BWW Blog: 10 Musical Theatre Songs You Need to Listen to Again Because They're Underrated

We all love the big hits of our favorite musicals. There's nothing like belting out "Defying Gravity" or "So Much Better" when you're driving alone, but there's so many songs that get overshadowed by the popular ones. I made a list of 10 amazing songs that need to be appreciated more!

1. "I'm Not That Girl" - Wicked

In Honor of the musicals 16th anniversary just passing, I wanted to point out one of my favorite songs from Wicked. I believe this is one of the most beautiful songs in the whole show. It's Elphaba's moment of realization before her major character arc in the show.

2. "The Whole "Being Dead" Thing" - Beetlejuice

This is by far one of the best opening numbers I've ever seen in a musical. The self awareness and breaking the fourth wall in this song is an amazing way to set the mood for the show. It's funny, energizing, spooky and sarcastic...everything to transport you into the world of Beetlejuice.

3. "My New Philosophy" - You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Originally debuted off-broadway 1967 and then finally getting it's Broadway debut in 1999 You're A Good Man Charlie Brown is an adorable take on everyone's favorite comic strip. The song sang by the incredible Kristin Chenoweth, who played Sally Brown on the original cast recording does an amazing job of bringing Sally to life.

4. "How About a Dance" - Bonnie & Clyde

I believe this is one of the most underrated musicals of all time. Its first performance was at the La Jolla Playhouse in California (2009) before going to Broadway (2011). It only ran for 4 weeks before closing because of bad critic reviews. Despite bad reviews Bonnie & Clyde was still nominated for two Tony awards in 2012. It's the key song of the show, but definitely an underrated musical overall that deserves more appreciation.

5. "Gee, Officer Krupke" - West Side Story

With a Steven Spielberg film version of West Side Story scheduled to be released in December 2020, I had to include a song from one of the classics. "Gee, Officer Krupke" is a comedic song sang by the iconic "Jets". Despite being a funny song, it gives a lot of background to the story. It's not as popular as songs like "Tonight" or "I Feel Pretty", but it definitely deserves just as much attention.

6. "Home" - Beauty and The Beast

"Home" is a song that should've been in the movie in my opinion. It's pivotal to Belle's character and is a major turning point in the show. Disney has so many amazing songs that ones in the Broadway musicals get overshadowed by the movie tracks.

7. "Get Out and Stay Out" - 9 to 5

9 to 5 premiered in Los Angeles in September 2008, and opened on Broadway in April 2009. "Get out Stay Out" is an amazing song in the musical because it's when Judy claims her own life back. The music is written by Dolly Parton, but the musical isn't as popular as her own songs.

8. "I Can Do Better Than That" - The Last Five Years

One of my all time favorite relatable, comedic yet powerful songs from a musical. The Last Five Years never made it on Broadway unfortunately; but it was a spectacular off-broadway production produced in 2002, and there is a great film version of the musical as well. "I Can Do Better Than That" explores one of the main characters, Cathy, not wanting to get stuck in a normal suburban life like her peers. It's a wonderful and catchy song guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days!

9. "We Both Reached For The Gun" - Chicago

It's easy to name so many hits from Chicago, "All That Jazz", "Roxie", "Cell Block Tango", I could go on forever. "We Both Reached For The Gun" is an incredible song that gets overlooked quite often in my opinion. The ensemble is truly the power behind the song with their perfect synchrony.

10. "Don't Forget To Dance" - Pretty Woman: The Musical

"Don't Forget To Dance" is one of the least popular songs from this show which surprises me a lot because it's beautifully composed song that really makes you want to get up and dance. It's simple, yet a great song that needs more credit.

There's many more songs that need recognition for being so great and pivotal in musicals. Let me know some of your favorite underrated musical tracks!