%20(2).png)
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
First Date | Hair | Legally Blonde
"I Could Write A Book" from PAL JOEY - inextricably due to the fact that it was my wedding "first dance" song.
Performer
American Psycho
"Gold" from Once. While the lyrics are beautiful, what sets it apart from other love songs is the orchestration behind it. Musically, as a whole, it comes together to make the perfect love song.
Performer
Spider-Man | Baby It's You | American Idiot
'Suddenly Seymour' from Little Shop of Horrors
Performer
Just In Time | How to Dance In Ohio | Come From Away | Sister Act
"If I Loved You" from Carousel. It is one of my all-time favorites. I remember seeing the revival at Lincoln Center and getting goosebumps as I saw it. So I've always loved that song.
Performer
Lempicka | Scandalous | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | South Pacific
Right now, I’m loving "Not While I’m Around" from Sweeney Todd. Acts of service is my love language and, to me, this song is about loving and protecting family. The days I keep my six year old boy safe from demons or stormtroopers are the days I’m winning as a dad.
Performer
The Prom (Mexico)
My favorite Broadway love song is "Written in the Stars" from Aida. No matter what happens, if it's meant to be, it's gonna be. The year, place, person doesn't matter. If it's written in the stars, you will find each other.
Performer
A Sign of the Times | Bonnie & Clyde | Spider-Man | Rock of Ages | Bonnie and Clyde
It's gotta be "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. It's so full of passion, love and confusion. That brown album was such an influential part of who I am and what I do.
Performer
Producer / Host of Upright | an L.A. Cabaret
"Till There Was You" from THE MUSIC MAN. I played Harold Hill in my first high school musical and when it came time for the kiss at the end of this song, Marian Paroo proceeded to shove her tongue down my throat. I blame her for my fear of...librarians.
Performer
The Lion
My favorite love song (Broadway or otherwise) is "I've Never Been in Love Before." It's written by Frank Loesser, and it's in the show Guys and Dolls. Sung by the gambler Sky Masterson and the church-girl Sarah Brown, after the two have fallen helplessly in love with one another. It works perfectly in the show, and it works perfectly out of the show; it's been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Doris Day...I love this song.
Performer
Sunset Boulevard | Rock of Ages | Sweet Charity | Nine | Peter Pan | Victor/Victoria
"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" from My Fair Lady. Even though its a song that is song by a single character and he's by himself, he's discovering his love for this person throughout singing it. I love that idea.
Performer
Love Life | Cinderella | Love Never Dies
My favorite Broadway love song is “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof. I love it because it sort of starts off as a question mark, and you don’t know if it’s going to be a love song, and it’s one of the most touching and sweetest things.
Performer
Something Rotten! | Big Fish | Catch Me If You Can
"Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid, as the melody of the song is just JOY to me and reminds me of falling in love with someone for the first time – AND it includes the beach and the margarita!!!
Performer
Bronx Bombers | Lucky Guy | Magic/Bird | Sly Fox | Hairspray
"Love Song" from Pippin!
Performer
Jane Eyre | & Juliet | Girl from the North Country | Hamilton | One Day
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough", which IS in a musical technically. I grew up with a lot of Motown in the house, so those are my loves songs, my party songs... all of it.
Performer
Aladdin | The Book of Mormon
"My Funny Valentine" is my favorite Bway love song, because it's such a crossover song and so many people have covered it, but the melody is beyond Fierce !!!!
Performer
The Lion King
One of my all-time favorite Broadway love songs is "Hey There" from The Pajama Game. Growing up in a Spanish-only household my exposure to musical theater was limited and I first experienced "Hey There" as "Oye" sung by Enrique Guzman. Still one of my favorites to this day.
Performer
Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends | Water for Elephants | Mean Girls
One of my favorite love songs of all time is "Marry Me a Little" from Company because I just think he has this way of making these quotidian things that are so normal, that are so true about love and everyday life with another human being. And it's all stuffed into that song in such a complex way. And even for me as a young man, hearing that song and that being the goal for what I wanted has sort of shaped my life.
Performer
Movin' Out
In my opinion, the most romantic song I have ever heard on Broadway would be "Big Shot" by Billy Joel...you really have to love someone immensely to have that much anger towards them.
Performer
Motown | Fela! | Hair | The Color Purple | Wicked
"Lover", from the show FELA! is my favorite Broadway love song! It asks the questions that people feel when they first meet someone and find themselves falling hard, like will you be here, will you be the one? The feeling of being head over heels in love, captivated, I know this feeling oh so well!
Performer
Cirque du Soleil Paramour
"A Whole New World" from the musical Aladdin is my favorite Broadway song.
Performer
Come From Away | KPOP
Most folks will choose Gershwin or R & H. My favorite Broadway love song is “My Friends“ from Sweeney Todd. Both music and lyric are sensual, romantic, and rapturous; maybe should be reserved for a flesh and blood partner. But the song is all the more thrilling because of how it reveals the only true, unconditional love Sweeney is capable of possessing, the love he has for his blades.
Performer
We Had a World | Moscow | Verite | Maple and Vine
One of my favorite Broadway songs is "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife. I love it.! And I've listened to it since I was in high school. And it's just a soaring, beautiful love song. I think it just sweeps me away.
Performer
Superhero | Sweeney Todd | The Times They Are A-Changin’ | Man of La Mancha
Mine is from Rags. I think that one of the most beautiful songs is called "Blame It on the Summer Night" I love it because it's a bout how love makes one feel when they're by themselves.
Performer
Urinetown | Waitress | The Greatest Showman | Hands on a Hardbody
One of my favorite love songs is "Younger Than Springtime." It means so much to me, not I've been in the show, but because of my own existence. My father's from England. My mum was from New Zealand. So in that show, obviously very prevalent issues there. And so to see that and to also witness it live. It means a lot to me because I know that's exactly how my parents were always and will always be.
Performer
Fuerza Bruta
One of my most favorite love songs is called "All at Once, You Love Her" from an obscure Rodgers and Hammerstein show called Pipe Dream. The main character, Doc, is a marine biologist that used to be a bit of a rover but finds himself head over heels for a prostitute (her occupation is alluded to but is never actually mentioned in dialogue) named Suzy. The song is simple and romantic. What I like best about it is that it is a song that recognizes chemistry in a romance. One of the opening lines, "you start to light her cigarette and all at once you love her," supports the notion of love at first sight. I have also interpreted a nod to the cliche notion of appreciating a person beyond appearances. Despite knowing that Suzy has an occupation of ill-repute, he is still taken by her, as he expresses it through song.
Performer
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
I love the songs from Rent. It speaks to me because they are odd, disfunctional characters and they're finding common ground.
Videos




























