With Halloween coming to a close and Thanksgiving increasingly being passed over, it’s only right to move to the next big thing: the winter holidays. When it comes to Halloween and Christmas there’s no better blend than Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. So get yourself in the holiday spirit with this ranked list of the songs from this musical masterpiece. -AP
10. Making Christmas
The citizens of Halloweentown make their own version of Christmas. The lyrics are the simplest of all the songs and it’s my least favorite. It is nice to see their creations, but this is the only song that doesn’t really work as a song without the visuals.
9. Town Meeting Song
Jack presents Christmas to the citizens of Halloweentown and they just don’t understand. It’s amusing to hear all of the citizens’ ideas about each thing he presents. He tries his hardest to convey the wonderment and finally portrays Santa as a monster to keep the crowd happy. At the end, Jack feels the same because no on understands.
8. What’s This?
Jack stumbles into Christmastown and is introduced to things he’s never seen before: snow, toys, pies, and peace. The longing he’s been feeling is gone and he’s happy for the first time in the movie.
7. Poor Jack
Jack has been blown out of the sky and mourns the failure of his Christmas. He realizes he was arrogant and wrong. His mood has peaks and valleys that the music follows perfectly. He ends reclaiming his Pumpkin King identity and resolves to save Santa.
6. Oogie Boogie’s Song
Oogie Boogie has his own jazz style, apart from all of the other songs. He relishes in his evil deeds and has fun doing them. Gambling is his game and he cheats when he doesn’t win legitimately. Ken Page sings the hell out of this song and makes it hard to hate this villain.
5. Kidnap the Sandy Claws
Lock, Shock, and Barrell talk about the various ways they will kill Santa with such unadulterated glee. Of course, they can’t even sing a song without bickering amongst themselves, establishing their relationship and showing who they are behind the masks.
4. Sally’s Song
Sally muses through her feelings accompanied by the street musicians. The non-orchestral insrumentation sets it apart from the rest. It’s a heartfelt, short, and simple song where she shows her unrequited feelings for Jack and her worry for his plan to take over Christmas. Her concerns keep her from celebrating with everyone else.
3. This is Halloween
The first song in the film establishes Halloweentown and their odd brand of creepy, cute, and fun. All of the characters are introduced and most sing a small solo. It’s adorable and catchy.
2. Jack’s Lament
Jack articulates his loneliness and sadness in the cemetery alone (he thinks). Sally listens from behind a gravestone and longs to talk to him, but stays hidden. This song captures his feelings exactly, showing both his fierce nature and the longing within.
1. Finale/Reprise
This song takes place at the very end of the film. Jack has arrived victorious, but this is number one because of the sweet moment where Jack and Sally finally express their feelings for each other. Warm fuzzy feelings all around.