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