100 Best Songs from Musicals

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You may not be familiar with all the entries on this list, but trust us: You’ll love them. Maybe they’ll introduce you to a new Broadwayshow to put on your list of must-sees. Maybe you’ll find one to add to your karaoke rotation. Either way, you’ll get an earful of tunes that are sure to stir your heart. Now most famous for the combination of Ray Charles sample and Jamie Foxx impression that cooked up the gold dust for Kanye West’s stupendous ‘Gold Digger’ in 2005, ‘I Got A Woman’ itself takes inspiration from gospel song ‘It Must Be Jesus’, in the process marking out the territory for what would become soul music. It’s hard to believe the (slightly craggy) Peter Pan of country Willie Nelson was around and writing this old standard at the start of the 60s, but there he was and here was Patsy Cline delivering the performance she’d end up remembered for, a raw, honest but understated turn that came just two years before her death in a plane crash. The Stax house band found themselves with an iconic record themselves here, a simple 12-bar blues that thrives on in-built cool. Against the walking bass, it’s Booker T. Jones’s Hammond organ that steals the show, providing a slink that habitually pops up in adverts and movies including Get Shorty and American Graffiti. Anything that requires a swagger, basically.

The best-selling album of 2007 was this chart-topping behemoth from the Disney Channel. Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, and the rest of the "High School Musical" cast belted out a number of instant hits. More than just a stateside stunner, the album was a massive success around the world. In fact, India's Times Music released its own Hindi language two-disc special edition, which contained extra songs inspired by the film performed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Elisabeth is one of the most successful German-language musicals of all time. The musical is the story of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, with book/lyrics by Michael Kunze and music by Sylvester Levay. Translated into seven languages, the musical has played around the world including tours of Japan, Korea, China and cities across Europe. It has no less than 6 cast albums! 98. The Wizard Of Oz Based on the counter-culture novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the VU’s tale of S&M curdled with its own bedraggled charm, thrusting forth with John Cale’s droning viola and Lou Reed’s dully ceremonial vocal. Gothic before “goth” existed. The reverend of the double entendre, Little Richard’s portrait of a good time “ mama” is unforgettable. With a ragtime piano and a crowing vocal, Little Richard creates a sonic romp that suggests there’s a lot more going under the covers than one initially suspects.The songwriting team of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman wrote the music for "Mary Poppins," winning two Academy Awards and a Grammy. A supremely talented cast brought their melodies and lyrics to life, with memorable songs like '"A Spoonful of Sugar,""Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and "Chim Chim Cher-ee." The result is pure whimsical magic. French composer Maurice Jarre produced iconic instrumentals For 1965's "Doctor Zhivago," including "Lara's Theme," a tune that would later provide the basis for the hit song, "Somewhere, My Love." The film won five Oscars at the 1966 Academy Awards, including Best Original Music Score.

#1. The Sound Of Music

- Highest rank on Billboard 200: #1
The Everly’s celestial harmonies were goose bump inducing, and would later influence everyone from The Beatles to Fleetwood Mac. ‘Bye Bye Love’ pushed those voices front and centre. They were so lush in fact that you could forget that they were singing lines like “ I feel like I could die”. Bette Midler lent her acting talent and vocal chops to 1988's "Beaches," a film about the on-and-off relationship between two close friends. While her cover of oldies tune "Under the Boardwalk" was used to promote the film in advance, it was "Wind Beneath My Wings" that took the world by storm, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's still considered one of Bette Midler's most popular songs. Fresh from persuading Serge Gainsbourg not to release their version of ‘Je T’Aime…Moi Non Plus’, Brigitte Bardot again teamed up with the oily old goat to release this wonderfully louche, hypnotic (and occasionally tuneless) tribute to the gun-toting outlaw couple. It’s been covered by sometime Go-Go Belinda Carlisle and sampled by Kylie Minogue.

Elvis may have the more popular version but nobody delivers ‘Hound Dog’ like the Mama; altering her inflections on every line she delivers by far the most captivating rendition. This was the first version, and inspired no less than six covers within a month of its release. From its brassy train whistle to the evocative lyrics, few tunes encapsulate a sense of travel and wonder as this early ‘50s classic. Where’s it coming from? Where’s it going? It remains a mystery but we’re very much on board for the ride. LA vocal group The Platters made their name with this – their second and biggest hit, a US No.1 and UK No.5. A showy and expansive number, ‘The Great Pretender’ inevitably found favour with Freddie Mercury who once more took it into the UK top 5 in 1987, out-camping The Platters no doubt but possibly not wringing out similar emotion. Released as a film in 1939, The film was not an initial success although it did win Academy Awards for Best Song (Over The Rainbow) and Best Score (Herbert Slothart). It has grown in stature since that time with numerous theatrical re-releases, and several stage productions, the most recent of which was presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber at the London Palladium. This production also featured new songs by Lloyd Webber. 97. Sunny AfternoonA cover of a Doris Day standard, Nat King Cole’s version was a creamy confection of dream-like music covered in swathes of layered strings, over which Cole’s velvet voice floated. It sounded like a puffy white cloud floating in the sky. No wonder it’s permanently associated with Christmas. This was the second song Robert Johnson ever recorded, but its creation has also been attributed to Elmore James. Either way, it’s the latter’s version that rules, and proves beyond dispute why the guy was dubbed “the king of slide guitar”.

Laughing Len once sang in a honey-smeared pop register before trilbies and dodgy accountants had taken their toll. Here on his debut album ‘Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ he bids farewell to Marianne, his love and muse throughout the 60s, with a pristine bit of poetry and a typically stately and swinging folk-pop arrangement. The Shangri-Las were a cut above most early ‘60s girl groups, a bit more aloof, a bit cooler, a shade more chic, and it was hard for teenage boys to hear this tale of a cool, renegade motorbike gang member who gets Betty against her parents’ wishes without wanting to be him. Until he died in massive accident, that is. Tragic storytelling at its succinct best. Decades after it was released, ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’ would be referred to as “David Lynch-esque”. The gossamer tones of Cline’s voice and honky tonk rhythms were paired with the creepy undercurrents of the lyrics, that suggested insomnia or even some sort of psychotic, night-time mania. It was a beautiful duality.Disney's "Pocahontas" represented a qualitative step down from previous hits like "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast," but that didn't mean it couldn't still provide fans with a timeless tune. "Colors of the Wind" won Best Original Song at the 1996 Academy Awards. The song was written by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, sung by Judy Kuhn in the film, and by Vanessa Williams during the end credits—and on the hit single. Sam Cooke said ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ came to him in a dream, but it was a natural product of the times too – in particular Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, delivered just a few months before Cooke recorded the song. Whether it inspired Cooke or not, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ is infused with the belief and determination of the civil rights movement. The new addition of a stage version of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory pushed the Gene Wilder movie version of the musical by Bricusse and Newley, out of the Top 100 by just a few votes. The stage adaptation which is currently playing in the West End, and opens on Broadway in 2017, features a score by Marc Shaiman and Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman with a book by David Greig. The production opened in London in 2013 starring Douglas Hodge.

A hymn-like universal anthem which King penned with songwriting legends Leiber and Stoller, that was not only later to be covered by Jimi Hendrix but also used for the classic coming of age film of the same name and would become a by-word for 50s nostalgia. On the heels of the Madonna EP came "Glee: The Music, Journey To Regionals," which included six songs from the season one finale. Released on the same day the episode aired, the album contains covers of three Journey songs, one Queen song, a Lulu song, and "Over the Rainbow" from the "The Wizard of Oz." Needless to say, fans were all over it. Penned by Jimmy Webb (who also wrote ‘Galveston’), this was another tale of blue-collar blues. Framed by producer Al DeLory’s wistful orchestration, Campbell’s honey-soaked croon perfectly captured the sadness of a long distance telephone lineman. Hard to re-appraise objectively after its use and abuse on films and adverts – from Hot Shots to So I Married An Axe Murderer, Alvin And The Chipmunks and beyond – over the years, The Platters’ sweetly harmonised ballad is nevertheless a total classic.An utterly tragic love story of two doomed lovers from rival American Indian tribes who drown in each other’s arms. It should be a swooning country ballad, instead it’s a jaunty jive, under-laid with some comical “natives American tribal chanting” (sung, in part, by the whiter than white George Jones).