers might have missed out on this song and the introduction of Jessie. “When She Loved Me” is written from Jessie’s perspective, naturally making it the only song of the eight sung by a woman, and Sarah McLachlan was a perfect choice as well due to her penchant for sad piano ballads.
“When She Loved Me” represents the sad reality for most toys, which is that eventually, they will become a “lost toy.” Hearing McLachlan and seeing Jessie lonely under Emily’s bed is sure to make viewers think of everything/everyone they left behind, or all the times they have been/felt left behind. It’s definitely the most poignant and reflective song of the Toy Story franchise, making it number one in this ranking.
