Both New York’s Broadway and London’s West End are considered the epitome of live theatre in the English-speaking world.
In fact, attending a Broadway musical is one of the best things to do in New York City – likewise for watching a West End show in London.
Over the years, I’ve loved attending Broadway musicals. And if I haven’t gotten to see the show on Broadway, I’ve enjoyed watching shows on their national tours.
If you’re planning a trip to New York or London and have Broadway or West End show on your list, here are 35 catchy show tunes to get you hyped up!
Table of Contents
1. The Phantom of the Opera from The Phantom of the Opera
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Chares Hart, Richard Stilgoe (additional)
Broadway debut: 1988
West End debut: 1986
About: Based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show in Broadway history (as of February 2025); from 1988 to 2023, with a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the show ran for a staggering 13,981 performances. The title song is often considered one of the most difficult to sing, with the final riff of connected high notes going up to a whopping E6.
Listen to it here.
2. My Shot from Hamilton
Music: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Broadway debut: 2015
West End debut: 2017
About: Hamilton was a hit when it first opened on Broadway in 2015, retelling the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with a modern cast. To add to the modern vibe, as well as the patriotic enthusiasm and defiance of a youthful Hamilton, “My Shot” is written in the hip hop genre.
Listen to it here.
3. If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof
Music: Jerry Bock
Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
Broadway debut: 1964
West End debut: 1967
About: I love the entire soundtrack of Fiddler on the Roof, which tells the story of an orthodox Jewish milkman in an early 20th century Ukrainian village who tries to reconcile his beliefs with the fast-changing world around him. But his joyous imaginings of wealth in the song that has become a cultural staple is one that almost all of us can relate to – and sing along with.
Listen to it here.
4. Do You Hear the People Sing? from Les Misérables
Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer
Broadway debut: 1987
West End debut: 1985
About: If you think that the longest-running West End musical was based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, you’d be right. Set in the tumultuous early 19th century France, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” captures the revolutionary spirit so pervasive during that period – and has been used as a protest song in real life as well.
Listen to it here.
5. Memory from Cats
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Trevor Nunn
Broadway debut: 1982
West End debut: 1981
About: Cats is another offering from musical theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber. While the lyrics for the musical’s most famous song, “Memory,” are by Trevor Nunn, most of the musical’s other lyrics are taken directly from the collective Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century.
Listen to it here.
6. Defying Gravity from Wicked
Music: Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Broadway debut: 2003
West End debut: 2006
About: You’ll gain a whole new perspective on the movie The Wizard of Oz after watching this beloved musical, which tells the origin story of Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. “Defying Gravity” is a powerhouse of a song about not being defined by the limitations imposed by others.
Listen to it here.
7. Circle of Life from The Lion King
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Broadway debut: 1997
West End debut: 1999
About: Since many Disney movies are already musicals, it seems only natural that they would try and adapt some of them for the stage. The Lion King has been hugely successful; as of February 2025, it’s the third longest-running show on Broadway and the highest grossing, raking in more than $1.9 billion. The opening number, “Circle of Life,” showcases the puppetry that the musical is known for to stunning effect – and is simply a beautiful song.
Listen to it here.
8. Shall We Dance? from The King and I
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1951
West End debut: 1953
About: An offering from the legendary team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, The King and I is a fictional telling of the real-life story of Anna Leonowens, a 19th-century Anglo-Indian woman who went to Siam (now Thailand) to teach the children of the king. “Shall We Dance?” is the most famous sequence from the musical, describing the experience of falling in love.
Listen to it here.
9. All That Jazz from Chicago
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb
Broadway debut: 1975
West End debut: 1979
About: Originally performed on Broadway in 1975, the 1996 revival is (as of February 2025) the second longest-running show on Broadway and the longest-running American show on Broadway. “All That Jazz” captures the spirit of the Jazz Age in which the musical is set.
Listen to it here.
10. Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha
Music: Mitch Leigh
Lyrics: Joe Darion
Broadway debut: 1965
West End debut: 1968
About: That’s right, this musical is based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, one of the best-selling novels of all time. There’s something truly inspiring about the musical’s most recognizable tune, in which Don Quixote describes his dogged determination to strive towards lofty goals without compromising his morals or ideals.
Listen to it here.
11. Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1959
West End debut: 1961
About: Based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers who fled Austria during its takeover by the Nazis just before World War Two, The Sound of Music is a beloved musical and a hit movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. In “Do-Re-Mi,” ex-nun and soon-to-be family matriarch Maria teaches the children the basics of singing. Learning to sing in a musical? Win-win.
Listen to it here.
12. I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady
Music: Frederick Loewe
Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner
Broadway debut: 1956
West End debut: 1958
About: There are lots of classic songs from this musical adaptation of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, which was itself a modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth. In “I Could Have Danced All Night,” heroine Eliza Doolittle captures the emotional high that comes with just having spent time with the person you love.
Listen to it here.
13. Seasons of Love from Rent
Music: Jonathan Larson
Lyrics: Jonathan Larson
Broadway debut: 1996
West End debut: 1998
About: Rent tells the story of a struggling artists living a bohemian lifestyle in New York at the end of the millennium; it’s inspired by the Puccini opera La Bohème. “Seasons of Love” is a soft song without which I may have never known how many minutes were in a given year.
Listen to it here.
14. Ol’ Man River from Show Boat
Music: Jerome Kern
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1927
West End debut: 1928
About: This is the oldest entry this list and for good reason: Show Boat is the musical that started it all. The show’s use of music to advance a plot that combined levity and seriousness was a departure from anything done before – and the modern musical was born. “Ol’ Man River” is so ingrained in our culture that you’ve probably heard of it without even realizing where it came from.
Listen to it here.
15. America from West Side Story
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Broadway debut: 1957
West End debut: 1958
About: This retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes place in 1950s New York. While “Maria” is many people’s favorite, I prefer the upbeat tempo of “America,” ever since I first watched the 1961 movie adaptation and wanted to dance in a pretty purple dress just like Rita Moreno’s character Anita.
Listen to it here.
16. Mamma Mia from Mamma Mia!
Music: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Lyrics: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Broadway debut: 1999
West End debut: 2001
About: Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical, one in which the songs are taken from popular culture or are otherwise pre-existing, as opposed to being written specifically for the show. In this case, the songs are from 1970s Swedish pop sensation ABBA.
Listen to the original version by ABBA here.
17. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ from Oklahoma!
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1943
West End debut: 1947
About: Oklahoma! was the first musical by powerhouse pairing Rodgers and Hammerstein, whose works you’ll see quite a few times on this list. “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” was so successful, it’s entered into the American consciousness.
Listen to it here.
18. Omar Sharif from The Band’s Visit
Music: David Yazbek
Lyrics: David Yazbek
Broadway debut: 2017
West End debut: 2022 (London)
About: The Band’s Visit is based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, about an Egyptian band ending up lost in a small Israeli town. The wistful song “Omar Sharif” references Omar Sharif and Umm Kulthum, two giants of Egyptian cinema and music, respectively, from the mid-twentieth century.
Listen to it here.
19. Stay, I Pray You from Anastasia
Music: Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Broadway debut: 2017
West End debut: n/a
About: The massacre of the last imperial family of Russia might not seem like an obvious choice for a musical (or the 1997 children’s movie on which the musical is based), but here we are. This fictional retelling gives Anastasia a somewhat happier ending than her real-life counterpart received. Many of the supernatural elements from the movie were removed for the musical, so part of the tune of “In the Dark of the Night” (sung by Rasputin in the movie) was reworked into this hauntingly beautiful song about the emotional toll of leaving your homeland.
Listen to it here.
20. You Can’t Stop the Beat from Hairspray
Music: Marc Shaiman
Lyrics: Scott Wittman, Marc Shaiman
Broadway debut: 2002
West End debut: 2007
About: This fun musical about acceptance and inclusiveness is set in 1960s Baltimore and is based on a 1988 movie. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is an upbeat tune that reminds us that we can’t stop change, just like we can’t stop dancing to the beat.
Listen to it here.
21. Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina from Evita
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Broadway debut: 1979
West End debut: 1978
About: Evita is a biographical musical about the life of Eva Perón, nicknamed Evita, who was first lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952. “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” is a powerful ballad in which Evita confirms her dedication to the people of Argentina.
Listen to it here.
22. Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice
Broadway debut: 1994
West End debut: 1997
About: Another of Disney’s forays into live production, Beauty and the Beast was considered for a Broadway adaptation even before the movie was released in 1991. While everyone loves the jaunty “Be Our Guest,” I quite like the title song as representative of this tale as old as time.
Listen to it here.
23. Big Spender from Sweet Charity
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Dorothy Fields
Broadway debut: 1966
West End debut: 1967
About: About a dancer-for-hire at a Times Square dance hall, Sweet Charity was choreographed by famed choreographer Bob Fosse. The “Sweet Charity” sequence, with its alternating stiff and frenetic moves, is a standout – and it somehow always manages to get stuck in my head whenever I listen to it.
Listen to it here.
24. Close Every Door from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Broadway debut: 1982
West End debut: 1973
About: Hard to believe that this musical, based on the biblical story of Joseph, was Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s first collaboration – written when Lloyd Webber was just a teenager. Various styles of music are explored in show, from western to Elvis to calypso, but it’s “Close Every Door” that arguably packs the biggest emotional punch.
Listen to it here.
25. New York, New York from On the Town
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Broadway debut: 1944
West End debut: 1963
About: Think you can see all of New York’s major sights in one day? That’s what three U.S. Navy sailors set out to do on their one-day shore leave in this classic musical. The most famous version of “New York, New York” comes from the movie adaptation, where it’s sung by Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin.
Listen to it here.
26. Ex-Wives from Six
Music: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Lyrics: Toby Marlow, Lucy Moss
Broadway debut: 2021
West End debut: 2019
About: “Six” refers to the six wives of 16th century English king Henry VIII, the protagonists of this musical in which the wives compare their (largely negative) experiences with Henry. “Ex-Wives” cleverly incorporates the tune of “Greensleeves,” an enduring traditional folksong whose composition is often misattributed to Henry himself.
Listen to it here.
27. Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1949
West End debut: 1951
About: South Pacific is an amalgamation of several stories from the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific. While the musical has produced well-known songs, “Some Enchanted Evening” is perhaps the most enduring, and was praised by musical composer giant Andrew Lloyd Webber himself as the “greatest song ever written for a musical.”
Listen to it here.
28. Dat’s Love from Carmen Jones
Music: Georges Bizet
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Broadway debut: 1943
West End debut: n/a
About: If you think Georges Bizet wrote one of the most popular operas in the world and not a musical, you’d be right – Carmen Jones is an update of the classic opera, set in World War II America and featuring an African-American cast. “Dat’s Love” is the musical version of the opera’s most famous aria.
Listen to it here.
29. Apex Predator from Mean Girls
Music: Jeff Richmond
Lyrics: Nell Benjamin
Broadway debut: 2018
West End debut: 2024
About: Based on the 2004 movie starring Lindsay Lohan, Mean Girls is about the drama of high school, told through the eyes and antics of Cady Heron, a new student just arrived from Africa. The African theme is carried through in “Apex Predator” which likens high school’s vicious hierarchy to that of the food chain in the wild.
Listen to it here.
30. I Believe from The Book of Mormon
Music: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone
Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone
Broadway debut: 2011
West End debut: 2013
About: Trey Parker and Matt Stone may be most famous as the creators of the irreverent animated television series South Park, but that doesn’t mean they can’t write a great musical. When one of the Mormon missionaries depicted in the musical begins to question his faith, he reaffirms it in the simultaneously uplifting and hilarious number “I Believe.”
Listen to it here.
31. Friend Like Me from Aladdin
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, Chad Beguelin
Broadway debut: 2014
West End debut: 2016
About: Another stellar offering from Disney, Aladdin was based on the 1992 film of the same name, which itself was based on an Arabic folktale found in the classic One Thousand and One Nights. “Friend Like Me” is the upbeat showstopper number from the musical.
Listen to it here.
32. December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) from Jersey Boys
Music: Various
Lyrics: Various
Broadway debut: 2005
West End debut: 2008
About: Another jukebox musical, this time a loosely autobiographical look at 1960s rock n’ roll sensation The Four Seasons. One of my fondest memories of seeing this show on Broadway involved dancing with my friends (we had standing room tickets) to this catchy tune.
Listen to the original here.
33. Hello, Dolly! from Hello, Dolly!
Music: Jerry Herman
Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Broadway debut: 1964
West End debut: 1965
About: This favorite musical about a matchmaker tasked with finding a match for her wealthy client is based on a play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder. In the 1969 movie based off the musical, the title song is performed by the incomparable Louis Armstrong.
Listen to it here.
34. Superstar from Jesus Christ Superstar
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Broadway debut: 1971
West End debut: 1972
About: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s second musical with a biblical storyline, this time based on the Gospels with – you guessed it – Jesus as a central figure. The music always felt a tad psychedelic to me, but the title song sure will get you singing along.
Listen to it here.
35. Camelot from Camelot
Music: Frederick Loewe
Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner
Broadway debut: 1960
West End debut: 1964
About: This musical had me at Arthurian legend. The original version of this jovial tune (which includes some fanciful ideas of British weather) was sung by famed actor Richard Burton as King Arthur; Julie Andrews played Guenevere.
Listen to it here.
Where to buy Broadway or West End tickets
Due to the limited number of theatres in both Broadway and the West End, show offerings are constantly changing, so don’t expect to see all of the shows on this list during your visit.
If you’re interested in purchasing tickets, a good place to start would be Broadway.com for Broadway tickets and London Theatre for West End tickets.
You may be able to score cheaper tickets than those advertised, either through lottery, student discount, etc. Oftentimes you need to purchase this tickets directly at the theatre’s box office or at an authorized discounted ticket seller such as TDF. If you’re looking for discounted tickets, be sure to do your research.
There you have it! 35 catchy show tunes. Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
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