Preparing for grad school at NYU has meant listening to and studying lots and lots and lots of musicals. So as I've been doing my research, it's got me to thinking about what I consider to be the most beautiful songs from musicals. Hence, I put together this list. I'm not necessarily arguing that these are the BEST songs from musicals, or that they come from the best shows, I just think that these songs represent (for me) the pinnacle of beauty when it comes to writing songs for the stage.
"Anthem" (from Chess; Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus) "Anyone Can Whistle" (from Anyone Can Whistle; Stephen Sondheim) "Being Alive" (from Company; Stephen Sondheim) "Bring Him Home" (from Les Miserables; Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg) "But Not For Me" (from Girl Crazy; George & Ira Gershwin) "Dear Friend" (from She Loves Me; Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick) "Distant Melody" (from Peter Pan; Jule Styne, Betty Comden & Adolph Green) "Edelweiss" (from The Sound Of Music; Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II) "Far From The Home I Love" (from Fiddler On The Roof; Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick) "I Am What I Am" (from La Cage Aux Folles; Jerry Herman) "I Miss The Music" (from Curtains; John Kander and Fred Ebb) "If Ever I Would Leave You" (from Camelot; Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe) "If I Loved You" (from Carousel; Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II) "I've Never Been In Love Before" (from Guys & Dolls; Frank Loesser) "Lily's Eyes" (from The Secret Garden; Lucy Simon & Marsha Norman) "Losing My Mind" (from Follies; Stephen Sondheim) "Love To Me" (from The Light In The Piazza; Adam Guettel) "My Funny Valentine" (from Babes In Arms; Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart) "No More" (from Into The Woods; Stephen Sondheim) "Not A Day Goes By" (from Merrily We Roll Along; Stephen Sondheim) "Not While I'm Around" (from Sweeney Todd; Stephen Sondheim) "Numberless Are The World's Wonders" (from The Gospel At Colonus; Bob Telson & Lee Breuer) "Once Upon A Dream" (from Jekyll & Hyde; Frank Wildhorn & Leslie Bricusse) "Old Man River" (from Showboat; Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II) "The Origin Of Love" (from Hedwig And The Angry Inch; Stephen Trask & John Cameron Mitchell) "Send In The Clowns" (from A Little Night Music; Stephen Sondheim) "So In Love" (from Kiss Me, Kate; Cole Porter) "Some Other Time" (from On The Town; Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden & Adolph Green) "Someone To Watch Over Me" (from Oh, Kay!; George & Ira Gershwin) "Somewhere" (from West Side Story; Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim) "Sunday" (from Sunday In the Park With George; Stephen Sondheim) "Sunrise, Sunset" (from Fiddler On The Roof; Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick) "There's A Fine, Fine Line" (from Avenue Q; Bobby Lopez & Jeff Marx) "There's A World" (from Next To Normal; Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey) "Tonight" (from West Side Story; Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim) "What I Did For Love" (from A Chorus Line; Marvin Hamlisch & Ed Kleban) "Will You Remember Me?" (from Lady Be Good [cut during rehearsals]; George & Ira Gershwin) "With Every Breath I Take" (from City Of Angels; Cy Coleman and David Zippel) "Where Or When" (from Babes In Arms; Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart) "Who Can I Turn To?" (from The Roar Of The Greasepaint, The Smell Of The Crowd; Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley) "You'll Never Walk Alone" (from Carousel; Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II) "You're Nearer" (from Too Many Girls; Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart) Thoughts? Opinions? Glaring omissions? Let me know what you think! ~James B
2 Comments
Penny-The-Dog
8/22/2012 11:14:54 am
Thanks for introducing me to Anthem from Chess, its GORGEOUS!
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10/10/2022 10:15:30 am
Yourself partner learn sound. Field discussion fire indeed himself agree. Food blue entire always learn talk someone.
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James K. BallardA sometimes insightful, hopefully entertaining look into my career and everyday life. Archives
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