Theatre
List
All The Songs From Frozen Ranked From Great To Greatest
We rank the very best songs from Frozen, Frozen 2 and Frozen The Musical
I’ve two kids, both of whom got into movies right around the time that Frozen 2 came out. For that reason, I’ve probably spent more time with the songs of the films and the musical than anyone outside of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Samantha Barks. Actually, maybe even more than they have, now that my daughter has a doll that sings ‘The Next Right Thing’ on command.
What I’ve discovered through endless re-watching of all the above is that my favourite song changes constantly, often mid-song. There are explorers isolated in huts in the Arctic for 30 years who know all the words to ‘Let It Go’, but the quality cuts in the Frozen arsenal go even deeper than that.
But which is the best song from Frozen? There’s only one way to find out…
18. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People
Jonathan Groff only gets one song in the first film, but they massively corrected that for Frozen 2 (more on that later). This is a charming little ditty that’s only last because something has to be last.
17. What Do You Know About Love
One of the new songs written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez for the stage musical, ‘What Do You Know About Love’ does an excellent job of filling in narrative while adding another snappy, borderline funky number to the repertoire.
16. Fixer Upper
Funny and so catchy that it sticks around for several months, much like Kristoff’s manly odour.
15. All Is Found
The lullaby sung to Anna and Elsa by their mother contains the crux of Elsa’s mission in Frozen 2: to address her past without being consumed by it. It’s undeniably pretty and – fittingly for a lullaby – vaguely ominous.
14. Dangerous To Dream
Frozen The Musical adds another couple of belters to Elsa’s repertoire, as well as bravely addressing the pain and alienation that comes with her unique gift. This one warns against hoping for even something as small as being understood or feeling normal.
13. Love Is An Open Door
We all know how it ends up, but there’s such lovely abandon in Anna’s duet with her new love Hans. They finish each other’s sandwiches!
12. True Love
Another great addition from the stage show, ‘True Love’ is Kristin Anderson-Lopez’s personal favourite of the new songs. It’s a real heartbreaker, Anna’s boundless optimism crumbling as she blames herself for failing to see through Hans’ façade.
11. When I Am Older
Samantha? Olaf’s numbers are always wonderfully oblivious, but this assertion that life will make total sense once you’re grown up is probably accurate. Any day now…
10. Monster
The absolute highlight of the new numbers written for Frozen The Musical. ‘Monster’ goes deeper and darker than anything from the first film, confronting complicated emotions and showing how the story has grown with its audience.
9. In Summer
You can never have too much Olaf.
8. Some Things Never Change
Disney have always excelled at the spritely introductory number (‘Little Town’ from Beauty and the Beast, ‘The Family Madrigal’ from Encanto, ‘The Gospel Truth’ from Hercules) and this is up there with the best, a whistle-stop catch-up with the characters that turns narrative housekeeping into something charming and witty.
7. Into The Unknown
If we were stunned by Idina Menzel’s performance of ‘Let It Go’ in the first film, that was nothing compared to the staggering power of ‘Into The Unknown’. It’s not as universal in sentiment, but what a belter!
6. For The First Time In Forever
This is mostly Anna’s number, but neatly segues from her giddy enthusiasm to Elsa’s anxiety about the day and festivities ahead. A lovely heart-swelling number.
5. Let It Go
One of the biggest Disney songs of all time (up until some fella called Bruno came along) and deservedly so. Is it only seventh because the person writing this has kids and two ears or because of the quality of the songs across the two films and the musical? A smidge of column A, but mostly column B.
4. Do You Want To Build A Snowman?
What were we saying about introductory numbers? This is just lovely, funny, sad and so cleverly put together, running from the start of the sisters’ isolation, right up to adulthood. One of those moments where you start to realise that you’re watching something special.
3. The Next Right Thing
Easily the darkest, saddest song in the two films but also one of the most beautiful. ‘The Next Right Thing’ has a weight unlike any other song in the Frozen universe, but also a resilience and determination that match the film’s complex themes of redemption and reparation.
2. Lost In The Woods
Who could resist a power ballad about a princess sung to a reindeer? This has shades of Peter Cetera’s ‘Glory Of Love’ and that’s why it’s so highly placed. Weezer’s version is great but you can’t top Jonathan Groff, who really commits to the 80s excess of it all.
1. Show Yourself
This is the real showstopper from Frozen 2. Menzel’s range is simply astounding, underplaying the opening beautifully and building to an ending of insane power (aided by the not inconsiderable talents of Evan Rachel Wood). Just listen to that note Menzel hits at the end of “all of my life”. Nobody should be able to do that. But then she tops it only minutes later when she goes from a heart-stopping “I am found” into the chorus. It might be the first instance of a single musical note bringing someone to tears.
Disney’s Frozen The Musical is now showing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End. Get tickets here.
