They say that falling in love is wonderful... and doesn't Broadway know it! Valentine's Day is here and love is all around us. At this most romantic time of the year, we can't help but wonder... what is the greatest Broadway love song ever?
BroadwayWorld continues our great tradition of finding that consensus- and this year we have more answers than ever! We've gathered responses from over 1500 performers, composers, industry professionals, and entertainment personalities from all over the world.
Performer
Days of Wine and Roses | Anything Goes
It's got to be "If I Loved You" from Carousel. It's just such a classic.
Performer
Straight | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"- The Lion King. Hands down this is the most romantic, catchy, and love-filled song on Broadway. Those lions love each other so much! And those harmonies? I mean, come on!
Performer
White Christmas | Children and Art | Dracula | Amour | My Fair Lady
'Moonfall'
Performer
Falsettos | Lempicka | Wicked
"Unexpected Song" from Song and Dance. Andrew Lloyd Webber, I love it.
Performer
An American in Paris
That's a tricky question, but I really love "If I Loved You" from Carousel. It makes my heart explode! I think we've all at one point in our lives had feelings for someone and been without any idea how to explain it to them. It's so beautiful! Especially when Patrick Wilson sings it... :)
Industry
Artisic Director of the Public Theater
"Some Enchanted Evening" from SOUTH PACIFIC
Performer
Rocktopia | Tarzan | Little Shop of Horrors | Jekyll & Hyde | Les Misérables
My favorite Broadway love song is Rodgers + Hammerstein's classic from Carousel, "If I Loved You." I sang it to my wife. She's still with me for 25 years. Oh my god, I don't know why! But, yes. Yeah, that's, I mean, that's a classic and that's what we're doing in Rocktopia: you can't deny a classic.
Performer
Recording artist
It's "Burn" because the melody is so clever and the lyrics are so true to the story. It's very fun to sing.
Performer
Trip of Love | Red Eye of Love
"Anything But Lonely" from Aspects of Love - Because for the eighth year in a row I'm mostly likely going to be spending Valentine's Day on my couch eating ice cream and watching Steel Magnolias.
Performer
The Play That Goes Wrong | Finian's Rainbow
I have many, but for the sake of giving one answer I would say "Il Mondo Era Vuoto" from Light in the Piazza.
Performer
On Sugarland
“All I Care About Is Love” from Chicago. It was the first musical I’d ever been a part of. It changed my life forever. One of the grandest displays of glamour!
-, ON SUGARLAND
Performer
The Cher Show | Miss Saigon | Mamma Mia!
My favorite Broadway Love Song is an oldie but a goodie. From Romance/Romance, "Words He Doesn’t Say" is a beautiful, sad song about the desire to demonstrate the facets of love to someone whose heart belongs to someone else, even though it probably shouldn't.
Industry
TV Host
My favorite Broadway love song is "Helpless" from Hamilton
It changes my day the minute I hear the first few notes.
The song reminds you of the first moment you feel in love every single time.
Performer
Newsies | Beautiful
I think my favorite Broadway love song is "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma. It's the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein melody and its playful but also has significant meaning.
Performer
School of Rock | Sistas
My song would be "My Funny Valentine" from Babes In Arms. This is a classic song that changes genres from Broadway to Jazz. It is written beautifully, poignant, and makes for a great "Love" song.
Performer
She Loves Me | Newsies
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful"
Performer
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark | Rock of Ages
The one that I got to sing from Spider-Man- "If the World Should End" And I love a lot of stuff from the Last Five Years, event though that is dismal love...
Performer
ANYTHING GOES
Hmm, the first song that pops into my head is "I Won't Send Roses" from MACK AND MABEL. I listened to that song over and over for about a month when I first heard it and cried every time! But I would also have to say "If I Loved You" from CAROUSEL...another tear jerker!!
Performer
Some Americans Abroad | subUrbia | The Messenger | The Squid and the Whale
For me, the most moving Broadway love song is "Your Daddy's Son" from "Ragtime." Sarah, hopeless about her future and her baby's future, sings to her son as she prepares to abandon him, telling him: "You have your daddy's hands; you are your daddy's son." It is a love song both to her son and to his father. It is gorgeous and heartbreaking, especially as sung by Audra McDonald on the Original Cast Recording.
Performer
Music Director of Upright | an L.A. Cabaret
"Anytime"- cut from A NEW BRAIN. To say that these are the most thoughtful lyrics I have heard from Finn is a bold statement, but the first time this song landed on my ears, I was a water well from first to last note. His simple rhythmic motives and soaring vocal lines evoke a beautiful tale of how love, no matter how it ends, carries on.
Performer
Bare
It's not a classic Broadway love song by any means, but it's been one of my favorite songs for a long time. "She's Got a Way" from Movin Out.
Performer
Trip of Love | Motown the Musical | Memphis: A New Musical | Hot Feet
My favorite Broadway Love song is "Love Will Stand" from Memphis the Musical. I always loved standing on stage, singing the background vocals to this amazing song, with Montego Glover owning that moment.
Performer
Mamma Mia | The Wedding Singer
"My Man" from Funny Girl. I love this song because it's soulful and revealing. I love to listen to renditions of this song: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Fanny Brice, (Barbra) Streisand, because they're all so personal... Happy Valentine's Day to 'my man', Paul Stancato cause when he holds me in his arms the world is bright, all right!
Performer
Les Miserables | International Recording Artist | Cantor
The only song that makes me cry every time I listen to it, or sing it, is "Song On The Sand" from LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. This song has the power to take you back in time and space, to a life long forgotten. It makes you feel homesick and goes right into your "kishkes."
Performer
Urinetown | Hadestown | Sweeney Todd | Hamilton | Dear Evan Hansen | Grease Live!
My first instinct... like first thought process when I think about a love song that just means so much to me is "Sunrise" from In the Heights. It's like, oh, we you have a chunk of me, you have a chunk of my soul now and my spirit now. And we're going to do this thing together. And the spiraling of it all, too. And then being there and lifting each other up.
Performer
Newsies | Lysistrata Jones | Chicago |
"Too Beautiful for Words" from The Color Purple.
Performer
Spamalot | Wicked | Finian's Rainbow | Waitress
"I Wish I Were in Love Again" from BABES IN ARMS. I met my wife during BABES IN ARMS and it is a great and funny song about love.
Performer
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | The Producers | Wicked | 9 to 5
"Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide. Just the most beautiful piece of music... reminds me of my husband. God, so sappy but true!
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