10 Widely Disliked Songs In Otherwise-Beloved Musical Movies

Otherworldly without apology, brimming with emotion and brought to life with lush, soaring soundtracks, there is something enchanting about the movie musical. It’s a genre that remains a staple of modern cinema, despite falling in and out of favor with mainstream crowds.

Aside from their elaborate backdrops, costumes, choreography, beautifully-crafted stories, and character designs, movie musicals are judged by the quality of their songs. Following this line of judgment, even life-long lovers of the genre know that perfect movie musicals are few and far between. There is almost always going to be a dud song: an unnecessary addition that slows the story’s pace, or a forgettable tune that doesn’t fit in with the other numbers. For the most part, these songs are an unfortunate but forgivable aspect of the movie musical, failing to tarnish the reputation of any beloved classic.

10 “Tightrope” – The Greatest Showman

This 2017 film follows an ambitious shipping clerk turned showman, P. T. Barnum, as he forms a circus with an assortment of outcasts. Sung by Barnum’s wife in the wake of his apparent abandonment, “Tightrope” is a highly emotional song that earns its place within the narrative.

However, this forgettable number is overshadowed by the rest of the soundtrack, which presents a variety of lively and lovable earworms. Although the song is impactful in the moment, its effects are relatively short-lived in comparison to The Greatest Showman’s other hits.

9 “Pore Jud Is Daid” – Oklahoma!

Adapted from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical, Oklahoma! is a 1955 film about romance and rivalry. The villain of this film, a possessive and frightening farmhand named Jud, is certainly difficult to defend. He has an obsessive determination to make one of the protagonists, Laurey, his wife, against the wishes of both herself and her love interest, Curly.

In a bizarre attempt to resolve this conflict, Curly performs “Pore Jud Is Daid,” a song that suggests to Jud that ending his life might resolve the issue of his unlikeability. While the song is supposed to be humorous, its dark lyrics and boresome tune feel a little unnatural amongst an otherwise faultless soundtrack.

8 “Les Poissons” – The Little Mermaid

Launching the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s, The Little Mermaid is a charming tale about a mermaid who wants to live in the human world. The enormous success of this children’s film is in large part due to Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s incredible soundtrack.

An often forgotten misstep in this soundtrack is “Les Poissons,” an aggressively “French” number performed by the chef as he prepares a meal. The song isn’t a particularly pleasant listen, but thankfully, it quickly dissolves into a chaotic game of cat-and-mouse between the chef and Sebastian the crab.

7 “Prima Donna” – The Phantom Of The Opera

The Phantom Of The Opera (2004) is a well-liked interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hugely successful and celebrated musical. This famous story, which concerns a disfigured and mysterious musical genius who pines after a talented vocalist, is told through dazzlingly dramatic musical numbers.

“Prima Donna” is a big song with a suitably sizable finish, but it is simply not as memorable or exciting as the others, and drags on for just a touch too long.

6 “When All Is Said And Done” – Mamma Mia!

Finding a flaw within the joyous, colorful crowd-pleaser that is Mamma Mia! is an extremely difficult feat. The 2008 film, which sees a young woman go on an unconventional search for her father, employs the very best of ABBA’s music to anchor its eccentric plot.

If there was a flaw, however, it would be “When All Is Said And Done,” a song performed in place of a wedding toast towards the film’s conclusion. For some fans, the song is a letdown as a result of Pierce Brosnan’s lackluster vocals. For others, it’s just a slightly ill-fitting, unnecessary inclusion, made stranger by a line that most would never dream to utter during their well-attended wedding toast: “… and not too old for sex.”

5 “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” – La La Land

Telling the age-old story of struggling artists trying to make it big, La La Land was a massive film in 2016, earning considerable critical attention of all kinds. While some might name “City of Stars” as La La Land’s worst song with vocals, “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” encapsulates a lot of what can make the film feel condescending.

As aspiring actress Mia, Emma Stone performs this emotional number with notable passion. The quality of the performance, however, does not deter the more annoying aspects of the song. The story Mia tells perpetuates the idea that those who pursue unlikely careers in the arts are the “dreamers,” while those who are unable to do so must lack bravery or perseverance. It’s a reductive depiction of the creatively-inclined that makes artistry seem exclusive.

4 “So Long, Farewell” Reprise – The Sound Of Music

Another adaption of a Rogers and Hammerstein masterpiece, The Sound Of Music is technically free of terrible tunes. The film, which follows the whimsical Maria as she becomes governess to seven children, is almost three hours long and filled with clever and catchy songs.

“So Long, Farewell” is no exception, although it isn’t enjoyable enough to warrant the fact that it is performed twice by the von Trapp family. This is a rare example where the reprise isn’t sufficiently adjusted for the sake of second viewing, and this oversight makes the film’s considerable runtime feel longer still.

3 “The Siamese Cat Song” – Lady And The Tramp

There are, unfortunately, several Disney movie musicals that include offensive songs, all of which are too outdated to be enjoyed. “The Siamese Cat Song” is just one example, a bizarre song that interrupts the iconic romance that is 1955’s Lady And The Tramp. This film is about a sheltered cocker spaniel who, when forced from her cushy circumstances onto the streets, finds solace and guidance in a stray mutt.

“The Siamese Cat Song” occurs in an instance of villainy, during which Lady is framed by Siamese cats. These characters are racist caricatures, promoting harmful ideas that are only exaggerated further by this atrocity of a number. The song is so bad, in fact, that the 2019 live-action remake had to make significant adjustments.

2 “Hello, Little Girl” – Into The Woods

The entwined storylines of Into The Woods partly unfold through short, transitional songs, as is standard for a Stephen Sondheim musical. The repetitive, lowkey lyrics and tune of “Hello, Little Girl” make it feel like this kind of song – almost a filler number in between larger, more resplendent musical moments.

Nonetheless, the meeting of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf is memorable and considerably creepy. In fact, the wolf’s obvious villainy makes it all the more frustrating when the little girl eventually falls for his repeated advances — a moment that undermines the character’s merit.

1 “Hopelessly Devoted To You” – Grease

Potentially the most controversial addition of them all, this love ballad from the 1978 hit movie, Grease, is nonetheless deserving of criticism. Performed by Olivia Newton-John as the schoolgirl Sandy, “Hopelessly Devoted To You” was written specifically for the film in order to fulfill the conditions of her contract, which demanded that she be given a solo.

As a consequence, the song is sweet but unnecessary, providing viewers with no new information or even clarification on Sandy’s already obvious feelings. While “terrible” might be a strong word to describe the song, its absence from the film would have left room for other, more era-appropriate tunes that were sadly cut from the stage production.

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