Top 20 Hardest Broadway Songs to Sing 

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Me, a theater kid: *_everyday_*

Broadway is so underrated but I don't think people realize that we are literally singing, dancing and acting, not in a studio but in front of bright lights and a giant audience. Not to mention the fact we sing live so if it sounds bad there aren't any retakes... and one bad show could ruin your entire broadway career.

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Me trying to sing all the parts at the same time in the end of “we don’t talk about Bruno”:

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Me singing nonstop from Hamilton: 👁👄👁

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Me trying doing every single part of most songs: 👁👄👁

The fact that Barbara Streisand’s“don’t rain on my parade” isn’t on here tells me people equate high notes with skill FAR too much. Emotion and dynamics are much much harder for people than simply hitting high notes. I’m a guy who can hit A5 without a hiccup…. That’s not a brag that’s just my voice. The high notes are EASY for me. High notes are NOT always an indicator of skill

I played Cinderella in Into the Woods a few years ago…Your Fault is an absolute MONSTER to sing. The first time we went through the entire show during rehearsals, I got an asthma attack during “Your Fault”. Absolutely brutal song. The show went really well though!

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Me, a Les Mis fanatic who tried singing both parts of The Confrontation at least a thousand times: you underestimate my ambition

The irony in that Broadway actors have to sing these insanely difficult songs is that Broadway actors make a pittance compared to TV and movie actors. To me, it's like you shouldn't be on a TV show unless you've proved your mettle on Broadway.

"And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" always makes me emotional, is seriously something else if done right.

I didn’t realize that Dolores Umbridge could singing so amazingly 😂😂😂😂

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Bohemian Rhapsody has entered the chat

I literally cried the first time i saw “she used to be mine” performed

"Hey, here's a Sondheim song" "Oh, awesome. Okay" "It's four minutes long" "Not a problem" "With seventeen minutes of lyrics" "Wait, what?" "And the tempo changes every three seconds" "Great."

Defying Gravity is a powerful song that gave me chills when I saw WICKED live in 2018. The final stretch of it has several belts and the ending riff is surprisingly difficult to pull off while staying on-pitch and keeping the tone full. The song was pretty much made for Idina Menzel (the original singer).

"Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?" *Me singing every part I possibly can during Hamilton...*

I personally believe Burn from Hamilton deserves something because some of the notes I can't even hold and the amount of emotion Phillipa put into that is insane.

Broadway where the actors actually have to sing and dance and actually have talent with no Auto-Tune

Need to add these to a Playlist so: 20) Climb Every Mountain 19) She Used to be Mine 18) Made of Stone 17) Rainbow High 16) Confrontation 15) Rose's Turn 14) Pitty the Child 13) So Much Better 12) Your Fault 11) I'm Here 10) I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General 9) Memory 8) Guns and Ships 7) Bring Him Home 6) And I am Telling You I'm Not Going 5) I Only Want to Say 4) Defying Gravity 3) Getting Married Today 2)Phantom of the Opera --Dead Girl Walking --Octet --Kiss Me --I am who I am --Let's Raise a Little Hell 1) Glitter and be Gay

When I went through Marine Corps' bootcamp, every Sunday at mass we had a recruit that would sing "Bring him home" every week and it would bring every grown man to a tear in that room to a tear every time. A true and amazing musical for years to come!!!!!

Seriously Veronica only gets an honorable mention? She leaves the stage for a total of 4 minutes the entire show and the rest of the time she’s on stage belting or screaming.

I’m a simple Broadway Fan. I see Indina Menzel, I click.

I would say "I'm Not Getting Married Today" from Sondheim's COMPANY is pretty tough. I didn't sing it, but my colleague did and had a short series of emotional break downs during rehearsals because she just couldn't get all of the song's words out. Eventually, she recovered, got the knack of it, and she and the show went on to be a big hit.

How many words should we put in the lyrics? Soundheim: Yes!

*Casually songs a long, even though I sound like a dying cat*

I’m so happy to see Made of Stone on this list. Hunchback is criminally underrated. The music, vocals, and raw emotion are incredible. It’s such a powerful show. It’s a show I think everyone should see if they get the chance.

I attended MANY Broadway shows and I loved them ALL! I had an ex-boyfriend who worked for a Broadway theater, as did his father and uncle in the box office. I'd usually take two friends with me into the city, where we'd shop and dine before the show. I was hooked up with three 5th row center seats for FREE! I was just a kid back then, but I still cherish those memories. Seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, watching the ice skaters and enjoying the holiday decorations were special and something that most Americans NEVER get to see!

"Vocally the song is all over the place." Me trying to reach those high notes but failing spectacularly that my neighbors notice: "OMG SAME!!!"

I'm SO glad Betty Buckley's climax of "Memory" was in this, her "Tony"-performance is my favourite version of that song.

THANK YOU FOR PUTTING JEKYLL AND HYDE ON HERE! Some people don't understand how difficult it is to change voices so quickly. Anthony Warlow is a god. It's one of my favorite musical concept albums

In the shower, I'm not only doing a duet, I'm on vocals, guitar, trumpets, I'm the whole ass concert

Betty Buckley knocks Memory right out of the park...Fantastic!

My daughter who grew up in a family filled with music people (vocalists and instrumentalists) and was practically born singing musicals. She loved watching "Phanton" and mimicked the songs. She especially loved to sing Christine's part on Think of Me, and The Phantom of the Opera and had no idea the E6 was supposedly near impossible to sing. Her middle school teacher heard her hit the E6 with no problem while she was singing for fun in the school bathroom and went in to and asked her why she did not tell her she could sing that high. She said she didn't think it was a big deal. She was recommended to apply to a very prestigious Fine Arts Academy and got in easily. Her class won a Grammy. Graduation year she sang with her class in Carnegie Hall. I sing but not like she can. I thought she might choose a career singing but she decided she is happiest teaching young children. She chose to teach full classes with ESL. I am so proud of her as she is very gentle and patient and maybe she will help some other kids to find their voices!

I didn't know Broadways Hunchback of Notre Dame had sign language in it! That is so cool!!

I played Little Red in Into The Woods in high school, and getting those "it was your faults" in was so hard but so fun. Of course I am a Sondheim junkie and love the complicated rhythms and overlapping voices. Such fun. I love learning/practicing/performing patter songs too. Oh Shit BRING HIM HOME.... our Val Jean was a freshman who somehow pulled out all the stops and killed it. Les Mis was so interesting to do. So many set changes.

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself?” Just everyone who's tried to sing Bohemian Rhapsody.

I am surprised 'I Dreamed a Dream' was not on here. That song requires strong emotion and voice.

I'm a simple man, I see "Broadway" in the title so I click

The most difficult song in all of musical comedy is "Trouble" from The Music Man. Nothing from Hamilton can hold a candle to it in difficulty. The acting required is staggering as it sets the premise for the entire show and the enunciation and cadence require the skill of an auctioneer.

"The Lonely Goatherd" from "The Sound of Music" is another difficult and impressive song for anyone to master. 😊♥

Thanks for another brilliant musical theatre list. When I was in high school, we performed "Les Miserables", and our Valjean might have only been 16, yet he had a incredible baritone voice. You can BET that he brought the house down every night with his roaring rendition of "Bring him Home." 👏🏾🎭🎶

It is important to note that Colm Wilkinson was the one who chose to sing "Bring Him Home" in a high tenor register. Everyone has since followed his lead. THANK YOU for including "Climb Every Mountain." One of the most beautiful songs from a musical ever written. I used it and plenty of Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber to help me train for operatic singing.

Well, search too for Ms. Lea Salonga (former Ms. Saigon, original singer of Aladdin's "A Whole New World" & Mulan's "Reflection"). She's one of the best broadway singers & theater performers in the world. Try to watch her theater performances. 😊

I'm blown away every time I see Broadway shows, the incredible choreography, insanely long lyrics, and vocal ranges that seem almost non-human. I agree with another comment below: these actors and actresses have so much to offer their audiences yet get paid so little in comparison. These are people so dedicated to their art and performance. Bravo to them all!

“It takes a really talented actor to pull off this musical number” *immediately cuts away from David Hastlehoff* 😂

“Have you ever tried singing a duet by yourself?” I’ll do you one better, have you ever tried singing one day more by yourself?

“Have you ever tried to do a duet by yourself” Me casually singing ALL of Hamilton at the drop of a hat with no mistake: 👁👄👁

She's not suspended while singing "Defying Gravity". She's standing on a lift that is hidden behind giant sheets of black fabric.

So, is Sondheim aware that oxygen is necessary for people to, you know, sing? Or live?

Can we all appreciate David Hasselhoff for doing a really great job despite not having done theatre like that before.

"Confrontation" from Jekyll and Hyde really makes you see how good a singer David Hasselhoff really is!

Santa Fe isn’t even an honorable mention?! That song is incredibly difficult.

Popular- Wicked Let It Go- Indina Menzel(Frozen) Another Day& La Vi Boheme-Rent Listen- Dream Girls Green Finch & Linnett Bird- Sweeney Todd Never Enough- The Greatest Showman

Gethsemane is so beautiful every time, it's so incredibly well done and gorgeous. This musical did so much justice to the story it tells, one of my absolute favorites!

The best rendition of "Gethsemane" I've ever heard is by the one and only Michael Crawford. He sings it with such passion and emotion, he makes me cry. And when he hits that note in the center and holds it forever! He is also my favorite Phantom, and Sarah Brightman my favorite Christine. I wish I had her range.

When it comes to Defying Gravity, no one can ever top the Spirit Lord of Derpendelle herself, Idina Menzel x3

not me trying to sing these songs 🙄✋

Ms. Chenowith is absolutely brilliant, Both as a Commedienne, and as a Singer!! Her movement between the Two is effortless: and Genius in that scene where she tells Patti LuPone: “My song, You go” Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!! I adore her!!

I'm so glad "Rainbow High" was included. And I'm REALLY glad you showed Ms. Pfeiffer and Ms. LuPone. (I listened to the original cast recording on repeat when I was a kid. 😊) Also, when trying to sing along with "Hamilton" (which I really shouldn't do), I often end up singing "Everybody give it up for America's flavored flying French fry!"

They should have included “Heaven On Their Minds” from Jesus Christ Superstar. That song is more difficult than Gethsemane, but for a different reason. There’s not any insane high notes that up the curve, but insane scales instead. Carl Anderson set the bar high after doing the 1973 movie version and I have yet to hear anyone match it. Anderson’s scales on the big notes were flawless and the passion with which he sang it was unparalleled. I have also seen him do it live on three occasions in the 90s, and he still nailed it every time, even adding in extra scales. RIP Carl Anderson.

Pretty great list, but I'm kind of disappointed that you mentioned Jennifer Hudson for holding a candle to Jennifer Holliday and not even a nod to Amber Riley who not only killed the song on Glee near the beginning of her career, but played an award-winning Effie in West End to critical acclaim. Not knocking either of the other singers, but Amber Riley often gets overlooked and I think she deserved credit and a mention here too.

I was specifically looking for memory, which is my fav Broadway song of all time cause it was written like 30 minutes before the show went live and the actress had to learn it in lesser time. LOVE IT SO MUCH.

Comments be like: "have you ever tried a duet by yourself?" Me who sings all parts in One Day More from Les Mis: ●︿●

Did you know Adam Pascal's audition notes had the memo: "Closes his eyes when singing" as a concern of the Director of RENT? Jonathan Larsson rejected that concern, and said it was in Adam's favour, given that he wanted people to believe Roger was a singer in a band, not a trained Broadway singer.

Defying Gravity is always hailed as being a hellish song to sing on Wicked, but No Good Deed is also *extremely* hard.

the fact that Chris Colfer did 3 of the hardest of these perfectly is amazing, as well as Amber Riley with I am telling you and Jayma Mays with Getting Married!

When I was younger, I thought that Andrew, Loyd and Webber were three people...

Guns and ships is perfect noone can top the original version

Reciting "Modern Major General," from memory, at speed, is a challenging exercise undergraduates in the English Department tend to share with the Performance Arts types. It takes a remarkable level of enunciation to keep it from devolving into incoherent gibberish.

WOW! I did not realize how hard these songs were hard but listening to you and your view showed me a new light. Just WOW!

There will never be another Madeline Kahn...such perfection in comedic acting and singing. Phantom was absolutely stunning at Her Majesty's Theater London, my friend had seen it so got us center orchestra seats. He awaited my expressions, when the chandelier flew off the stage to the celiing and savored my reaction when it fell from the ceiling and to the stage with the curtains closing for the intermission. I could feel the adrenaline shot both times, as I almost had a heart attack, to his delight! lol It was life affectingly brilliant!

I was in a production of “Into The Woods” and “Our Fault” was hard as heck. I was the Baker’s wife so I was dead by then, but DAMN! Watching my classmates manage that was insane.

David Hasselhoff in Jekyll and Hyde really surprised me.

So mad I waited for years to see Wicked. Great production, book. Loved it!

Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera. The range that song requires is insane.

Everyone panic, Dolores Umbridge has come to Broadway!

My favorite songs are the ones from the Golden Age of Broadway, most of which are written for legit voices rather than belters. From this list I would choose: "If I Loved You", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and many of the tunes from "West Side Story", just to name a few.

Informative. Bring him home is my fav. Saw the original Colm Wilkinson play it. The song was added in the English version (originally a french musical) for Mr. Willkinson speficically. Wow!!! Michel Boubil knew what he was doing it.

I loved Ms. Betty Buckley on Eight Is Enough, but I had no idea that she had such a wonderful voice. I always loved Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Holliday, Kristin Chenoweth and Patti Lupone, but Ms. Buckley is amazing. Of course, I thought the musical Cats was phenomenal. Everything about that show is fantastic, from the costumes to the acting to the singing. My mom and I saw Cats twice, and it was fabulous.

Getting married today is very hard i can't even think about singing it

Bernadette Peters is a freaking living legend.

I graduated high school in 1967, and "Climb Every Mountain" is our class song. We sing it at every reunion, the latest being this year, celebrating 55 years.

You really did a great job of putting this together so everyone can appreciate these scores and performances. I am not as familiar with live theatre - especially on Broadway - as I should be, but you have helped me immensely in getting to know more about it and the talented, dedicated people involved in making this magic happen! P However, I did have the good fortune to see the original cast of "Evita" on Broadway in NYC back in 1979. That was a very exciting experience to say the least. What a treat to have seen Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin perform this modern day classic! And now I appreciate the experience even more! Lucky me!

"Stars" from Les Miserables never fails to take my breath away.

I didn't know that David Hasselhoff could sing parts so demanding as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!!! A really amazing surprise!

Seeing this collection reminds me of my time in theatre 🎭 SO much fun. Phantom was always my choice for auditions due to the wide range it shows. Musicals, plays and operas can make men weep or turn sadness into joy:)

I love that you guys put Confrontation in here! That song, along with Alive, are my favorite songs from the Jekyll and Hyde musical.

When I heard Solea Pfieffer sing Evita on youtube, I was blown away more than I ever was by any other singer before. There are so many incredible singers on Broadway that it sometimes feels hard to be over-the-top impressed by one particular voice because there are so many amazing ones. But when I heard Solea, I thought, that must be what angels with incredible voice teachers and years of vocal training sound like.

When Gaga sang "climb every mountain" at the oscars in 2015, I was speechless. That was amazing.

I played 'Marta' in Company in 1979, and I had to hold out the final note of 'Another 100 People' for something ridiculous like 20 measures. I barely pulled it off and did so by swinging into a deep bow at the end, cutting the note off abruptly. But more difficult than either that or 'I'm Not Getting Married' was the opening number with the entire cast singing, with several of us singing different lyrics at the same time. The timing and synchronization was gawd awful hard to do. The opening number gets my vote for Company.

Great Picks I understand that you could not scour the whole of musical time but "The Student Prince" comes to mind. In that the song "I'll walk with God" is a burner with the right voice. "Mario Lanza" stuns in the performance from many decades ago. To hear him sing that song under those ancient recording techniques is moving. Look it up, the old recording, and hear him repaint the wall with sound. Incredible.

I think almost every song in les mis is crazy hard... I dreamed a dream anyone

Have you ever sing a duet with yourself Me singing all song from Hamilton everyday Mostly Alexander and Laurens which have chemistry so I’m basically flirting with myself

“Dangle something sparkly in front of a soprano and you can be sure they’ll try to sing it” 😂🤣😭

I was amazed that David Hasselhoff was able to sing a duet all by himself..just wow

Rose’s turn sung by Imelda Staunton and Patti Lupone is a blessing from the gods themselves

Defying gravity is my all time favorite song from any musical.

Not theater related songs, but definitely sang duets on my own. Going from rapping into singing is something haha. Loved this video, the talent in these people is so amazing 🤩

Patty absolutely killed her performance of "Memory" in Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Memory is my favourite song from Cats. I don’t know why, but it makes me cry.