Top 20 Hardest Modern Broadway Songs to Sing

[@MsMojo]

Which of these entries do YOU think you can belt out easily? Let us know below, and check out our video of the Top 10 Hardest Classic Broadway Songs to Sing - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ6ZiGWrndeAgsU

[@marcusyates3044]

SpongeBob/Beetlejuice/Addams Family Musical Songs RANKED!

[@duckysguidetoshipping8930]

I try so hard to do em all

[@zachhk6108]

I can easily sing Defying Gravity

[@jessiepotter7069]

Heart of stone should have bein the top pick

[@LizaPirate]

Okay but the fact that ballad of Jane doe has NEVER made it on your list shocks me she is singing whistle notes while being cartwheeled in the air and then singing it upsidedown!!

[@duckysguidetoshipping8930]

Can we just acknowledge how amazing and powerful broadway singers are !! Their voices are just breathtaking and I know it’s not easy❤

[@codymiller6172]

Not to mention they have to perform Live on stage 8 times a week

[@ILJ68]

Let’s also recognise yesterday’s stars who had to project their voices so the whole theatre could clearly hear them because they didn’t have microphones to amplify their voices

[@DanGamingFan2406]

"Defying Gravity" is such an impressive and iconic number. My favorite throughout _Wicked,_ and one of the best in all of Broadway.

[@CinnamonQuills]

The Ballad of Jane Doe should be so much higher on this list. Not only does it have the operatic soprano aria bits and the jazzy bits, she's hitting some of those notes while UPSIDE DOWN and SPINNING ten feet in the air. In blackout contacts!

[@asterismos5451]

It might be that it's not Broadway? But if that's the case I'm not sure why it's even on the list in the first place.

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

I sang Burn with my music teacher last year and not to brag but she said I crushed it. But my gosh it is hard. For me it’s not the vocal abilities you need but the emotional range you need. It requires so much from the singer acting wise. It’s incredibly heartbreaking but powerful. It’s one of those songs that every time I sing it the entire world fades away and I can just become Eliza. I can put myself in her shoes and just let out all of my emotions and vocal skills.

[@pennymiku]

with ride the cyclone being a big hyperfixation of mine atm i am SO happy the ballad of jane doe was included. its such a good song

[@bookemdano7567]

I’m surprised that Notes/Prima Donna from The Phantom of the Opera didn’t at least get an honorable mention. There’s 7 characters all singing their lines at the same time during Prima Donna.

[@zdawg2257]

is that really considered modern tho

[@HulaHula667]

@@zdawg2257if they’ve got Cats on the list, then I think that it’s safe to count Phantom too

[@zdawg2257]

@@HulaHula667 Good point

[@spencerreidswife]

Also, Carlotta’s role hits an E6 at the end of Notes, making it very difficult as well.

[@trinaq]

Congratulations to these performers for managing to hit those high notes, and making their jobs look effortlessly easy, when a lot of hard work goes into looking after their voices.

[@slane6527]

Thank you for including The Ballad of Jane Doe! Such an amazing song!

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

Agreed

[@RCKimmel]

This entire soundtrack has entered my library on constant rotation. So good!

[@hannahwatermelon]

As a huge Hamilton fan I'm so happy satisfied was recognized for it's mastery. It has it all, the rapping, the high notes, but one other thing: The whole song is a reenactment of the song before, "Helpless". It involves the actors replaying what they just did, with some added context from Angelica's point of view. So not only is it a difficult song to sing, but the person playing Angelica has to remember what they said, how they said it, and what they were doing in the previous song to replay it properly! All while singing, rapping, and acting. It's another level of complexity for a live performance of this song!!

[@blahblahblahEMILY]

i have never been a wicked fan, but defying gravity brings me to tears every time

[@merivial8661]

8:35 I think flowers is a soft, tender song, the last breath of a dying heart. Though it's a pretty difficult song, the Wait for Me reprise's last bridge is truly a challenge, and Eva Noblezada NAILS IT.

[@kasu4]

As someone that sang “Bring Him Home” for his senior recital with ease I can tell you “Defying Gravity” and “I’m not going” are waaaaay harder 😂

[@mikejason5621]

r u a boy or a girl? cause it really depends on what you're gonn say

[@kasu4]

@@mikejason5621 Male, and I’ve sang “Defying Gravity” (in a lower key of course) and I can still tell you that song has more modules than “Bring him Home”. Both DG and “I’m not going” are on a league of their own. Had they done two separate lists then I would have agreed with the video’s rating.

[@mikejason5621]

@@kasu4 Well yeah it would be harder then bc both DG and I'm Not Going are songs traditionally sung by female singers. Though I will agree with you on the ratings, I'm not Going makes me wanna cry lmao

[@kasu4]

@@mikejason5621 ING is such a great song and if sang correctly it’s so powerful. Absolutely makes me cry too hahah

[@amagicallaura]

imo bring him home isn't that technically difficult, the difficulty comes from how it needs so much control, rather than big high notes or jumps. it doesn't get 'big' until the last chorus but it has this very slow build.

[@clerictt]

In my opinion, "satisfied" is the hardest song to perform in Hamilton, Renee endlessly belting high notes and rapping all-together in 5 minutes and 30 second song along with the amazing acting and the chorography (The chorography is backwards, rewinds back to 'helpless") is INSANLEY difficult and requires a lot of voice/breathing control. Lin-Miranda made a masterpiece with an amazing cast.

[@Idekjustyeah]

That’s a good point but in perspective, I did this when I was 12 at a showcase

[@aalflyguy1184]

Ummm… how did “Getting married today” from Company not make this list? Universally, the most challenging Sondheim song to perform. Whether by a male or female singer, the lyrical speed, breath control & enunciation required to pull off this performance requires a master class vocalist.

[@Margann1987]

"Company" is from the classic Broadway era.

[@harryorenstein1144]

Company was first produced in 1970, so it's not within the range of this presentation. That being said, however, you are so right that it's got to be one of the most difficult songs to sing.

[@stillherenow500]

Yeh, I think you really missed one. But the rest I agree with.

[@kiralee2012]

I was going to say the same thing! Why wasn't this one in the list?

[@amandastumpff5252]

@@kiralee2012because the list only goes back to 1980. Company was before that

[@chelseacanales8763]

I got to give the performers kudos: they are so talented and (depending on the song) sang beautifully

[@BlazeDupree1525]

Sam Pauly is my favorite Howard from Six. I was watching a bunch of different performances because I was interested in the costume design for the show and out of all the renditions I watched hers packs so much more of a punch. Not only is the dancing top notch and the vocals on point but the way she plays it off as going from being very naive and playful to her realization that everyone is just using her to the betrayal of someone she thought she could trust and ultimately her when she breaks before being beheaded. It really puts into perspective for the audience that this isn't just a character in a show but a real girl, practically a child still who must have felt similarly at one point. All of the other queens are stellar but they are so exagurated you sometimes forget they are portraying real people and you just see the characters they created but Howard really brings it back and grounds the show.

[@madsn1057]

Very happy to see Confrontation on this list. It's an absolute BANGER and is super impressive!

[@nicolereynaldo2643]

i knew sierra boggess' phantom of the opera would be here 😌

[@dannysimion]

Defying Gravity, I'm Here and Words Fail are my favorites on this list with Satisfied being a new one for me to listen to. Otherwise, great list! Love it.

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

I got to sing Memory at a performance that all of my music teacher’s students were performing in. It was the first time in my life that I got to sing in front of a crowd of people like that. I was incredibly nervous 😂 But after a little while I just got lost in the song. Like Burn it’s such an emotional, powerful, moving song that if you sing it it’s hard not to get caught up in your emotions and just completely become the character

[@alexisbroadwaylove8625]

Reading through comments just to make sure I don't get a trauma response from hearing this song so thankyou

[@PS-DLMA]

BACK TO BEFORE from RAGTIME - much needed for this list

[@briannastultz6924]

I was right that number 1 was from Hamilton, but I totally thought it would be Guns and Ships.

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

I’m about to be a sophomore in high school, and I am trying out for Ride the cyclone at my local theatre in August and I’m so glad to see the ballad of Jane Doe on this list :)

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

Oh my gosh!! She Used To Be Mine!! Ugh!! I can sing that song too. That was the first belting song I ever sang and I pulled it off but o h my gosh!! It’s so emotional!! I’m trying to to cry the whole time!

[@royercrosbypatton6370]

These performers are nothing short of amazing and with these people that truly have a voice on stage I truly say to all of them bravo.

[@Idekjustyeah]

Renee Rapp is everything

[@JosephineHackethorn-zv3ep]

I can belt defying gravity, guns and ships and satisfied. These singers are sooooooooo good! 👍

[@legolemur]

dead girl walking from heathers isn’t broadway but it’s gotta be one of the hardest modern musical theatre songs

[@angelasilvi9090]

Thanks for making two of my favorite songs make it to #3 and 2. Bring Him Home is a real moving and emotional song and PTOTO is a great electric and up beat song.

[@atticuspacey2374]

The Ballad Of Jaine Doe and really all RTC songs are super hard, but it isn't actually broadway. It was performed in cannada, then at the McCarter theatre, but it is yet to make it onto broadway. Just by tghe way

[@Percy_PotterEdits21]

It's been performed a LOT more places that just in Canada and at McCarter, just to let you know :)

[@ms.intrigue7454]

I taught myself how to sign with a lot of these, namely Hamilton and The Phantom. I’m no Christine, but I like think I have Burn pretty well down!

[@gerbiepojas4894]

"Another Winter in a Summer Town" from Grey Gardens is pretty hard to sing too!!

[@kurai0kami541]

I OWNED Defying Gravity at karaoke, and yes I was singing Elphaba's part

[@thealyssac27]

We did Putnam a couple years ago and the girl who played Olive frickin killed it. She went on to do Heathers, as well. Very talented young woman.

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

Who did you play?? I love that show and I’m hoping our theatre company does it next year

[@mikeystevens4784]

That isn't something you can just generalize. I'm a musical theater singer based in Europe myself. For example Bring Him Home is insanely difficult for me, but for a very dear colleague of mine it's a relatively easy aria to sing. It's all subjective to each singer. Che in Evita for me is a role I can sing all day long but for others it might be really tough to get through. Love the list but difficulty can't be measured just like that.

[@gemstarz91]

Missing I'm not getting married today, company. Thay song alone can be it's own list 😂

[@megannantz8406]

I was about to mention this one. It's got to be one of the hardest songs ever!

[@Margann1987]

I think "Company" is more classic Broadway than modern.

[@harryorenstein1144]

Company was first produced in 1970, so it doesn't fall into the years that this presentation covers.

[@Percy_PotterEdits21]

The Balad Of Jane Doe is amazing! RideThe Cycloneis one of, if not my favorite musical! Just know, none of the songs sound even *_remotely_* the same. Im very glad a Ride The Cyclone song was included in this because TBOJD is amazing, and RTC never even made it to Broadway! (Deserved to though)

[@mckawaiitomholland653]

i agree all you wanna do is hard but the cast recording is very diffrent then what it sounds like live

[@Sharpe1502]

Pity the Child should’ve been top 5 easy. That song is insane.

[@AmandasBooktopia]

You mentioned good ones but for me number one should have been On My Own from Les Miserables. All the music from it is hard but that one I think is the toughest.

[@Mantheon_]

Ms. Mojo do any Broadway video without mentioning Hamilton challenge (impossible)

[@Smokeycheeses]

Can we talk about how many times Jennifer Hudson appears in this video just killing it? QUEEN

[@allisonbergh4429]

To be fair, as far as I know Confrontation from J&H is often done with a recording. At least it was on the first North American tour And in honour of its current West End revival, Groundhog Day deserves a mention! “Hope” requires impressive range (while doing stage magic), “Nobody Cares” has tight harmonies that have to land while sounding drunk (and more stage magic!), “One Day” and “If I Had My Time Again” are intricately wordy and require some range from Rita, and every single ensemble member has to not only keep track of which repetition of the day they’re on, but do it all at a sprint WHILE DANCING. And while we’re on the subject of Tim Minchin musicals, Matilda has its own share of difficult numbers, with the added challenge of a large cast with lots of children (more stage magic too!). Not to mention most productions involving swings, scooters, and a trapeze!

[@neomercury4279]

Revolting Children alone is probably one of the hardest songs in that entire musical. The person playing Bruce has to hit a really high belt. Not to mention all the choreo.

[@SorceressRose]

Because of this video, I think I unlocked a memory from like a long time ago of going to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as a teen or kid with my parents or something, idk, it was such a long time ago, but the That I Love You made me go, "I've heard this before!"

[@widowsbrutality]

Satisfied is so easy omg

[@JessW289]

Getting Married Today going undrafted is baffling to me.

[@sagegreeeeeeen]

It’s one of the fastest broadway song

[@darkwater842]

Si Lea Salonga Ung Thumbnail 🎉🎉

[@ronibaron271]

Omg! The ballad of jane doe is the hardest song i have ever had to sing live! (It's worth it tho!! Started my whole career!)

[@WraythSkitzofrenik]

I sang "I Dreamed a Dream" in my high school choir pop show. That was an experience!

[@ningluviess]

the ballad of jane doe should AT LEAST be in the top 5 c’mon now

[@Woodenfridgemagnet]

The fact world burn from mean girls isn’t on here is beyond me

[@itsnoprobllama5363]

As somebody who is not by ANY shot the most talented singer ever, I would severely disagree with Satisfied being number one. I have confidently sung that song many times, and while it's difficult and arguably deserves a spot on the list (I have so many talented friends who have told me before that the hardest part of the song is the rapping- that is something that comes easier to me than the singing) it is by NO means the hardest song in *Hamilton*, let alone all of Broadway theatre since the 80s.

[@freyaegrey]

Two of these songs were the songs my 10th grade singing teacher chose for me to sing. I had no idea they were considered difficult. Had I known I would have failed.

[@marcusyates3044]

SpongeBob/Beetlejuice/Addams Family Musical Songs RANKED!

[@varianmidoriya1194]

I’ve only been to a 3 day singing class and I asked to sing defying gravity. I watched one of these videos then and told my mom that I was to do one of the hardest Broadway songs and she asked “why would you do that?” I don’t rightly know mother, the youths are often overconfident 😂

[@melophiliiac]

"the i love you song"!! so fun to sing!

[@aloperafan]

Almost perfect top 10. I'd add Summertime and Ole Man River somewhere in the top 20, and also exchange the Into the Woods number with the more difficult patter by Sondheim, Not Getting Married.

[@neomercury4279]

I would be willing to make an argument for "Everything I Know" from In The Heights. It is when Nina is having to make an incredibly difficult decision just after having lost someone that she holds dear to her. All of the emotion that the song evokes makes it difficult. Another one is "Our Lady of the Underground" from Hadestown. It is a number that requires a lot of vocal performance knowledge and someone that takes care of their voice almost expertly.

[@mikeystevens4784]

Yes!!! Everything I know is insanely impressive and one of my favorite numbers in the show

[@potatopotata-lw1gf]

Lafayette is just like, im an airplane 30:31

[@GMelia1285]

No way you didn’t put James ballad first

[@caitlinp8710]

ummm..... I have preformed Memories by cats before

[@sagegreeeeeeen]

Honestly, I’m so jealous. Memory was the first theatre song I’ve ever listened to

[@SassyQueen888]

Heart of stone from SIX definitely should have been on this list the emotion you have to capture is really hard and it holds the highest and lowest note in all of the soundtrack

[@aprilmoondrops]

30:27 IT'S. A. SHOWSTOPPING NUMBER- A REAL SHOWSTOPPER-

[@classicerynn8452]

What about "Not Getting Married Today" from 'Company'? That song is crazy hard. ❤

[@rachelthorn9915]

Wrong period - from the 70s. But you are definitely right about the difficulty!

[@budisutrisno1266]

Good list!

[@YeseniaV122]

Top Ten Patter songs in musicals

[@jasmineclayton8145]

you didnt include a clip of it but Emmy Raver-Lampman's version of satisfied makes it even trickier where she adds extra high belted notes towards the end and its like actually impossible to sing

[@KuroDokueki]

JHud being on here for three different performances feels correct.

[@yadielenielbellecolon982]

Good Video 😁💞

[@KittenUndercover]

Yeah I can sing Satisfied..it takes a second to get used to the pace but once you do it’s not that hard. Definitely should’ve been way lower on the list.

[@GMelia1285]

RIDE THE CYCLONE YESSSSAAYGH

[@liisa-lottaellonen3673]

Cell block tango?! Or any from chicago!!

[@Margann1987]

This is for modern Broadway.

[@TheTradge]

Chicago first premiered in the 1970s so isn’t modern

[@Thejayman692]

Words fail is not hard to sing, i heard it only once and I could sing every line from it, just apply the song to something that happens in your life and just apply it to the song to make it Believable

[@solifur]

I am so shocked that they chose to put “All You Wanna Do” from Six on the list and not “Heart of Stone”. Like the emotional strength you need for that song (not to mention the belting and whistle notes) are things that are INSANELY hard to find in one actor.

[@PopQuizPH]

No Not Getting Married from Company? Whip Into Shape from Legally Blonde shouldve made the runnerups list

[@TheTradge]

Company is from 1970 so doesn’t count

[@newyorkskier]

No. The picks are not right although all of them are great

[@kyny889]

@constatinemaroulis was OUTSTANDING in #JekyllandHyde I literally saw it 2 nights in a row!

[@Magenta4ever]

Again, no love for Ragtime!? Was really hoping they'd shout out TIll We Reach That Day, or Your Daddy's Son

[@TheTradge]

Isn’t ragtime from the 90s?

[@Magenta4ever]

@@TheTradge yes, and this list started from the 80s on.

[@kennedyzell4054]

me when satisfied is number one and i can sing it😁😁

[@vamphunterdlover]

Apparently everyone forgot about BY THE SEA from Sweeney Todd...that song is hard to perform when there is barely any chance for the performer to catch their breath!

[@mikeystevens4784]

It's certainly tough to get through, but the vocal range is pretty small, that's probably Why they didn't inclide it

[@jesseduncan7230]

I would have thought Watch What Happens from Newsies would have been on here...

[@jessiepotter7069]

Heart of stone should've bein the top pick

[@pennymiku]

all you wanna do is an amazing number but heart of stone feels harder. im surprised

[@jessiepotter7069]

Are you agreeing with me I can't tell

[@pennymiku]

@@jessiepotter7069 sorry mate yeah im agreeing. it’s an amazing song that deserved to be on here

[@matthewcraig6395]

I imagine it doesn’t qualify since Hunchback never made it to Broadway. Damn technicalities!

[@ThexImperfectionist]

​@@matthewcraig6395 Heart of Stone is from Six. You're thinking of Made of Stone from Hunchback.

[@Maddie_polaroidfilms]

WE NEED WORLD BURNNNNN

[@Alex_Hue]

I wanna have a chat with whoever made this list, cuz some of these don’t make sense? Fellow theatre kids, let’s discuss in the comments

[@shaaddow8243]

Not even One Last Time from Hamilton??

[@catskilsha]

I honestly think that Satisfied should be lower at number 4. It is hard, i do agree with that but it is most definitely not the hardest broadway song. Like Phantom of the Opera is much harder. But that is just my opinion

[@lucianocedeno3807]

No “Let it burn” from Paradise Square????

[@liisa-lottaellonen3673]

Carrie the musical!! Not atleast honorable mention?

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

Seriously. And Eve was weak should’ve made it on the list.

[@TheTradge]

I’m guessing cos it was such a flop it often isn’t considered

[@ladyarabellamalfoy]

Strange, that "Getting married today" wasn't in the honorable mentions.

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

Why???? That one is so fast

[@TheTradge]

Company was first performed in 1970 so definitely not a modern musical

[@candycane513]

First! Is that still a thing? Lol

[@jakeluebbert3500]

Second! I don't really think so... lol

[@candycane513]

@@jakeluebbert3500 Dang! Oh well at least I'll always know I was first 🥳

[@theresanichole5224]

Dude no So Much Better is wayyyyyy harder to sing than Burn. Also, the hardest song in Six is definitely Heart of Stone, not All You Wanna Do.

[@ThexImperfectionist]

AYWD vs Heart of Stone could go either way. Heart of Stone has more obvious high belting sections, but AYWD is a 7 minute marathon of complicated lyrics and choreography while navigating that subtle emotional journey with each verse. Heart of Stone is its own emotional beast, but it's also a park and bark. Different challenges, but I think the juggling required for AYWD is underrated.

[@therainbowzebra6556]

I can sing I dreamed a Dream, but I'm no pro.

[@A.C.T1997]

So you are telling me that Satisfied is harder than all of the songs on this list? Most of the honorable mentioned songs are harder than Satisfied. No Hamilton song should even be on the list. Smh.

[@TheTradge]

“Modern musicals” yet includes songs from shows first produced in the 80s…

[@mikejason5621]

my mate emily from a course i'm at can sing The Balled Of Jane Doe like no ones business, HI EMILY, BAHBADJKAKSND.

[@widowsbrutality]

These are so easy

[@Anime_theatre_lover]

You must be a great singer then

[@tahlz023]

The Ballad of Jane Doe is not a Broadway song...

[@robertd.carver6240]

Aside from those of the original Broadway cast members, the performances are amateurish and annoying.