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Something tells me this list of best musical songs is going to get longer\u2026 How do you distill the greatest musicals into just ten of their best songs? And what makes a great musical number, well, great? After all, musicals are full of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> A great song can creep up on an audience, taking them unawares \u2013 an unexpected emotional punch to the stomach, or a moment of sheer exhilaration. They are quite literally \u2018show stoppers\u2019, as they incite huge applause or hushed silence. The greatest songs stick in the memory, becoming household favourites, and there are for more than we can ever list here.<\/p>\n Some of the shows referenced here have several big hitters, making the choice even more difficult. Here\u2019s a starter for ten, though.<\/p>\n Great musical moments can be as much about the setting as they are the song itself. This key moment, from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice\u2019s take on the life of Eva Per\u00f3n, sees the wife of the newly-elected President standing on the balcony of their Buenos Aires mansion. With her arms outstretched to her people, she tries to convince them she will work for them and is their champion. It\u2019s a great visual moment, and the song \u2013 full of rather vacuous platitudes \u2013 is a classic.<\/p>\n Buy the soundtrack<\/strong><\/p>\n In a story about how The Wicked Witch of the West earned her name, the standout moment is sure to be exactly that \u2013 the moment she realises she simply has to go her own way, embracing her wickedness. This song from Stephen Schwartz\u2019s colourful fantasy starts as a fight between two friends and ends in a declaration of sheer defiance against \u2018all of Oz\u2019. It\u2019s the show\u2019s most memorable and epic number, and singing it is an Olympic feat in itself for the lead.<\/p>\nWhat are the best musical songs?<\/h2>\n
\u2018Don\u2019t Cry for Me Argentina\u2019<\/strong> (from Evita<\/em>)<\/h3>\n
\u2018Defying Gravity\u2019<\/strong> (from Wicked<\/em>)<\/h3>\n