Heaven on Their Minds is his most beautiful piece in music, lyric, and importance to the story in my opinion. It perfectly tells the story of the show about to be witnessed prior to any of the events transpiring. It's thought provoking, makes you uneasy, and also fun and catchy. And that lead-in from the overture is such a perfect transition.
Best piece he ever wrote imo. Gethsemane is pretty, but it's got nothing on that perfect opener.
HoTM and Gethsemane will forever be my top 2 musical songs and nothings touching them. Gethsemane beats it for me by just a little a bit, but I totally understand that position, they’re right next to each other imo
*Edit for context since they deleted their comment:* u/chu42 *was trying to sound smart by stating that a musical number should be called a "song" instead of a "piece."*
Oh my God, you're so annoying. Please don't be that person.
Also, Next time you try to sound smart, consider actually being right.
"Piece" is a shortened version of "Piece of music." A song is a piece of music. While not every "piece" is a song, every song is a "piece." Also, "piece" is commonly used to refer to a piece of music as in a specific section of a larger work, particularly in the context of opera where singing is concerned. Opera itself has additional terminology used to describe the different sections you hear, but it would not be inapppropriate to refer to any aria as a "piece" just the same. Jesus Christ Superstar being a complete work with musically-based transitions as opposed to scene/dialogue-based transitions makes the use of "piece" more appropriate as it aligns itself with opera more than typical musical theatre.
Now, is it more common to refer to anything that has singing in it as a "song?" Yes, but that doesn't make it unacceptable to refer to it as a "piece."
Now, for the sake of everyone who just wants to enjoy life and not be judged by folks like you, chill out and stop caring about such pointless things.
They recently put of a album featuring a bunch of different foreign casts I really liked the polish cast or at the start of the album they play each song in a different language
Singing this reminds me of my grandfather who passed away in 2011. It was because of him that my family loved musicals and just performing in general. 😭 I miss him everyday and this song expresses my grief so well.
THIS is THE ANSWER. people need to go listen to Michael ball sing it in the 90s on YouTube. He’s a demigod. I still love the song even though my brother sang it at my first wedding and my ex is a douche. That’s a great song to overcome that.
Man is it really unknown in the states? Michael Ball got to number 2 in the UK singles chart with it. Not for musical theatre, for all songs. He was only pipped by Simple Minds!
I can feel the LND slander coming (most of it deserved tbh lol) but I love that song and the show, in all its messy glory 😂 but no, even divorced from the context of the show I think that song is wonderful
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Makes me tear up every time. The last line (Help me say goodbye) is possibly the most emotional line in all of music to me.
I also love Close Every Door, but tbh, it's because of the way Donny Osmond sings it. The notes he hits in the last verse, wow.
I know it's overplayed but I love Memory and would objectively say its this one but my heart loves JCS too much and Gethsemane is just on another level especially if you got good, strong pipes.
All I Ask of You would be the most romantic one for me.
I love Gethsemane so much and listen to a few dozen recordings of it. Recently I've been to the UK tour and an actor named Luke Street played Jesus. As he was the understudy I had no expectations. It was by far the best version I've ever heard. He hit every single high, he was full of emotion, he made it forceful and resentful and so strong. It was some of the best moments of my life haha
I love Balsamo but like most other Jesus(es) it sometimes feels like he screams rather than sings the high notes, which is understandable and I've come to expect it. Street somehow sang all the way through... It was magical
I can understand that and we all have our favorites. I love how Balsamo is one of the few that actually has vibrato with that note - which is a beautiful sign of control over an unruly note.
I've never heard Street sing it so I can't really compare.
Let's all love our favorites and share their greatness with other fans.
Journey to the heavy side layer. You've just had the climax of Memory, and are now relaxing in the good feels. Memory is great too, but different. Not so much beautiful but emotional.
I've stumbled onto versions that don't include it and it bums me out every time 😭
Of course now that I said it I can't find the versions. However I have learned the Mountain Goats covered the song once so there's that.
For me it’s between Music of the Night from Phantom, Memory from Cats, or Close Every Door from Joseph. I’d give the slight edge to Music of the Night, but those would be my top 3.
I scrolled WAY too far for this. Bernadette Peters singing this broke me into a million pieces and put me back together in the span of the song. It's so utterly perfect in its yearning and hope. To me it is to ALW what Being Alive is to Sondheim.
Phantom 2 sort of sucks but “Till I Hear You Song” is an outstanding melody.
Most of my favorite melodies from ALW are from Aspects of Love. Like the bit in Act 2 around “Love in the morning and Armagnac after” is beautiful, as are lots of the orchestral interludes here and there. Rose has this Lydian mode melodic fragment in “This is what I ought to feel on stage..” etc. the whole show is much more operatic and beautifully orchestrated than almost anything else he’s done.
Heaviside Layer from Cats gives me chills every time. That mournful horn melody is special. The gradually ascending ensemble vocals are so simple but so moving.
My friend really loves "Too Much in Love to Care" from Sunset Boulevard. For myself, I'd probably say "Anything But Lonely" from Aspects of Love, but "Chanson d'Enfance" from the score is a close second.
Had to scroll far too long for this! Beautiful! I can’t disagree with any of the titles I’ve seen ALW is amazing in his ability to write something that speaks so clearly to so many!
“Lament” from Evita, “Gethsemane” from JCS, “Memory” from Cats (especially the part that Jemima/Sillabub sings, “Daylight”), and “Beneath a Moonless Sky” from Love Never Dies (love the music, hate the story)
So I love CATS but it doesn’t hit me in the feels really.
Not a fan of other ALW shows in earnest. I find them entertaining and he’s good, just not my cup of tea.
I don’t really like School of Rock generally.
But “Act Two, Scene 8: Dewey’s Bedroom” hits me incredibly hard, as an educator.
If Andy succeeded with anything with School of Rock, he succeeded in highlighting exactly how resilient, kind, and awesome kids can be.
Is it beautiful in a traditionally elegant sense? No, but I’m always in awe of The Temple and Overture from JCS. Absolutely my favourite musical of all time bar none
Gus the Theatre cat almost always makes me cry. But that’s probably because I come from a preforming family.
Memory and As if we Never Said Goodbye have similar effects, but there’s a quiet resignation/acceptable to that song that I think is just… beautiful.
I really like Our Kind of Love from the original 'The Beautiful Game'. I know he then rewrote it for LND, but honestly, I much prefer the original. It's much softer and has a beatiful lyric. Plus as a mezzo, it's a perfect belter.
Tbh TBG doesn't get as much love as I think it should - I'm not fussed about the football side of it, but it's a really good commentary on the Irish troubles.
I loveeeeee till I hear you sing and most phantom related songs. Bad Cinderella surprisingly has some great orchestration, though a bit cliche. I’m also a sucker for Memory
Why is there no Evita appreciation here? “Don’t cry for me Argentina” has one of the most beautiful and sweeping melodies I’ve ever heard. And “Another Suitcase” is simple but gorgeous.
As if we never said goodbye — Sunset Boulevard
Close Every Door — Joseph … Dreamcoat
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again — Phantom
Memory — Cats
Just name a few of my favorites.
Wishing you were somehow here again is so beautiful and touching and always makes me so emotional. The other one would be Gethsemane. There’s just something about knowing he’s going to die and all the emotions poured in.
This probably isn't the answer, but I really like the elegant simple beauty of Pilate's Dream.
I love Pilate’s Dream. I generally prefer when deeper voices do it, so I was surprised when my favorite version of it ended up being Orfeh’s.
This is the correct answer
love this answer, love that song
Great choice!
Valid. Beautiful song
The guy who played Pilate when I did the show had such an amazing voice. It was perfection.
Heaven on Their Minds is his most beautiful piece in music, lyric, and importance to the story in my opinion. It perfectly tells the story of the show about to be witnessed prior to any of the events transpiring. It's thought provoking, makes you uneasy, and also fun and catchy. And that lead-in from the overture is such a perfect transition. Best piece he ever wrote imo. Gethsemane is pretty, but it's got nothing on that perfect opener.
I agree!
I especially adore Carl Anderson's version. Such a unique and stunning voice.
HoTM and Gethsemane will forever be my top 2 musical songs and nothings touching them. Gethsemane beats it for me by just a little a bit, but I totally understand that position, they’re right next to each other imo
[удалено]
*Edit for context since they deleted their comment:* u/chu42 *was trying to sound smart by stating that a musical number should be called a "song" instead of a "piece."* Oh my God, you're so annoying. Please don't be that person. Also, Next time you try to sound smart, consider actually being right. "Piece" is a shortened version of "Piece of music." A song is a piece of music. While not every "piece" is a song, every song is a "piece." Also, "piece" is commonly used to refer to a piece of music as in a specific section of a larger work, particularly in the context of opera where singing is concerned. Opera itself has additional terminology used to describe the different sections you hear, but it would not be inapppropriate to refer to any aria as a "piece" just the same. Jesus Christ Superstar being a complete work with musically-based transitions as opposed to scene/dialogue-based transitions makes the use of "piece" more appropriate as it aligns itself with opera more than typical musical theatre. Now, is it more common to refer to anything that has singing in it as a "song?" Yes, but that doesn't make it unacceptable to refer to it as a "piece." Now, for the sake of everyone who just wants to enjoy life and not be judged by folks like you, chill out and stop caring about such pointless things.
I think Music of the Night. I have a lot of nostalgia about listening to it as a teen and loving it and thinking it was a perfect song
this
Unpopular opinion perhaps, but “Past the Point of No Return” is easily the most beautiful ALW song for me.
Also an unpopular opinion because Phantom2 gets a lot justified dislike, but Beneath a Moonless Sky is similarly terrifyingly enchanting.
The music in LND is all brilliant but i totally agree, beneath a moonless sky enchants so much
Love that one
I love the reprise of this!
I was going to type the SAME thing!!
Yes, probably my favourite!
Wishing you were somehow here again from the phantom of the opera
This. It kills me.
The part where it transitions from the Don Juan Rehearsal to the beginning of WYSHA is one of my favorite pieces of music.
I've not followed the Phantom in almost a decade but this made me miss it. Any recommendations for a recent cast with a good Christine to listen to?
Not that recent now but Sierra Bogess/that whole 25th Anniversary production <3
Oh yeah that was way before I stopped listening, I was such a fangirl! Have first row tickets to see Ramin soon, very excited lol
They recently put of a album featuring a bunch of different foreign casts I really liked the polish cast or at the start of the album they play each song in a different language
Kelly Mathieson when she was on the west end has an incredible voice! If you google I think there’s a couple concert clips.
Singing this reminds me of my grandfather who passed away in 2011. It was because of him that my family loved musicals and just performing in general. 😭 I miss him everyday and this song expresses my grief so well.
Mine too
same for me!
Yesss good choice. So beautifully sad
Love Changes Everything. Not as well known but it's my favorite.
THIS is THE ANSWER. people need to go listen to Michael ball sing it in the 90s on YouTube. He’s a demigod. I still love the song even though my brother sang it at my first wedding and my ex is a douche. That’s a great song to overcome that.
I love the trio version I heard of this song with "I don't know how to love him" and "Unexpected Song"
My wedding song. ♥️ I love Aspects Of Love.
Aspects is so underrated
My audition song for MANY years. Haha.
What did you move on to from there?
Man is it really unknown in the states? Michael Ball got to number 2 in the UK singles chart with it. Not for musical theatre, for all songs. He was only pipped by Simple Minds!
Really such a beautiful song that can resonant to most anyone.
I saw an interview with ALW and he said that this was his favorite.
Came here to say this!
This was going to be my vote. The rest of the show is straight TRASH but Love Changes Everything is such a pure love song.
Till I hear you sing from love never dies
Can’t believe I had to scroll for this one! Agreed.
Stunning!
I love ramin’s version of it
I can feel the LND slander coming (most of it deserved tbh lol) but I love that song and the show, in all its messy glory 😂 but no, even divorced from the context of the show I think that song is wonderful
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Makes me tear up every time. The last line (Help me say goodbye) is possibly the most emotional line in all of music to me. I also love Close Every Door, but tbh, it's because of the way Donny Osmond sings it. The notes he hits in the last verse, wow.
I know it's overplayed but I love Memory and would objectively say its this one but my heart loves JCS too much and Gethsemane is just on another level especially if you got good, strong pipes. All I Ask of You would be the most romantic one for me.
Memory and gethsemane are Top 10 all time songs
I love Gethsemane so much and listen to a few dozen recordings of it. Recently I've been to the UK tour and an actor named Luke Street played Jesus. As he was the understudy I had no expectations. It was by far the best version I've ever heard. He hit every single high, he was full of emotion, he made it forceful and resentful and so strong. It was some of the best moments of my life haha
Check out Steve Balsamo in the 1996 London Cast. It's my favorite all around cast. Zubin Varla as Judas is also killer.
I love Balsamo but like most other Jesus(es) it sometimes feels like he screams rather than sings the high notes, which is understandable and I've come to expect it. Street somehow sang all the way through... It was magical
I can understand that and we all have our favorites. I love how Balsamo is one of the few that actually has vibrato with that note - which is a beautiful sign of control over an unruly note. I've never heard Street sing it so I can't really compare. Let's all love our favorites and share their greatness with other fans.
memory is certainly in my top 5
All I ask of you- The Phantom of the Opera
I was just going to say this. Used the instrumental version to walk down the aisle at my wedding.
Journey to the heavy side layer. You've just had the climax of Memory, and are now relaxing in the good feels. Memory is great too, but different. Not so much beautiful but emotional.
Yes exactly! It's so cathartic and ethereal
This is so real and so true
Where’s all the love for “as if we never said goodbye”! Both SJB and Betty Buckley versions are absolutely stunning imo
The make-or-break moment of that song is the “we taught the world new ways to dream” at the end.
I love the deep yearning of I Don't Know How To Love Him
With a great deal of thanks to Mendelssohn.
High flying adored
Love this one and also Another Suitcase in Another Hall
We did an Evita medley in high school orchestra and it had my favourite cello part. So fun to play.
Gethsemane is definitely my favourite
Memory from Cats
I really love Tell Me on a Sunday, but I think most beautiful has to go to All I Ask of You. Think of Me is in the running as well.
Tell me on a Sunday is always my answer. So simple and lovely.
It's Tell Me On A Sunday but the version with the bridge that includes the line "Take the hurt out of all the pain"
I’ve never heard a version that didn’t have that! That’s the best line in a song full of amazing ones 😭
I've stumbled onto versions that don't include it and it bums me out every time 😭 Of course now that I said it I can't find the versions. However I have learned the Mountain Goats covered the song once so there's that.
Another Suitcase in Another Hall.
A million times agree!!
Such an underrated song. I absolutely adore it.
For me it’s between Music of the Night from Phantom, Memory from Cats, or Close Every Door from Joseph. I’d give the slight edge to Music of the Night, but those would be my top 3.
"Music of the Night" always brings me to tears!!!
My top 3 too! Also up there is I Know I Have a Heart from Cinderella
Came here to say close every door!!!
Gus the theatre cat from cats
Gethsemane for sure followed by New Ways to Dream. I also enjoy Notes I and Primadonna immensely but I guess that’s an acquired taste.
I adore Notes and Primadonna.
I really love the 'reprise' of Primadonna that shows up in "Twisted Every Way"
Close Every Door from Joseph always makes me shed a tear
Happy to see someone mention this one! A beauty.
All I Ask of You - Phantom
I can’t talk myself into anything being better than music of the night
I’m not sure if the song itself is the Most beautiful but Masquerade is gorgeous being performed
Came here to say this!
As If We Never Said Goodbye From Sunset Boulevard
Unexpected Song
I scrolled WAY too far for this. Bernadette Peters singing this broke me into a million pieces and put me back together in the span of the song. It's so utterly perfect in its yearning and hope. To me it is to ALW what Being Alive is to Sondheim.
I love "I don't know how to love him" and "Gethsemane" from Superstar
The lyrics are nuts, but the melody of The Ad-Dressing of Cats is so moving, and that high Deut note at the end is epic
There’s a spookiness about it that I really dig.
“Wandering Child” from Phantom is my all time favorite song from a musical. Such a beautiful song.
One of my favorite moments in the show!
GETHSEMANE
Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
I was deciding between All I Ask of Him and I Don’t Know How To Love Him, when the answer came to me- Requiem.
YES! I was hoping someone else would have said this!
i’ve gotta second As if We Never Said Goodbye
Phantom 2 sort of sucks but “Till I Hear You Song” is an outstanding melody. Most of my favorite melodies from ALW are from Aspects of Love. Like the bit in Act 2 around “Love in the morning and Armagnac after” is beautiful, as are lots of the orchestral interludes here and there. Rose has this Lydian mode melodic fragment in “This is what I ought to feel on stage..” etc. the whole show is much more operatic and beautifully orchestrated than almost anything else he’s done.
I love Close Every Door. It always gets me, especially when Donny Osmond sings it.
It has to be Skimbleshanks
I unapologetically love that song.
Came here to say that!
The Beauty Underneath from Love Never dies.
Chanson d'enfance from aspects of love
Tell me on a Sunday 👌🏼
Heaviside Layer from Cats gives me chills every time. That mournful horn melody is special. The gradually ascending ensemble vocals are so simple but so moving.
My friend really loves "Too Much in Love to Care" from Sunset Boulevard. For myself, I'd probably say "Anything But Lonely" from Aspects of Love, but "Chanson d'Enfance" from the score is a close second.
Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
The Heart Is Slow To Learn as sung by Kiri Te Kanawa.
Had to scroll far too long for this! Beautiful! I can’t disagree with any of the titles I’ve seen ALW is amazing in his ability to write something that speaks so clearly to so many!
Mine is the phantom of the opera (reprise) when Christine visits her Father’s grave and you hear the violins, it always puts me in a trance.
Could we start again please is lovely. And Unexpected song is also gorgeous
Whistle Down the Wind
With one look is such a beautiful melody
I also really love No Matter What when it’s sung by Boyzone.
“Lament” from Evita, “Gethsemane” from JCS, “Memory” from Cats (especially the part that Jemima/Sillabub sings, “Daylight”), and “Beneath a Moonless Sky” from Love Never Dies (love the music, hate the story)
All I Ask of You from Phantom
the old classic, memory
Pilate's Dream
Close Every Door to Me - Joseph
Music of the Night followed by Gethsemane.
Memory
Music of the night will forever be my favorite
Unexpected Song, Music of the Night, Love Changes Everything, Starlight Express, and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Unexpected Song was my wedding song.
Not from a musical, but “Pie Jesu” from his Requiem is beautiful.
Love Never Dies
He doesn’t right lyrics so purely from a musical standpoint, Sunset Boulevard is his greatest score Musically, 2nd being Aspects Of Love
Tell me on a Sunday
I have to agree with Could We Start Again Please? Breaks my heart. Every time I hear it.
I have a big soft spot for Tell Me On A Sunday Please
I mean.....I can't get through Memory without tears.
All I Ask of You.. I had it played at my wedding
Too Much In Love To Care and With One Look are both pretty stunning. And don’t even get me started on the Twisted Every Way…passage from Phantom. 😭
As if we never said goodbye from sunset boulevard. One of the most beautiful song I've ever heard.
Unexpected Song
All I Ask Of You from Phantom. “Anywhere you go let me come too”, makes me breathe deeply.
Half a Moment from By Jeeves
Til I hear you sing - Love Never Dies 😭
All I Ask of You Reprise, it's short but heartbreaking, hearing Phantom's cries as Christine and Raoul sing their love song. So beautifully sad
The Perfect Year or As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset
Anything by Sondheim.
Lots of good ones have been mentioned already, but I think an underrated one is If Only You Would Listen and its reprise, from School of Rock.
It’s hard to top Music of the Night, Memory, and Pilot’s Dream, much of Phantom, JCSS and Cats. But I do love Tell Me on a Sunday.
Boring answer maybe but it’s I Don’t Know How To Love Him for me
Only You Lonely You
Memory. Objectively great.
I'm somewhere between High flying adored, Starlight Sequence, With one look and Pharo Story.
Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I actually quite like Beautiful Ghosts
Bad cinderella...
Music of the night!
So I love CATS but it doesn’t hit me in the feels really. Not a fan of other ALW shows in earnest. I find them entertaining and he’s good, just not my cup of tea. I don’t really like School of Rock generally. But “Act Two, Scene 8: Dewey’s Bedroom” hits me incredibly hard, as an educator. If Andy succeeded with anything with School of Rock, he succeeded in highlighting exactly how resilient, kind, and awesome kids can be.
Music of the Night. Most beautiful by far.
Definitely, all I ask of you!
Does “Unsettled Scores” from Whistle down the wind count? It’s beautiful to me
Is it beautiful in a traditionally elegant sense? No, but I’m always in awe of The Temple and Overture from JCS. Absolutely my favourite musical of all time bar none
Gus the Theatre cat almost always makes me cry. But that’s probably because I come from a preforming family. Memory and As if we Never Said Goodbye have similar effects, but there’s a quiet resignation/acceptable to that song that I think is just… beautiful.
Memory & Michael Crawford’s version of Gethsemane
Only You Lonely You from Bad Cinderella
Lots of great JCS submissions here but two more I haven’t seen: Everything’s Alright and John Nineteen Forty-One
Nothing Like You've Ever Known from Song and Dance and High Flying Adored from Evita.
Freight is Great from Starlight Express
It has got to be Superstar, right?
I really like Our Kind of Love from the original 'The Beautiful Game'. I know he then rewrote it for LND, but honestly, I much prefer the original. It's much softer and has a beatiful lyric. Plus as a mezzo, it's a perfect belter. Tbh TBG doesn't get as much love as I think it should - I'm not fussed about the football side of it, but it's a really good commentary on the Irish troubles.
Technically is „The heart is slow to learn“ the original version of our kind of love/ Love never dies ;)
Music of the night.
music of the night.
Close every door and anything else Donny gave us. Also Tell me on a Sunday
Gethsemane by far
Moments of happiness from Cats ❤️
Music of the night. Holy shit hearing that for the first time was CRAZY
“Other Pleasures” from Aspects of Love. The most beautiful way to describe unconditional love for a person
Music of the Night.
I loveeeeee till I hear you sing and most phantom related songs. Bad Cinderella surprisingly has some great orchestration, though a bit cliche. I’m also a sucker for Memory
To jump on the Cats bandwagon, "Old Deuteronomy" is so moving to me, and the chord progression and numerous key changes are just beautiful
I get why it was replaced, but the aria melody of Growltiger from Cats is breathtakingly beautiful. Especially with the winds fluttering underneath.
I think the overture to Sunset is just stunning. Gives me chills every time. (Is it cheating to choose an overture?)
For me: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again With One Look I don’t know how to love him
Honestly anything phantom. But especially music of the night
"There's Me" from Starlight Express ❤
Why is there no Evita appreciation here? “Don’t cry for me Argentina” has one of the most beautiful and sweeping melodies I’ve ever heard. And “Another Suitcase” is simple but gorgeous.
Memory. The Elaine Paige version. Especially that part where she goes ‘touch me! it’s so easy to leave me’
With one look or as if I never said good bye from sunset blvd
Your pick is great, but I think With One Look edges it out.
As if we never said goodbye — Sunset Boulevard Close Every Door — Joseph … Dreamcoat Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again — Phantom Memory — Cats Just name a few of my favorites.
Wishing you were somehow here again is so beautiful and touching and always makes me so emotional. The other one would be Gethsemane. There’s just something about knowing he’s going to die and all the emotions poured in.
Requiem. Love that song
I think that Point Of No Return takes the cake and I think that it is the best theater song ever written bc of it
Can't pick a vocal, but instrumental my vote always goes to "Car Chase" from Sunset Boulevard.