Top 10 Greatest Man Ballads on TV Shows

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015-19)
Does any singer scream “man ballad” louder than Josh Groban? This one’s a little different, though. While yes it’s sung by a man, the emotions belong to our protagonist, Rebecca Bunch. After being left at the altar by her dream guy, Josh, Rebecca spirals into a revenge-fueled mess of bad choices. As it turns out, femme fatales tend to thrive in fiction because, well, “life doesn’t make narrative sense,” and Rebecca learns that the hard way. Still, when you hit rock bottom, isn’t it nice to have Groban’s velvety voice tell you where it all went wrong? Oh, and this song isn’t just about Rebecca’s breakdown; Groban gets his moment in the spotlight, too.

“The Afterparty” (2022-23)
We’ve all been there. Those pesky three dots that seem to last an eternity. Like, come on—how long does it take to send a message? Meanwhile, all we can do is obsessively watch and wonder what is waiting for us on the other end. Yasper wants to revive his music career and hopes that superstar Xavier will collaborate with him. Xavier initially brushes him off with a “yeah, sure, whatever,” but later starts responding to a text, taking forever to just send that darn message. This is easily one of the most relatable songs for anyone who’s stared at their phone, breath held, nostrils flared, and heart pounding, only to be met with... ellipses.

“Hazbin Hotel” (2019-)
Angel Dust is an adult film star in hell, bound to a cruel boss who owns his soul. The song may sound like a lively dance track, but its lyrics cut deep. Angel sings about being stuck in a toxic situation he knows is harmful, yet he can’t resist its pull. He wrestles with a mix of emotions, where pleasure and pain blur together, leaving him trapped in a cycle he can’t escape. Blaming himself while also recognizing the chains holding him, Angel reveals how he must disassociate just to cope. The darkly upbeat melody hints at a flicker of fight in him, but as the song fades, his vulnerability seeps through—and it’s devastating.

“Smash” (2012-13)
Like Groban earlier, Jeremy Jordan has one of those voices tailor-made for the man ballad. Beyond his stage work, we’ve heard it in “Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure” and, of course, “Smash.” He plays Jimmy, a composer chasing his Broadway dreams. By a stroke of luck, someone with industry connections hears him sing a ballad he wrote for the fictional musical “Hit List.” The devastatingly beautiful song tells the story of a woman battling adversity while pursuing stardom, teetering on the edge of giving up entirely. Jordan’s tender delivery wrings every ounce of emotion from the piece. Though written about a woman at her breaking point, it cleverly mirrors the struggles of its frustrated composer.

“Big Mouth” (2017-25)
You know the whole idealized concept of the bachelor pad? This is where that fantasy meets a hilariously grim reality. While the guys sing about the joys of single-man life, the truth is far bleaker. What we actually see is a group of lonely men masking their isolation with habits stereotypically tied to a certain brand of masculinity. Sure, some are kinda healthy, but most are just downright gross. Is it any wonder this episode makes the younger guys rethink what being a man really means? The song is undeniably catchy, but the second it ends, we’re scouting for the quickest escape from Guy Town—and probably washing our hands on the way out.

“Schmigadoon!” (2021-23)
In season one of this comedy musical, Aaron Tveit plays the “rapscallion” archetype to perfection. In an amusing parody of “Carousel,” Tveit’s Danny Bailey performs a gloriously self-indulgent number about how he could never settle down, all while imagining life with Cecily Strong’s Melissa. He flips the classic golden-age musical trope on its head with an ironically unironic number that’s equal parts charming and ridiculous. Yet, it turns out Danny can be tamed, and in just over two episodes, no less! He starts working through his carousel of emotions in an excellently over-the-top musical soliloquy. We get another flamboyantly self-centered man ballad from the actor in season two, this time a homage to “Pippin.”

“Glee” (2009-15)
Part of the credit here goes to Phil Collins, but watching Blaine sing “Against All Odds” about an unrequited crush takes it to full-on man ballad territory. You can see the anguish in his eyes as he sings to Sam, laying his heart bare in a way that we—and Sam—can’t ignore. Darren Criss brings something deeply personal to the performance, tapping into an emotional rawness that feels painfully real. Beyond his impressive vocal talent, Criss knows how to deliver heartache in a way that makes our own hearts break just a little, too. It’s full of vulnerability, intensity, and honesty, as all the best man ballads are.

“​​Galavant” (2015-16)
So much happens by this point in the series that we can’t cover it all, but trust us—it’s worth watching even if it was canceled unjustly soon. Madalena tells Gareth, a former guard turned king, that she loves him, and it changes everything. He points out all these brand new things he’s never noticed before, things that might sound familiar to the rest of us once you decipher his colorful and quirky descriptions. It’s a hilarious, heartfelt send-up of those theatrical love songs where characters stop to smell the roses for the first time. It’s one of those numbers that makes a squirmy, fizz-pop burst of sound that flips your chest and twists your grin.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015-19)
When it comes to the man ballad, no “Crazy Ex” character delivered them more wholeheartedly than Greg. In the math of love triangles, he decides the best solution is to just leave the equation entirely. Rebecca chases him down at the airport, where he sings a Frank Sinatra-inspired song explaining all the ways their relationship was a total train wreck. He still loves her, sure, but he paints a very vivid picture of how wrong they are for each other. Rachel Bloom, who wrote it, intentionally paired a suave melody with uncouth lyrics to highlight the messy reality of their love story. By the end, Greg quite literally ascends to a new life full of possibilities.

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

A Night of Reminiscing & Heartfelt Confessions Turns into a Sing-a-Long

Do You Hear the People Sigh? Tim Learns That Any Pleasure His Wife’s Felt Was “On [Her] Own

“Scrubs” (2001-10)
If we’re being honest, this is the relationship that set our unrealistic expectations for love. Seriously—find someone who looks at you the way Turk and J.D. look at each other. In this episode, a patient who hears everything through song gets a front-row seat to their bond. Of course, they’re the ones to sing a love song—only they turn it into an endearing ode to friendship. With overly romantic lyrics, dramatic declarations, and just the right amount of earnest longing, they parody love ballads while flipping the script on male friendships and emotions. It’s funny, touching, and refreshingly honest. Imagine if everyone celebrated love this openly. What a world that’d be!

What’s your favorite TV man ballad? Let us know in the comments.