Top 20 Songs Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda
#20: “It’s All Happening”
“Bring It On: The Musical” (2012)
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Along with fellow composers Tom Kitt and Amanda Green, Miranda brought one of our favorite early-teen comedies to the stage. It might not be the most well-regarded of Lin’s musicals, but “Bring It On” has some really great tunes. We love the determination of “One Perfect Moment,” but “It’s All Happening” really gets us moving. As Campbell tries to form a cheerleading squad at her new school, she must lie to get her classmates to join. She makes false promises to Danielle to get her to form a Jackson cheerleading team, just in time for Nationals. Although they lose the competition, they come together and learn that they got each other to lean on. Lin's famous sound doesn't go unnoticed in this catchy tune completed with his distinct rap verses and a fun dance number featuring the main cast of the show.
#19: “Found/Tonight”
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A gorgeous song and one for a good cause? Sign us up. While “Found/Tonight” wasn’t totally written by Lin Manuel Miranda, it’s so gorgeous we couldn’t leave it off. The song combines lyrics from “Hamilton’s” “The Story of Tonight” and “You Will Be Found” from Pasek and Paul’s “Dear Evan Hansen.” On the track, Lin is joined by Ben Platt, who donated a portion of his earnings from the song to March For Our Lives, the student-formed anti-gun violence initiative. The songs blend extremely well together, and the combination of both sets of lyrics makes for a powerful number.
#18: “Burn”
“Hamilton” (2015)
It feels like as soon as “Hamilton” came out, everyone and their mom had this pegged as their next audition song – and for good reason! “Burn” is a powerful, evocative piece that gives the actor interesting emotions to parse. Yes, the music is gorgeous, but the lyrics really do the heavy lifting. There aren’t too many first-hand accounts of Eliza Schuyler’s reaction to Hamilton’s infidelity, and Lin points to that fact throughout the song – Eliza ruminates on narratives and what her role in this part of history will be, ultimately coming to the conclusion that she simply won’t have one. It’s a thoughtful route to take in a show that’s so much about legacy.
#17: “Alexander Hamilton”
“Hamilton” (2015)
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“How does a bastard, orphan, son of a…” Come on – sing it with us and snap along! We know you want to. The beginning lines and simple beat of “Alexander Hamilton” – and “Hamilton” the musical – might be some of the most memorable of the show. That theme repeats throughout the musical, but the full-body chills that you get from that first time are unparalleled. The song is so good, in fact, the cast was invited to the White House to perform it for President Obama. Talk about being recognized for your good work!
#16: “We Know The Way”
“Moana” (2016)
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Here’s another co-write for you, but one we definitely couldn’t leave out. When “Moana” came out in 2016, we were all ready for some more great tunes from Lin – and “We Know The Way” didn’t disappoint. The song comes at a moment when the titular character Moana is discovering the history of her ancestors and their times at sea. Lin co-wrote the song with Opetaia Foa’i, a Samoan composer and frontman of the Oceanic group Te Vaka. The song combines English and Samoan lyrics, and features a thriving beat and a melody that gracefully rises and falls – just like the ocean.
#15: “You’ll Be Back”
“Hamilton” (2015)
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Everybody! Da da da DA da … you know how it goes. “Hamilton” is chock-full of songs that show off Lin’s ability to mix hip-hop with more traditional musical theater stylings, but in King George’s number You’ll Be Back, we get a taste of how deep Lin’s love of music goes. Penned as a break-up letter to the colonies, You’ll Be Back has a plucky British pop vibe – one that actor Jonathan Groff absolutely nails with his posh accent and … over enunciation. What can we say, the man has a lot of spit! Lucky for us, we get to hear this plummy tune not once, not twice, but three times throughout the show.
#14: “Shiny”
“Moana” (2016)
Sometimes it’s the weirdest ones that are our favorites. This strange little diddy is sung by one of the many monstrous creatures in “Moana,” Tamatoa the crab. In the song, the villainous crab flaunts his gorgeous, sparkling shell, taunting Moana and Maui before he decides to eat them. Unfortunately for Tamatoa, he falls into that familiar villain’s trap and monologues a little too hard before getting on with evil plans. But – fortunately for us – the song comes in the form of this groovy, strange little song. Remember –don’t hide your shine.
#13: “The Schuyler Sisters”
“Hamilton” (2015)
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Bring on the Destiny's Child vibes. Other than the fact that Miranda managed to tell history in a whole new way, we're also happy that the Schuyler Sisters got their own power anthem in the musical. Angelica, Eliza and Peggy all shine through this empowering performance for women everywhere. Lin rewrites history, shedding long-overdue light on the women that helped the more famed historical figures. When discussing the Declaration, Angelica even says that she'll prompt Thomas Jefferson to "include women in the sequel". Talk about girl power!
#12: “Blackout”
“In the Heights” (2008)
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When you think of your favorite Act I closers of all time, “Defying Gravity” and “A New Argentina” may come to mind. Well, we’re here to say you should go ahead and add “Blackout” from “In the Heights” to that list. The song takes place while most of the main characters are at a club when all of a sudden a blackout hits New York City. As you can imagine, that moment is filled with a lot of chaos and confusion – and the song captures that perfectly. With a cacophony of instruments and multiple vocal parts overlapping each other at once, the audience has no choice but to feel as lost as the characters.
#11: “Guns and Ships”
“Hamilton” (2015)
For this to succeed, there is someone else we need … and that someone had better have a way with words. When we first meet Lafayette at the beginning of “Hamilton,” he’s still working on his mastery of the English language. But, by the time “Guns and Ships” rolls around, he’s got it down. Saying this is the fastest rap we’ve ever heard doesn’t really cover it – it takes an amazing rapper and actor to nail down the precise rhythms, get all the words out in time, and do it all while maintaining a believable French accent. Daveed Diggs absolutely nails it, and shout out to all the amazing actors who are able to get it down.
#10: “Bigger”
“67th Tony Awards” (2013)
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As if Neil Patrick Harris alone wasn’t enough to make us love the 2013 Tony Awards opening, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt had to swoop in and write yet another great song that is one for the ages. It was Harris's fourth time presenting, and just like the title of the song, they decided to go bigger than ever. We get out of breath just watching him spit out funny lyrics as he dances alongside hundreds of dancers in this over-the top number. It is no surprise that the performance earned a standing ovation from the audience filled with our favorite stars.
#9: “My Shot”
“Hamilton” (2015)
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There are many things we love about “Hamilton,” -- namely every other song in it! -- but this song's exciting chorus succinctly outlines what the show is all about: Hamilton's relentless efforts to get what he wants. This song is the pinnacle of Miranda’s mastery of wordplay and double-entendre; for instance, “shot” here references Hamilton’s ultimate demise at the hands of Aaron Burr, Hamilton’s ambition, as well as the alcohol he shares with his newfound cohorts at the beginning of the show. This song took Miranda years to write, but ultimately, we can safely say that it was well worth it.
#8: “In the Heights”
“In the Heights” (2008)
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As the opening song of this early-career musical, this number introduced the world to Lin-Manuel Miranda's song-writing and rapping skills. And what a promising effort this was. The song details the characters' regular everyday lives in Washington Heights, through a very fun, up-beat sound. Miranda manages to present most of the main cast right off the bat, through cool, unique harmonies that his fans have since grown to love. Seriously, “In the Heights” was bound to win the Tony Award for Best Musical straight from the start.
#7: “You’re Welcome”
“Moana” (2016)
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It's the song that made us fall in love with Maui… and remember just how much we love The Rock. The song introduced the over-confident demi-god and Dwayne Johnson's singing chops to the world, and we can't help but say "Thank you". Miranda's up-lifting lyrics will have you tapping your feet and singing along the fun verses in no time. The song was slowed down and covered by both Jordan Fisher and Lin-Manuel Miranda for the “Moana” soundtrack, still making for an equally great song. Miranda's lyrics never fail!
#6: “Satisfied”
“Hamilton” (2015)
Don’t worry viewers – we listened. We know you all would NOT be satisfied without this one on the list. There’s a moment in the first act of “Hamilton” that combines three songs into one long scene – “A Winter’s Ball,” “Helpless,” and – number six on our list – “Satisfied.” We love the first two, particularly “Helpless,” but “Satisfied” is the clear standout. “Satisfied” takes everything that’s happened in the first two songs and turns it on its head. Combining gorgeous melodies, intense raps, and wonderful lyricism, the song provides our first real look at what’s going on in Angelica’s head and why she makes the choices she does.
#5: “Breathe”
“In the Heights” (2008)
Miranda's first Tony-winning musical is filled with incredible songs inspired by his Puerto Rican origins. In this song, his roots appear in the beautiful melody, highlighting Nina's struggles to explain to her family the reason she dropped out of Stanford. Mandy Gonzalez' voice and Lin's heart-felt lyrics are enough to make us understand the character's nostalgia as she finds herself back in Washington Heights. Paired with Spanish and English lyrics, the song takes us back to her early memories growing up in this neighborhood, making for a powerful and emotional tune all around.
#4: “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)”
“Hamilton” (2015)
Open your history books...or maybe just listen to this song. Miranda brings us through the battle of Yorktown in 1781, led by George Washington, who defeated the British. In an upbeat tune, the cast of “Hamilton” presents the revolutionary war won by the Americans and the French, as Alexander Hamilton struggles with coming home in time for his expecting wife. Through fast rap verses, we get to know those fighting along Hamilton, such as Hercules Mulligan, John Lawrence and, of course, Lafayette. The line "Immigrants, we get the job done" even inspired the single "Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)" on the Hamilton Mixtape.
#3: “96,000”
“In the Heights” (2008)
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What would you do with $96,000? After Usnavi finds out they sold a winning lotto ticket at his bodega, the characters in “In the Heights” all start to wonder what they would do if they were the ones to win the money. Their answers are all different, and so are their verses, as they all come together in the end for an incredible blend of melodies. This song leaves the audience wondering how one brain could have possibly come up with this complex mix of voices in the performance.
#2: “How Far I’ll Go”
“Moana” (2016)
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Nominated for an Oscar at the 89th Academy Awards, Auli'i Cravalho delivered this song beautifully in the film, and on stage. As Moana longs to sail across the waters, she discovers that she must take matters into her own hands in order to follow her dreams. Miranda's lyrical style seamlessly transitions from stage to a Disney film, giving us a window into Moana’s passion for the ocean, and her longing to sail. The emotional power behind the song -- as well as any time the motif returns -- really shows off Miranda’s ability to set character development to music.
#1: “Wait for It”
“Hamilton” (2015)
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If we had to pick one role in “Hamilton” that might be the meatiest and most exciting to play, we would have to go with Aaron Burr. Not only does he get raucous numbers like “The Room Where It Happens”, but he shoulders a lot of the show’s complexity. He’s charming, but also calculating – and nowhere is that more visible than “Wait for It.” During the song, Burr contemplates what all has led him to this point in his life, ruminates on Hamilton’s successes, and resolves to keep biding his time until his moment. The first two verses and chorus are fairly quiet, but once that bridge hits, the song bursts with life and determination – just like Burr.
