[2026] Iconic musical numbers: from the latest releases to timeless classics!
Many of the songs used in musicals are quite famous, and you often hear them in various places—on TV, in commercials, or as background music in videos.
These pieces often include tracks that pump you up or grand, moving numbers that give you chills, touching not only musical fans but a wide range of people.
In this article, we’ll introduce a whole selection of such musical numbers!
We’ve picked broadly from a variety of shows, so you might find a tune you once heard and wondered about, or a song from one of your favorites.
Take this opportunity to give them another listen!
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[2026] Musical Masterpieces: From the Newest Productions to Classic Favorites! (71–80)
The Umbrellas of CherbourgDanielle Licari
This is very beautiful music by Michel Legrand.
It’s a French work composed entirely of music.
Daniel’s high notes, sung in place of Catherine Deneuve, match the gentle, sweet voice of the lover, which makes it all the more heartbreaking.
Dance in the gymnasium
A song from the musical West Side Story.
It has a great mambo groove—a number that dazzles with dance and movement.
The dancers’ shouts of “Mambo!” ring dramatically through the theater, making it a track that makes you want to get up and dance.
Darkness spreadsInoue Yoshio / Kiyomoto Taiga
The song that’s been performed on many music shows and gaining more fans is Yami ga Hirogaru (“The Darkness Spreads”).
It’s a number from the musical Elisabeth, which depicts the life of Empress Elisabeth.
I can’t say too much to avoid spoilers, but it plays a crucial role at the climax.
As you listen, try imagining what the “darkness” in the title signifies.
It’s also highly recommended for showcasing the vocal talents of Yoshio Inoue and Taiga Kyomoto.
ListenBeyoncé
Effie, Deena, and Lorrell overcome the barriers of racism and race up the steps to stardom.
With soul and R&B sounds that stir the heart, Dreamgirls is a work everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.
In Listen, the bond of women who shared the same dream is captured.
I Could Have Danced All NightMy Fiair Lady
This is the song sung in a scene from the 1964 musical My Fair Lady, where Eliza, after months of intense pronunciation training, finally achieves beautiful diction and sings with joy.
The songs from both the stage musical and the film adaptation are popular, and many of them are still loved today as standards.
In the stage version, Julie Andrews played the role, while in the film version it was Audrey Hepburn.
