“West Side Story” – Top 10 Songs

I’ve been rediscovering some of my favourite musicals recently, and one musical which I’ve always held in high regard is “West Side Story”.

It’s a brilliant, modern reimagining of “Romeo and Juliet”, and Leonard Bernstein’s music is timeless. It got me thinking – what are my top ten favourite songs from the production?

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Every “Les Misérables” Song Ranked

1961: The Year In Music

Best Film Every Year Since 1960

All 50 $1 Billion Grossing Films Ranked

10 – Cool

“Cool” is almost a throwaway song, but I like how … well … cool it is. I should invest in a thesaurus one of these days.

It’s jerky and unnerving, both in the vocal performances and Leonard Bernstein’s arrangement.

9 – Jet Song

One of the most iconic and dare I say parodied songs of the whole musical.

I can’t say the Jets are a particularly intimidating force, but their theme tune is lots of fun.

8 – Dance at the Gym

“Dance at the Gym” isn’t a conventional musical song, because there’s not much singing. It’s a heated dance battle in – you guessed it – a gymnasium.

The choreography in the film is great, but it’s Bernstein’s ingenious orchestrations which give the piece such fervour.

7 – Tonight

I’m counting both of the Act 1 & 2 versions of “Tonight” in the same spot on this list because they’re effectively the same song, but I like how it changes contextually.

Act 1’s version is more joyous and hopeful, whereas Act 2’s rendition is full of tension for the upcoming turf war. I always have a soft spot for when a musical song or motif is reused in a clever way.

6 – Something’s Coming

Fun fact – I had to study this song ad nauseum for my school exams. It’s a miracle I still like it as much as I do.

“Something’s Coming” is about a man postulating his and his friends’ futures, and that uncertainty is conveyed extremely well in the music.

5 – One Hand, One Heart

“One Hand, One Heart” is the shortest song on this list. It’s about a minute and twenty seconds long – almost a throwaway song in the grand scheme of things … but it’s so unbelievably gorgeous.

This could’ve been number one if the music part was longer – it’s the most stunning composition in the whole musical. The hopefulness, the key changes … my heart always wrenches whenever I listen to it.

4 – I Feel Pretty

Now we’re entering the calibre of songs that have gone down in musical history. All four of these songs are instantly recognizable and intensely catchy.

“I Feel Pretty” is the chance for the girls of the story to have some fun. The vibrant energy is infectious throughout, and I love all the little jabs that Maria’s friends throw her way.

3 – America

“America” feels like a scathing critique of today’s USA, so I can only imagine how provocative it was in 1961.

It’s jaunty and feisty, and the central motif / melody is one of the great earworms of the musical.

2 – Somewhere

I had a really tough time separating the top two songs – more so than normal for one of my lists. I kept swapping them over and over again, and even now I’m not sure if I made the right call. Let’s just say they’re both joint-first.

Settling for second place today is “Somewhere”, a sublime duet between two anxious lovers. The wistfulness in the performances is heart-breaking, and that final crescendo – which suddenly becomes soft and frail – brings a tear to my eye.

1 – Maria

I’ve always considered “Somewhere” as my favourite song from “West Side Story”, but after listening to the soundtrack again I became conflicted. “Maria” is good. Like, really good. I forgot how perfect it is.

I ended up picking it as my all-out favourite for a few reasons – it’s arguably the inciting incident in the plot (when the two lovers finally meet), the vocal performance is sweeping and tender, and I love the journey the music takes us on. This is a positive song through and through, but the genius Bernstein throws in a few minor chords to keep you second-guessing. This is an ill-fated romance which, after all, will end in tragedy.

It’s the most important moment of the whole musical – a moment which would come to define every characters’ lives – and the music itself gives it the emotional weight it deserves.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!