Worst song ever written for a musical
Broadway Star Joined: 1/28/04
Worst song ever written for a musical#1
Posted: 5/28/16 at 10:29pm
Post your choices here.
I'll start:
"Chop suey, chop suey/Living here is very much like chop suey..."
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
Worst song ever written for a musical#3
Posted: 5/28/16 at 10:39pm
No Matter What from Beauty and the Beast
Worst song ever written for a musical#4
Posted: 5/28/16 at 10:40pm
The first song that came to mind was "Nobody Understands Me" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's misguided Wizard of Oz adaptation.
Worst song ever written for a musical#6
Posted: 5/29/16 at 5:35am
Every song that repeats the name of a leading character 40 times. Especially when it is the opening song.
The ultimate form of cheese and parody. Laughable.
Worst song ever written for a musical#7
Posted: 5/29/16 at 5:38am
Dave19 said: "Every song that repeats the name of a leading character 40 times. Especially when it is the opening song.
The ultimate form of cheese and parody. Laughable."
Hey don't you throw no shade a my boi Sweeney Todd, bad form bad form.
My vote goes to the horrid "I Need an Angel" song written for Grease Live. TERRIBLE!
Worst song ever written for a musical#8
Posted: 5/29/16 at 5:42am
"Little People " from "Les Miz", which was actually cut but remained on the cast album.
The original "Sound of Music" had "An Ordinary Couple," with labored rhymes and a silly premise.
Audrey
Worst song ever written for a musical#9
Posted: 5/29/16 at 5:42am
Sorry, double post.
Audrey
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
Worst song ever written for a musical#10
Posted: 5/29/16 at 5:46am
"The original "Sound of Music" had "An Ordinary Couple," with labored rhymes and a silly premise."
What was silly about it?
Worst song ever written for a musical#11
Posted: 5/29/16 at 7:50am
"Where's my shoes"
Worst song ever written for a musical#12
Posted: 5/29/16 at 8:00am
HER OR ME from Miss Saigon. It's like dummy lyrics for a song where the wife expresses her anguish over her GI husband's past romantic love...and they never replaced the dummy lyrics! It's ham-fisted, and blearily obvious. Yet the melody is pretty good...
Worst song ever written for a musical#13
Posted: 5/29/16 at 8:08am
CATSNYrevival said: "The first song that came to mind was "Nobody Understands Me" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's misguided Wizard of Oz adaptation."
YES... And pretty much every new song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Wizard of Oz.
Worst song ever written for a musical#14
Posted: 5/29/16 at 8:17am
"Why Not Katie" and "City Mouse, Country Mouse" from Plain and Fancy. They might not be as bad as the drivel of such scores as Amazing Grace and First Date, but they mar Plain and Fancy's otherwise wonderful score so they are my personal worst.
Worst song ever written for a musical#15
Posted: 5/29/16 at 8:33am
The traditional answer to this question is "Little Lamb", although it has its defenders. "This Is A Real Nice Clambake" is another nominee.
Of later musicals, it's hard to beat "My Nose Ain't Broken" from Rocky...That's the one he sang to his pet turtle, right?
Worst song ever written for a musical#17
Posted: 5/29/16 at 8:59am
60's flops had lots of strange "comic" numbers.
Kean. (1961). The Fog and the Grog.
"There was a frog. Ogg. Ogg. Who lived in a bog. Ogg. Ogg."
Let it Ride. (1961). Broads Ain't People.
"Broads ain't people. They're just broads... How can a gentleman block 'em? Sock 'em. Pow!"
Skyscraper. (1965). The Gaiety.
"Delicatessen. Delicatessen. One whiff and you begin to melt sir. You feel a way you never felt sir! When you hear seltzer, seltzer!"
Worst song ever written for a musical#19
Posted: 5/29/16 at 9:10am
MrsSallyAdams said: "60's flops had lots of strange "comic" numbers.
Kean. (1961). The Fog and the Grog.
"There was a frog. Ogg. Ogg. Who lived in a bog. Ogg. Ogg."
Let it Ride. (1961). Broads Ain't People.
"Broads ain't people. They're just broads... How can a gentleman block 'em? Sock 'em. Pow!"
Skyscraper. (1965). The Gaiety.
"Delicatessen. Delicatessen. One whiff and you begin to melt sir. You feel a way you never felt sir! When you hear seltzer, seltzer!"
I must be weird because I love "The Gaiety" (as well as "Haute Couture," which must be one of the funniest tracks ever recorded on a cast album!) The song from Skyscraper I can't stand is "Local 403." It's misogynostic and makes me cringe.
Worst song ever written for a musical#20
Posted: 5/29/16 at 9:18am
Les Miz lost something when Little People was cut. It gave the show a bit of life and energy and was a crowd pleaser. I saw it in the original London production.
I nominate the moo cow song from Rent. Poor Idina who had to sing it every night.
Glinda's new song at the conclusion ALW's Wizard is one of his best.
Worst song ever written for a musical#21
Posted: 5/29/16 at 9:26am
I just sat through a community theatre production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". I thought it was the worst book and score I have ever seen/heard. I nominate the whole score there were several bad songs
but I am trying to forget.
Worst song ever written for a musical#22
Posted: 5/29/16 at 9:41am
Garlic
Worst song ever written for a musical#23
Posted: 5/29/16 at 12:25pm
homeimp2 said:
I nominate the moo cow song from Rent. Poor Idina who had to sing it every night.
But it's supposed to be bad, it's a parody of bad performance art. I think it's hilarious.
Worst song ever written for a musical#24
Posted: 5/29/16 at 12:29pm
Another vote for "My Nose Ain't Broken." I didn't flat-out hate totally hate Rocky, but that song should have never made it on a stage.
Worst song ever written for a musical#25
Posted: 5/29/16 at 12:44pm
Can Sondheim please write a song to replace "Little Lamb?" It brings the whole Gypsy score down from a 5/5 to a 4/5 for me. It really hurts the show.
"Donkey Pot Pie" from Shrek is still an abomination.
I think Ordinary Days has a terrible score. It thinks that it's the cleverest show ever written, but it's just horrible. Honestly, the dullest music and lyrics ever written for the theatre.
"My Nose Ain't Broken" seriously is the worst musical theatre song ever written and the scene before it is the worst scene that I've ever seen in a musical. HE SINGS THE SONG TO HIS TURTLES FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
Videos











