Board 8 > Raka Ranks 69 Crowd Songs: Rank-a-little, Talk-a-little

(+) Yeah! (+)

Raka_Putra posted...

I'm not sure this is a crowd song. I thought it's more like Sebastian solo.

definitely questionable!
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Some heavy hitters dropping today!

23. Belle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTUZswZHsWQ" data-time="
From Beauty and the Beast
Nominated by SeabassDebeste

Ah, quite possibly many people's first crowd song. As Belle goes on a morning walk to make fun of the poor provincial people, the folks sing back to her in revenge. It really makes the village feels alive and introduces you to Belle, Gaston, and Le Fou really well. You already know their repute and their personality. It's no surprise this song is often parodied. Because it's almost genre-defining.

Riesling
This song is a very good set up song and describes many things very well. It's fun too!

22. Little Shop of Horrors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ-mn3nr-TM" data-time="
From Little Shop of Horrors
Nominated by Prince_Karo

Alan Menken is a very talented man and LSoH is once of his best works. It's so catchy and fun. It's strong. Though since it's a bit one note it might get just a bit repetitive as it goes on. But since it's really good I don't really mind.

Riesling
I really enjoys this (although I don't listen to it as much as Skid Row).
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21. Blame Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOR38552MJA" data-time="
From South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
Nominated by Johnbobb

The parts between ''blame Canada'' aren't as good as the chorus, but it's still very funny, as expected of South Park. It's ridiculous enough to be funny but the characters are taking it very seriously, which is always great recipe for comedy. It barely misses the Top 20 but making it here is no easy thing...but if you're disappointed or angry by this ranking just blame Canada! Shame on Canada!

Aaand here's your Top 20!

American Idiot
Be Our Guest
Can You Hear the Wolverine?
Cell Block Tango
Comfort and Joy
Dream A Little Harder
Esmeralda
For Now
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Hello
I Won't Say I'm in Love
It's A Hard-Knock Life
La Resistance
Let It Grow
One Day More
Press Conference Rag
Seize the Day
Skid Row
This Is Halloween
Unlikely Lovers
You Will Be Found
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bye bye belle :)(
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oh sweet, three in the top 20!

definitely didn't expect Can You Hear the Wolverine? to be among my top nominations
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SeabassDebeste posted...

bye bye belle :)(

Well, you can say that she's still in another song left lol.

Johnbobb posted...

oh sweet, three in the top 20!

definitely didn't expect Can You Hear the Wolverine? to be among my top nominations

It also surprised me by how far they took it
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20. Can You Hear the Wolverine?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIl_FiV8V6E" data-time="&start=61
From How Logan Should Have Ended
Nominated by Johnbobb

I've watched a decent chunk of the X-Men movies. Logan was tremendously good. And I'm kinda glad I haven't watched the HISHE for this until I'm ranking. It's surprisingly very long, or rather, it's the full duration of the song (I like Honest Trailers' parodies too but they usually end too fast) but very funny throughout. The melody is taken wholesale from the original song so of course it's good. Congrats on making the Top 20.

Riesling
I love parodies. This is no exception.

19. I Won't Say (I'm in Love)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl0DMTlwLw4" data-time="
From Hercules
Nominated by Underleveled

Oh man, I love this. It's the official Tsundere (tm) anthem. Meg and the muses make a great point-counterpoint duet, and Susan Egan's vocal color is really distinctive. The muses powerful yet soft tones really bring the song together.

Riesling
This song pushed Hercules up in my favorite Disney musical list. The Muses are gold.
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18. For Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJdcROXeaWc" data-time="
From Avenue Q
Nominated by jcgamer

Fun fact: This song is on my Tinder profile. I really like the message here. It recaps the characters' journeys to this point and how they are still friends despite the horrible living conditions and their regrets. It's weirdly uplifting. I suppose it is only For Now repeated near the end but then it's ok because it's ~deep~, you know? With each 'for now', it makes you think. Also George Bush lol yeah and now we have Trump. Thanks Obama.

Riesling
I thank the creators for making this song because I can use it to console my friends who are going through hard times without sounding preachy.

17. American Idiot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BalplL2MOE4" data-time="
From American Idiot: The Musical
Nominated by Johnbobb

This is nice. It's always been my favorit Green Day song (not that I know of any other) but it's still so good. The call for rebellion against big corporates and medias who can brainwash the populace is a cool message and it's just very energetic. However, despite that it's being adapted to the stage it's not very theatrical...it still sounds mostly like a band song that doesn't necessarily have to be in a musical (makes sense since it's a jukebox musical, I guess...but I digress). I looked up the staging for this song and it's...not very theatrical still. It's still good though.
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Yeah, For Now is one of the most bittersweet songs I've ever heard.

Speaking of, Avenue Q's New York production just announced they're finally closing in April after a 16-year run.
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I do highly recommend American Idiot: The Musical

I mean I'm biased because it's always been one of my favorite albums, but I got the chance to see the musical live a few years ago and it was excellent
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I was in it a few years ago and it was pretty fun. Great adaptation.
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Bump
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up
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jcgamer107 posted...

Speaking of, Avenue Q's New York production just announced they're finally closing in April after a 16-year run.

Yeah, I heard. I'm deeply saddened. :(
But maybe they'll go on a world tour and visit like...Singapore. A man can dream!

Johnbobb posted...

I do highly recommend American Idiot: The Musical

I mean I'm biased because it's always been one of my favorite albums, but I got the chance to see the musical live a few years ago and it was excellent

I'm sure I'll look into it someday. One day...
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16. Seize the Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMi8pjRg6YY" data-time="
From Newsies
Nominated by Maniac64

I really like the message of this song. "You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you" is a great message. The notes are joyful, boyish, cheery, while still defiant. It's very rousing. Alan Menken is a treasure. Newsies have got some great crowd songs (namely King of New York and Carrying the Banner) and I just can't decide which one I like the most. Though I think i like Carrying the Banner a bit better because I find the beginning part better partially because it shows more individual Newsies' personalities.

Riesling
I really love Dave's solo in the beginning and I love the mood of the whole song. the 'you're still our brother' part also touches me so much, especially because I'm watching this during my college days where people do stupid things to get noticed so they can make a change. I wish one day someone does a flashmob with this instead of doing a common strike.

15. Unlikely Lovers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKX2hKjRJ5E" data-time="
From Falsettos
Nominated by KBM

Another one with dead link. I'm very surprised. I haven't truly experienced Falsettos, but I find myself heartbroken. This is a good piece of music it makes me feel...things. Beautiful and sad but not delivered in the generic sappy melody. It's actually somewhat cheerful, as the four friends try to brace themselves for the inevitable.
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i won't sayu i'm in love is omg-good

for now is good but not my favorite avenue Q song

maybe i should go see it again if it's really shutting down :(
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SeabassDebeste posted...

i won't sayu i'm in love is omg-good

for now is good but not my favorite avenue Q song

maybe i should go see it again if it's really shutting down :(

Go do it for me too! :")
What's your favorite song from the show?
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14. Let It Grow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqvD4NC-s9E" data-time="
From The Lorax
Nominated by GenesisSaga

Sounds like a gospel version of an MLP song. That is to say it sounds great and fun. LOL at the villain trying to change the lyrics and he gets rightfully blown off. Very joyous and catchy song. Bonus points for a granny character. <3 Now I really want to watch the movie, it looks great and seems very fun. I think with more replays, this song will...grow on me.

13. La Resistance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LonKGuS9uuQ" data-time="
From South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
Nominated by jcgamer

Man, this song would've been so much better with a few things. The La Resistance children's choir sounds too much like chipmunk. And the song itself is too short! This is the big eleventh hour number and I really love it when such songs contain the reprise of various characters' songs. And La Resistance also introduces its own tune to underline the reprise, and it's very fun. I actually want to hear more of this. Oh and the hilariously gory lyrics help.
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Only issue with King of New York is it's a big dance song and I couldn't find videos.

But there is a reason I mom's a bunch of Newsies. Good crowd stuff throughout.
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Yeah, that's a shame, though I'm sure I've seen it before on YouTube so maybe they just got deleted...

12. Dream A Little Harder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRM5MXZVeGs" data-time="
From Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier
Nominated by Johnbobb

Oh yeah, I love StarKid parodies and this might just be one of their best offerings. It lampshades Disney tropes and values very well, while still offering its own hilarious, overblown, version of 'the villain was good all along'. And that cameo at 3:48 is to die for.

11. Esmeralda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzXlWG1GjVs" data-time="
From The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Nominated by KBM

Weird, it sounds glorious and triumphant but it's actually a villain song of sorts. Maybe to show how self-righteous they are. Oh my God, this is the big number of the musical?! I love it! I especially love the angelic reprise of God Help the Outcasts here, I love when leitmotifs come together. This is just too epic.
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Your top 10!
Be Our Guest
Cell Block Tango
Comfort and Joy
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Hello
It's A Hard-Knock Life
One Day More
Press Conference Rag
Skid Row
This Is Halloween
You Will Be Found
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noooooo

so close to hitting the top 10
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I guess you didn't dream hard enough! :(
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Raka_Putra posted...

I guess you didn't dream hard enough! :(

Fuck you!

note to mods it's not an insult it's a direct reference to the song at hand thanks love you
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10. Comfort and Joy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0LTR95jlw" data-time="
From Bat Boy: The Musical
Nominated by KBM

Another one I wasn't familiar with. Surprisingly I enjoy it very much. It's because all of them have different take on 'comfort and joy'. Some are sinister, some are mundane. And the musical seems like a feral version of Hunchback of Notre Dame.

9. Be Our Guest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzmwAKUppU" data-time="
From Beauty and the Beast
Nominated by Prince_Karo

Another really good song, Alan Menken is a god. I expect everyone to be familiar with this song so not really much to add, only that it didn't get much higher because it's mostly Lumiere singing (featuring Mrs. Potts) though to less extent than Kiss the Girl. It's a very well crafted song. And that French accent is as delicious as ze grey stuff.

Riesling
Another song I don't listen to much, but one I enjoy watching.
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wow i got 3 in the top 8, and 2 others that i might have otherwise nominated. pretty good.
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^
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jcgamer107 posted...

wow i got 3 in the top 8, and 2 others that i might have otherwise nominated. pretty good.

Yeah, we have a similar taste it turns out!

Shonen_Bat posted...

^

Thanks for the bump! #8 and #7 in next post.
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8. It's A Hard-Knock Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0bOH8ABpco" data-time="
From Annie
Nominated by jcgamer

It's a hard-knock life for us. I entered a contest with this song. I lost. This was fun, but I didn't really like this version in particular. The instrumentation is very bare. It sounds deceprit...though some of it is probably intentional, but to me that still makes it less enjoyable. Okay I'm just being nitpicky here since it's the top 10 lol.
For serious though, that beat is very iconic (dum-dum-dum-dum-DUM-dum-dum) and it really sets the tone of the musical well, of both the grimness of being an orphan in a sucky environment and the enduring optimism. And of course the kids' friendship with each other forged through a shared suffering.

Actually I think the other orphans hit that sweet spot of crowd characters (without fully developing them into side/secondary characters). They're a coherent group brought together by life circumstances but if you really want to develop them for like a fanfic, or if you cast as one of them and want to dig a bit deeper for the characterization, you can probably derive something from each character's lines and interactions. Okay, that was a random tangent.

Riesling
Hello, I'm the contest partner. Some calls me a blasphemer for liking the 2014 Annie better. Anyway, despite how the arrangement is, this song can be used in many situations. I love it.

7. You Will Be Found

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfH2AuhXfw" data-time="
From Dear Evan Hansen
Nominated by GenesisSaga

DEH, ever the scandalous musical, but really popular with the teen and young adult crowd. It's easy to see why. Many of the songs are really good and this one is especially inspirational and theatre kids being typically outcasts, it's just too good and fitting not to cover. Though the song might lose some of its charm when you remember Evan is basically using a stranger's death for popularity and the love of another family. I guess the message is that even shady motivations can bring good. Regardless, the chorus part is awesome and the instruments work really well, it's rich, pop-ish, but still emotionally powerful.

Riesling
This song is a memorable one for me. Some of my friends (who never heard of DEH before) cried when my troupe performed this.
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The choreography and production of the Hard-Knock Life number in the film are really impressive, especially considering it's all children. There's so much going on and so many different set pieces that would have taken ages to reset. I'm betting it inspired some of the big numbers in "Newsies".

I also love Carol Burnett's mocking "She had to bathroom" after the song, she has great comedic sensibilities (I was going to say "had" but was surprised to find she's still alive).
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Yeah, good point. It's definitely a number that's ripe for exploration in choreography and props.
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It's the hard-knock up for us.
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6. One Day More

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM3MzWYa_-Y" data-time="
From Les Miserables
Nominated by jcgamer

Well, this one's a classic. I find it intriguing that JC nominated the movie version. I mean, this is the movie that really got me into musicals so hey, I don't hate it or anything.
But yeah, this is a great one. Crowd songs can be sung by the ensemble, the cast, or a combination of both. But in an ensemble cast like Les Mis, this epic everyone-come-together-before-the-climax approach really is the best. It not only recaps everyone's stories but also hype you up for what's coming next. Though I have to dock a few points because it's not really my favorite version (though I tolerate Crowe's singing, it's not really the best).

Riesling
Another favorite full of memories. I was Mme. Thernadier twice and messed up both times. I always love a crowd song that displays different points of view of one moment. I also always feel that 'one day before the climax' is a very romantic and powerful moment. So lots of love for One Day More!

5. Hello

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmp-xmguqh4" data-time="
From the Book of Mormon
Nominated by Cybat

The Book of Mormon is chock-full of great crowd songs, and it's obvious from the very first song of this hilarious and somewhat vulgar musical. This is really great because they just set the tone and characters of the musical really well -- that is, the bright-eyed optimism of the Mormon missionaries, their sincere belief in their religion, and Elder Cunningham's a bit oddball personality. It's just really good and fun when the elders' greetings are overlaid on top of each other then they come together and harmonize nicely near the end. I'm a bit sad nobody nominated Turn It Off

Riesling
So the thing is... I work for a religious organization that focuses on producing books, so this song is very weirdly relevant and familiar. No, we don't knock on people's doors the way the Mormons does, but oh how I wish I could. I've always secretly dreamt my office can parody this for a campaign video.
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I really really want to see Book of Mormon
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Johnbobb posted...

I really really want to see Book of Mormon

Same!
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My top 5 musicals I want to watch (not necessarily in order):
1. Legally Blonde
2. The Book of Mormon
3. Company
4. Matilda
5. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
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Let's finish this before the new year's!

4. The Press Conference Rag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9dFKRZ8EbU" data-time="
From Chicago
Nominated by jcgamer

Also known by its popular name We Both Reached for the Gun.
I've always loved this song. The concept is genius and it's executed well. And the movie version of Chicago is really good too so that doesn't hurt. This is really something that was obviously invented for the stage though it made the transition well to the screen as well. Pure theatre magic.

3. This Is Halloween

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGiYxCUAhks" data-time="
From The Nightmare Before Christmas

Another classic. It's a great way of introducing Halloween Town's creepy but lovable residents and how varied they are. Man, it's a shame we didn't get to see more of them in KH. It's actually pretty short, just about 3 minutes, but it's so rich with content and it flows so well that you feel satisfied without being bored.
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Skid Row vs. Cell Block Tango, who ya got.
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gotta be Cell Block
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btw raka

what are some good musicals you'd recommend that can actually be watched easily (online on like YouTube or Netflix or something, or even with decent DVDs of the show)

Stuff like Book of Mormon or Hamilton I'd love to have some way of seeing without paying several hundreds for Broadway

I've had Passing Strange in my youtube queue for like a year now
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Both Neil Patrick Harris' and Raul Esparza's Company are out there and they're both great. The NPH version also has Elaine Paige.

Legally Blonde's MTV showing is available on YouTube though the recording quality is meh.

Billy Elliot the Musical Live is another good quality live recording though I don't fancy the musical too dearly, but it's not bad. Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway should also be easily found.

And then of course there's Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.
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I believe Newsies and Shrek are both on Netflix right now.
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