Shows with only one good song- Page 2

[Broadwayfan120791]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 10:59pm

THE PIRATE QUEEN : "Woman"

Stephanie J. Block is amazing with those song and it is a catchy song, too.

110 IN THE SHADE: "Love, Don't Turn Away"

Audra McDonald has such a pretty voice and this is a really pretty song, too.

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 3/7/08 at 11:45pm

This "Seasons of Love" talk cracks me up, because I avoided RENT like a plague for awhile just because of this song. I heard some god-awful high school choir do it and I was like, "Wow, what a sappy, stupid song." Then I heard the real version in context, and I thought, "Well, that's lovely." haha

Seriously though, it's still not in my top ten favorite songs from the show.

[fairygodmother]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 4:31am

i think its pretty obvious that this is all just in people's opinions, rather than listing infamous shows with only one famous song.

like i think its fair to say that no-one could truly say that parade only has one good song, but that its the only song that one poster likes.

for me, i was thinking more about shows like Ballroom (50 percent), Seesaw (Nobody does it like me).

but personally, I love Sondheim, but What more do I need? is the only one i could love from Saturday Night.
and ps, I always jump on the ALW haters bandwagon - he knows how to milk it!

[Kasie]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:13am

"Cell Block Tango"-Chicago

But the song is so good, it is still one of my favorite musicals. All the other songs are descent, but without that song, I wouldn't give it the time of day.

[Urban]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:27am

I never liked "Seasons of Love", but I love "Tango: Maureen". I think that is RENT's one good song.

"Unexpected Song" from Song & Dance/Tell Me on a Sunday. Yeah, seriously I did hate the rest of the show. Not knocking ALW either since I actually enjoy most of his 70s/80s stuff (pre-CATs).

[Kasie]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:34am

It amazes me that many people think Rent has only one good song..

Seasons of Love is great, yes, but so is Tango:Maureen, Glory, Christmas Bells, Without You, Contact, Goodbye Love....

[Urban]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:35am

It is a matter of opinion and taste Kasie. That is what makes the world interesting. Nobodies is the same.

[Kasie]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 5:46am

it's true.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 6:50am

Some one-hit scores:

"Here's That Rainy Day" - the ONLY song anyone remembers from the 1953 flop CARNIVAL IN FLANDERS. But what a standard it has become!

"A Sleepin' Bee" - the only song that achieved any popularity outside of HOUSE OF FLOWERS but if you have heard teh cast album you know the rest of teh score is dynamite.

"Once Upon a Time" became a standard yet no one (show buffs aside) can even name the show it came from (ALL AMERICAN)

"Come Rain or Come Shine" was a huge hit song, and became a pop standard, but the show it came from (ST LOUIS WOMAN) is today unfairly forgotten.

"The Sweetest Sounds" is a great Richard Rodgers standard and the only hit song to emerge from NO STRINGS.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 12:53pm

Ah, well. I don't think any of the shows mentioned fit the criteria. There was none I couldn't find 5 or 6 catchy songs from.

Perhaps I "get" songs very quickly but it's hard to find a show that actually made it to Broadway that has a score that is THAT bad. Mostly the scores are the better thing about the show.

[East Village]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 12:57pm

/ True.

For the life of me I can't think of them, but I know there were a few historic flops that did contain one great song.
Updated On: 3/8/08 at 12:57 PM

[puppetman2]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:09pm

How Does the Wine Taste from We Take The Town

He (She) Touched Me - Drat the Cat

Updated On: 3/8/08 at 01:09 PM

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:12pm

Proves my point. Isn't Silverware from We wake the Town far better known? Besides I know a bunch of cover versions made at the time from its songs.

And, yes, He/She touched me has the most covers and yet, you can hardly say that the rest of the score is crap, can you?

[glimpseofstocking]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:21pm

Memory - Cats

[jewishboy]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:44pm

Music of the Night- Phantom of the Opera
Memory- Cats
Unexpected Song- Song and Dance
As If We Never Said Goodbye- Sunset Boulevard
Only You- Starlight Express
The Bitch of Living- Spring Awakening

[misschung]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:48pm

The Rain Song from 110 in the Shade

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 1:55pm

lol

110 already got mentioned with several shots, always different songs. Seriously, this score boasts a bunch of standards.

Still and yet, even the worse ALW shows always feature MORE than just one catchy tune, he isn't that dull (dull as he at times may be).

And being no fan of a score one should still wonder is it really just ONE song that is good in that score. And I keep up with it. There will be no score that ever made it to Broadway that will fit the criteria.

[misschung]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 2:09pm

"And being no fan of a score one should still wonder is it really just ONE song that is good in that score. And I keep up with it. There will be no score that ever made it to Broadway that will fit the criteria."

what?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 2:17pm

"Fifty Percent"-BALLROOM
"In Whatever Time We Have"-CHILDREN OF EDEN
"I'm Here"-THE COLOR PURPLE
"I Don't Want to Know"-DEAR WORLD
"When You Got It, Flaunt It"-THE PRODUCERS
"Don't Ah Ma Me"-THE RINK
"The Grass Is Always Greener"-WOMAN OF THE YEAR

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 2:22pm

Well, I don't know about "good," because a lot of these shows had GOOD songs...

...but I'll do shows here with only one "memorable" song...


Man of La Mancha - The Impossible Dream
Spring Awakening - The B*tch of Living
Cats - Memory
Song and Dance - Unexpected Song
Chicago - All That Jazz (but the movie helped change that a bit)
No, No, Nannette - Tea For Two
Good News - The Varsity Drag
A Funny Thing Happened... Comedy Tonight
A Little Night Music - Send In the Clowns
Cabaret - Cabaret (again, the movie helped change that)
Dreamgirls - And I'm Tellin' You...
Wildcat - Hey, Look Me Over
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - Happiness Is
The Fantastiks - Try To Remember

Hey, at least they had ONE, right?

Updated On: 3/8/08 at 02:22 PM

[East Village]

Posted: 3/8/08 at 2:23pm

I hear you Franklin. That said, there are shows that are memorable for being flops, but one song did rise above the rest to become popular hits. I think puppetman2 got the big one that my theater professors used to mention. Drat the Cat was far from memorable, but He Touched Me went on to be a favorite for many recording artists.

Its probably a difficult question these days because showtunes aren't likely to enter the popular vernacular. But some songs that seem to fit the criteria might be Anthem from Chess. Even Role of a Lifetime from Bare. Both are favorites to musical theater audiences (and favorite audition songs) even though these shows received less than stellar runs.