Madagascar (soundtrack)

Madagascar (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Madagascar (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer
Released	May 24, 2005
Studio	AIR Studios, London
Genre	Rock; pop; disco; new-age; salsa; bossa nova; reggae;
Length	31:27
Label	DreamWorks; Geffen; UMG;
Producer	Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer chronology

Madagascar (Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2005 animated adventure comedy film Madagascar from DreamWorks Animation, which is the first instalment in the Madagascar franchise. The soundtrack featured popular disco and new-age songs, along with few score cues from the film's original score composed by Hans Zimmer. The album was distributed by DreamWorks Records, Geffen Records and UMG Soundtracks on May 24, 2005.

Background

Originally, frequent DreamWorks collaborator Harry Gregson-Williams who had worked with the company on Antz (1998), Chicken Run (2000), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) and the first two Shrek films was hired to compose the film score.^[1] But as Gregson-Williams was busy on the production of Kingdom of Heaven (2005), his mentor and another recurring DreamWorks collaborator Hans Zimmer, who worked on the company's productions: The Prince of Egypt (1998), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) and Shark Tale (2004), was assigned as the composer.^[2] James Dooley, Heitor Pereira, James S. Levine and Ryeland Allison provided additional music. Zimmer also adapted John Barry's instrumental from "Born Free" into the score track of the same name; the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's cover of the song was used in the opening title sequence. Louis Armstrong's song "What a Wonderful World" is used in the film. The cover version of Reel 2 Real's 1993 single "I Like to Move It" by Sacha Baron Cohen, was also used in the film and since become a recurring theme song throughout the Madagascar franchise.^[2]

Release

Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote "Madagascar is an unpretentious, gets-the-job-done kind of soundtrack, but that's precisely what makes it so appealing."^[2] However, Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks called the album an "insufferable mess" and added "The film's running time indicates that there must be more score material by Zimmer and his ghostwriters than just the ten minutes here. Not even the odd selection of classic songs can save this one."^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Best Friends"	Hans Zimmer, Heitor Pereira, James S. Levine & Ryeland Allison	2:24
2.	"I Like to Move It"	Sacha Baron Cohen	3:51
3.	"Hawaii Five-O"	The Ventures	1:49
4.	"Boogie Wonderland"	Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions	4:49
5.	"Whacked Out Conspiracy"	James Dooley	2:16
6.	"Chariots of Fire"	Vangelis	3:29
7.	"Stayin' Alive"	Bee Gees	4:44
8.	"Zoosters Breakout"	Hans Zimmer	1:39
9.	"Born Free"	John Barry & Don Black	1:24
10.	"The Foosa Attack"	Heitor Pereira	0:37
11.	"Beacon of Liberty"	Hans Zimmer & James S. Levine	2:09
12.	"What a Wonderful World"	Louis Armstrong	2:16
13.	"Callin' Out (Madagascar Version)"	Lyrics Born	3:14
Total length:	31:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes:^[4]

Music composer and producer – Hans Zimmer
Additional music – Heitor Pereira, James Dooley, James S. Levine, Ryeland Allison
Orchestra conductor – Gavin Greenaway, Nick Ingman
Orchestra leader – Gavyn Wright
Orchestra contractor – Isobel Griffiths
Technical engineer – Abhay Manusmare, Mark Wherry, Tom Broderick
Assistant engineer – Chris Barrett, Ian Wood, Jeffrey Biggers
Recording – Geoff Foster
Mixing – Alan Meyerson, Al Clay
Mastering – Dave Donnelly
Music editor – Melissa Muik
Music coordinator – Cindi Smith, Julie Imboden Keel, Ken "Kaz" Smith
Executive in charge of music – Sunny Park
Art direction and design – Giant2

Instruments

Cello – Jonathan Williams, Paul Kegg
Clarinet – Dave Bishop, Nicholas Bucknall
Double bass – Allen Walley, Steve Mair
Flute – Andrew Findon
French horn – Richard Bissill
Percussion – Paul Clarvis
Trumpet – Andy Crowley, Daniel Newell, Mike Lovatt, Pat White, Paul Archibald
Viola – Bruce White, Helen Goatly, Jake Walker, Rachel Bolt
Violin – Everton Nelson, Mark Berrow, Tom Pigott-Smith, Warren Zielinski

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[5]	38
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[6]	22
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[7]	79
French Albums (SNEP)^[8]	155
US Billboard 200^[9]	36
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)^[10]	3

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Annie Awards	Music in an Animated Feature Production	Hans Zimmer	Nominated	^[11] ^[12] ^[13]
ASCAP Awards	Top Box Office Films	Won	^[14]

References

^ "Harry Gregson-Williams: A 21st Century Man". Broadcast Music, Inc. October 5, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Madagascar: Motion Picture Soundtrack". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
^ Clemmensen, Christian (May 24, 2005). "Madagascar (Hans Zimmer/Various)". Filmtracks. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ Hans Zimmer. Madagascar (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). DreamWorks Records.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack – Madagascar" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ "Danishcharts.dk – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ "Billboard 200: Week of June 18, 2005". Billboard. June 18, 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ "Soundtracks: Week of June 18, 2005". Billboard. June 18, 2005. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
^ Soares, Andre (February 4, 2006). "Annie Awards 2006". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008 – via Alt Film Guide.
^ DeMott, Rick (December 5, 2005). "Wallace & Gromit Leads Annie Nominations". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
^ Ball, Ryan (February 5, 2006). "Gromit Sweeps Annie Awards". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
^ Newman, Melinda (April 12, 2006). "ASCAP Honors Composer Mark Isham". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[1] "Harry Gregson-Williams: A 21st Century Man". Broadcast Music, Inc. October 5, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[:0-2] "Madagascar: Motion Picture Soundtrack". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.

[3] Clemmensen, Christian (May 24, 2005). "Madagascar (Hans Zimmer/Various)". Filmtracks. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[4] Hans Zimmer. Madagascar (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). DreamWorks Records.

[ac_Australia_Soundtrack-5] "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[ac_Austria_Soundtrack-6] "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack – Madagascar" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[ac_Denmark_Soundtrack-7] "Danishcharts.dk – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[ac_France_Soundtrack-8] "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack – Madagascar". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[9] "Billboard 200: Week of June 18, 2005". Billboard. June 18, 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[10] "Soundtracks: Week of June 18, 2005". Billboard. June 18, 2005. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

[Annie-11] Soares, Andre (February 4, 2006). "Annie Awards 2006". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008 – via Alt Film Guide.

[12] DeMott, Rick (December 5, 2005). "Wallace & Gromit Leads Annie Nominations". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2021.

[13] Ball, Ryan (February 5, 2006). "Gromit Sweeps Annie Awards". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.

[14] Newman, Melinda (April 12, 2006). "ASCAP Honors Composer Mark Isham". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 6, 2026.

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v t e DreamWorks Animation music
Albums	Antz (1998) The Prince of Egypt (1998) soundtrack Nashville Inspirational The Road to El Dorado (2000) Chicken Run (2000) Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) Shrek (2001) soundtrack score Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) Shrek 2 (2004) soundtrack score Shark Tale (2004) Madagascar (2005) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) Shrek the Third (2007) soundtrack score Kung Fu Panda (2008) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) How to Train Your Dragon (2010) Shrek Forever After (2010) soundtrack score Megamind (2010) Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Puss in Boots (2011) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) Rise of the Guardians (2012) The Croods (2013) Turbo (2013) Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) Penguins of Madagascar (2014) Home (2015) Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) Trolls (2016) The Boss Baby (2017) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) Trolls World Tour (2020) Spirit Untamed (2021) The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) Trolls Band Together (2023) Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) The Wild Robot (2024) How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
Songs	"When You Believe" (1998) "I Will Get There" (1998) "Someday Out of the Blue" (2000) "You Know Better Than I" (2000) List of songs featured in Shrek (2001–present) "Like Wow!" (2001) "Stay Home" (2001) "Here I Am" (2002) "Accidentally in Love" (2004) "Shine Your Way" (2013) "Into a Fantasy" (2014) "Towards the Sun" (2015) "Feel the Light" (2015) "Dancing in the Dark" (2015) "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (2016) "What U Workin' With?" (2016) "The Other Side" (2020) "Better Place" (2023) "Kiss the Sky (Maren Morris song)" (2024)
Category

v t e Madagascar
Films	Madagascar Escape 2 Africa 3: Europe's Most Wanted Penguins of Madagascar
TV series	The Penguins of Madagascar episodes season 1 2 3 All Hail King Julien episodes A Little Wild
Short films	The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper Merry Madagascar
Music	Madagascar Escape 2 Africa 3: Europe's Most Wanted Penguins of Madagascar
Games	Madagascar Operation Penguin Escape 2 Africa Kartz Nickelodeon Super Brawl The Penguins of Madagascar The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns – Again!
Other	Characters Escape from Madagascar Madagascar: A Crate Adventure
Category

v t e Hans Zimmer
Discography Accolades
Soundtracks	Black Rain (1989) Days of Thunder (1990) True Romance (1993) The Lion King (1994) Crimson Tide (1995) The Rock (1996) The Prince of Egypt (1998) The Thin Red Line (1998) The Road to El Dorado (2000) Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) Gladiator (2000) Black Hawk Down (2001) Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) Shark Tale (2004) Madagascar (2005) Batman Begins (2005) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) The Da Vinci Code (2006) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) The Simpsons Movie (2007) Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection (2007) Kung Fu Panda (2008) The Dark Knight (2008) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) Sherlock Holmes (2009) Angels & Demons (2009) It's Complicated (2009) Inception (2010) Megamind (2010) Rango (2011) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Rush (2013) Man of Steel (2013) The Lone Ranger (2013) 12 Years a Slave (2013) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) Interstellar (2014) Chappie (2015) The Little Prince (2015) Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Hidden Figures (2017) The Boss Baby (2017) Dunkirk (2017) Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Widows (2018) Dark Phoenix (2019) The Lion King (2019) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) No Time to Die (2021) Dune (2021) Army of Thieves (2021) Top Gun: Maverick (2022) The Creator (2023) Dune: Part Two (2024) Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) Blitz (2024) F1 (2025)
Singles	"Click Clack Symphony"
Related	Remote Control Productions Bleeding Fingers Music
Category