The Disney Studio was literally going to be put out to pasture before The Little Mermaid revived its sagging fortunes — both financially and creatively. The score was written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Along with their work on Beauty and the Beast, this literally revived Broadway-style movie musicals. The songs that kids love most are the ones the Jamaican crab (voiced by Samuel E. Wright) sing: "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl." Overall, their Beauty and the Beast score is superior, but the kids love songs sung by Jamaican crabs so this gets the edge.