What makes a great musical song?
After all, musicals are full of fabulously catchy melodies. How have we selected this list of the greatest numbers in musicals history?
A great song can creep up on an audience, taking them unawares – an unexpected emotional punch to the stomach, or a moment of sheer exhilaration. They are quite literally ‘show stoppers’, provoking either overwhelming applause or a hushed, reverent silence. The greatest songs of musical theatre stick in the memory, becoming household favourites, and there are for more than we can ever list here.
Some of the shows referenced here have several big hitting show tunes, making the choice even more difficult. Here’s a starter for ten, though. Introducing the best musical theatre songs from the Broadway soundtracks you need to get to know!
The best songs from musicals
1. ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ from Evita
Great musical moments can be as much about the setting as they are the song itself. This key moment, from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s take on the life of Eva Perón, sees the wife of the newly-elected Argentinean President standing on the balcony of their Buenos Aires mansion.
With her arms outstretched to her people, she tries to convince them she will work for them and is their champion. It’s a great visual moment, and the song – full of rather vacuous platitudes – is a Broadway and West End classic.
2. ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked
In a story about how The Wicked Witch of the West earned her name, the standout moment is sure to be exactly that – the moment she realises she simply has to go her own way, embracing her wickedness.
This song from Stephen Schwartz’s colourful fantasy starts as a fight between two friends and ends in a declaration of sheer defiance against ‘all of Oz’. It’s the show’s most memorable and epic number, and singing it is an Olympic feat in itself for the lead.
We named Wicked as one of the best stage musicals of all time.
3. ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Misérables
Poor Fantine. One of theatre's most tragic character, Les Mis's heroine finds herself at her wits' end. She’s had to give up her only child. She's lost her job. She's been driven to prostitution. She's even sold her hair (not to mention at least a couple of teeth)... and, despite all this, is thoroughly destitute.
This song is Fantine's emotional lament as she recalls the life she wanted for herself, once upon a time. Les Mis is a prime example of a Broadway musical with showstopping numbers to burn. Perhaps, though, 'I Dreamed a Dream' is the one. One of the most nakedly emotive songs from the musicals, it's guaranteed to leave audiences grasping for their handkerchiefs.
4. ‘A Little Priest’ from Sweeney Todd
A bit like the Witch finally embracing her wickedness in Wicked, this moment in Stephen Sondheim’s brilliantly blood-curdling gothic horror is a key turn in the story.
It’s the moment the barber, Sweeney Todd – egged on by his landlady, the pie-maker, Mrs Lovett –formulate a plan that will help not only his plot for revenge but her need for fresh meat. It’s a masterclass in lyric writing by Sondheim, as the pair reel off the variety of people they might turn into pies.
5. ‘Maybe This Time’ from Cabaret
No list of great musical numbers would be complete without something by Kander and Ebb – it was a toss-up between this and ‘Cell Block Tango’ from Chicago, by the way.
Sally Bowles’s solo number is an emotional high point of the show – a show within a show, in fact. How very meta.
Saying that, it wasn’t written for Cabaret at all and didn’t appear in the original stage version. It actually predates the show by a couple of years and was used in the 1972 film starring Liza Minelli (who had recorded it previously) before being introduced into the stage version in the 1990s.
Confused? Anyway, it’s all about love and hoping he’ll stick around, which perfectly underlines what Sally’s going through offstage.
More of the best songs from musicals
6. ‘Music of the Night’ from The Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom is full of big numbers, but this moment is one of the most captivating. The song is used by the Phantom to hypnotise Christine, who he has just dragged down into his lair – okay, that seems a bit dodgy now I’m reading it. But it’s more about soothing her and mostly about the power of music.
It’s also a moment for the audience to take a breath after what is a rather relentless and colourful opening set of scenes. This is the Phantom’s first proper scene, no longer a disembodied voice or face in the mirror.
Spoiler alert: he’s not actually a ghost, he’s just a misunderstood man with a facial disfigurement and a big heart… oh, and a murderous streak. One of the best Broadway songs from one of the most popular Broadway shows of all time.
We named Phantom of the Opera as one of the best musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
7. ‘My Favourite Things’ from The Sound of Music
Who doesn’t know this song?! Fraulein Maria, newly-appointed Governess to the Von Trapp children, cavorts around a bedroom trying to distract the young’uns during a scary thunderstorm.
But who does know that in the stage version, the song first appears earlier in the story, sung by the Mother Abbess to calm Maria herself before she heads out into the world? It’s one of the best songs in the history of musicals, with wonderfully memorable music and words by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
That said, I’m sure today’s children could think of a different list – I’m not sure a bright copper kettle would do it for many. Whiskers on Kittens, though…
8. ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’ from Oklahoma!
We’re sticking with Rodgers and Hammerstein for this next one – they were sure to be in the list more than once when you think of the amount they wrote. Maybe there are bigger, better songs than this in Oklahoma... but what a tune!
Curly and Ado Annie sing this number, and it’s good fun, because you know that, in the end, they really will be in love. They spend most of the story running rings around each other, but he’s hers and she’s his even if they won’t admit it until later in the show.
Oh and it was also, apparently, a favourite song of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
9. ‘Somewhere’ from West Side Story
Let’s be fair, West Side Story has a lot of great songs. I mean, hello? ‘Maria’, ‘America’, ‘Tonight’… This one, though, has more emotional resonance than any other in the story.
In both the stage show and film, it’s what Maria sings as Tony lies dying in her arms, though in the film it has a bigger moment between the star-crossed lovers earlier on, as they come to terms with the fact that Tony has killed Maria’s brother.
It does appear earlier in the stage version, too, but with a much less explicitly narrative function. Beyond West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Somewhere’ has taken on its own life as something of an anthem for ‘things will get better’. It's a show that hasn't been on Broadway or the West End in quite some time, but there's a brilliant 2021 West Side Story film from Steven Spielberg you should definitely watch.
We named West Side Story as one of Leonard Bernstein's best musicals.
10. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins
You were waiting for this one to crop up, weren't you?
'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' is perhaps the most iconic song from a truly iconic musical - Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins, from 1964. Written by the Sherman Brothers, the song is a playful tongue-twister that celebrates the joy of language and imagination.
Sung by Julie Andrews (as Mary Poppins) and Dick Van Dyke (as Bert), the song tells of a word so extraordinary that it can be used in any situation to express delight and wonder.
Its lively melody, fast-paced lyrics, and charming choreography make it a fan favourite, capturing the magical and lighthearted spirit of the film. The invented word 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' has since become a pop culture phenomenon, symbolizing the fun and limitless creativity that Mary Poppins embodies.
11. 'Hakuna matata' from The Lion King
Yes it's a film with music rather than a musical - but who can resist the brilliant 'Hakuna matata' from Disney's The Lion King? Plus, it has been on the West End and Broadway for many years in its stage form, so it's not a million miles off – right? We could definitely argue that this is one of the best Broadway songs – because it's appeared on Broadway!
12. Seasons of Love from Rent
One of the most beloved songs from Jonathan Larson's1996 musical Rent, this heartfelt ballad is performed at the beginning of Act Two and has become the show's signature anthem.
The song poses the question: 'How do you measure a year in a life?' And, famously, it offers the answer: '525,600 minutes', encouraging people to measure time through love, kindness, and meaningful experiences rather than just numbers.
With its gospel-inspired harmonies and uplifting melody, Seasons of Love is an emotional reflection on life, love, and loss - all of them central themes in Rent. The song’s universal message and powerful simplicity have made it a favourite in Broadway history, often performed in concerts, graduations, and charity events.
13. Memory from Cats
A deeply emotional reflection on time, nostalgia, and hope, 'Memory' is the most famous song from Cats, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
Sung by Grizabella, an aging and ostracized cat longing for her past glory, the song takes its lyrics from TS Eliot’s poem Rhapsody on a Windy Night.
With its haunting melody and powerful climax, Memory has become a Broadway classic, covered by numerous artists, including Barbra Streisand and Elaine Paige (who originated the role of Grizabella in the West End).
14. ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’ from Hairspray
You’ve got to end on a high, and this number from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s Hairspray does just that. After young Tracy Turnblad has beaten her adversaries at the (frankly racist) TV station, everyone lets their hair down (despite the amount of product) for this massively infectious song-and-dance number.
The ‘beat’ in question is of course progress… progress has to happen, change is good and whatever your size, colour or friendly persuasion, you’re a part of the world and you deserve to be loved and accepted. Can I get an amen?
