The 6 Best Musicals To Get Stuck In Your Head
Musicals are a little touch of magic; you’ve got music as well as a story line that will have you moved to tears. So which musicals are the best to get stuck in your head, their songs are just so brilliant that you’ll want to be singing them all the time.
I’ve focused more on the musical movies here as I know not everyone can get to the theatre to watch them, while these movies can be accessed by everyone and therefore can be stuck in everyone’s head.
1. Chicago
Chicago is a musical that I have watched at least 20 times and been to watch in theatre around 5 times; I would have gone more but they’ve stopped performing it in places I can reach. Biggest heartbreak of my life. There is a chance that I am biased with this film, but everyone that I’ve shown this film to has loved it and had the songs stuck in their head for at least 2 weeks.
The plot is extremely clever, focusing around the crimes of 2 women: Velma and Roxy, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger respectively. Velma has murdered her husband and sister who were having an affair, while Roxy murdered the man she was having an affair with.
This is a musical full of slander, sex, tricks and murder; and with performances in lingerie, what isn’t there to love about such a sensual musical.
Some of the hits that will be stuck in your head include ‘And All That Jazz’, performed at the start by Velma, as well as Queen Latifah’s amazing performance in ‘When You’re Good For Mama’, one of my personal favourites.
Razzle Dazzle is a spectacular musical number as well as it highlights how the courtroom works not on evidence, but on who puts on a better show. Which is also highlighted in Richard Gere’s other song, ‘We Both Reached For The Gun’.
But the one that Chicago is best known for is the ‘Cell Block Tango’, the ultimate sexy number where you see 6 women reveal how they killed their men. Pop, Six, Squish, Uh Uh, Cicero and Lipschitz. If you want to know their stories behind those titles, you need to watch.
2. Greatest Showman
We all know of this one, it’s impossible for you to not have heard of The Greatest Showman. The brilliant Hugh Jackman, Zac Effron and Zendaya come together to tell the story of the creation of the circus.
Of course it’s highly inaccurate to history and the actual story of P.T Barnum is a lot more brutal, with stories of him exploiting his acts and treating the animals unfairly, but the Hollywood adaptation of course would never include any of this. Saying that, it is still a very enjoyable movie and the songs from it are ridiculously catchy.
Whenever I go out to a nightclub I am faced with Effron and Jackman’s duet ‘The Other Side’, or ‘This Is Me’ and they instantly make the night 100% better because the theatrics you can pull while the song plays are so fun. My friends will be banging their drinks down on the table and sliding across it, the songs are just so fun.
And they’re always stuck in your head.
‘This Is Me’ has become more than just a musical song, it has been adopted by the LBGTQ community and those struggling with their identity. Overtaking Let It Go, Born This Way and Firework by Katy Perry, ‘This Is Me’ is a powerful song about accepting yourself. One that was sorely needed in this day and age.
3. Aladdin
The new Aladdin that has come out with Will Smith was better than most thought it would be, including myself. I came out from watching it in love, I thoroughly enjoyed it and believe it may be better than the original because it had elements that the animated missed. It was more inclusive and avoided racial slurs about the Arabic culture.
But the beauty of remaking Aladdin was that you already know the lyrics to most of the songs off by heart, so it’s a great musical to get stuck in your head because it’s already been there for years.
But what makes the new Aladdin better is Princess Jasmines solo song, ‘Speechless’. The feminist in you will love it, its empowering and so catchy. It’s a song that brings confidence to Jasmine and teaches her that she has a voice and what she has to say matters.
So whether you are singing ‘A Whole New World’ or ‘Prince Ali’ and reminiscing about Robin Williams, or embracing the new with ‘Speechless’, you can’t not get these songs stuck in your head.
4. High School Musical
It has musical in the title so I had to include it in the list.
High School Musical is a movie that was part of our childhood and the songs will forever be in your head. I think the lyrics have been burnt into most people’s memory, because when the club blasts out ‘Breaking Free’ everyone in the building is shouting the lyrics. It’s a powerful and scary moment.
Who couldn’t love Zac Effron’s solo in the second film ‘Bet On It’ that has had him labelled the best Disney Princess because he’s having his moment of singing into the water to find out who he is. And we all know only princesses can sing to water to find the answer, Wreck It Ralph 2 pointed that out.
So get your basketball out and start bouncing it to the beat of ‘Get’cha Head in The Game’.
5. Burlesque
Christina Aguilera has taken her powerful voice and put it alongside Cher to make an amazing film about being in the burlesque.
With outfits to die for, and dancing choreography that you’ll want to learn, the film is a great way to make yourself feel sexy before a night out. Stick the songs on and get yourself hyped up.
‘Show Me How You Burlesque’ and ‘Express’ are two of the more upbeat songs that give you a great beat to dance, but if you want to sing your lungs out then stick on ‘Tough Lover’ and let yourself go.
‘Tough Lover’ was the song where everyone at the club experienced Aguilera’s voice for the first time and it’s intoxicating. The power behind that first note that just shows the range in her voice before you get into the actual beat is just amazing. So if you like sexy and raunchy romance, Burlesque is your film to get stuck into.
6. A Star Is Born
A recent musical to have been released and you can see the modern twist that has been taken on it, but the musical numbers by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are sensational.
‘Shallow’ has become an immensely popular song that it was Lady Gaga’s first No. 1 in 8 years, the lyrics are moving and impossible to not get stuck in your head. So why not join in and sing with their chorus, even get a duet going with your SO.
A Star Is Born is better than most musicals with each song being a hit, if you love one then you love them all. ‘I Will Never Love Again’ will move you to tears, while ‘Look What I Found’ will have you blaring your lungs out to keep up with the beautiful lyrics. ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ is another with stunning lyrics.
