7 musical high notes in Mickey’s and Minnie’s careers

From appearing in the first animated short with synchronized sound to tune the duo sings in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – “Nothing Can Stop Us Now,” music has played an important role in the careers of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

Here are seven musical milestones:

1. The 1928 release of “Steamboat Willie” was revolutionary not only for its technical innovation in sound, but for bringing Mickey Mouse forever together with music. The short featured a musical score arranged by Wilfred Jackson and Bert Lewis, and included “Steamboat Bill,” a 1911 song by Arthur Collins, and the 19th-century American folk song “Turkey in the Straw.”

2. Written by Walt Disney and Carl Stalling, “Minnie’s Yoo-Hoo” in the 1929 short “Mickey’s Follies” became a pop hit. It was used as the theme song for the first movie-theater based “Mickey Mouse Clubs” in the 1930s, and was also the first Disney song to be released on sheet music, in 1930.

3. “The Mickey Mouse Club” (1955) – Music was the foundation of this innovative children’s variety show. Disney standards, folk songs and dozens of original compositions were used; many of them were released as sheet music and on records. “Fun with Music” was the show’s theme every Monday.

4. Mickey Mouse Revue (1971) – On Oct. 1, 1971, the Mickey Mouse Revue opened along with the rest of Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. In the ambitious Audio-Animatronics proscenium show, Mickey served as the orchestra conductor of beloved Disney characters in a musical concert of songs from classic Disney films. The attraction was relocated to Tokyo Disneyland for the park’s grand opening on April 15, 1983, and played there until 2009.

5. “Mickey Mouse Disco” (1979) – Mickey’s musicality certainly kept up with the times, and in 1979, this album released by Disneyland Records included disco versions of Disney songs – and Disney versions of disco hits “Mickey Mouse Disco” was re-released on CD in 1995, and is currently available via digital music services.

6. An animated musical 3D experience, Mickey’s PhilharMagic opened inside Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in 2003. Audience members entering the concert hall wear 3D opera glasses and take a seat in front of a 150-foot-wide, 180-degree wraparound screen. When Donald dons Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat and decides to try his hand at conducting the concert, he’s suddenly plunged into a 3D dream world of classic Disney animated musical sequences. Mickey’s PhilharMagic has subsequently opened in Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park in Paris, and Disney California Adventure.

7. Music plays an important role in the latest ongoing series of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts that debuted in 2013, featuring the work of British composer Christopher Willis, who also wrote “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.