Top 10 Songs From The Simpsons
Who likes a Simpsons musical number? We do! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Simpsons Songs.
For this list, we’re looking at the best musical numbers from Simpsons episodes that are still stuck in our heads. We’re basing our picks on funny lyrics, memorable melodies and bizarre concepts that went beyond simple parody. We’re only including songs from the show, so album one-offs like “Do the Bartman” don’t count.
#10: “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well”
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#10: “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well”
“Radio Bart”
After all attempts to get Timmy – actually, Bart’s walkie talkie – out of the well fail, Krusty and his fellow entertainers band together to sing a charity song. Just like “We Are the World,” “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well” features Springfield celebrities like Sideshow Mel and Rainier Wolfcastle. Even Sting joins in, lending his amazing vocal talents and hilariously over-the-top poetry to the song. The track also mocks how ineffective charity singles are, and suggests they’re more about money than actually helping people. Though Krusty’s own vocals are grating on the ears, that doesn’t stop the song from being funny and memorable.
#9: “You’re Checkin’ In”
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#9: “You’re Checkin’ In”
“The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson”
During their stay in New York City, the Simpsons decide to check out “Kickin’ It: A Musical Journey Through the Betty Ford Center.” The show starts with a jury listing an actor’s horrific crimes through whimsical melodies. Right as the judge seems to kill the show tune, he hits an amazing high note to send the song into its second half. “You’re Checkin’ In” hilariously romanticizes celebrity rehab clinics, while managing to rhyme together a surprising number of narcotics. Even Liza Minnelli makes an off-screen appearance in the show. With its crazy lyrics, “You’re Checkin’ In” is iconic for somehow making its subject matter musical.
#8: “We Put the Spring in Springfield”
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#8: “We Put the Spring in Springfield”
“Bart After Dark”
Right as a mob is about to destroy La Maison Derrière, Homer breaks into a musical number to explain why it’s so important. With a little ragtime swing, Belle and her dancers explain how they improve everyone’s lives in Springfield. Just as Reverend Lovejoy questions their moral legitimacy, two burlesque dancers point out that Lovejoy’s father loves the brothel. Mayor Quimby’s wife even protests the building; before he reminds her she worked there. The song also riffs on mob mentalities when the local bullies sing after just hearing about it. Along with some goofy sound effects and comparisons for everyone’s tastes, Marge’s song just couldn’t compete.
#7: “Canyonero”
#7: “Canyonero”
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For an SUV as legendary as the Canyonero, not just any song will do. With his deep baritone, Hank Williams Jr manages to make even the most dangerous claims about the vehicle seem impressive, in between screams, whips, and a safety disclaimer explaining the car isn’t safe to drive anywhere. “Canyonero” also tackles how crazy SUVs are, and boasts about sizes that are larger than any tank in history. The song even lampoons overt patriotism in car ads, between lines about killing animals and unexplained fires. It’s a fitting song that also riffs on the ridiculousness of the ‘Rawhide’ theme.
#6: “Baby on Board”
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#6: “Baby on Board”
“Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”
Though Homer’s stint with the Be Sharps didn’t last long, he did produce a track amazing enough to win a Grammy. “Baby on Board” mixes barbershop music with a little banjo for a surprisingly catchy number from Homer, Principal Skinner, Apu and Barney. While the lyrics are a little corny, they tell a heartwarming story about unabashedly loving fatherhood. Though it’s inherently a parody of a certain time in music, “Baby on Board” could easily pass for a barbershop standard. Just as the quartet honors the Beatles’ rooftop performance, George Harrison himself dismisses them. Whatever George thinks, “Baby on Board” ties this entire episode together.
#5: “Happy Birthday Lisa”
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“Stark Raving Dad”
To make things up to Lisa, Bart recruits a Michael Jackson soundalike for a musical birthday surprise. With just a drum and piano, the pair sings Lisa a wholesome song with a little R&B groove. Bart’s friend Leon does a spot-on Jackson impression, and brings amazing vocals to the track. Oddly the real MJ could only do Leon’s speaking voice for legal reasons, leaving the singing up to Kipp Lennon. The track was so magical that years down the line Bart and Leon revisit and add verses to it. The song even gets a full band arrangement in the credits, but sounds just as amazing stripped down.
#4: “Dr. Zaius”
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“A Fish Called Selma”
Though you may remember Troy McClure from such productions as “Give My Remains to Broadway,” he sang his heart out in a musical called “Stop the Planet of the Apes. I Want to Get Off!” The first number of the show parodies Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” by singing and dancing about Dr. Zaius. Though the song is catchy, the track does a great job making lyrics out of the original script. With break-dancing and a surprise piano solo, “Dr. Zaius” truly has everything. The closing number even delivers lines like “Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z” and summarizes the film’s twist with a genius monkey pun. “Dr. Zaius” is brilliantly funny, while being as memorable as its source material.
#3: “We Do”
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“Homer the Great”
As a celebration of their far-reaching power, the Stonecutters burst into song at the dinner table. Their spontaneous singing claims that they control the monarchy and are the reason the metric system isn’t used in America. The Stonecutters even suggest they’re behind conspiracies like Atlantis and Martians. While the main hook is infectious, the song also features rare singing moments from Lenny and Carl. One line even says the Stonecutters made Steve Guttenberg famous, though Guttenberg apparently wasn’t in on the joke. Its jolly melodies and zany lyrics made “We Do” a Simpsons staple and helped it earn an Emmy nomination.
#2: “The Monorail Song”
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“Marge vs. the Monorail”
In an effort to get Springfield to buy his monorail, Lyle Lanley gets everyone to sing along with his show-tune sales pitch. Lanley busts out a piano and starts fielding questions from the audience while playing. Phil Hartman’s eccentric delivery as Lanley easily won over viewers, just like Lanley did Springfield’s citizens. Despite being one of the show’s longest songs, it’s mostly made up of spoken lines rather than overt singing. The whole track itself parodies “The Music Man” which, ironically, opens on a train. Though “Monorail” is fairly short on jokes, its pastiche of old musicals will easily have you singing along.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “The Garbage Man”
“Trash of the Titans”
- “Everybody Hates Ned Flanders”
“Dude, Where’s My Ranch?”
- “Can I Borrow a Feeling?”
“A Milhouse Divided”
#1: “See My Vest”
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“Two Dozen and One Greyhounds”
Mr. Burns generously adopts dozens of puppies, before revealing that he wants to kill them, and, for fun sings about all the different outfits he has made from animals, from birds to gorillas. As the clothes get more ridiculous, so do the rare and endangered animals that Mr. Burns makes them from. Though the song fits Burns character well, it’s also a great commentary on the violence of fashion. Mr. Burns’ ecstatic singing sells the ridiculous humor and almost makes you forget it’s a parody of “Be Our Guest.” As gory as “See My Vest” is, even Bart can’t get over how catchy it is.
