The 40 Best Musical Theatre Songs, from Oklahoma! to Hamilton

What is the most famous musical theatre song?

There is no single answer, but "Memory" from Cats, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables, "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera, "Tonight" from West Side Story, "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and "Seasons of Love" from Rent are among the most famous show tunes ever written. In the lists below, the year is when the show opened on Broadway, or in London's West End for shows that started there.

The golden age of Broadway

1. "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'", Oklahoma!, 1943: the opening song of Rodgers and Hammerstein's first musical together.
2. "You'll Never Walk Alone", Carousel, 1945: a song of comfort that became a stadium anthem in Liverpool.
3. "There's No Business Like Show Business", Annie Get Your Gun, 1946: Irving Berlin's tribute to the stage.
4. "Some Enchanted Evening", South Pacific, 1949: one of the great love-at-first-sight songs.
5. "Shall We Dance?", The King and I, 1951: a whirling polka for Anna and the King.
6. "I Could Have Danced All Night", My Fair Lady, 1956: Eliza's joyful song by Lerner and Loewe.
7. "Tonight", West Side Story, 1957: Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's balcony duet for Tony and Maria.
8. "Somewhere", West Side Story, 1957: a hopeful, heartbreaking ballad.
9. "Seventy-Six Trombones", The Music Man, 1957: Meredith Willson's marching band showstopper.
10. "My Favorite Things", The Sound of Music, 1959: a list song loved by every generation.
11. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", The Sound of Music, 1959: a soaring song of encouragement.

Show tunes of the 60s

12. "Hello, Dolly!", Hello, Dolly!, 1964: Jerry Herman's irresistible title song.
13. "Don't Rain on My Parade", Funny Girl, 1964: the song that made Barbra Streisand a star.
14. "If I Were a Rich Man", Fiddler on the Roof, 1964: Tevye's funny, touching daydream.
15. "Sunrise, Sunset", Fiddler on the Roof, 1964: a tender song about children growing up.
16. "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)", Man of La Mancha, 1965: Don Quixote's anthem of hope.
17. "Cabaret", Cabaret, 1966: Kander and Ebb's defiant title song.
18. "Aquarius", Hair, 1968: the opening number of the rock musical.

Musical theatre songs of the 70s and 80s

19. "Being Alive", Company, 1970: Sondheim's powerful song about needing other people.
20. "Send in the Clowns", A Little Night Music, 1973: Sondheim's most famous ballad.
21. "All That Jazz", Chicago, 1975: a slinky, show-opening classic by Kander and Ebb.
22. "One", A Chorus Line, 1975: the dazzling, high-kicking finale.
23. "Tomorrow", Annie, 1977: a little orphan's song of hope.
24. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", Evita, 1978: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's balcony anthem.
25. "Memory", Cats, 1981: Grizabella's haunting ballad.
26. "I Dreamed a Dream", Les Misérables, 1985: Fantine's song of lost hope.
27. "Bring Him Home", Les Misérables, 1985: Jean Valjean's quiet prayer.
28. "Do You Hear the People Sing?", Les Misérables, 1985: a rousing anthem of revolution.
29. "The Music of the Night", The Phantom of the Opera, 1986: the Phantom's seductive ballad.

Modern musical theatre songs

30. "Seasons of Love", Rent, 1996: a song about measuring a year by love.
31. "Circle of Life", The Lion King, 1997: Elton John and Tim Rice's spectacular opening.
32. "You Can't Stop the Beat", Hairspray, 2002: a joyful finale.
33. "Defying Gravity", Wicked, 2003: Elphaba's soaring act one finale by Stephen Schwartz.
34. "For Good", Wicked, 2003: a moving duet about friendship.
35. "In the Heights", In the Heights, 2008: Lin-Manuel Miranda's love letter to Washington Heights.
36. "Wait for It", Hamilton, 2015: Aaron Burr's patient, brooding song.
37. "Dear Theodosia", Hamilton, 2015: a lullaby from two fathers to their children.
38. "You Will Be Found", Dear Evan Hansen, 2016: Pasek and Paul's anthem against loneliness.
39. "She Used to Be Mine", Waitress, 2016: Sara Bareilles' raw, honest ballad.
40. "Wait for Me", Hadestown, 2019: Anaïs Mitchell's retelling of the Orpheus myth.

The great musical theatre songwriters

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music, and defined the musical as a story told through song. Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and went on to write Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods. Andrew Lloyd Webber ruled the 80s with Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, which became the longest-running show in Broadway history, and in recent years Lin-Manuel Miranda changed the sound of Broadway with In the Heights and Hamilton.

The story behind Rent and Seasons of Love

Jonathan Larson spent years writing Rent, a rock musical about young artists in New York based on Puccini's opera La Bohème. He died suddenly just before its first off-Broadway preview in 1996, and never saw it become a hit. The show moved to Broadway, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony for Best Musical, and "Seasons of Love", sung by the whole cast at the start of the second act, became one of the most loved songs in musical theatre.

Hamilton and the new Broadway

Hamilton told the story of the American founding father Alexander Hamilton with hip-hop, R&B and pop, and a cast that looked like America today. It won 11 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and its cast album became one of the best-selling cast recordings ever. Its success opened Broadway to new sounds, from the folk and jazz of Hadestown to the pop of Six.

Musical theatre songs for a wedding

Show tunes make beautiful wedding music. "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Tonight" are romantic choices for the ceremony or the first dance, "Seasons of Love" is a lovely song for a reception slideshow, and "Sunrise, Sunset" is a moving choice for a parent dance, as is "Dear Theodosia". For the bridal party entrance, "You Can't Stop the Beat" brings instant energy. For more, see our father-daughter dance songs and processional songs.

Musical theatre songs for a memorial

"You'll Never Walk Alone", "Bring Him Home" and "For Good" are often chosen for funerals and memorial services for someone who loved the theater. "Seasons of Love" works beautifully for a memorial slideshow, and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a song of courage for a celebration of life. For more, see our memorial slideshow songs.

Show tunes for friends, graduations and karaoke

"For Good" is the ultimate song about a friendship that changed you, and "Defying Gravity", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "You Will Be Found" are inspiring picks for a graduation. At karaoke, "Don't Rain on My Parade", "All That Jazz" and "Seasons of Love" get the whole room singing, and "Tonight" makes a great duet. For the scene-stealers, try our villain songs. For more, see our songs about best friends, graduation songs and karaoke duets.

Tips for choosing a musical theatre audition song

For an audition, choose a song that suits your voice and the show you are auditioning for, and that lets you act a story in 16 or 32 bars. Casting teams hear the biggest hits, like "Defying Gravity", "On My Own" and "Memory", many times a day, so a lesser-known song by the same writers often stands out more. Pick something in a comfortable key, bring clearly marked sheet music for the pianist, and practice the cut until you could sing it in your sleep.

Cast albums to start with

• The Sound of Music (1959): Rodgers and Hammerstein at their best.
• West Side Story (1957): Bernstein's thrilling score.
• Les Misérables (1985): the epic sung-through musical.
• Wicked (2003): a modern favorite.
• Hamilton (2015): the show that changed Broadway.

A show tune about them

Musicals give their characters a song at the most important moment of their lives. A personalized song can give someone you love that moment too: their name, their story and their dreams, set to a soaring ballad or a playful, bright arrangement. It makes a wonderful gift for a theater lover's birthday, opening night, graduation or anniversary.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, classical, jazz, acoustic and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them their own showstopper: create a song and hear four previews for free.