The Best 30 in the Last 40

Vulture, in June 2017, did what I previously thought personally impossible: Ranked their favorite Broadway musical songs from the last 40 years. You can see their full list here and listen to it below, but there are a few I wanted to talk about (either because I agree or I don't) and a few that didn't make it that would've made my personal list.

First thing to address is that the writer of this Vulture article is a huge Sondheim fan - as I find most musical theatre aficionados are, but I'm going to tell you something shocking:  I don't know Sondheim that well. I'm slowly making my way through the Sondheim hits so I can agree with most of the choices, but they sure do love Merrily We Roll Along and I don't really know that show.

Second thing to address is that I desperately need a little bit of diversity injected into the shows that I listen to regularly. You'll see what I mean in my top 10 list below. They are all pretty new shows from a handful of the same composers/lyricists. This is a big reason why I started this blog - to hold myself accountable in trying some musicals that were written before 1990 and to start listening to Sondheim.

Me and my box of shame.

That being said, here are the songs from Vulture's list that I can whole-heartedly agree with:
#1: "Finishing The Hat" from Sunday in the Park with George

• The first time I heard this song was at a retirement performance for a beloved theatre department head and it really touched me. I think any artist, of any type of art, can relate to what it feels like to look at something that you've done and feel proud of it and be in awe of it. You also HAVE to listen to Jake Gyllenhaal (I am a huge lover of Mandy Patinkin whom you can listen to below, but I gotta say - Jake is pretty great).

#10: "One Day More" from Les Miserables

• Les Mis has made me into the theatre nerd. My family listened to it all the time and this song still brings me to tears. Who doesn't love a good anthem?

#20: "Maybe" from Annie

• Annie gets more hate that it should. I know "Tomorrow" is done to death, but "Maybe" is so beautiful - even when Liz Lemon sings it.

And the few that I don't agree with:

#18: "Fifty Percent" from Ballroom

• Full disclosure - I just listened to a recording of Bea Arthur doing this song and it was really lovely, but I don't know this show and it's based off of a TV movie?

#24: "Unworthy of Your Love" from Assassins

• This isn't because I don't like Assassins, but rather because I'm a Michael Ceveris fan girl through and through and his portrayal of John Wilkes Booth is so amazing - he needs all of the Tonys. So I would sub in "The Ballad of Booth."

#26: "Let Me Be Your Star" from Bombshell/(Smash)

• I watched this show pretty religiously for the first season, but this isn't even the best song from the musical-within-a-TV-show! Give me "Just Keep Moving the Line" or give me death! I think that's how that saying goes...

#28: "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent

• Rent is one of my favorite shows ever and while I LOVE "Take Me or Leave Me" I personally feel like "What You Own" is a classic. I used to sing this with my college roommate in the car - it's the perfect song for if you're angry, if you're happy, or if you need some encouragement.

Here's Vulture's playlist:



Below is my playlist for the 10 songs that didn't it make it (but should have). I present this without any explanation because I'd love to hear from you all below (or on Facebook) - do you agree? What would be some of your best from the last 40 years of musical theatre?