A song that defies gravity. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re ranking ALL the songs from the “Wicked” musical based on how unforgettable, story-driven, and downright spellbinding they are.
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00:00I haven't changed for good."
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today, we're ranking all the songs from the Wicked musical based
00:10on how unforgettable, story-driven, and downright spellbinding they are.
00:14We would have loved to give The Wicked Witch of the East the attention it deserves, but
00:18sadly, no official recording of it has been made available yet.
00:21If you haven't seen the show or heard the soundtrack, brace yourself for spoilers ahead.
00:2618.
00:33A Sentimental Man
00:34"'I am a sentimental man, who always longed to be a father.'"
00:44This short, understated song comes right before the big Act 1 finale.
00:48Elphaba has just met the wizard, who's charming her by explaining why he's not the fearsome
00:52leader everyone thinks he is.
00:54"'That's why I do the best I can, to treat each citizen of Oz as son or daughter.'"
01:04He even talks about wanting to be a father, which is ironic since, in a reprise not featured
01:09on the soundtrack, he learns he messed up that chance big time.
01:13Though the wizard ends up being far from a father figure to Elphaba, she follows his
01:17advice, in her own way.
01:19"'Oh, Elphaba, I'd like to raise you high, cause I think everyone deserves the chance
01:28to fly.'"
01:31This song starts to pull back the curtain on the wizard, showing that his so-called
01:34desire to help others is really about feeding his own need to be thought of as wonderful.
01:39"'And helping you with your assent allows me to feel so parental.'"
01:49Number 17.
01:50Dear Old Shiz.
01:51As you probably know, much of the show takes form as a flashback.
01:55"'Well, it depends on what you mean by friend.
01:58I did know her.
02:00That is, our paths did cross at school.'"
02:04Glinda recalls her relationship with Elphaba, while the Ozians celebrate what they believe
02:08is the Wicked Witch's demise.
02:10If this were a film or TV show, this would be the moment the screen goes wavy as we take
02:15a trip down memory lane.
02:16"'Oh, how the halls and mine draped walls, the proudliest sight there's I dare ease.'"
02:28We're taken back to Glinda, or G-Linda's, first day at Shiz University, where she and
02:32Elphaba first meet.
02:34Their fellow students set the scene, performing the song a cappella like a school choral choir.
02:39"'When grey and sear our hair hath turned, we shall still revere the lessons learned.'"
02:51Past-Glinda joins in later, bringing the spotlight back to her.
02:54"'Ah, dear old Shiz.'"
03:06Elphaba is also on stage at this point, but her entrance is much more low-key.
03:1116.
03:12March of the Witch Hunters
03:13Though most Ozians don't actually know Elphaba, the Wizard and Madame Morrible have spread
03:18so much propaganda that everyone believes she must be as wicked as they say.
03:31Even the people who knew her and who she had saved are blinded by all the alarmist narratives.
03:36Jack joins in this literal witch hunt, completely unaware that he wouldn't even be alive without
03:41her.
03:42"'It's due to her I'm made of tin, her spell may disoccur.
03:43So for once I'm glad I'm heartless, I'll be heartless killing her.'"
03:49This song really highlights how dangerous mob mentalities and the spread of false information
03:53can be.
03:54Sung to a marching tune, it's terrifying to see how quickly people can turn against someone,
03:59turning them into scapegoats rather than fellow human beings.
04:02It's definitely one of the darkest moments in the whole show.
04:1615.
04:18Something Bad
04:19This song acts as a warning for Elphaba and the audience.
04:29It's mainly sung by Dr. Dillamond, a goat who teaches history at Shiz.
04:33He's alarmed to see other animals, once valued members of society, losing their human-like
04:39abilities.
04:40Composer Stephen Schwartz explained that this song sets up a bigger narrative that will
04:43unfold later.
04:44"'Only rumors, but still enough to give pause to anyone with paws.
04:49Something bad is happening in Oz.'"
04:53He apparently noticed parallels between how animals are treated in Gregory Maguire's novel
04:58and the persecution of Jewish people in Europe during the rise of the Nazi party.
05:02Soon enough, Dr. Dillamond starts to show signs of the very thing he fears.
05:06Elphaba sympathizes with him, but struggles to understand how such horrors could happen
05:20so close to home.
05:2814.
05:34Finale
05:35The finale brings us full circle, but now the lyrics feel much more layered since we
05:39know the whole story.
05:53While the townspeople keep celebrating, Glinda reflects on who she's become and how her friendship
05:58with Elphaba shaped her.
05:59This number has a final twist that we won't spoil here.
06:02As the townsfolk cheer, Glinda and Elphaba start to reprise for good, knowing they probably
06:07won't see each other again.
06:21But unlike before, they never quite make it to the titular line because they keep getting
06:25interrupted by the festive shouts around them.
06:28It's striking that the last word of the show is wicked, reminding us of the frightening
06:33power of scaremongering.
06:4413.
06:45Wonderful
06:46One of the greatest things about Schwartz's music is that every song feels fresh, and
06:50that's no accident.
07:06Since Wicked is set in a magical world, he wanted most songs to feel almost unfamiliar
07:11to the audience, except this one.
07:13The wizard's not actually from Oz, so Schwartz gave him this, quote, deliberate pastiche,
07:18to make a nod to his American roots.
07:31A bit like A Sentimental Man, this song is basically the wizard humble-bragging, but
07:35the longer he goes, the less humble he gets.
07:38What's genius here is how it flips the focus onto why people idolize others in the first
07:42place.
07:52He almost wins Elphaba over.
07:55She might be green, but she's not that green.
07:5812.
07:59No One Mourns the Wicked Reprise, Thank Goodness
08:01As Act 2 begins, we see how the wizard has turned the public against Elphaba to protect
08:06his image.
08:13Meanwhile, Glinda has now stepped into her role as Glinda the Good.
08:20She tries to shift attention to her and Fiyero's engagement, while Madame Morrible keeps fanning
08:24the town's folks' fears.
08:26Glinda starts questioning if her dream life is really worth the price she's paid.
08:39Deep down, she knows it's come at a huge cost, but she can't let her adoring public see that.
08:44The song brilliantly contrasts Glinda's joyful mask with her true feelings, ending on a note
08:48so raw you can't tell if she's trying to convince herself she's happy, or releasing a primal
08:5411.
09:06Overture, No One Mourns the Wicked
09:09Now this is how you start a show.
09:12The first notes of the show with the orchestra go like...
09:24It's an enormous show.
09:26Schwartz said the melody, concept, and an early version of the lyrics came to him while
09:30reading the novel.
09:31The song lays the groundwork and offers some backstory for this tale.
09:34Some fans may have noticed that later on, it's predicted that Elphaba will inspire Ozians
09:39to celebrate, but we doubt this is what she had in mind.
09:51This song also introduces the show's key themes, like what defines someone as good or wicked,
09:56and how some, quote, universally agreed-upon truths might just be wrong.
10:12Sadly this message gets lost on the townsfolk, who are set on seeing Elphaba as the villain.
10:18Schwartz's powerful score almost drowns out Glinda's voice of reason.
10:32One Short Day, Little did they know this spontaneous invite
10:39would lead to some life-changing events, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
10:42As the song begins, we see two friends living their best lives.
10:46Glinda's excited by the fashion and grandeur, while Elphaba is awestruck by the culture
10:50and history.
11:03As they explore the city, they start picturing how they'll leave their mark on it someday,
11:07even suggesting that before the day's over, everyone will know who they are.
11:11And indeed they will.
11:23This song seemingly pays homage to the façade of L. Frank Baum's Emerald City through its
11:27catchy melody, captivating staging, and emerald glasses.
11:30On the surface, it's bright and fun, but underneath, it's the calm before everything changes.
11:37Ah, the song that you'll probably find on every forlorn musical theater fan's playlist.
11:53Hands touch, eyes meet, sudden silence, sudden heat
12:04Elphaba and Fiyero have grown close, and she's even developed feelings for him.
12:08Just one problem, he's with Glinda because they deserve each other.
12:12Every so often we long to steal to the land of what might have been
12:20Yet for Elphie, the attraction goes far deeper than just being that picture-perfect couple.
12:25The way she almost scolds herself for falling for someone she thinks is out of her league
12:29is so relatable, and every lyric tugs at your heartstrings just that little bit harder.
12:34Don't wish, don't start, wishing only you lose the heart
12:44Then in Act 2, Glinda reprises the song, finally admitting to herself that Elphie's had Fiyero's
12:49heart for the longest time, and questioning if she ever really had it at all.
12:53But I'm not that girl
12:58Number 8. Dancing Through Life
13:01What's the most swankified place in town?
13:03That would be the Ozdust Ballroom.
13:05Sounds perfect! Let's go down to the Ozdust Ballroom
13:12Dancing Through Life was actually a late addition to the soundtrack.
13:15Originally, there was a song called Which Way's the Party during the tryout stage,
13:19and even that wasn't Schwartz's first attempt to fill that slot.
13:22Dancing through life, down at the Ozdust, if only because dust is what we come to
13:30It took him a while to find the perfect sound for Fiyero,
13:33experimenting with styles like Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Billy Joel, and Sting.
13:38If you're thinking, yeah, Fiyero does have a bit of a Sting vibe,
13:41then Schwartz definitely nailed it.
13:43Dancing through life, mindless and careless, make sure you're wearless,
13:49worry's rife, woes are fleeting, woes are glancing
13:55As one of the longest numbers in the show, fitting all the narratives,
13:58staging, and choreography together took some serious effort.
14:02Suffice it to say, this song really is the life of the party.
14:05And the strange thing, your life could end up changing
14:09while you're dancing through
14:17Number seven.
14:19What is this feeling?
14:20Usually inexceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe
14:29Blonde
14:30Schwartz once shared that this was the trickiest number to write.
14:34Perhaps that's what inspired him to write a song where the word loathing appears so often.
14:38Loathing, unadulterated loathing
14:43For your face, your voice, your clothing
14:46Let's just say, I loathe it all
14:49We're just kidding, of course.
14:51It took him multiple approaches to find just the right feel to the music.
14:54Luckily, his collaborator Winnie Holtzman was like,
14:57Hey, what about a hate-at-first-sight song?
14:59And the rest is history.
15:14Interestingly, it almost sounded totally different,
15:16but the show's director Joe Mantello apparently wanted something more spirited for this moment.
15:21Amazingly, a song that Schwartz says took him three years to get just right
15:24was completed as we know it in roughly a day.
15:41Number six.
15:42As long as you're mine
15:44Remember how in I'm Not That Girl Elphaba couldn't imagine Fiyero loving her?
15:48Well, now he's professed his love and she still can't believe it.
15:52I need help believing you're with me tonight
16:02Just like they've captured each other's hearts, this song grips ours.
16:06Its magic lies in the raw vulnerability and passion between the pair.
16:09They're lost in a moment where the world fades away, and it's just them.
16:13The music intensifies the emotion in an almost hypnotic way,
16:16with a slow build to an explosive release.
16:22And she'll never shine
16:26The lyrics are about letting go of fear and embracing love, even if it's fleeting.
16:31It's that mix of tenderness and urgency,
16:33conveying the beauty of a love that feels both fragile and fierce.
16:46Number five.
16:48No Good Deed
16:49No Good Deed blends musical theater with operatic drama,
16:52demanding serious vocal power and range.
17:03Ever wondered if the spell Elphaba chants at the start has an actual meaning?
17:07Well, apparently, it's just a combination of sounds that Schwartz thought fit the moment.
17:11Anyway, Elphaba's frustration and heartbreak hit hard as she realizes that no matter how
17:16much good she tries to do, she's always misunderstood and blamed.
17:30The intense lyrics and dramatic swings, from powerful belts to those almost ghostly soft
17:35moments, lay her turmoil bare.
17:37By the end, you can practically feel the moment she stops fighting and just accepts the wicked
17:42label society has slapped on her.
17:43It's raw, fierce, and a total emotional punch to the gut.
18:03Number four.
18:05Popular
18:14Schwartz has noted that the original Broadway cast significantly shaped the sound of some
18:19beloved songs.
18:32Popular is rooted in bubblegum pop, perfect for Galinda.
18:35Yet it also incorporates Christian Chenoweth's impressive range,
18:38and even gives a nod to her Oklahoma roots.
18:41Popular is, well, popular among fans because it's catchy and hilarious while
18:46unpacking Galinda's character in a playful way.
18:48It allows her to flaunt her bubbly, over-the-top personality with plenty
18:52of charm and a sprinkle of cluelessness, although she's got a great grasp on politics.
18:57Celebrated heads of state or specially great communicators.
19:02Do they have brains or knowledge?
19:05Don't make me laugh.
19:07They were popular.
19:08Please!
19:09The clever lyrics, joyful melody, and Chenoweth's iconic delivery make it unforgettable.
19:14It offers pure comic relief while layering in Galinda's deeper character growth and
19:19budding friendship with Elphaba.
19:273.
19:32The Wizard and I
19:33This moment could have sounded very different if Schwartz had stuck with his original plan.
19:51He initially had a song called Making Good, which had a more of an
19:54I'll Show Em vibe.
19:55However, The Wizard and I truly captures Elphaba's hope for her future.
19:59Her I Want song, if you will.
20:10The melody is rich and intricate, weaving through musical phrases that reflect her
20:15shifting emotions.
20:16Its dramatic arc starts off subdued and then explodes into a climactic finish.
20:243.
20:34As the intensity builds, you can feel her confidence growing, making our hearts pound.
20:39The Wizard and I!
20:50There's also a thrillifying reprise after Madame Morrible tells her she's arranged a
20:54meeting with the Wizard, although it's not on the original Broadway cast album.
20:582.
20:59For Good
21:00Schwartz called this song the beating heart of Wicked, and he's so right.
21:09The beautiful melody and chill-inducing harmonies perfectly capture the bond between two best
21:17friends.
21:17During a conversation about the song, Holtzman inspired its title with a throwaway comment
21:22about how Elphaba and Glinda changed each other for good.
21:33The way they deliver the melody can really bring tears to your eyes, evoking nostalgia,
21:37bittersweetness, and hope.
21:39As the friends reflect on their relationship, listeners often feel a longing for their own
21:43connections, making it relatable and heartfelt.
21:58The poignant lyrics emphasize how friendships shape who we are.
22:01Schwartz even asked his daughter how she'd feel saying goodbye to a friend,
22:04which deeply influenced the song, too.
22:071.
22:32Defying Gravity
22:33We can't imagine the pressure of writing the perfect Act 1 finale,
22:37but this set the bar especially high.
22:48This powerful anthem captures Elphaba's fierce determination to break free from
22:51society's expectations.
22:53The melody soars and gives us chills every single time.
23:04It starts off reflective, but then builds to this explosive climax that perfectly captures
23:11Elphaba's transformation and decision to embrace who she really is.
23:14No wonder it resonates with so many fans.
23:28Oh, and did you know that Elphaba's iconic belt was actually Idina Menzel's idea?
23:32She figured she's already up there, why not hold on to that momentum?
23:35So, to all the future Elphabas out there feeling nervous about that big note,
23:39you know who to thank.
23:40I'm the one you want! It's me!
23:43Which song from Wicked is most popular on your playlist? Let us know in the comments.
23:47So let's start, cause you've got an awfully long way to go.
23:53Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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24:02We'll see you next time.