If you were a child in the '90s—or you were ever within 5 feet of a child in the '90s—you almost certainly know the entire The Lion King soundtrack by heart. Those songs were crazy popular. Even the jury in the O.J. Simpson trial was probably singing "Can You Feel the Glove Tonight." (A little '90s humor for you, there.)

I Just Can't Wait to Be Singin'

Some of Disney's most famous musical numbers come from The Lion King soundtrack. And some real musical geniuses teamed up to write them.

Tim Rice is a lyricist who knows his way around a musical. He wrote the lyrics for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita. At Disney, he wrote lyrics for songs in Aladdin. By the time he was asked to write for The Lion King, he was an old pro.

Tim Rice's partner in crime? A young superstar by the name of Elton John. In case you haven't heard of him, Elton John is a British singer-songwriter who once wore a jacket made entirely of pink diamonds, which are a special kind of diamond that was first discovered by Elton John himself. Okay, that second part is not true. But the point is, he could have discovered pink diamonds. His contribution to pop music over the course of the 20th century is also extremely vast. Just ask your dad.

Together, Rice and John wrote such world-rocking songs as "Circle of Life," "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," "Be Prepared," and "Hakuna Matata." Everyone's childhood is deeply indebted to them.

The Instrumentalist

Believe it or not, there's plenty of music in The Lion King that doesn't actually have lyrics in it. This music is called the "score," and it usually serves an atmospheric purpose in the film: highlighting intense, emotional moments while simultaneously blending into the background.

Hans Zimmer composed the score for The Lion King. In fact, Hans Zimmer kind of composed the score for everything. His credits include The Thin Red Line, Thelma & Louise, The Da Vinci Code, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises, among many other films. He's composed scores for animated films, comedies, action films, dramas, and thrillers. To say that there is a "Hans Zimmer style" would be inaccurate because he's basically a chameleon: he can compose music to blend in with the mood of pretty much any film.

For The Lion King, Zimmer focused primarily on instrumentals that would emphasize the lightness and kid-centric style of the animation. As a result, The Lion King's score is far more woodwind-and-string intensive than, say, Inception's, which features a whole lot of drums. It was a careful balance to strike, but Zimmer struck it.