The Greatest Showman’s songs are ranked in the order listed below. Hugh Jackman, who previously played Wolverine, played the real-life performer and entrepreneur P.T. Barnum in the 2017 film The Greatest Showman. Barnum, who duly demonstrated that life was about more than using adamantium claws and attempting to snare your coworker’s girlfriend. In The Greatest Showman, Jackman outperformed a talented supporting ensemble that included Zendaya, Zac Efron, and Michelle Williams. The Greatest Showman performed incredibly well at the movie office thanks to excellent word of mouth, soon becoming a cultural phenomenon over the Christmas of 2017. When the Barnum biopic originally came out, anticipation and expectations were equally low.
The Greatest Showman excelled in terms of pure spectacle, upbeat enjoyment, and song, even though it may have skimmed over the less desirable aspects of Barnum’s life. In actuality, the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman, composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, has possibly outlasted the movie. It features a number of musical theatre pop classics that have been repeatedly recorded by well-known performers and regional performing arts organisations ever since. It’s impossible to avoid hearing at least one of the following earworms, even if you’ve managed to avoid seeing The Greatest Showman.
It’s impressive that there aren’t any truly awful songs on The Greatest Showman’s soundtrack. Ranking the songs is difficult because each track has a distinctive appeal and a significant role in the musical’s plot. This is the whole soundtrack for The Greatest Showman, rated from worst to best, taking into account both the strength of each song individually and their potency within the setting of the movie.
Table Of Content
A Million Dreams
Given that the song is initially sung by the younger iterations of P.T., “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman is a song that deserves far more praise. Charity and Barnum The two young actors bond during the performance as they explore the couple’s traditional “poor boy gets wealthy girl” past, offering the audience a crash course in a love story. Suddenly, the two are grownups, and Jackman and Michelle Williams, dancing on the rooftop of their modest apartment, take over the show.
“A Million Dreams” rarely receives the songwriting credit it merits because of the unrecognizably youthful actors and the transformation from young to old. The chorus, which any musical would be pleased to have, erupts from the verses’ simmering sense of childlike hope and wonder. The song’s significance to the plot and resolution of The Greatest Showman cannot be stressed, despite the fact that “A Million Dreams” has a lull in the middle and paradoxically, its ambitious attempt at time-jumping doesn’t quite work. Those notes and lines establish so much personality and background. Additionally, “A Million Dreams” fits in just as well on the big screen as it does on the radio among contemporary top hits.
Come Alive
The energetic, get-up-and-dance song “Come Alive” starts out subtly until bursting into life, bringing Jackman into his full glory as a performer. While Barnum himself commands the stage, “Come Alive” introduces the many members of his circus misfit company, including Daniel Everidge’s Lord of Leeds and Keala Settle’s Bearded Lady. As the circus starts to come to life, “Come Alive,” which is heavily reliant on powerful percussion, offers pure, unadulterated excitement. controversial new attraction in town from Barnum.
“Come Alive” doesn’t have the same catchiness, complexity, or vocal prowess as “Tightrope” as a stand-alone song, but its inclusion in The Greatest Showman makes up for this by giving the movie life at precisely the appropriate time. Barnum is busy getting his artists ready for their long-awaited debut, and the song is the ideal complement. Music and imagery combine to create an uplifting scene that makes the audience actually believe in the impossibility.
From Now On
The Greatest Showman finds itself needing an epic song to bring the plot to a climax as Jackman’s Barnum gets too big for his boots and eventually recognises the folly of his ways; something that sees circus maestro P.T. Barnum apologises in his customary sincere way. “From Now On” successfully fulfils both requirements. “From Now On,” a large song with country and western influences, starts out slowly and rises to a crescendo of acoustic guitars, vocal choruses, and inebriated foot-stomping. As a man reborn, Jackman is in excellent form, and the song brilliantly conveys the emotions of joyful reunion and making amends for past wrongs.
In the closing number of The Greatest Showman, Barnum is seen making apologies with some of his former colleagues in a pub. However, after a catchy singalong, he is sent racing home to his family in a heartbreaking scene that has the audience debating whether to applaud or cry. Regardless of the reaction, “From Now On” leaves moviegoers with contented smiles, and what’s even more astonishing is that the song stands well on its own even without the emotional weight of a whole movie in front of it.
Never Enough
The musical number “Never Enough” performed by Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) is the highlight of The Greatest Showman (the song itself sung by Loren Allred). entering P.T. Lind entices Barnum away from his family and the circus to experience the high life as her tour manager, and “Never Enough” is where it all starts. Barnum’s life as a renowned opera singer. Barnum is depicted in the scene as being mesmerised by Lind’s performance, thus it only makes sense that “Never Enough” would be a lavish vocal powerhouse that is sure to draw attention. With its enormous chorus that keeps expanding, “Never Enough” makes classical music accessible to listeners who prefer a poppier sound and, after only one listen, requires surgery to be removed from the ear.
This is possibly the only time in The Greatest Showman where the music takes precedence over the on-screen action. The focus is fully on Lind and her lungs as “Never Enough” blasts forth with power and passion, with the exception of a few telling looks and a problem in the relationship between Phillip and Anne. This single from The Greatest Showman’s soundtrack may not be the most well-rounded one, though, because the vocals are given so much attention.
Rewrite The Stars
Even if Zac Efron and Zendaya seem like a good match on paper, their enchanting duet, “Rewrite The Stars,” unquestionably ranks as the film’s high point. The most intriguing and moving subplot of The Greatest Showman is the romance between Zac Efron’s Phillip and Zendaya’s Anne, and “Rewrite The Stars” is the climax of their tale, portraying a growing connection handicapped by class and racial separation. Without departing from the conventional structure of an approachable musical theatre song, “Rewrite The Stars” is able to capture all of the suffering, drama, and unfairness of the separation.
In “Rewrite The Stars,” Zac Efron harkens back to his Troy Bolton days as Zendaya’s voice sends chills down the spine, making full use of the musical dynamics. As good as this song is on its own, the accompanying acrobatic and trapeze dance scene lifts an already intimate duet to an even higher level. The lyrics wear The Greatest Showman’s heart proudly on-sleeve and err just on the right side of corny.
The Greatest Show
With a big entrance, “The Greatest Show” introduces P.T. from the beginning, Barnum. This opening performance exemplifies The Greatest Showman’s buzz and appeal in many ways, recreating the magic and thrill of a circus in musical form with a kaleidoscope of voices and the guarantee that everyone will have a wonderful time. Hugh Jackman’s now-iconic foot-stomping and whisper intro set the tone for “The Greatest Show,” which takes the audience on a roller coaster ride through Barnum’s ambitions as he envisions himself as a prosperous circus ringmaster.
When Barnum returns to the circus he founded at the end of the film, “The Greatest Show” is played again, bringing his journey to a fitting finale. The aspirations of a young P.T. The dreams Barnum once had have come true, and as the character learns what matters most in life, he delivers the fabled hat and cane to Zac Efron’s Phillip, who enters the theatre and symbolically assumes Barnum’s position from the opening performance. “The Greatest Show” is a nearly perfect pick for a bookend song because it is now readily known.
The Other Side
When evaluating the complete performance, the Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron duet in The Greatest Showman must come out on top, even though “This Is Me” might just barely be the best song in the movie when only looking at song quality. In “The Other Side,” Barnum makes an effort to get affluent uptown writer Phillip to support his circus. clearly for a percentage. The first verse is Barnum’s pitch, the second is Phillip’s response, and the third chorus brings the two characters together following a dramatic exchange in the bridge. The two had more chemistry together than all the romantic couples in The Greatest Showman put together.
Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and their incredibly talented barman perform a dance routine together in “The Other Side,” which is a fantastic song with an original concept and a free-flowing rhythmic structure. This dance routine really distinguishes this song, and the three actors glide across the bar with ease. In this bubbling, exciting fusion of star power, slick dances, and storytelling vocals, Jackman is in his element as the lavish showman, and Efron enjoys his best musical performance since High School Musical. Fans of The Greatest Showman have something to sing about with “The Other Side.”
This Is Me
The song “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman is “Defying Gravity,” going beyond the confines of a musical soundtrack to become a hit single in its own right. Since 2017, the song has received a lot of radio broadcast, partly because of Keala Settle’s incredible vocal performance. “This Is Me” became a rallying cry for the LGBTQIA+ community and anybody unique and different across the globe, and it serves as the soundtrack’s defining moment since it embodies the spirit of positivity that drives The Greatest Showman. The song “This Is Me,” which is both resolute and sensitive, is undoubtedly Pasek and Paul’s best contribution to the P.T. tale. When moviegoers leave theatres, they will undoubtedly be singing Barnum and the one tune.
Using soul and R&B influences, the idea of Barnum’s troupe using performing arts to subdue irate demonstrators is a welcome diversion from reality that also brilliantly captures their sense of brotherhood. This sequence also serves to establish the personalities and aspirations of the circus characters under Barnum’s employment, perhaps more so than any other scene or dialogue in the movie. As a result, from this compelling performance onward, the audience is wholly on the side of the Bearded Lady and her fellow performers. The Greatest Showman might not have had the same level of public success if it weren’t for “This Is Me” and its positive reviews might have been even more varied.
Tightrope
P.T.’s “Tightrope” is released. As The Greatest Showman approaches its third act, Barnum departs on tour with “Never Enough” singer Jenny Lind, leaving behind Charity and the couple’s two daughters for the aristocratic grandeur he always desired. “Tightrope,” a waltzing, dramatic ballad delivered by Michelle Williams’ Charity, sets up Barnum’s fall before his unavoidable restoration. It is delicate at moments and rousing at others. It goes along with a montage that contrasts Jackman’s character’s past and present in order to show how far he has come and how far he has wandered from his principles.
In “Tightrope,” Charity affirms her love for Barnum and recognises the danger she took by settling for a man with such irrational and ambitious goals. Without a doubt, “Tightrope” is a wonderful song, but it appears amid one of The Greatest Showman’s inevitable momentum lulls, moving the plot from one stage to another. The song may not be the most impressive or memorable from The Greatest Showman’s musical offerings, but it is nonetheless an impressive piece and is movingly performed by Williams.
Hugh Jackman Wants The Greatest Showman 2, But Doesn’t Think It Will Happen
It’s understandable to question if The Greatest Showman 2 will be released anytime soon given the film’s enormous success and hit-filled soundtrack. Unfortunately, it appears that there won’t be a sequel. Hugh Jackman has stated that if The Greatest Showman 2 had a meaningful tale to tell, he would be eager and willing to make it. However, the actor is sceptical that it would happen before he is too old. What he had to say is as follows (via LADbible):
Everything did take us eight years to get the first movie made, you know, to develop and write the music and build it, so if there’s going to be a sequel and I’m not going to be on a Zimmer frame, we best get going.
The Greatest Showman could have lost any special status it had under Fox when Disney formally acquired Fox in 2019. This would have made The Greatest Showman a Disney property. Disney is never one to pass up a great chance to increase viewership (especially one with upbeat musical sequences), and The Greatest Showman 2 would probably be a major success given the success of the first. A sequel to The Greatest Showman is unlikely to be high on Disney’s priority list, though, given everything else the company has going on.
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