VHS has mostly faded from movie culture, butthe best-selling VHS tapes of all time are still beloved classics.Tapes were once the standard for home viewing before being made obsolete by the inception of DVD, before this was also overshadowed by streaming and digital purchase options. However, several titles considered to be among thebest movies of all timeonce sold astounding numbers of VHS tapes.
There is an obvious preference for Disney among high-selling VHS tapes,perhaps reflecting parents turning to some of thebest animated Disney moviesto entertain their children at home. The titles that managed to compete with the Disney classics in this regard are hugely famous movies, which sold due to a specific combination of popularity and marketability. All these movies call back to a different phase of cinematic history, as they were the best movies coming out at that time.
10Cinderella (1950)
17 Million VHS Tapes Sold
Cinderellais a formulaic movie about aDisney Princess given a raw deal, revolving around the basic message of being good and one will be rewarded. It features some delightful tunes and glittering transformations, leading up to the forgone happy ending.Cinderellais an earlier movie that still benefited when VHS became a consumer productin the 1970s. Most other popular Disney movies on VHS are from the Disney Renaissance.
Cinderella
Cast
Cinderella is a young orphan who lives with her wicked stepmother. One day, when the woman forbids her to go to the royal ball, she receives unexpected help from two adorable mice and her fairy godmother.
Of the original trio of Disney Princesses, Snow White is the one that shattered everyone’s expectations of animation, whileSleeping Beautywas widely considered a disappointment. Cinderella lands in the middle, demonstrating an outdated plot but still a pleasant viewing experience.Cinderella’s status as a bestselling VHS showcases that some people found it relatableor at least enjoyable and didn’t mind sharing this movie and its lessons with their kids.
9Pocahontas (1995)
17.1 Million VHS Tapes Sold
Pocahontasis decidedly not one of thebest Disney Renaissance moviesand one of the prime examples of aDisney movie that hasn’t aged well.It has some lovely animation and the powerful musical number of “Colors of the Wind,“but its depiction of Indigenous Americans and colonization history is glaringly inaccurate and offensive.
Pocahontas
In 1607, Pocahontas, a free-spirited young woman of the Powhatan Native American Tribe, meets arriving English settlers, including John Smith. As her feelings for John deepen, Pocahontas finds herself caught in the struggle between her family, and the settlers who seek violence with her people.
YetPocahontasstill emerged as one of Disney’s bestsellers in the 1990s,due to some lucky timing. Misinformed parents perhaps believed that it was good for them to expose their children to some history through a Disney movie, while more criticism came down upon it later.
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Pocahontasalso features some surprisingly famous voice actors that might have helped its sales,including Mel Gibson and Christian Bale. It is also possible that Disney/animated VHS sales in general were on the rise in the aftermath of 1995 due to a different groundbreaking movie.
21 Million VHS Tapes Sold
Toy Story’s sales in the mid-1990s make complete sense.
Toy Story’s sales in the mid-1990s make complete sense.Toy Storywas instantly a beloved animated classic that would change the animation industry,resulting in nearly every Hollywood studio using 3D animation within 15 years. Aside from this, it is a witty reflection upon childhood with marketable characters that kids and adults still love. After its celebrated release in theaters, people commemorated it by buying their own copies.
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 animated feature from Pixar Animation Studios. It follows Woody, a cowboy doll, as he faces rivalry with new toy Buzz Lightyear. The film explores the dynamics between the toys as Woody and Buzz are inadvertently separated from their owner, embarking on a journey to return home.
DVDs were first developed and released in 1995 and 1996, but it would take several more years for them to find a footing in consumer culture. What’s impressive about movies that came out around this time and still sold many VHS tapes is that they didn’t have as long to reach higher numbers. However,Toy Storywas a unique phenomenon that everyone wanted to relivefrom the comfort of their living rooms.
7Independence Day (1996)
22 Million VHS Tapes Sold
With a PG-13 rating, some parents might have been okay with younger children watchingIndependence Day. However,it is discernible that Will Smith’s career-defining movie sold many VHS tapes because of its rewatch value among adults.SeeingIndependence Dayin theaters holds great appeal due to its massive, impressively practical explosions and the energy of laughing at the jokes in the company of other moviegoers. However, people were not satisfied with seeing it only once.
Independence Day
Roland Emmerich’s iconic 1996 sci-fi disaster movie Independence Day chronicles the attack of a hostile race of aliens against planet Earth. When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning, the forces of humanity quickly band together to stop them. At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) organize humanity’s last-ditch counterattack against the technologically-advanced alien mothership.
The more grounded moments of Smith and Jeff Goldblum exchanging hilarious remarks are enjoyable no matter how one is watching the movie. Additionally, the action sequences are still worth rewatching, especially for movie-savvy people who want to determine how they were created. Above all,Independence Dayis a great romp that is valuable to have at home for movie nights,complete with popcorn.
6Beauty And The Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beasthas a few more years of VHS being the standardonToy StoryandPocahontas, but it also has a Best Picture nomination. This animated movie is another milestone people would have wanted to remember, and justified purchasing the movie when it must be one of the best options if it could compete at the Oscars. People who did so might be grateful now when aBeauty and the BeastVHS is one of thehighest-valued Disney VHS tapes today.
Beauty and the Beast
A selfish prince is doomed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he manages to fall in love with a beautiful young woman.
No matter how many times people listen to it,Beauty and the Beast’s soundtrack is enchanting. Belle is also a down-to-earth Disney Princess, more intelligent and independent than any who came before her. With its hauntingly realistic characters, stunning music, and a kaleidoscope of valuable morals,Beauty and the Beastis unsurprisingly a relic of movie history anyone would want to have at home.
5Jurassic Park (1993)
24 Million VHS Tapes Sold
Jurassic Parkhas a monumental lifetime gross, demonstrating people’s desire to see it again and againlong after its initial release. A combination of cinematic relevance and fun action and thrills resulted in impressive sales for one of the biggest hits of the 1990s and of all time.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is a science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Released in 1993, it follows a wealthy entrepreneur who creates a theme park with living dinosaurs. When security systems fail, experts and visitors experience the perilous reality of the park.
Just before DVDs took over, VHS sales picked up in the 1990s, at an intersection between ever-growing consumerism and the product becoming obsolete. WhileJurassic Parkfamously came out dangerously close to the movie theater battle betweenPulp Fiction, TheShawshank Redemption, andForrest Gump,it has the widest appeal.
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Jurassic Parkis probably most remembered for its groundbreaking effects,but the themes that underly this are just as important. It also serves as a slightly scarier family movie, but one that older children might still enjoy watching at home, especially in comparison to some of the other acclaimed movies of the 1990s.
4Titanic (1997)
25 Million VHS Tapes Sold
With several re-releases to promote it in years to come, Titanic remained popular after the age of VHS.
Titaniclacks some of the blockbuster appeal ofJurassic Parkbut features young and beautiful heartthrobs in addition to being an amazingly detailed historical epic.Titanicwas a massive hit in theaters and a historic record-breaker at the Oscars,driving its post-theatrical release sales. The movie’s biggest set pieces and powerful sequences of the sinking might be more haunting in theaters, but they are still effective when viewed on a small screen.
Titanic
Titanic is the 1997 blockbuster romantic/disaster epic based on the events surrounding the sinking of the legendary “unsinkable” vessel. Flashing back to the past and forward to the present, the film primarily follows the stories of the well-to-do and somewhat timid Rose and the poor but lively Jack, star-crossed lovers who meet aboard the doomed ship. In addition, the film tells true and fictionalized accounts of the passengers of the RMS Titanic, with an older Rose recounting her tale to the crew of a research ship.
With several re-releases to promote it in years to come,Titanicremained popular after the age of VHS. The fact that it sold so many tapes is impressive when it was released on the eve of VHS becoming defunct. However,in many regards, James Cameron shook the industry with this masterpiece, showcasing the deep history of the Titanicin a movie with plenty of famous names to draw in viewers.
3Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
28 Million VHS Tapes Sold
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfshad time on its side with its VHS sales,as the movie already existed when Disney streamlined this product. It unsurprisingly sold more than any other pre-Renaissance feature, given its place in Disney history. Many of the older Disney classics arguably don’t hold a candle to the hits of the 1980s and 1990s, butSnow White and the Seven Dwarfsis the movie that made all the rest possible.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a classic 1938 animated film based on the Brothers Grimm tale. The story follows Snow White, who hides in a forest with seven dwarfs to escape her jealous stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is determined to be the fairest in the land, threatened by Snow White’s beauty.
Disney’s underdog story of setting out to produce the first feature-length animated movie in Hollywood is legendary,and the company benefited from this for a century afterward. Once VHS became a standard thing to buy, longtime Disney fans acquired a copy of the original Disney hit for their collection. If they are willing to part with it today, they might also get a small fortune out of it when the movie is reliably on Disney+.
2Aladdin (1992)
30 Million VHS Tapes Sold
However, with VHS sales hitting their peak in the 1990s, it was nothing but profitability for the Disney movies of the time.Which Alan Menken-Howard Ashman composed Disney movie is the best is a matter of opinion,butAladdindoubtlessly has some riotous musical numbers that are always fun to listen to and even sing along to.
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Aladdinis a flawed protagonist who is still likable, while Jasmine is a feisty princess,another great addition to the lineup. However,Robin Williams' deal with Disney forAladdinallowed him to write a lot of his own lines, turning him into the hilariously versatile star of the movie, if he hadn’t been that already.
Aladdin
Aladdin, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, is an animated film featuring a street urchin who discovers a magical lamp. The story follows Aladdin’s adventures, including his encounters with Princess Jasmine and the villainous Jafar, who seeks to wield the lamp’s extraordinary powers to seize control.
Coming out a few years before the invention of the DVD,Aladdinsaw great sales. Only one Disney movie of this era stood a chance at beating it, coming two years later.
1The Lion King (1994)
32 Million VHS Tapes Sold
The Lion Kingtells an incredibly profound story about duty, family, and destiny,deriving its plot from Shakespeare’sHamlet. This is coupled with the Elton John and Tim Rice duo winning three nominations in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars, for “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (winner). Hans Zimmer also composed the score, making every second of the movie feel epic.
The Lion King
The Lion King is an animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released in 1994, it tells the story of Simba, a young lion cub who faces the responsibilities of adulthood and reclaiming his birthright as king of the Pride Lands. Featuring an iconic voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, and Jeremy Irons, the film explores themes of family, duty, and the circle of life.
Additionally,stars like Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Earl Jones doubtlessly attracted people toThe Lion King.WhenThe Lion Kingis such a rich cinematic landmark and genuinely enjoyable movie for families, its sales are no surprise. Disney dominated the 1990s with its VHS sales alongside some of the decade’s other biggest hits, with The Lion King coming out on top before the industry changed again.
