Musical songs that have topped the charts....

[bundy5000]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 7:59pm

I was just browsing around the web and I came across Chicago The music group and I thought about the musical then I thought about the movie and I know All That Jazz was on the billboard charts. Not the album but the song. Any other musical songs ever been in the charts. Remember not album but song.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 8:00pm

"Hello, Dolly" - Louis Armstrong

And a LOT more back in the "Golden Age" and before...

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 8:15pm

Some from the top of my head:

Don't Cry For Me, Argentina - Evita
One Night In Bangkok - Chess
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going - Dreamgirls

Not US but hits in the UK charts:

I Know Him So Well - Chess
Electricity - Billy Elliot
You Must Love Me - Evita
No Matter What - Whistle Down The Wind

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 8:24pm

Judy Collins' recording of "Send in the Clowns" hit #19 on the Billboard charts. And it won 1976 Grammy for Song of the Year.

I think Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" won her a Grammy too, and it definitely charted. And Jennifer Hudson's also charted I believe, though not as high. And that was fairly recent.

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 8:58pm

Luck Be A Lady- Guys and Dolls
Hey There- The Pajama Game

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 9:01pm

Streisand's "People"

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 9:05pm

I remember that Helen Reddy had a pretty big hit with "I Don't Know How to Love Him" back in the 70's.

"Superstar" was a very big hit from the original JCS Concept album.

[Zimmy]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 9:15pm

Any Dream Will Do - Joseph (In the UK)

Written in the Stars and Step Too Far from AIDA both hit the Easy Listening Charts (or whatever there called)

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/13/08 at 10:18pm

HAIR performed by The Cowsills.
AQUARIUS/LET THE SUNSHINE IN performed by The Fifth Demension.
Updated On: 3/13/08 at 10:18 PM

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 12:44pm

All of the ones I know have been listed, so I'll add ALL I ASK OF YOU by Sarah Brightman and Cliff Richard in the UK

How did that HORRID version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA she did with Steve Harley do?

[AvenueQResident]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:05pm

'You're the one that I want' from Grease is in the top ten best selling singles ever in the UK. 'Summer Nights' isn't too far behind.

[madbrian]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:11pm

From Hair, also include Good Morning Starshine and Easy To Be Hard.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:50pm

Did Seasons of Love ever hit the charts?

I know they released a techno remix single with the movie (EWW!). And I remember the original getting some airwave play, at least on NYC pop stations.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 2:53pm

Jenifer Hudson did NOT win a Grammy for AIATY.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 3:54pm

No Iljay she did not, but Jennifer HOLLIDAY did as Walked pointed out.

Day by Day was a #1 hit from the Godspell OCR. Superstar & I Don't Know How to Love Him both charted from JC Superstar. What I Did For Love was a single from Chorus Line. If you want to go back to the Olden Days, The Impossible Dream was a huge monster hit from LaMancha and On The Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady come to mind.

[puppetman2]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:42pm

Oldies, but way up there:
People Will Say We're in Love - Oklahoma
Some Enchanted Evening - South Pacific
Stranger in Paradise - Kismet
Hey There - Pajama Game
Gotta Have Heart and Whatever Lola Wants - Damn Yankees

These all had best selling singles

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 4:56pm

Also, "Time to Remember" from Fantasticks

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 6:40pm

Jesus Christ Superstar and Chess had hits as concept albums long before they were ever staged. Not quite as long as The Who's Tommy, however.

"Stranger in Paradise" from Kismet reached #1 for Tony Bennett

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" from Roberta was a #1 hit 3 times.
1934 - Paul Whiteman Orchestra
1946 - Nat King Cole
1958 - The Platters
Updated On: 3/14/08 at 06:40 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 7:40pm

So, is there now some sort of reverse snobbishness that noone does cover B'way songs anymore? I know I've always thought that "For Good" would be a good country song Or is it just the orchestrations that put other performers off? not where they come from? Thoughts?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:19pm

There is a shocking lack of imagination among recording artists and record companys- they do what they know to work. Conventional wisdom now is that "No one" wants Broadway showtunes so they completely shun it. Also, artists are almost required to be singer/songwriters so there isn't as much "covering" of songs.

Back in the day, if a Record company owned a cast recording (or if they put money in a show) they would require their artists to record "Hit singles" from that show- hence Tony Bennet's Baubles. Motown owned the rights to Pippin so they put out an entire album of covers from the score.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 8:23pm

Oops. Could have sworn he wrote Hudson.

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 3/14/08 at 9:04pm

How did that HORRID version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA she did with Steve Harley do?

Fairly well, actually...I believe it went as high as No. 7 on the UK charts. Terrible arrangement, but boy is that music video a gem.

And back to HAIR for a second--CurtainPullDowner mentioned those chart-topping singles by The Cowsills and Fifth Dimension, but don't forget about the Original Broadway Cast Recording itself. That record spent over a year on the mainstream Top 40 charts, with (I believe) almost 3 months at No. 1. I'm pretty sure that's the last time an OBCR ever pulled off sales that huge against other mainstream albums.