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One of the more well-known tropes associated with Western Animation, which was made and codified by Walt Disney. During the 20th century, certain animated films tended to double as designated musicals in which, at certain points in the storyline, the characters would sing musical numbers that resonated with the overall theme of the moment. The heroes would mostly sing confidence/Power of Friendship-friendly numbers while the villains pretty much sung about how macho they were for their disrespect for the greater good. Did we mention there were also some love songs in there, too?

Due to musicals in general falling out of fashion in the late 1960s, the whole concept pretty much went Dead Horse Trope until it was revitalized in the 1990s by Ashman and Menken (previously best known for Little Shop of Horrors), with the juggernauts of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Notable that they were more like stage musicals than previous entries in the Disney Animated Canon, with more songs more integrated into the plots. All three were also later adapted into Broadway stage musicals.

Compare and contrast Musical Episode.

Examples of Animated Musical include: