Top 50 StarKid Songs

Now that I’ve watched every StarKid musical and have become a big fan (I even ranked all of their shows!), I think it’s time I did the big one – a ranking of their fifty best songs. Based on my personal opinions, of course.

This will obviously be a matter of taste, but there’s one important rule I’ve imposed on this ranking – I’m not looking at reprises. I’ll mention them if they’re relevant to a song, but I wanted to showcase fifty different songs.

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

“Nerdy Prudes Must Die” – Songs Ranked

“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” – Every Song Ranked

Every “Les Misérables” Song Ranked

Every Team StarKid Musical Ranked

50 – Super Friends (Holy Musical B@man!)

When I compiled my list of favourite StarKid songs, I quickly realised that I had far more than fifty. I was tempted to do a Top 100 … but I think the lower range would be bogged down by songs I don’t care about. In the end, I had to sacrifice a few gems (sorry, “Ani”!) and so I’m now left with the cream of the crop. All fifty of these songs are really good, which is impressive for an independent theatre company!

Coming in at number fifty is the finale number to “Holy Musical B@man!”. Batman and all of his “Super Friends” come together to celebrate another evil ploy foiled … while Robin makes weird remarks about his personal aspirations.

“I wanna be a modern dancer!” “What a super weird thing to say, that came out of nowhere.” That one-two punch always cracks me up.

49 – Speedrun (The Trail to Oregon!)

I almost forgot while watching “The Trail to Oregon!” that it was based on a videogame, but “Speedrun” thrust myself and the audience straight into the middle of a furious race to the endgame.

The Dikrat family rush to save their daughter from the Bandit King, and the song moves forward at a frightening pace. I love the “Faster-faster-faster-faster!” part where the music accelerates and poor Joey Richter has to get overtaken as a variety of side characters.

48 – Listen To Your Heart (Me and My Dick)

Spoiler alert – “Me and My Dick” isn’t going to feature on this Top 50 after this entry. The good news is that “Listen To Your Heart”, the best song from it by far, is an early StarKid classic and a highlight of the show.

AJ Holmes shines here, with his sultry vocals and crazed delivery selling the performance. He’s written music for a few StarKid shows but rarely does he star in them. Hopefully “Tomb Quest” will be yet another showcase of his underutilized talents!

47 – Voldemort is Goin’ Down (A Very Potter Musical)

More musicals, and media in general, should have a song dedicated to kicking the villain’s ass.

“Voldemort is Goin’ Down” is one of StarKid’s grandest songs. The heroism and courage is palpable – when you listen to this, you feel compelled to jump in and give your life to save Hogwarts

46 – Nerdy Prudes Must Die (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

I’ve always thought the title track from “Nerdy Prudes Must Die” was a little overrated. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but I regularly see it near the tops of other people’s lists. The chorus just doesn’t do much for me.

The context, however, is crucial. Max Jagerman’s entrance as the undead bully is given the gravitas it deserves, and Richie’s death – especially with Jon Matteson’s terrified performance – is heart-breaking.

The “Will you pray for me?” part is a big reason why this song made my Top 50. That section is one of the most awesome thirty seconds in StarKid’s discography.

45 – Literal Monster (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

Speaking of Max Jagerman being awesome, “Literal Monster” is a great introduction to my favourite StarKid character.

It’s a song in two parts – first we get the nerds setting the scene, and then Max comes in to dominate the school corridors.

44 – 3 Spirits (VHS Christmas Carol)

“VHS Christmas Carol” was the biggest surprise in terms of its soundtrack. I knew Clark Baxtresser had immense talent, but I didn’t think he had these 80’s bangers up his sleeve.

“3 Spirits” is the inciting incident of the plot, where Jacob Marley visits Scrooge and warns him of the night’s itinerary. I love how booming that low end is, and the bridge is one of StarKid’s best.

43 – Our Doors Are Open (Black Friday)

Corey Dorris is criminally underused as a StarKid performer. He’s been a mainstay of the cast ever since 2009, but rarely does he get some deserved time in the spotlight.

“Our Doors Are Open” is a classy little doo-wop track all about a store manager reveling in the imminent sales. Dorris plays the self-serving, materialistic role so well.

42 – Wizard of the Year (Gilderoy) (A Very Potter Senior Year)

AJ Holmes has led two songs which I really liked. “Listen To Your Heart” was sultry and confident, but “Wizard of the Year” takes the charisma and doubles it.

Something about Gilderoy sitting behind a piano while boasting of his exploits takes this tune up a level.

41 – The Summoning (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

“Nerdy Prudes Must Die” was the first StarKid show I watched, so I didn’t understand the audience hype when the Lords in Black appeared on stage. Nowadays, however, I realise that “The Summoning” is a sort of culmination of Hatchetfield’s horrors.

The song, the characters and the choreography are pure nightmare fuel. I hate how catchy it is.

40 – Join Us (And Die) (The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals)

The middle part of “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” was threatening to lull, so in stepped Jaime Lyn Beatty to knock everyone’s socks off. What a voice!

“Join Us (And Die)” opens with a belter of a note, and that energy is sky-high until the abrupt ending.

39 – What If Tomorrow Comes (Black Friday)

I have my gripes when it comes to the ending of “Black Friday”, but the final song isn’t one of them.

This is maybe the most serious StarKid song of all. “What If Tomorrow Comes” is a haunting look at a hopeless future, and it gives the audience plenty of questions to ponder once the curtains fall.

38 – A Thousand And One Nights (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

To the surprise of precisely zero StarKid fans, you’re about to see a lot of songs from “Twisted” in my Top 50. What can I say? That musical is just so tight in every department.

In a musical full of beautiful, soul-crushing numbers, “A Thousand And One Nights” still shines as one of the best. It’s the predominant love theme of the musical – I especially loved the reprise in the finale.

37 – La Dee Dah Dah Day (The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals)

“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” gets off to a relatively slow start. The title song opens the musical, but then there’s a solid stretch of music-less plot which serves to set up the stakes and the central characters.

That all changes with “La Dee Dah Dah Day”, an infectious track which pits Paul in the middle of a song and dance outbreak. The bassline, the choreography and Jon Matteson’s confused reactions are all on-point.

36 – Not Alone (A Very Potter Musical)

A gospel, soulful song was one of the last genres I expected in “A Very Potter Musical”, but “Not Alone” ended up being quite an endearing number.

The main gang (plus stupid little sister Ginny) all reconvene at a crucial point in the plot. Darren Criss’s and Jaime Lyn Beatty’s vocals blend so well.

35 – Facade (Cinderella’s Castle)

Against all odds, Angela seems to be perfectly cast in every StarKid musical. She played the angsty teen in “Black Friday”, the high school teacher’s pet in “Nerdy Prudes Must Die”, and her turn as the evil stepmother in “Cinderella’s Castle” felt like yet another role she was born to play.

Her villain song, “Facade”, is a romp of a track. She and her evil underlings revel in their new forms, and it’s an uncomfortable number you can’t look away from.

34 – We Got Work To Do (Firebringer)

“We Got Work To Do” became a bit of a meme in the internet at large, so I think people nowadays forget what a catchy little number it is.

Lauren Lopez is iconic in the central role, and I love the percussive groove. “Firebringer” is quite an underrated soundtrack on the whole.

33 – I Wanna Be (Starship)

A lot of StarKid’s “I Want” songs end up being the most forgettable tracks of their respective musicals, but an exception to this is “I Wanna Be” from “Starship”.

Bug’s enthusiasm is infectious, and that melody is a great earworm.

32 – When I Was … (A Very Potter Senior Year)

A part of me thinks I’ve ranked “When I Was …” too high on this list. It’s a solid ballad with clever parallels between Harry and Voldemort, but the verses aren’t particularly stand-out.

But that chorus … The “I’ve fallen from on high” part is one of the most gorgeous duets StarKid have ever made. It’s a perfect sequence, and both Darren and Joe heave as much emotion behind the words as possible.

31 – The Power in Me (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

“Twisted” is such a good musical, man. Every time I think about it, whatever scene I decide to recall on any given day, I get goosebumps.

One of the climactic numbers is “The Power in Me”, where Jafar and Jasmine finally reconcile after butting heads the whole musical. It’s a beautiful moment where the two characters open their hearts to one another.

30 – To Dance Again! (A Very Potter Musical)

“Different As Can Be” seems to be the definitive Voldemort-Quirrell song according to the fandom, but I’ve always preferred “To Dance Again!”.

Now in his full form, Voldemort takes the time to stretch his legs. Quirrell joining in, and them manipulating Harry to dance, takes this up a notch.

And, of course, a kick line is inevitable.

29 – If I Believed (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

“Science says you’re dead and gone forever. Reason says I’m talking to the air. But something in my heart, some secret hidden part, illogically insists that you are theeeeeeere. Sooomewheeeeere!“

“If I believed” is definitely a frontrunner for the best lyrics in a StarKid song. Dylan Saunders absolutely kills the performance – this is Jafar at his most sincere.

28 – High School Is Killing Me (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

“High School Is Killing Me” has everything a great musical opener should have – it’s big and sets the tone, it introduces the world and characters, and most importantly it’s a banger in its own right.

I really enjoy the pun in the name in hindsight. Oh, and Richie’s “I’m dead” is probably the best opening line to a StarKid musical.

27 – Ash To Ash (Cinderella’s Castle)

Kim Whalen has been a star of the modern cast, albeit an underutilized one. Her rendition of “Ash To Ash” is scene-stealing.

The massive orchestration turned this musical from dark fantasy to epic fantasy.

26 – Priceless (VHS Christmas Carol)

There are lots of 80’s bops on the “VHS Christmas Carol” soundtrack, but I’m glad they made one cheesy 80’s ballad – those are right in my wheelhouse.

“Priceless” proves that Joey Richter and Lauren Lopez are the ultimate power couple. That chorus is as lovely as a cup of hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

25 – The Way I Do (Starship)

Let it be known that Tootsie Noodles and MegaGirl have one of the best romances in any StarKid show. I’m the first of my lineage to say that sentence.

Their love ballad “The Way I Do” is a highlight of “Starship”. Tootsie is already head-over-heels, but it’s fun to see MegaGirl’s robotic defences slowly falter and her heart-springs loosen.

24 – Harry Freakin’ Potter (A Very Potter Sequel)

Every guy deserves a hype man like Ron Weasley.

“Harry Freakin’ Potter” gives Harry an ego boost that he probably didn’t need. The good news is that the song itself is high octane.

23 – Christmas Electricity (VHS Christmas Carol)

My favourite song from “VHS Christmas Carol” is “Christmas Electricity”, an absolute bop through and through.

The Ghost of Christmas Present convinces Scrooge that there’s fun to be had in his miserable life, and they couldn’t have made a more upbeat, danceable song to get that message across.

22 – Wagon on Fire (The Trail to Oregon!)

I recently watched a StarKid song ranking video where “Wagon on Fire” came first and … wow. Never in a million years did I think this burst of chaos would be someone’s favourite song, but to each their own.

It’s a great end to Act 1 of “The Trail to Oregon!”, and it’s a riot from start to finish. Whether it’s Joey’s sultry delivery, Lauren’s fiesty flame dance or everyone jumping in and singing melodies over each other, you knew that this was the point where things got serious for the Dikrats.

21 – Days of Summer (A Very Potter Sequel)

“Days of Summer” is one of the most pleasant StarKid songs. It’s the victory lap after a successful year at Hogwarts.

The gang have bittersweet feelings about a summer away from their school friends, and it’s a very upbeat note to end the musical.

20 – Rogues Are We (Holy Musical B@man!)

The Batman series has always had one major problem – the villains are so awesome that they regularly outshine the Caped Crusader. “Holy Musical B@man!” is no exception (at least, for this one number).

His rogues’ gallery unite for “Rogues Are We”, a deliciously evil villain song which feels like a dastardly party. The reprise later in the same scene, when Candy Man joins in, is equally as fun.

19 – Not Over Yet (A Very Potter Sequel)

If “A Very Potter Sequel” had kept the same energy of “Not Over Yet” throughout its runtime, it very well could’ve been my favourite of the Potter trilogy.

Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater cronies revel in their evil scheming. It’s a great start to the musical, and it immediately sets the tone and stakes.

18 – Hatchet Town (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

“Hatchet Town” had no right to be this good. How did a scene-setting song, a transition from low to high stakes, end up having some of the funniest jokes and best choreography of “Nerdy Prudes Must Die”?

I love how all of the townsfolk turn on each other at the slightest prompting – especially in the live / “digital ticket” version. I like the Pro Shot with all the StarKid cameos, but the original staging had everyone turning on each other at least once, which was hilarious.

17 – The Golden Rule (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

I’m going to break my own “golden rule” for this one. Both “The Golden Rule” and its evil reprise are equally amazing … In fact, if I didn’t have my “no reprises” rule, I probably would’ve put the reprise in this place.

The original song is a great glimpse of Jafar’s backstory and how positive he used to be, and the way his vision is perverted by the viziers in the evil reprise is heart-breaking. I mean, c’mon – “Follow the gold and rule“? Ingenious writing.

16 – Climate Change (Firebringer)

In many ways, “Climate Change” is an evolution of “We’ve Got Work To Do” – a song I already spoke fondly about. It comes at the high point in Zazzalil’s story, when she has mastered fire and now rules the tribe in an age of lazy peace.

For me, this is the peak of the “Firebringer” sound. It’s exactly what the percussive style is supposed to be, and the backing vocals / choreography are some of the show’s best.

15 – Dark, Sad, Lonely Knight (Holy Musical B@man!)

I don’t see nearly enough love for “Dark, Sad, Lonely Knight” from the “Holy Musical B@man!” soundtrack – in that sense, it might be the most underrated StarKid song.

Alfred starts it off with a funny verse, Batman continues it with an even funnier verse, and then the “I wanna be somebody’s buddy” breakdown is one of the catchiest refrains in any StarKid show.

Something about the production of this song – that perfect blend of synths – really hits the spot for me. This is one of the best sounding StarKid songs, in my opinion.

14 – Feast or Famine (Black Friday)

I didn’t really vibe with “Black Friday’s” soundtrack for the most part, but one number which immediately stood out to me was “Feast or Famine”.

The Hatchetfield citizens go berserk over the toy dolls, and the choreography and synth riffs are amazing.

13 – Happy Ending (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

God, “Twisted” is so good. Every time I revised this list it was always the songs from that musical which edged further and further up the ranking, and one of the biggest movers was “Happy Ending”. I remembered it being good, but after re-listening to it I now think it’s one of the best StarKid songs.

Jafar has a sudden burst of inspiration, and Jasmine and Aladdin join in to create an amazing, enormous finale. This is the best StarKid Act 1 closer without a doubt.

12 – I’m Just A Sidekick (A Very Potter Senior Year)

Joey Richter tends to play secondary roles these days, but there was a time early on in StarKid’s history where he was a main character in every show. Ron is a crucial part of the Potter trilogy’s humour, but it’s not until “I’m Just A Sidekick” that he finally gets some long-overdue time in the spotlight.

Joey gives one of the best StarKid performances of all time. He balances the self-deprecating humour with some genuine affection for Hermione, and he belts those last few notes like his life depends on it.

And just as I thought it couldn’t get any better, the “Homecoming” version may be the single greatest performance by a StarKid. His vocals are unbelievably powerful and crisp.

11 – No One Remembers Achmed (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

“Happy Ending” was the best Act 1 closer, and I’d also consider “No One Remembers Achmed” as the best of StarKid’s Act 2 openers. “Twisted” is such a solid musical!

Prince Achmed regales us with tales of his exploits and general impressive-ness, but his henchmen can’t get passed the idea that he porked a tiger. This is one of the funniest StarKid songs, hands down – Joe Walker is hilariously pathetic as the prince.

10 – Inevitable (The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals)

When I ranked the songs from “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” I boldly claimed that “Inevitable” would easily make my top ten StarKid songs. It ended up being a bit tighter than I expected …

My jaw dropped when Paul came in and started singing. What follows is a brilliant medley of almost every song from the musical, all while the Hive surround a screaming Emma. It’s the best closing song, and most the impactful and shocking ending, to a StarKid musical.

9 – Let It Out (The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals)

The original 2018 version of “Let It Out” would’ve made my Top 50, but probably somewhere in the middle of the list. The 2025 “Remount”, however, improves the song in every way and cemented it a place in my top ten. It’s the biggest upgrade between the two shows without a doubt.

Paul tries to destroy the meteor, but in the process begins to become infected. It’s fascinating to see this musical-hater try so desperately to fight the infection, and the chorus is one of the catchiest in the show.

The “Remount” had better singing (especially from Jon Matteson), better choreography, better stage design (the meteor, lighting and smoke add a lot to the scene) and some new background vocals to spruce things up. As I said, it’s an improvement all around.

8 – Twisted (Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier)

One of the great things about “Twisted” is that no one seems to agree on its best song. Hell, there are songs that narrowly missed out on my Top 50, like “Dream a Little Harder”, which I’ve seen top other people’s lists.

My pick for its best number would be the title track. It’s a turning point for Jafar’s character, and it was amazing seeing some other iconic Disney villains and the re-framings for their skewed morals and motivations.

7 – When the World’s at Stake (The Trail to Oregon!)

Every now and again you’ll be watching a StarKid show and say to yourself – “Huh … was that song actually good? Like, Broadway good?”. I had one of those moments when listening to the gorgeous ballad “When the World’s at Stake”.

Rachael Soglin gives a surprisingly tender and powerful performance as the mother of the group. It’s a much-needed character exploration, and the singing is exceptional.

6 – Bully the Bully (Nerdy Prudes Must Die)

My favourite song from “Nerdy Prudes Must Die” is all about the nerds getting back at their bully. As you might expect, it doesn’t go to plan.

It’s a catchy number with some amazing choreography and jokes, and the following song “Bury the Bully” is my favourite StarKid reprise.

5 – Everything Ends (A Very Potter Senior Year)

As a point of reference, I think these top five StarKid songs are in a league of their own. They became instant favourites when I first heard them, and not a day has gone by in the last two months where I haven’t played them endlessly – either on YouTube or in my head.

I’m very late to the Potter Musical party, so I didn’t find “A Very Potter Senior Year” to be particularly emotional … until “Everything Ends”. Even as a new StarKid fan, someone who binged the Potter trilogy over a couple of days, seeing these deceased, fan-favourite characters consoling Harry almost brought a tear to my eye.

Context aside, this song is utterly gorgeous. The multi-part harmonies are really effective, and the sombre yet uplifting lyrics go beyond a silly StarKid show and become quite profound.

4 – Goin’ Back to Hogwarts (A Very Potter Musical)

The song that started it all. In hindsight, especially after watching every StarKid musical, it’s extremely impressive how “Goin’ Back to Hogwarts” came out the gates swinging. It’s the best opener to a StarKid musical, and in all honesty it’s not even close.

It introduces all the relevant characters, there’s a joke every few seconds, and more than anything else it’s such an earworm. This is the perfect way to charm an audience – I for one was completely on board for the rest of the wizarding shenanigans.

The most amazing thing to me is that, despite this being a ten minute song, it seems to be the StarKid anthem. They have to play it – in full – at every live gig they do, and the crowd always go wild. Not bad for a college production of a whimsical children’s book.

3 – Granger Danger (A Very Potter Musical)

When I watched “A Very Potter Musical” with no context, I knew “Granger Danger” was my favourite song. Now that I know Joey Richter and Lauren Lopez – Ron and Draco respectively – are married in real life, this song became ten times better and funnier.

The teen angst is strong with this one. Neither character knows how process their new feelings for Hermione, and the overlapping melodies are so well done.

The best part is that this was the first Potter song Darren Criss and friends wrote. The idea of Ron and Draco fighting over Hermione is what inspired this musical in the first place – in other words, we have “Granger Danger” to thank for every StarKid musical that came afterwards.

2 – Show Stoppin Number (The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals)

For many, “Show Stoppin Number” has become the StarKid song. Any normie could watch this and find it amusing, and StarKid fans were no doubt laughing their asses off when they first saw Professor Hidgens’s antics. Hell, I still find it hilarious after the tenth viewing.

Above all else, I love the bonkers premise. A camp, musical-loving professor captures two unwilling participants and forces them to watch his pitch for “Working Boys”. Even if the song had sucked I probably still would have bust a gut laughing.

It’s a slick, suave number that becomes outright insane at the bridge. I adore both the original and the “Remount” version because the performances and choreography are among the best in StarKid’s catalogue.

1 – Kick It Up a Notch (Starship)

Look, I like “Starship” as a show … but “Kick It Up a Notch” is far too good for that silly bug story. It’s the kind of villain song which deserves to be in a high-end musical, or a Disney film – it’s not an exaggeration to call it one of my favourite musical songs ever.

Dylan Saunders’s Pincer convinces Joey Richter’s Bug to join in his villainous plan, and the song couldn’t have been any catchier. The slower sections, the backing vocals and the sudden bursts of pace all coalesce to create something far greater than a small theatre company should’ve been capable of.

Songs like these are why I love StarKid so much. They took what was no doubt a tight budget and turned it into something magical. Their level of dedication, talent and enthusiasm is unrivalled in the modern entertainment landscape – I’m hoping that, after the next ten musicals or so, I’ll have another fifty songs I love!

Just for some autistic fun, I decided to do a breakdown / “Power Ranking” of each musical. I scored each song’s placement on this list (e.g. 1st place would get 50 points, 50th would get 1 point, 37th got 14 points … and so on) to see which musical had the best crop of songs. The results were as follows:

MUSICAL	NUMBER OF SONGS	TOTAL POINTS
Twisted	7	210
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals	5	157
A Very Potter Musical	5	135
Nerdy Prudes Must Die	6	122
A Very Potter Senior Year	4	113
Starship	3	94
A Very Potter Sequel	3	89
The Trail to Oregon!	3	75
Holy Musical B@man!	3	68
VHS Christmas Carol	3	60
Black Friday	3	57
Firebringer	2	52
Cinderella’s Castle	2	40
Me And My Dick	1	3
Ani	0	0

It doesn’t surprise me at all that “Twisted” had the most songs (and points) in this list, as that’s my favourite StarKid musical. It’s interesting that “A Very Potter Senior Year” ranked fifth, and “Cinderella’s Castle” was third-last, as that’s not where I would’ve predicted them to be.

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!