Top 10 Best Musical Scenes on How I Met Your Mother

Barney Stinson and Ted Mosby have long wanted to open a bar of their own. Although the seeds of the idea for the bar, called “Puzzles,” are sown earlier in the show, it isn’t until season 7 that they come up with a theme song for it. The duo has very different ideas about what the bar should be like and that’s reflected in the song. Ted envisions the bar as more of a place to belong and have meaningful discussions, while Barney, no surprise, just wants to hook up with women. The back and forth argument within the lyrics, as well as the clear parody of the “Cheers” theme makes this so much fun that it’s no “puzzle” why it’s so memorable.

The winter holidays bring out a festive spirit in a lot of people, and Barney celebrates in the most Barney-ish way possible. Ted has never let Barney meet his little sister, Heather. This is due to Barney’s typical reaction to seeing the Mosby family Christmas cards with Heather’s picture. Every year, Barney launches into a parody version of a different holiday song with lyrics proclaiming his desire to, well, you know. Holiday songs are already extremely catchy, and Barney’s absurd spin on them makes them even more fun to enjoy. No offense, Heather.

The Proclaimers’ catchy and stirring song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was a big hit in the ‘80s. It’s also something of an anthem for Ted Mosby and Marshall’s friendship, as the song was stuck in Marshall’s Fiero playing on loop for years. The duo bonded and became best friends during a road trip and ended up singing the song together repeatedly. Whenever the two of them, or just Marshall, go on an extended road trip, the song is the go-to for singalongs in the car. With how fun it is to sing, we can hardly blame them. It always comes back around!

While the episode that introduced this song had another “banger” with “Super Date,” we had to give it to this one instead. It’s just so dang catchy! The song is invented by Marshall, who sings it to describe how much action Barney has been getting. Although Robin and Lily initially find it insensitive, given that Robin and Barney recently broke up, the whole gang eventually adopts the jingle. They usually sing it to either celebrate a conquest or to tease someone with it. Although the show does feature a couple of other versions of it in the soundtrack, it’s most fun when sung by the gang.

Robin Scherbatsky has had a lot of great songs during her career as Canadian pop star Robin Sparkles. As tempting as hits like “P.S. I Love You” and “Two Beavers Are Better Than One” are, her second-best song is “Sandcastles in the Sand.” A love ballad to Robin’s ex-boyfriend Simon, “Sandcastles in the Sand” is a song as amusing as its redundant title suggests. Full of absurd cliches about young love, and featuring a hilariously overdramatic music video, “Sandcastles in the Sand” is also responsible for bringing Robin and Barney together. It’s only fitting that a piano version is played when Robin walks down the aisle at their wedding!

The core gang of the show gets plenty of musical opportunities, throughout the show, to shine. But the titular Mother also gets an especially notable one in an episode focused on her – and she knocks it out of the park! After breaking up with her boyfriend, the Mother plays her ukulele on the balcony at a hotel right next to Ted’s room. Her rendition of “La Vie en rose” by Édith Piaf is incredibly beautiful, and becomes Ted’s favorite rendition of the song. We’d be hard pressed to disagree with his opinion!

Marshall Erikson loves to sing. The guy makes a habit of turning just about anything and everything he does into a ditty. We love just about everything he sings, from his adorable songs for his wife on her birthday to a lullaby to just singing about doing laundry. There’a even the great one about Marshall and Lily loving a couples’ night that Barney and Robin hated. But our pick goes to the “Marshall Medley,” a compilation of video montage songs. The first has Marshall singing about ordering Chinese food. The next is about him cat-sitting for Lily’s mother. The medley concludes on a darkly comedic note, with a funeral for the same cat after Marshall accidentally left the window open.

The Slap Bet between Marshall and Barney is one of the show’s best running gags, and it also leads to one of its best songs. After Marshall delivers the third slap on Thanksgiving, he adds insult to injury to Barney by singing this song, reveling in the fact that Barney just got slapped, and how much it hurts. The tender piano music and Barney’s cries of pain turning into a harmony are nice touches. While the song is brought back several times, such as in the Slap Bet game commercial, or when it’s sung by Boyz II Men near the end of the series, the first time is probably the best.

The show’s 100th episode went big! Faced with the prospect of having to choose between a hot bartender and his suits, Barney fantasizes about singing a huge musical number proclaiming his love for suits. Although it starts off with just Barney singing, the rest of the gang, as well as an entire street of pedestrians soon get roped in, building to a showstopping finale. Featuring elaborate choreography and plenty of innuendo, “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” is arguably the show’s most involved song. It sure suits us!

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Stand by Me” / “Cleaning House”
Sweet Moment Between James and His Dad Turns Hilarious

“Robot Found Love” / “Stuff”
Robot Proclaiming Its Love for a Toaster Oven

“Marshall vs. the Machines” / Various Episodes
Epic Western Ballad

“For the Longest Time” / “The Time Travelers”
Classic Song With 3 Teds and 3 Barneys

“Mosbius Designs Has Failed” / “The Best Man”
Ted’s Failed Best Man Speech Is Big in Finland

You’re shocked. It’s written all over your faces. Yes, Robin Sparkles’ hit single is also the show’s best song. And just because we’re based in Canada, that has absolutely nothing to do with our decision here – everybody loves this song! The classic decades-old styles, the inexplicable rapping, the robot . . “Let’s Go to the Mall” has it all! The fact that it was the origin of the Slap Bet, and its many references and appearances thereafter have helped cement it as the greatest song in “How I Met Your Mother.” You’re singing it in your head right now!