15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

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15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 9:41pm

I'm making a playlist of 100 songs from musicals and have been trying to figure out what 15 songs best represent the top quality musicals (with specific focus on the quality of the score) of the past 15 years. My criteria are that there can only be one song per musical and that there must only be 15 songs for this century (though it doesn't matter if multiple musicals came out the same year.) What would you add or subtract from these picks (which are already over 15...)?

-A Summer in Ohio from the Last 5 Years

-Run, Freedom Run! from Urinetown

-Good Morning Baltimore from Hairspray

-Everyone's a Little Bit Racist from Avenue Q

-Defying Gravity from Wicked

-Lot's Wife from Caroline or, Change

-The I love you song from from spelling bee

-The light in the Piazza from the light in the Piazza

-show off from the drowsy chaperone

-another winter in a summer town from grey gardens

-The bitch of living from spring awakening

-I am the one from next to normal

-I believe from the Book of Mormon

-falling slowly from once

-when I grow up from Matilda

-One second and a million miles from the Bridges of Madison County

-Ring of Keys from Fun Home

"Look I made a hat... where there never was a hat." "Think of how I adore you, think of how much you love me. If I were perfect for you, wouldn't you tire of me?" "Somebody, crowd me with love. Somebody, force me to care. Somebody, make me come through, I'll always be there, as frightened as you, to help us survive. Being alive. Being alive. Being alive!" "There are worse things than staring at the water as you're posing for a picture after sleeping on the ferry after getting up at seven to come over to an island in the middle of a river half an hour from the city on a Sunday!"

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 9:54pm

I personally would include "Solidarity" from Billy Elliot.

"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:15pm

I'd add Gimme Gimme from Thoroughly Modern Millie and Seize the Day from Newsies! It's a solid list so far though!

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:16pm

*DUPLICATE POST*

Updated On: 7/12/15 at 10:16 PM

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:16pm

"How 'Bout a Dance" or " Dyin' Ain't So Bad" from Bonnie and Clyde would be somewhere on my list. Pretty much the whole score.

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:24pm

Raise You Up- Kinky Boots

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:31pm

21 Guns from American Idiot

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:36pm

21 Guns (and Falling Slowly) were written for other projects years before the musicals they appear in, so if I was to take this seriously, I wouldn't include them.

Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:44pm

Are there any other criteria? Because it seems like a lot of my choices have grounds for disqualification: "21 Guns" (not written for the show); "The World Will Know" (written in the '90s); "Dancing Queen" and "December, 1963" (not written for the show and written in the '70s).

But I'd definitely include "Solidarity," and either "Blackout," "96,000," or the title song from In the Heights.

#10

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:47pm

Sex Is In The Heel or Raise You Up from Kinky, Blackout or 96000 from In The Heights, So Much Better from Legally Blonde

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#11

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:47pm

I don't mind if the music comes from another source if the song and its musical are of high quality but I would favor original work.

#12

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 10:58pm

Before I posted, I went back and re-read the question to determine it was not limited to songs written specifically for the specific show. (I also noted that the song fro Once confirmed that it was not so limited.) Using your criteria would of course exclude the many trunk songs that figure prominently in various scores, but beyond that it is worth noting that 21st Century Breakdown was not written "years before" but in fact contemporaneous with the development of American Idiot, such that I would consider it more in the nature of a concept album than a separate project. Or are you excluding songs recorded on concept albums as well?

#13

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 11:11pm

I will give you ALL my choices if I were to take on this same task.

"The Light in the Piazza" (Piazza)

"The I Love You Song" (Spelling Bee)

"The Cake I Had" (Grey Gardens)

"Schadenfreude" (Avenue Q)

"When I Grow Up" (Matilda)

"I've Decided to Marry You" (Gentleman's Guide)

"Ring of Keys" (Fun Home)

"Love and Love Alone" (The Visit)

"Raise You Up" (Kinky Boots)

"Wonderful" (Wicked)

"The Song That Goes Like This" (Spamalot)

"One Second and a Million Miles" (Bridges of Madison County)

"Lot's Wife" (Caroline, or Change)

"Gimme Gimme" (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

"Dyin' Ain't So Bad" (Bonnie and Clyde)

https://newplayexchange.org/users/99643/amanda-delalla

#14

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 11:17pm

Falling Slowly was in the move version of Once (and won the Oscar), so it wasn't written for the musical.

A few others to consider:

Go Back Home from Scottsboro Boys

I'm Here from The Color Purple

The Song that Goes Like This or Find Your Grail from Spamalot

Raise Your Voice from Sister Act

Stranger in this World from Taboo

You have songs from these shows, but I personally prefer:

I Know Where I've Been or You Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray

As We Stumble Along from Drowsy Chaperone

#15

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/12/15 at 11:59pm

I personally don't mind if the songs were written before the 2000s if the musical premiered in this century

#16

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/16/15 at 7:50pm

Not My Father's Son from Kinky Boots

There's a Fine Fine Line from Avenue Q

You're Timeless to Me from Hairspray

The Song That Goes Like This from Spamalot

Let it Sing from Violet

Nine People's Favorite Things from title of show

Who I'd Be from Shrek

I Wanna Be a Producer from The Producers

#17

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/16/15 at 8:02pm

Role of a Lifetime - Bare

How ‘Bout a Dance - Bonnie & Clyde

Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind - Spring Awakening

No Good Deed - Wicked

Hold Me In Your Heart - Kinky Boots

Colored Woman - Memphis

Lot's Wife - Caroline, or Change

Quiet - Matilda

Gimme Gimme - Thoroughly Modern Millie

Astonishing - Little Women

Fabulous, Baby! - Sister Act

Always Starting Over - If/Then

Model Behavior - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Dance of the Robe - Aida

I'm Here - The Color Purple

The Life of the Party - The Wild Party

Stranger in This World - Taboo

Solidarity - Billy Elliot

I Believe - The Book of Mormon

'Til I Hear You Sing - Love Never Dies

Boy Falls from the Sky - Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Safer - First Date

#18

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/17/15 at 9:30pm

a few more:

Astonishing- Little Women

Prologue- Natasha, Pierre...

The Last Real Record Store on Earth- High Fidelity

I Don't Understand the Poor- Gentlemen's Guide...

I'd Order Love- First Date

Here I Am- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

This Man- Chaplin

#19

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:34pm

15 songs from The Visit

#20

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/18/15 at 1:18am

Great entries everyone...Ive got a number of songs to go check out!

My favorite 15 or so from the last 15 years are:

Elton Johns Aida- A step too far

High fidelity-the last real record store on earth

[Title of Show] An original musical

Hairspray-you cant stop the beat

Next to normal-im alive

Book of mormon- You and Me(but mostly me)

Once-falling slowly

Memphis-steal your rock n roll

Kinky boots-soul of a man

Newsies-watch what happens

Ghost- here right now

Catch me if you can-live in living color

Something Rotten - A Musical

Wicked- for Good

Addams FAmily- Crazier than you

#21

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/18/15 at 5:58am

I would agree with substituting "as we stumble along" for "show off" from chaperon.

And would submit "sal tlay ka siti" from Book of Mormon

#22

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/18/15 at 10:08am

With You from Ghost.

Nobody from Betty Blue Eyes.

Human Sacrifice from Stephen Ward.

#23

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/20/15 at 4:16am

I recently made a playlist of my favorite songs from musicals this century so far, limiting it to only one song per show, although I didn't limit the number of songs to 15. I admit I somewhat skewed to women belting; it's something I love. The list:

Easy As Life (Aida)
The Life of the Party (Lippa's Wild Party)
Springtime for Hitler (The Producers)
It's a Privilege to Pee (Urinetown)
A Summer in Ohio (The Last 5 Years)
Forget About the Boy (Thoroughly Modern Millie)
You Can't Stop the Beat (Hairspray)
Defying Gravity (Wicked)
The Beauty Is (The Light in the Piazza)
Bride's Lament (Drowsy Chaperone)
A Way Back to Then ([title of show])
Another Winter in a Summer Town (Grey Gardens)
In the Same Boat (Curtains)
It Won't Be Long Now (In the Heights)
I Know It's Today (Shrek)
Take Me to Heaven - Reprise (Sister Act)
Sal Tlay Ka Siti (Book of Mormon)
To Build a Home (The Bridges of Madison County)
I've Decided to Marry You (Gentleman's Guide)
Always Starting Over (If/Then)
Changing My Major (Fun Home)
You, You, You (The Visit)

Honorable mention to Another Life from Bridges, that was a close one for me to choose.

Also, maybe my favorite song written for a musical this century is one that was cut from The Visit. A song called "You Know Me," sung about Claire by two ladies of the town, swearing they would never gossip but then proceeding to say hilarious and terrible things about her. I don't want to spoil the punchlines, so people, do yourself a favor and listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBBwUvbTSlw

"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."

Updated On: 7/20/15 at 04:16 AM

#24

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/20/15 at 11:37am

Can't believe no one has included "Go Back Home" from Scottsboro Boys! Easily in the top 5 best songs from scores of the last 15 years.

#25

15 best songs from the past 15 years of musicals

Posted: 7/20/15 at 12:20pm

With You- GHOST

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