Top 10 Songs From Theater Musicals

The signature song from probably the most prominent musical of the twenty-first century, “Defying Gravity” is appropriately, and incredibly, uplifting! A majority solo with a couple of duets thrown in for good measure, the song is performed by the newly enlightened Elphaba (originally played by Idina Menzel), and her friend Glinda (originally played by Kristin Chenoweth). The finale of the show’s first act, “Defying Gravity” is all about living without limits, and has already achieved an iconic status within the theater world!

So much of “The Sound of Music” might’ve featured today... “Edelweiss”, “My Favorite Things”, or the show’s title track are all almost top ten worthy! But “Do-Re-Mi” is what really does it for us! A song which really has the essence of musical, and music in general, at its heart “Do-Re-Mi” is a lyrical representation of the sol-fa scale - which is a music education method used to teach vocal pitch. It’s a series of largely unlinked words and phrases; it’s near nonsense made sense of through song... What could be better??

Taken from early in Act One of “Fiddler on the Roof”, our next song is sung by the show’s central character, Tevye, as he laments his considerable lack of wealth. Tevye, a dairyman forced to drag his own milk cart, questions why he has been made poor while others have more money than is necessary... If he were a rich man, he’d enjoy splashing cash in a similar fashion! But then, who wouldn’t like to ‘bidi-bidi-bum’ their days away?! This is ‘living the dream’ in lyrical form!

Our next musical brings together a group of artists living in New York City, who are forced to negotiate work and relationships under the shadow of AIDS. “Seasons of Love” is the signature “Rent” tune, however, and it’s definitely not doom and gloom. With an already iconic refrain of ‘Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes’, the song searches for a suitable method of measuring life - and lands upon love. It really is ‘all you need’!

Sung at the beginning of the late ‘60s musical “Hair”, “Aquarius” was a call to arms for its generation’s ‘flower power’, and remains one of the most rousing songs ever sung on stage! From its opening line, “Aquarius” speaks of celestial bodies aligning and international peace descending onto Earth... A fanciful notion for some, it’s a faith worth holding onto for these characters! A song made all the more famous following its chart release by the 5th Dimension as a medley with “Let the Sunshine In”, it’s infectiously uplifting!

Another optimistic musical number, “Tomorrow” takes all of Annie’s sadness and sets it against the hope that times will change. A subtle song requiring a little less production than some others on today’s countdown, it lends itself to cover versions aplenty, adaptations and reworking... Heck, it’s even been used to promote twenty-first century cereal! A record that has stood, and will stand, the test of time, it’s a reminder to everyone that hard times won’t last forever!

A serious shift in mood now, and the epitome of a showstopper! “All That Jazz” gives us exactly what its title promises! The opening song of “Chicago”, it’s about ‘painting the town red’ and priming its audience for a musical like no other! A signature record for one Liza Minnelli, it’s the kind of song that requires an especially glittery outfit, to really do it justice! Guaranteed to get even the shyest audience member at least tapping their toes, “All That Jazz” is the very definition of ‘all singing, all dancing’!

In any regular musical, “One Day More” would be by far and away the most impressive moment, and would easily make today’s countdown! However, “Les Misérables” also has the ever-inspirational “I Dreamed a Dream”! Sung by Fantine shortly after she’s begun life on the streets, the song is a painstaking lament comparing the character’s hopes for life, and the harsh realities of it. And yet, there are moments in “I Dreamed a Dream” that have us all roused with optimism... It’s all of the emotions rolled into one sensational record!

Another major musical for which more than one song might’ve scored a top ten place, “All I Ask Of You” could’ve featured for “The Phantom of the Opera”... But in “Music of the Night” we have a song that lyrically and literally hypnotizes the listener! Performed by the eponymous phantom as he lures Christine Daaé into his lair beneath the Opera House, it encapsulates the character’s loneliness, and includes a magical hook that won’t ever leave your head, no matter how hard you try!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- “Time Warp”
“The Rocky Horror Show”
- “One Night in Bangkok”
“Chess”
- “Don’t Rain on My Parade”
“Funny Girl”
- “Hasa Diga Eebowai”
“The Book of Mormon”
- “America”
“West Side Story”

Most famously performed by either Elaine Paige or Barbra Streisand, “Memory” is, appropriately, as unforgettable a show tune as has ever been written! It’s sung by the character Grizabella, as she remembers with fondness the glamor cat that she once was, but realizes with sadness how far she has fallen... The nostalgic tone and lyrics are relatable for just about anybody, meaning that there’s rarely a dry eye in the house, or a hair not stood on end during any performance. It’s the final song to our final act, a worthy, whiskered winner!

Do you agree with our list? Which musical number is your favorite? For more sing-along top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.