Top 10 Best West Side Story Songs

After finding out just who Maria has secretly fallen for, Anita is furious and concerned. She ardently tries to warn Maria that getting involved with someone like Tony will only lead to heartache or worse. She is Maria’s best friend, and she is just trying to look out for her. However, Maria replies with “I Have a Love” and is able to convince Anita that even if it doesn’t always make sense, you can’t help who you fall in love with - with the two friends joining voices for the last refrain.

In this lively and colorful number, we see the gangs and their gals as they convene at the gym for a dance. It’s a good old fashion dance-off as one group and then the other vies to rules the dance floor. Even with virtually no lyrics to the piece, it is one of the most energetic in the entire musical, with more jumps, kicks, dips, and whirls that you can shake a stick at all leading up to the big moment when Tony and Maria lock eyes for the first time. The rest of the world literally fades away.

Set in Manhattan, in West Side's Lincoln Square, two rival gangs square off for dominance: the Sharks and the Jets. After a fight is broken up, Riff – co-founder of the Jets and Tony’s best friend – reminds the boys what being a Jet is all about. As they’re singing out their gang pride, they make a plan to attend the dance at the gym – typically a neutral zone – so they can “make nice” with Bernardo and the Sharks. The peppy song moves the plot along while establishing the central conflict and secondary characters. If only all streets gangs were this fabulous…

Being in a gang and all, the members of the Jets have frequent run-ins with the law, especially one Officer Krupke. In this light-hearted tune, the Jets put a comedic light on their rough upbringing, lampooning the police officer as they pretend to explain their situations. Lively and fun, the boys assume the position of several authority figures, each of whom just pushes Riff through the unforgiving system. The song effectively keeps the audience on their side and sympathetic to the gang. After all they’re not bad kids, they just never had a chance to be good.

After Tony fatally stabs Bernardo – Maria’s brother and Anita’s boyfriend – he flees to Maria. But despite her sadness and anger, she realizes that not only does she still love him but also that their situation now seems more impossible than ever. As Tony tries to comfort her, he tells her that if not in Manhattan, somewhere they could be together. The heartbreakingly hopeful song furthers illustrate the desperation of the star-crossed lovers by borrowing a bass and cello line from Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” If you’re not choking up by the end of this one, you might have to check yourself for a pulse.

In this amazing piece, virtually the whole cast comes together with five parts – the Jets, Sharks, Anita, Tony, and Maria – each expositing what they expect the night will hold for them. As the Jets and Sharks get ready for a major rumble, Anita imagines an intimate night with Bernardo, and Tony and Maria fantasize about meeting under the moonlight. Bold, stirring, and reminiscent of classical opera, the overlapping songs and harmonies build to a fever pitch, marking the moment just before the musical goes from love story to tragedy.

Not long after Tony got the sense that something was coming and big changes would happen in his life, he goes to the dance and there meets Maria. His solo is simple and pleasant, a man dazed and in love. The earnest way he keeps saying her name as he walks the streets back home, as though that alone is the most incredible and important thing in the world, is so pure and charming with all the innocence of new love. Despite having founded one of the local gangs, this song shows what a true, hopeless romantic Tony is at heart.

One of the most instantly recognizable songs from the entire musical, “I Feel Pretty” perfectly captures the bubbly, silly feelings of love. At the bridal shop where she works, an incredibly happy Maria sings to her co-workers, letting all of her joy burst over. The other girls tease her but are clearly also swept up in her confident cheerfulness. And we don’t blame them. The simple lyrics and four quick notes that make up the hook of each verse make for an ear-worm that is sure to last all day.

Meeting on the fire escape, Tony and Maria are certain that they are madly in love. Full of anticipation and dreamy imagery, the future seems to lie before them, knowing that on this night their lives change forever. Performed just before the rumble that will claim Bernardo’s life and paint a big, red target on Tony’s back, the exhilarating melody belies the tragedy that will soon follow. The duet is one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the entire play, and one of the best love songs out there.

Before we unveil our number one pick here are a few honorable mentions:

“Prologue”

“Cool”

“One Hand, One Heart”

"Something's Coming"

"The Rumble"

This absolutely show-stopping number begins with a tense discussion about racial disparity in America. While Anita is in favor of all of the opportunities available to them in New York and in America in general, the Sharks are critical of the costs – social as well as financial – of being in NYC. Vibrant and featuring some of the best dance sequences in the entire play, the song refuses to pull punches; the sort of tune that makes you forget the play is about anything else as you watch the two sides spar wits.