Top 10 Broadway Songs You Definitely Can't Solo

Look, just because you can’t solo a show tune, doesn’t mean we haven’t tried. Case in point: this catchy trio number from “Hamilton.” The Lin-Manuel Miranda musical was obviously a huge smash, and the Schuyler sisters were a huge part of that. With their killer voices and playful interactions, as soon as Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy first hit the stage in their introductory number, they became icons. Like most of the songs in this sung-and-rapped-through show, along with its fast-paced lyrics, it has a lot of conversational moments. That’s not even to mention those killer harmonies.

“Hello!” is the hilarious opener to “The Book of Mormon.” It’s a whimsical, fast-paced, joke-a-minute show tune that may have broken a record for the largest amount of face acting on a Broadway stage at one time, but don’t hold us to that. Most of the lyrics in this song work as a call-and-response. They build into a cacophony of polite, if vaguely threatening, and friendly neighborhood Mormons just trying to convert a bunch of strangers. The layering of the voices and the way the separate characters complete each other’s lyrics would be a lot less fun if it were just the one grinning guy in a tie.

In this song, things come to a head between Diana, a woman suffering from bipolar disorder and hallucinations of her dead son, and Dan, her supportive but frustrated husband. Then, it introduces a third character into the mix, their dead son, Gabe, who fights for his mother’s attention. Much of what makes this moment powerful is the buildup of noise in Diana’s head. It’s kinda hard, if not impossible, to convey that with just one voice. It’s a song that’s completely dependent on all three of them singing over each other, fighting for control over the song and the situation.

Telling the true story of the planes that were grounded in a small Newfoundland town on September 11, 2001, “Come from Away” is a show with a big cast of characters. In its emotional climax, the passengers and pilot of one plane return to the U.S., and the ending of their respective stories plays out. Cycling through the focal characters as they fly home, their lyrics often dovetail and flow seamlessly into each other. The haunting but ultimately hopeful refrain of “38 Planes” wouldn’t sound the same without that chorus of voices behind it.

On top of being pretty devastating, this musical based on the Alison Bechdel graphic memoir has some really effective theatrical devices. The show’s emotional punch relies on having several versions of the author on stage at once. Different actors portray Bechdel as an adult, a college student, and a child, interacting and singing with each other at the show’s most emotional points. The show’s finale is a soaring number that features soaring harmonies. “Flying Away” reflects the entire premise of the show. Alison reckons with her past, and the three versions of herself become whole.

One of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular and crowd-pleasing musicals involves a group of fairytale characters besieged by tragedy and mayhem. In act two, they are trapped by a giant and begin blaming each other for their misfortune. As the finger-pointing goes on, lyrics begin to smash into each other at near-impossible speeds as fear, panic, and anger take over. Pacing-wise, it’s a challenging song. Doing this one by your lonesome just doesn’t make much sense. Unless, of course, it’s a special one-person production where the characters are all the product of one fairytale character’s broken psyche, but that would just be tacky.

All the show’s tensions, racial, sexual, and social, come together to close act one. The Jets, the Sharks, Riff, Bernardo, Anita, Tony, and Maria sing about their competing desires as the sun sets on New York City. “Tonight” sends the characters careening toward each other, and toward their individual destinies. Singing over and under each other, often in counterpoint, the song is a collision of sound, melody, and dramatic stakes. Doing it as a solo piece might be interesting to watch, especially if you’re Cher and have access to cutting-edge TV special effects. But would it hit the same way as a solo piece? The answer is absolutely not.

Before there were six wives, there were the Six Merry Murderesses. From its catchy “pop-six-squish” chant to its vigorous choreography, the “Cell Block Tango” simply isn’t the “Cell Block Tango” unless the whole band is together. Now again, it doesn’t mean we haven’t tried to make this a solo number. Unlike other songs on this list, the vocal parts are separated enough that you could, theoretically, do the whole thing alone without passing out. But robbed of the back-and-forth between the characters and the sisterly support for their allegedly justifiable homicides, it just doesn’t have the same impact.

The Best Musical Tony winner adapted from the 1988 John Waters cult classic is a sugary and joyous ode to forward progress and the pastel-infused aesthetics of the 1960s. The final number, “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” is an effervescent celebration of song, dance, and racial equality. Those who can’t keep up with the times are sure to be left behind. And if you don’t have the breath control required, you’re gonna be left behind too. This song may be upbeat, but it’s also relentless. Performers in the show once dubbed it “You Can’t Stop to Breathe,” and that’s if you’re just one among many. To take on every single part would require lung capacity yet unheard of on a Broadway stage.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“On My Way,” “Violet”
Several Passengers on a Bus to Tulsa Describe Their Reasons for Taking the Journey

“It’s Hot Up Here,” “Sunday in the Park with George”
Sondheim Scores Are Tongue-Twisting Enough Without All Those Overlapping Lyrics

“Easy Street,” “Annie”
Because It’s the Physical Comedy That Makes It Great

“Tradition,” “Fiddler on the Roof”
An Ensemble Number That Wouldn’t Have Nearly As Much Impact If It Was a Solo

The entire ensemble gathers to sing this stirring number that closes out the first act of this epic musical. “Les Mis” has an ensemble so big it’s a wonder they can all fit on stage at the same time. But they do, and as the characters face the uncertainty of the 1832 Paris Uprising, every narrative thread comes together in a melodic roar. It’s an overwhelming experience just to watch. If you tried to sing it all yourself, you’d need an oxygen tank and probably six or seven clones. Its individual vocal sections weave in and out, so much so that you won’t catch every strand the first time through.

Which of these songs have you gone blue in the face trying to do on your own? Let us know in the comments.