Top 10 Musical Numbers in Teen Movies
Whether you’re a musical fan or not, these scenes are for everyone. Welcome to MsMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Musical Numbers in Teen Movies.
For this list, we’re looking at all our favorite musical scenes in teen movies. The films don't have to be musicals, but it does have to be a scene involving singing and/or dancing. The songs can be either originals or covers.
#10: “Twist and Shout”
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“Ferris Bueller's Day Off” (1986)
One of the definitive ‘80s movies, and one of John Hughes best pieces of work has to be 1986’s “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”. Ferris and his friends find themselves on a crazy adventure skipping school for the day, evading their dean throughout the process. One of the most memorable scenes has to be when Ferris slips away from his friends and they see him front and center on a parade float, performing along to a medley of classic tunes, including ‘60s hit “Twist and Shout”. Did you know that famed director and choreographer Kenny Ortega actually coordinated Matthew Broderick’s dance moves? You don't get moves like that off the cuff!
#9: “Cruisin' for a Bruisin'”
“Teen Beach Movie” (2013)
The Disney Channel is known for making some great musicals, but one of the most underrated has to be 2013’s “Teen Beach Movie”. It’s a tale of magical realism, where two teens suddenly find themselves planted in the world of a fictional 1960s musical called “Wet Side Story”. While there are actually a ton of great musical numbers to choose from in this fun-filled romp, our favorite has to be “Cruisin' for a Bruisin'”, where we, along with Brady and Mack, get to see the turf war unfolding at Big Momma’s.
#8: “Can't Take My Eyes Off You”
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“10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)
“10 Things I Hate About You” is hands down one of the best ‘90s rom coms, and though it’s not a musical – it's actually a modern Shakespeare adaptation – it also features one hell of a musical number. Part way through the movie, Heath Ledger’s character, Patrick, pulls out all the stops to win Kat back with this grand gesture: performing “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” at the school’s stadium and getting the marching band to accompany him. Ledger was even nominated for an MTV movie award for Best Musical Performance for this one!
#7: “Ways to Be Wicked”
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“Descendants 2” (2017)
The “Descendants” series has become a huge success on the Disney Channel, and it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite song from this musical franchise, which focuses on the children of Disney villains. We love “Rotten to the Core” from the first movie, as well as “What’s My Name” from the second, but if we had to pick a number one choice, we’d have to go with “Ways to Be Wicked” from “Descendants 2”. Performed by the majority of the principal cast, it’s hard not to love this catchy tune. The song even debuted in the top spot on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
#6: “We’re All in This Together”
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“High School Musical” (2006)
Before the “Descendants” franchise, The Disney Channel had another major musical series that you may have heard of: “High School Musical”. This trilogy is filled with memorable and iconic tunes, including “Breaking Free” and “Bet on It”. But if there’s one song that’s emblematic of the series on the whole, it has to be “We’re All in This Together”, from the first installment of the series. It’s the final musical number of the movie, after East High School wins at both the basketball championship and the academic decathlon, when all the students are celebrating together in the gym. It’s a joyous moment in the story, and it puts a smile on our faces even years later.
#5: “Jingle Bell Rock”
“Mean Girls” (2004)
“Mean Girls” will inevitably top many lists of “greatest teen movies of all time”, and it’s easy to forget that it actually features a hilarious musical number in the midst of all the action. The Plastics have a tradition of performing at the North Shore High School Winter Talent Show so Cady joins them for a rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock”. It’s an embarrassingly sultry attempt at a dance for a traditionally tame holiday tune and Regina’s mom is there cheering them on along the way. You go Glenn Coco!
#4: “America”
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“West Side Story” (1961)
We’ll excuse you if you haven’t seen “West Side Story”, since it was released in 1961. Because it’s an oldie, it may not seem like a traditional pick for a “teen movie” but it’s actually one of the OGs, telling the story of Tony and Maria, two members of feuding gangs on New York’s Upper West Side, the Jets and the Sharks. This musical features many classic tunes, including the lovely duet “Tonight”, featuring both Tony and Maria. The most iconic song though has to be “America”, which is a song about the glories of the United States performed in a style that is traditionally Latin American.
#3: “Footloose”
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“Footloose” (1984)
While many of the musical numbers on our list so far have come from memorable movie scenes, there may not have been any that have had the cultural impact that this one has. The title track from the 1984 movie of the same name, “Footloose” is an exuberant tune that spent weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The movie is, of course, a story about a town where dancing has been banned, and the newcomer who turns it all around. As a musical number, “Footloose” is simply iconic, and we’re sorry if the song stays stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
#2: “You Can't Stop the Beat”
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“Hairspray” (2007)
A favorite of musical theater fans everywhere, “Hairspray” is one of the most loved musicals of our time. When a movie version was released in 2007, people rejoiced, and it lived up to their high expectations. The stage musical, and the film, are full of excellent songs like “Good Morning Baltimore” and “Welcome to the ‘60s”. But we’ve gotta pick just one, and our favorite has to be the song that closes the story, “You Can't Stop the Beat”. Sung by a number of the members of the cast, this upbeat anthem is all about equality, diversity and positivity.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“This Is Me”
“Camp Rock” (2008)
“Take Me Away”
“Freaky Friday” (2003)
“The Climb”
“Hannah Montana: The Movie” (2009)
“Drive It Like You Stole It”
“Sing Street” (2016)
“What Dreams Are Made Of”
“The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (2003)
#1: “Summer Nights”
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“Grease” (1978)
It takes a seriously good soundtrack to stand the test of time like this one has. “Grease” may have been released in the late ‘70s, but almost every song from the movie has become a cultural mainstay, with people from several generations memorizing the lyrics. We definitely love “You're the One That I Want” from the end of the film – we are HERE for bad Sandy – but there’s no beating the seriously epic duet that is “Summer Nights”. As Danny and Sandy each describe how they met and how their relationship meant, the divide between the genders is on display, showing that some things just never change.
