Disney is not Disney today without Alan Menken.

Name another composer who can match his stretch of three scores in four years:

1989: The Little Mermaid

1991: Beauty and the Beast

1992: Aladdin

You’re in good maestro company when a historical comp for a career achievement is Stephen Sondheim:

1970: Company

1971: Follies

1973: A Little Night Music

But Alan’s triumph trumps Stephen’s in one particular respect:

Find someone who doesn’t even know what a musical is and show them those three Disney tuners; chances are, you just birthed another showtune fanatic.

Menken could’ve retired in 1993 and his contributions to humanity would still scale the heights of the indelible.

Here’s forever looking at listening to you, kid Howard Ashman.