[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 Hits to Timeless Classics! (81–90)
Smooth CriminalMichael Jackson
A musical themed around American singer Michael Jackson.
Michael performed numerous iconic hits.
In this number, his song Thriller is recreated as a live performance.
It’s a captivating piece, pairing vocals with fiery dance.
Dream Shattered (I Dreamed a Dream)Claude-Michel Schönberg
A young girl who once cherished pure dreams and ideals is buffeted by fate and driven to the brink of despair—her heart’s cry rendered in a beautifully heartrending melody in this gem of a ballad.
Since its Paris premiere in 1980, the piece has been continually covered by many artists; in the 2012 film Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway performed it, earning her an Academy Award.
It is a song that resonates deeply with anyone who has known life’s hardships and setbacks, and with those who treasure sincerity and purity of feeling.
I won’t grow upPeter Pan
The musical of Disney’s Peter Pan.
Peter Pan takes the children to Neverland.
The children are singing, “We’ll never grow up!” It’s a humorous song that expresses the hearts of children, and the group chorus is powerful.
Le bien qui fait malMozart Opera Rock
Rock Opera Mozart is a French-made musical that fuses rock and opera.
Centered on Mozart—who displayed his extraordinary musical talent to the fullest within his short 35-year life—and Salieri, the Kapellmeister of the Viennese court who resents Mozart’s fame, the story unfolds around these two figures.
The title of this song means “Pain Is the Truth,” and it is performed by Salieri after he witnesses Mozart’s playing firsthand.
Not only the music but also the stagecraft—such as choreography and lighting—is meticulously crafted, so please enjoy it together with the video.
Over the RainbowJudy Garland
A song from a musical first performed in 1902, based on a work of children’s literature.
When it was adapted into a film in 1939, Judy Garland, the American actress and singer who played the lead role of Dorothy, sang it.
It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1939 and has since been widely covered not only by foreign artists but also by many Japanese artists.
