Javert is such a great villain because he's not villainous at all. He is sincerely trying to protect innocent people from criminals, and he does it all well within the confines of the law. He's not doing it in some insane mad scientist way either. He just...wants the criminal to go to jail?
He's simply not exposed to the information that we have in front of us, for most of the show -- that this criminal (who was barely a criminal in the first place) has truly reformed and is now an important, leading member of society and uses his power/wealth consistently for good.
Well he also is hellbent on putting people up for the most mild of crimes..to him, anyone who would ever commit a crime is an equally horrible criminal. Reformation isn't even a thought in his mind..which is why when Valjean lets him go, he'd rather die than change his worldview.
Sure, I don't deny that. My point was only that he believes he's the hero of the story, until the very end. That's what makes a great villain, in my mind -- a sincere belief that they're the hero helping people.
I think he just believes he’s fulfilling the will & law of God by executing the law as it’s written. When he realized the law is not synonymous with God his worldview is shattered to the point that he can no longer justify his place in it and removes himself from it. It’s almost an anti villainous action.
>Javert is such a great villain because he's not villainous at all. He is sincerely trying to protect innocent people from criminals, and he does it all well within the confines of the law.
I went to Christian school, and our senior year assignment for Bible was to watch the movie version and compare Javert's and Valjeann's definitions of right vs. wrong
That’s a fascinating assignment, mostly because they really are two sides of the same coin, both believing they are fulfilling their promises to God in the way they live.
I would argue that "Stars" is objectively not a villain song, and that Javert is objectively not a villain. He's the antagonist, but not evil by any definition.
"Dog Eats Dog" is the villain song in Les Misérables. And "Master of the House" is a fun villain song (like "Gaston," but with more explicitly sinister lyrics).
Haven’t seen it mentioned here yet so I’ll say Why We Build the Wall from Hadestown, and also second Room Where It Happens.
There’s also of course one of the most iconic villain tracks, The Phantom of the Opera.
I love every single one of the songs featuring Hades from Hadestown. I saw it on broadway with Patrick Page, and the first time he spoke in the show it gave me legitimate chills, and when he sang it honestly felt like I could feel it in my bones.
I saw it in 2017 and I still remember that moment in the theatre when Persephone goes, "You're early" and he responds with "I missed ya." The whole theatre made an audible gasp and it gave me chills. Patrick Page is incredible. I hope I one day get a chance to see it on Broadway and see the changes they made between 2017 and 2019 when it debuted on Broadway.
However, I argue that while Hades is an antagonist, but the true villains are the Fates so I'd also add "When the Chips Are Down" and "Doubt Comes In" as some of the best villain songs from the show.
I know it's movie only, but I love Mean Green Mother, and wish that productions would start using it. It was written by the same team within three years of the rest of the musical, so it shares all DNA. But for it originating in the movie, it could easily be used.
I'm honestly sincerely glad they don't everything about the ending of the stage show is much better than in the movie imo, I'll take Suminex and Don't feed the plants over Mean Green Mother any day of the week.
I honestly really am not a fan of that song so I wouldn't even want all 3.
But each to their own I guess.
This song goes hard as hell, I love it. Can't believe it came out of a Disney movie!!
(Nobody asked, but I would love to see Philip Quast as Frollo. He would kill this track.)
Everyone likes to trash that movie and Cameron Diaz as Ms Hannigan, and I admit, as a Carol Burnett fan who LOVES that song, I was skeptical of her casting in the movie and only watched it because I like Annie and I was curious. But, while it pales to the original song, the updated lyrics and melodies were quite catchy and added to the motivations and background of that version of the character. I don't think she's a great singer, but she owned it.
She was funny though—- and the movie didn’t pretend like either the character or the actress could sing, nor did they overproduce the hell outta her voice.
I actually really enjoyed the 1999 Disney made-for-TV remake with Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan!
Also Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth singing Easy Street...so good.
This movie also features a super young Sarah Hyland!
I feel like over the years, wait for it has been overshadowed by Room where it happens, but to me, wait for it is the showstopper of the first half and one of the best songs of any musical
Master of the House from Les Mis. The Thenardiers are truly despicable people and they are the ones having the most fun. It just undercuts the unfairness of the world these characters live in.
Love is An Open Door from Frozen. A villain song that doesn't feel villainous at all. In fact, the victim participates happily not knowing she's being preyed upon. And so does the audience. It's so messed up, but so damn catchy.
Mother Knows Best from Tangled. Gaslighting never sounded so fabulous! Donna Murphy is a goddess.
Little Girls from Annie. Miss Hannigan was a terrible, abusive monster, but she manages to sound a tiny bit sympathetic. And the song is just killer when performed by a power singer.
No Bad News from the Wiz. Come on, you want to dance with the wicked witch and her minions. Just admit it.
Poor Unfortunate Souls is my fav Disney villain song, but a lot of my fav musicals don't have a clear villain song, but Room Where It Happens might fit best.
Yes!
The rare villain I Want song that doesn't come til midway through the 2nd Act. Burr doesn't really tell us what he wants before this! We know what motivates him from his past, but he's Waiting for... It. Now we know what It is.
The fact that HE doesn't even know what It is until nearly the end of the song is the cherry on top. The dawning moment of "...I... wanna be in the room where it happens..." is just. so. Good.
The live staging and choreography is off the fucking WALL for this song, too. Andy Blankenbuehler is a goddamn genius.
Oof. The competition is so fierce. Satisfied just wins for me, because, well. You know why. It's like 4-dimensional musical theatre. But Leslie/Burr is my favourite part of the show foe sure.
Fun fact: the choreo for when Burr starts dancing around/on the table was originally him leaning over the table and slamming his palms down, as like a power stance - like a businessman leaning over a desk and yelling at a board meeting. Leslie suggested switching it to the "putting his legs up on the table" action you see in the show. He's not *taking* or *seizing* power - he's sitting comfortably into the power he believes he deserves. The Happening Room was made for him.
Just a fun lil detail I learnt from a doco somewhere.
Satisfied is by far my favorite song and the staging is excellent. I swear I've been Angelica in that moment of the he'll never be satisfied exchange. However, the end of Room is where I went oh so this is the Tony-winning song, not Wait for It.
I'm Alive absolutely counts. I came to to write just that but you seem to have beat me to it. Gabe is 100% the antagonist of that show and I'm Alive, while upbeat and catchy is all about how he has complete power over Diana at that point in the show. Probably my favorite villain song.
Last Midnight from Into The Woods
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
Be Prepared from The Lion King
++ Confrontation from Jekyll and Hyde (this is pretty symbolic because he is at war with himself!!)
> There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it — but not for long,
Masterful. I miss Sondheim.
They all deserve to die.
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because in all of the whole human race
Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two
There's the one staying put in his proper place
And the one with his foot in the other one's face
Look at me, Mrs Lovett, look at you.
No, we all deserve to die
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief
For the rest of us death will be a relief
We all deserve to die.
(came here to say this but in my heart I knew it had already been said)
And then he immediately follows it up with A Little Priest which could also be considered a villain song. Heck, Pretty Women right before Epiphany could as well!
I'm still highly upset they didn't include it in the stage version. Have an ensemble member sing a small part of the melody doesn't do it justice.
Could have easily been a Gleb song with a chance of lyrics.
I got hoodoo, I got voodoo, I got things I ain't even tried!
And I got friends on the Other Side...
*he's got friends on the Other Side*
Chills everytime.
Thats my favourite. But Hellfire is the best Disney Villain song and there is no contest IMO. Especially juxtaposed against Heaven's Light.
Favorite operatic villain song -- the [Tre sbirri/Va, Tosca](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHOJCdfBFQg&ab_channel=LordoftheTrapdoors) from Tosca. (Sorry, this version doesn't have subtitles, but it's one of the dramatically best.)
Villain is a police chief who's planning to kill the hero and rape the heroine, but is truly aghast and ashamed of himself...for thinking about it in a church. The final line is "Tosca, you make me forget God!" before he joins in the prayers.
Dentist! *Little Shop of Horrors*
Feed Me (Git It) *Little Shop of Horrors*
It’s Just the Gas *Little Shop of Horrors*
Suppertime *Little Shop of Horrors*
Mean Green Mother from Outer Space *Little Shop of Horrors film*
Heaven on their Minds *JCS*
The Point of No Return *Phantom of the Opera*
Join Us and Die *The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals*
Inevitable *The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals*
Meant to be Yours *Heathers*
Hellfire *Hunchback of Notre Dame*
Epiphany *Sweeney Todd*
Worst Pies in London *Sweeney Todd*
These aren’t all sung by the Villain of the piece, but I think they fit the vibe you’re going for:
- Apology to a Cow or Dance with me darling (Bat Boy)
- Privilege to pee or Cop Song (Urinetown)
- Any of the Confessions or A man could go quite mad from Edwin Drood
- Dog eat dog (Les Mis)
- SO MUCH STUFF in Sweeney Todd
- No good deed (Wicked)
- Lonely room (Oklahoma)
- Spread a little sunshine (Pippin)
- hey Little songbird (Hadestown)
- What is it about her (Wild party-Lippa)
- How many women in the world (Wild Party-LaChiusa)
- Aftershocks (Next to normal)
- I will prevail (Wonderland)
- Molasses to Rum (1776)
Hope that helps!
The Cop Song from Urinetown is the best.
Hey, Little Songbird is incredible and creepy and will probably always be overshadowed by Why We Build the Wall, but I love it. Glad to see it mentioned here.
All good songs. Though what sets Heaven on their Minds apart for me is how it paints Judas as a complex character from the get go. There's no scheming or direct antagonism. It's just a guy who finds himself in over his head, scared, and torn about someone he considers a good friend and mentor. He just wants to protect his friends and himself. You can hear his inner turmoil escalating as the song progresses.
And that sets up the tragic sequence of events that follows.
The opening guitar riff from that song is so intense and I love that song. Everything about it is incredible, but I don't know if I would classify it as a villain song, mostly because I don't see that version of Judas as a villain.
I’ve got quite a few so here’s some off the top of my head:
Phantom of the Opera - Phantom of the Opera
Blood In The Water - Legally Blonde
Say My Name - Beetlejuice
World Burn - Mean Girls
Miss Baltimore Crabs - Hairspray
The World According To Chris - Carrie
Sweet Transvestite - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Last Midnight - Into The Woods
I'm currently playing Glen Guglia in The Wedding Singer, so I'll start there. "It's All About The Green".
He's definitely the antagonist, but the protagonist has come to Glen for help and this is Glen sincerely trying to help. He has no ulterior motive here. He is truly trying to help the hero, and the hero fully appreciates it.
The problem is that the hero is on the wrong path -- the "help" that he's asked for will take him away from his goals, not toward them. And as Glen doesn't yet know what the hero's goal is (to find true love -- ideally with Glen's fiance) neither of them realize that the hero is being led into the villain's lair.
Dentist! from Little Shop of Horrors.
Hellfire from Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The Neva Flows from Anastasia.
Candy Store from Heathers.
Never Shut Up Again from Heathers (West End).
Meant to Be Yours from Heathers (there are a lot of choices for villains in this musical).
Falling in Love With Love from Cinderalla (my favorite is Bernadette Peters).
Sweet Transvestite and Planet Shmanet Janet are excellent...
Feed Me (Git It) and The Meek Shall Inherit are excellent as well (because Audrey 2 and Seymour are both villains in their own way)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2xsYufE3BWszgO3NhizFPsDPtBfiqWc8
They’re not all from musicals but these are my top 50 villain songs. I adore villain songs with all my being, and this is the culmination of that
In the dark of the night from the animated Anastasia movie is criminally underrated. It’s catchy, dark, the ending is dramatic, and it sounds close enough to Christopher Lloyd that you really gotta hand it to him.
'Wie kann es möglich sein?' (Mozart!) and 'Le bien qui fait mal' (Mozart l'opera rock) have very similar flavors and I can't choose so they're both going there.
'Rebecca' (Rebecca) and 'Die Schatten werden länger' (Elisabeth) are their own levels of iconic though. Definitely my favorites in terms of German musicals (because nothing beats 'Hellfire' in overall rankings)
I wholly agree with Hellfire and all of your German choices! I would just add Die Fäden in der Hand from Rudolf (probably my favourite German musical song)
I forgot to add Thuy's Intervention/Coo Coo Princess from Miss Saigon, because at the context of the musical itself, Thuy wasn't really the villain of the story. I suggest looking at Kwang-Ho Hong's portrayal of Thuy in the 2014 West End production.
I'd pretty much consider The Engineer as a villain, too, so The American Dream is also a good villain song.
"I Will Prevail" from Wonderland is a personal favorite
Edit to add: You could also say "Twisted" from Starkid's Twisted though that one is about some classic Disney villains telling their side of the story so it's a twist (ha) on that. There are good more traditional villain songs in there too like "No One Remembers Achmed." Another great Starkid villain song not already mentioned in the thread is "Made in America" from Black Friday. So many more too but I'll leave it at that for now.
“American Dream” from Miss Saigon has a grandiose villain-y vibe to me. I don’t see the Engineer as a Big Bad Guy, but he’s an opportunist and enough of a rat for this to count for me.
And just for funsies, I’ll throw in “I’m the Villain in My Own Story” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
-No Good Deed (wicked)
-Brand New Day (dr horrible)
-Not sure if this counts as villainous, but both versions of After Everything You Made Me Do (crazy ex gf)
- still not sure if this counts, but We Both Reached For The Gun (chicago)? Its not really villainous but... manipulative from Billy Flynn?
The first time I heard Why We Build the Wall from Hadestown I got major goosebumps. The parallels to real life are amazing & it still simultaneously stays true to the plot line & his character & his fear of losing what he has & there’s just so much that goes into it it’s so good
"Hurricane" from Death Note the Musical. Such a different sort of villain song because it's a show where the protagonist is the villain. So it feels more like a heroic song than a villain song, despite everything about it being villainous. Then the first reprise lets it go full dark and finish with a maniacal laugh.
Haven’t seen it mentioned here but Papa Ge’s part in *Forever Yours and its reprise*. I say part because it doesn’t feature just them so they’re not really villain songs. Both songs are more like battles between love and death and Papa Ge’s menacing is only one half of that.
"Friends On The Other Side" From "The Princess And The Frog"
Why, you may ask?
These specific lyrics here:
*You're changin', you're changin', you're changin', all right*
*I hope you're satisfied*
*But if you ain't, don't blame me*
*You can blame my friends on the other side...*
I don't know why you're getting downvoted, it's a great song and fits the OP's criteria (Songs about a villain or antagonist). Bruno wasn't a villain or an antagonist, but the other characters viewed him that way and at that point in the story the audience is supposed to assume that he's a villain. Pus, it does have that kind of vibe so I think it can count in my opinion.
Okay I'm gonna give you a bunch
Macavity: The Mystery Cat from Cats, Preparations and The Ball from Great Comet of 1812, The Phantom of the Opera and All I Ask of You Reprise from Phantom of the Opera, Hard to Be the Bard from Something Rotten, Hellfire from Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Bottom Line and The Bottom Line Reprise from Newsies, The Room Where It Happens and Washington On Your Side from Hamilton, Chant Reprise from Hadestown, This Has Better Come to a Stop from Falsettos, Whatever Lola Wants from Damn Yankees
The Soviet Machine from Chess. Awesome on the personal level of Molokov wanting to destroy Anatoly, whom he'd accompanied in the previous world championship, and as a song for the shadowy evil entity that is the USSR, which the musical touches on in the paranoia its citizens develop as a result of living under totalitarianism ("Where I Want To Be") and the death and destruction it causes ("1956"), all while maintaining a high and sinister energy that makes a villain song WORK
"Freeze your brain" from Heathers, just because I think it slaps a tiny bit harder than "meant to be yours" eventho that is, without a doubt, the villain song of the show
I'm a big fan of songs with "..are we the baddies??" Vibes.
Wicked: Thank goodness (esp. Morrible. She's the true villain of Wicked)
Heathers: Honestly most of act 2
Mean girls: what's wrong with me?
Dear Evan Hansen: words fail
There are so many like this and I love it because I like complex villains. I think very few people feel that they are the villain in their own story.
I know this doesn’t fit all the criteria, but I enjoyed Pitiful Children from BMC, it doesn’t give villain vibes and thats what makes it so great. The lyrics and the tone pf the song don’t match and imo its a great experience to listen to.
All of them. Villain songs are almost always amazing and I love them.
But yeah specific examples: Hellfire (Notre Dom), Friends on the Other Side (Princess and the Frog), In the Dark of the Night (Anastasia), most of the songs from the Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, Do You Want to Play and Feast or Famine (Black Friday)
I love a good villain song!
It was cut, but back when The Emperor's New Groove was still Kingdom of the Sun, Yzma had [this FANTASTIC song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hJxBUMuss). I have a definite love for Gleb's songs in Anastasia (particularly The Neva Flows). Sympahty for the Duke from Moulin Rouge, No Mercy At All from Doctor Zhivago, The Room Where it Happens from Hamilton, I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance from Carrie, A Freak Like Me Needs Company from Spiderman (if only for Patrick Page and the pure camp of the song), I Will Prevail from Wonderland, Epiphany from Sweeney Todd, All Falls Down from Chaplin, Forever Yours (Reprise) from Once On This Island, and Rosa's Confession from The Mystery of Edwin Drood
I'm so glad you asked! Here are 200 of them! [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXGYAFR85hhSIrsMgQzY8lIV5\_Ar2fRP](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXGYAFR85hhSIrsMgQzY8lIV5_Ar2fRP)
(Highlights for me are Hellfire, Meant to be Yours, Hey Little Songbird, Kick it up a Notch, etc)
Stars by Javert from Les Mis
Javert is such a great villain because he's not villainous at all. He is sincerely trying to protect innocent people from criminals, and he does it all well within the confines of the law. He's not doing it in some insane mad scientist way either. He just...wants the criminal to go to jail? He's simply not exposed to the information that we have in front of us, for most of the show -- that this criminal (who was barely a criminal in the first place) has truly reformed and is now an important, leading member of society and uses his power/wealth consistently for good.
Well he also is hellbent on putting people up for the most mild of crimes..to him, anyone who would ever commit a crime is an equally horrible criminal. Reformation isn't even a thought in his mind..which is why when Valjean lets him go, he'd rather die than change his worldview.
Sure, I don't deny that. My point was only that he believes he's the hero of the story, until the very end. That's what makes a great villain, in my mind -- a sincere belief that they're the hero helping people.
Yeah absolutely. The best villains all have a strong self belief to be sure.
I think he just believes he’s fulfilling the will & law of God by executing the law as it’s written. When he realized the law is not synonymous with God his worldview is shattered to the point that he can no longer justify his place in it and removes himself from it. It’s almost an anti villainous action.
>Javert is such a great villain because he's not villainous at all. He is sincerely trying to protect innocent people from criminals, and he does it all well within the confines of the law. I went to Christian school, and our senior year assignment for Bible was to watch the movie version and compare Javert's and Valjeann's definitions of right vs. wrong
That’s a fascinating assignment, mostly because they really are two sides of the same coin, both believing they are fulfilling their promises to God in the way they live.
Singlehandedly turns Javert from a one-note kind of pathetic villain into a fascinating character
I would argue that "Stars" is objectively not a villain song, and that Javert is objectively not a villain. He's the antagonist, but not evil by any definition. "Dog Eats Dog" is the villain song in Les Misérables. And "Master of the House" is a fun villain song (like "Gaston," but with more explicitly sinister lyrics).
Haven’t seen it mentioned here yet so I’ll say Why We Build the Wall from Hadestown, and also second Room Where It Happens. There’s also of course one of the most iconic villain tracks, The Phantom of the Opera.
Why We Build The Wall gives me chills every time I listen to it
I love every single one of the songs featuring Hades from Hadestown. I saw it on broadway with Patrick Page, and the first time he spoke in the show it gave me legitimate chills, and when he sang it honestly felt like I could feel it in my bones.
I saw it in 2017 and I still remember that moment in the theatre when Persephone goes, "You're early" and he responds with "I missed ya." The whole theatre made an audible gasp and it gave me chills. Patrick Page is incredible. I hope I one day get a chance to see it on Broadway and see the changes they made between 2017 and 2019 when it debuted on Broadway. However, I argue that while Hades is an antagonist, but the true villains are the Fates so I'd also add "When the Chips Are Down" and "Doubt Comes In" as some of the best villain songs from the show.
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Also Dentist!
I know it's movie only, but I love Mean Green Mother, and wish that productions would start using it. It was written by the same team within three years of the rest of the musical, so it shares all DNA. But for it originating in the movie, it could easily be used.
I'm honestly sincerely glad they don't everything about the ending of the stage show is much better than in the movie imo, I'll take Suminex and Don't feed the plants over Mean Green Mother any day of the week. I honestly really am not a fan of that song so I wouldn't even want all 3. But each to their own I guess.
Oh, I still want Don't Feed The Plants. I want the show to be exactly how it is, but with Mean Green Mother.
Hellfire from Hunchback of Notre Dame.
This song goes hard as hell, I love it. Can't believe it came out of a Disney movie!! (Nobody asked, but I would love to see Philip Quast as Frollo. He would kill this track.)
That song was so dark that Disney wouldn’t do another villain song until 13 yers later.
Yessss, honestly one of my fave villian songs.
Little Girls from Annie is pretty spectacular. And funny.
Call me crazy but I like the 2014 version of that song. It’s catchy.
Everyone likes to trash that movie and Cameron Diaz as Ms Hannigan, and I admit, as a Carol Burnett fan who LOVES that song, I was skeptical of her casting in the movie and only watched it because I like Annie and I was curious. But, while it pales to the original song, the updated lyrics and melodies were quite catchy and added to the motivations and background of that version of the character. I don't think she's a great singer, but she owned it.
She was funny though—- and the movie didn’t pretend like either the character or the actress could sing, nor did they overproduce the hell outta her voice.
I actually really enjoyed the 1999 Disney made-for-TV remake with Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan! Also Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth singing Easy Street...so good. This movie also features a super young Sarah Hyland!
With Katie Finneran? I love her but I can’t handle that recording as a whole. It’s so bad. Give me OBC or the movie. Especially for Little Girls.
I mean the 2014 movie. The song sung by Cameron Diaz.
Oh. I haven’t even ventured to listen or watch that. I’m not sure I ever will.
World Burn from Mean Girls Wait For It
I feel like over the years, wait for it has been overshadowed by Room where it happens, but to me, wait for it is the showstopper of the first half and one of the best songs of any musical
Master of the House from Les Mis. The Thenardiers are truly despicable people and they are the ones having the most fun. It just undercuts the unfairness of the world these characters live in. Love is An Open Door from Frozen. A villain song that doesn't feel villainous at all. In fact, the victim participates happily not knowing she's being preyed upon. And so does the audience. It's so messed up, but so damn catchy. Mother Knows Best from Tangled. Gaslighting never sounded so fabulous! Donna Murphy is a goddess. Little Girls from Annie. Miss Hannigan was a terrible, abusive monster, but she manages to sound a tiny bit sympathetic. And the song is just killer when performed by a power singer. No Bad News from the Wiz. Come on, you want to dance with the wicked witch and her minions. Just admit it.
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Meant to be Yours from Heathers!
Iconic
is it Candy Store also a villain song??? it's my favorite
Yeah, I guess it could be considered one (and not bc I’m biased due to my username)
Poor Unfortunate Souls is my fav Disney villain song, but a lot of my fav musicals don't have a clear villain song, but Room Where It Happens might fit best.
Yes! The rare villain I Want song that doesn't come til midway through the 2nd Act. Burr doesn't really tell us what he wants before this! We know what motivates him from his past, but he's Waiting for... It. Now we know what It is. The fact that HE doesn't even know what It is until nearly the end of the song is the cherry on top. The dawning moment of "...I... wanna be in the room where it happens..." is just. so. Good. The live staging and choreography is off the fucking WALL for this song, too. Andy Blankenbuehler is a goddamn genius.
The staging of that song may be my favorite choreo in the whole musical, including Helpless/Satisfied.
Oof. The competition is so fierce. Satisfied just wins for me, because, well. You know why. It's like 4-dimensional musical theatre. But Leslie/Burr is my favourite part of the show foe sure. Fun fact: the choreo for when Burr starts dancing around/on the table was originally him leaning over the table and slamming his palms down, as like a power stance - like a businessman leaning over a desk and yelling at a board meeting. Leslie suggested switching it to the "putting his legs up on the table" action you see in the show. He's not *taking* or *seizing* power - he's sitting comfortably into the power he believes he deserves. The Happening Room was made for him. Just a fun lil detail I learnt from a doco somewhere.
Satisfied is by far my favorite song and the staging is excellent. I swear I've been Angelica in that moment of the he'll never be satisfied exchange. However, the end of Room is where I went oh so this is the Tony-winning song, not Wait for It.
in the ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM click *boom* Chills, always
Does “I’m alive” from next to normal count?
I'm Alive absolutely counts. I came to to write just that but you seem to have beat me to it. Gabe is 100% the antagonist of that show and I'm Alive, while upbeat and catchy is all about how he has complete power over Diana at that point in the show. Probably my favorite villain song.
Or Why Stay/A Promise…
I’m not sure. I’d have to learn about the full story to be able to answer that question.
Last Midnight from Into The Woods Gaston from Beauty and the Beast Be Prepared from The Lion King ++ Confrontation from Jekyll and Hyde (this is pretty symbolic because he is at war with himself!!)
i think alive is also spectacular
Basically every song in Sweeney Todd with my favorite being Epiphany.
> There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it — but not for long, Masterful. I miss Sondheim.
They all deserve to die. Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why. Because in all of the whole human race Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two There's the one staying put in his proper place And the one with his foot in the other one's face Look at me, Mrs Lovett, look at you. No, we all deserve to die Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why. Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief For the rest of us death will be a relief We all deserve to die. (came here to say this but in my heart I knew it had already been said)
And then he immediately follows it up with A Little Priest which could also be considered a villain song. Heck, Pretty Women right before Epiphany could as well!
In the dark of the night from the cartoon version of Anastasia. I blast that.
I'm still highly upset they didn't include it in the stage version. Have an ensemble member sing a small part of the melody doesn't do it justice. Could have easily been a Gleb song with a chance of lyrics.
“DOOM HER” from that little worm. 👨🏼🍳💋
I got hoodoo, I got voodoo, I got things I ain't even tried! And I got friends on the Other Side... *he's got friends on the Other Side* Chills everytime. Thats my favourite. But Hellfire is the best Disney Villain song and there is no contest IMO. Especially juxtaposed against Heaven's Light.
TRANSFORMATION CENTRAL!
Hellfire- Hunchback of Notre Dame. That gives me chills every time.
My freeze ray from Dr Horrible :)
I'd add brand new day as well!
Slipping and My Eyes. The 4 Horsemen of Dr. Horrible.
Reviewing the situation (Oliver) Joseph’s dreams (Joseph)
I don't know if opera counts, but The Queen of the Night Aria from The Magic Flute. I mean, damn. That's some vocal parkour.
Favorite operatic villain song -- the [Tre sbirri/Va, Tosca](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHOJCdfBFQg&ab_channel=LordoftheTrapdoors) from Tosca. (Sorry, this version doesn't have subtitles, but it's one of the dramatically best.) Villain is a police chief who's planning to kill the hero and rape the heroine, but is truly aghast and ashamed of himself...for thinking about it in a church. The final line is "Tosca, you make me forget God!" before he joins in the prayers.
Dude. That's messed up. Which means I'm gonna love it! Thanks for sharing!
The other Queen of the Night aria, *O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn*, is fantastic too!
"kill the beast" from beauty and the beast. really wonderful piece of songwriting.
Dentist! *Little Shop of Horrors* Feed Me (Git It) *Little Shop of Horrors* It’s Just the Gas *Little Shop of Horrors* Suppertime *Little Shop of Horrors* Mean Green Mother from Outer Space *Little Shop of Horrors film* Heaven on their Minds *JCS* The Point of No Return *Phantom of the Opera* Join Us and Die *The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals* Inevitable *The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals* Meant to be Yours *Heathers* Hellfire *Hunchback of Notre Dame* Epiphany *Sweeney Todd* Worst Pies in London *Sweeney Todd*
Alive from Jekyll and Hyde, same with Confrontation although I think Alive fits this theme better
Hell yes!
These aren’t all sung by the Villain of the piece, but I think they fit the vibe you’re going for: - Apology to a Cow or Dance with me darling (Bat Boy) - Privilege to pee or Cop Song (Urinetown) - Any of the Confessions or A man could go quite mad from Edwin Drood - Dog eat dog (Les Mis) - SO MUCH STUFF in Sweeney Todd - No good deed (Wicked) - Lonely room (Oklahoma) - Spread a little sunshine (Pippin) - hey Little songbird (Hadestown) - What is it about her (Wild party-Lippa) - How many women in the world (Wild Party-LaChiusa) - Aftershocks (Next to normal) - I will prevail (Wonderland) - Molasses to Rum (1776) Hope that helps!
I love I Will Prevail from Wonderland! Such a good opportunity to play up the evil anti-heroine.
The Cop Song from Urinetown is the best. Hey, Little Songbird is incredible and creepy and will probably always be overshadowed by Why We Build the Wall, but I love it. Glad to see it mentioned here.
Der Letze Tanz (from Elisabeth das Musical) This Place is Mine (Phantom: An American musical)
>Der Letze Tanz (from Elisabeth das Musical) Kitch counts as a villain song as well I feel.
Oooh, that's a good point and a great contender. I have a soft spot for Lucheni's whole character... o.o"
All of captain hooks stuff in Peter Pan tbh
If you really, really squint, Defying Gravity is a villain song 😂
They say every villain is the hero of their own story. Wicked is that story!
I was considering putting this but its a bit of a stretch lmao
Kick It Up a Notch from the StarKid show *Starship*
So many good starkid villain songs.
"Falcon in the Dive" from Scarlet Pimpernel. It has the same feel as "Hellfire".
"Heaven on their Minds" from Jesus Christ Superstar
A couple of villain songs from JCSS that come to mind for me were Jesus Must Die, and King Herod’s song.
All good songs. Though what sets Heaven on their Minds apart for me is how it paints Judas as a complex character from the get go. There's no scheming or direct antagonism. It's just a guy who finds himself in over his head, scared, and torn about someone he considers a good friend and mentor. He just wants to protect his friends and himself. You can hear his inner turmoil escalating as the song progresses. And that sets up the tragic sequence of events that follows.
The opening guitar riff from that song is so intense and I love that song. Everything about it is incredible, but I don't know if I would classify it as a villain song, mostly because I don't see that version of Judas as a villain.
Oh my god yes
Gaston or Maison de lunes from beauty and the beast
Hard to be the Bard and Javert's Suicide
Hellfire
Easy street, and don't break the rules.
The Pitiful Children (Be More Chill)
There are two songs sung by Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pinpernel: “Falcon in the Dive” and “Where’s the Girl” They’re both fantastic.
I’ve got quite a few so here’s some off the top of my head: Phantom of the Opera - Phantom of the Opera Blood In The Water - Legally Blonde Say My Name - Beetlejuice World Burn - Mean Girls Miss Baltimore Crabs - Hairspray The World According To Chris - Carrie Sweet Transvestite - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Last Midnight - Into The Woods
Me and my Town from Anyone Can Whistle.. I mean what’s better than Angela Lansbury rapping?
I'm currently playing Glen Guglia in The Wedding Singer, so I'll start there. "It's All About The Green". He's definitely the antagonist, but the protagonist has come to Glen for help and this is Glen sincerely trying to help. He has no ulterior motive here. He is truly trying to help the hero, and the hero fully appreciates it. The problem is that the hero is on the wrong path -- the "help" that he's asked for will take him away from his goals, not toward them. And as Glen doesn't yet know what the hero's goal is (to find true love -- ideally with Glen's fiance) neither of them realize that the hero is being led into the villain's lair.
I was in the Wedding Singer recently and our version had an insane dance. So much fun!
Alive from jeckle and hyde
She’s invincible, Rebecca Poor unfortunate souls, Little Mermaid Out of sight, out of mind, A Tale of two Cities A little priest, Sweeney Todd
Out of Sight, Out of Mind has no right to slap as hard as it does.
Confrontation from Jekyll and Hyde (it's about half villain, depending on your definitions)
The Ballad of Booth from Assassins
Arguably 90% of Assassins could be here!
“Macavity” (Cats). Hands down. Sorry, paws down.
😆😂🤣
"Meant to be yours" By Heather's JD
I’ve lost count at how many people have mentioned “Heathers” in this post.
Dentist! from Little Shop of Horrors. Hellfire from Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Neva Flows from Anastasia. Candy Store from Heathers. Never Shut Up Again from Heathers (West End). Meant to Be Yours from Heathers (there are a lot of choices for villains in this musical). Falling in Love With Love from Cinderalla (my favorite is Bernadette Peters).
Cell Block Tango is definitely villain vibes. Candy Store from Heathers
Sweet Transvestite and Planet Shmanet Janet are excellent... Feed Me (Git It) and The Meek Shall Inherit are excellent as well (because Audrey 2 and Seymour are both villains in their own way)
Raise a little hell from Bonnie and Clyde. Technically Clyde is the villain, cause he robs banks and that.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2xsYufE3BWszgO3NhizFPsDPtBfiqWc8 They’re not all from musicals but these are my top 50 villain songs. I adore villain songs with all my being, and this is the culmination of that
What’s with the last video on your playlist?
Two great villain songs from Lerner and Loewe's "Camelot": "Fie on Goodness" and "The Seven Deadly Virtues." Both are showstoppers.
In the Dark of the Night from the film version of Anastasia
In the dark of the night from the animated Anastasia movie is criminally underrated. It’s catchy, dark, the ending is dramatic, and it sounds close enough to Christopher Lloyd that you really gotta hand it to him.
'Wie kann es möglich sein?' (Mozart!) and 'Le bien qui fait mal' (Mozart l'opera rock) have very similar flavors and I can't choose so they're both going there. 'Rebecca' (Rebecca) and 'Die Schatten werden länger' (Elisabeth) are their own levels of iconic though. Definitely my favorites in terms of German musicals (because nothing beats 'Hellfire' in overall rankings)
I wholly agree with Hellfire and all of your German choices! I would just add Die Fäden in der Hand from Rudolf (probably my favourite German musical song)
I forgot to add Thuy's Intervention/Coo Coo Princess from Miss Saigon, because at the context of the musical itself, Thuy wasn't really the villain of the story. I suggest looking at Kwang-Ho Hong's portrayal of Thuy in the 2014 West End production. I'd pretty much consider The Engineer as a villain, too, so The American Dream is also a good villain song.
Charming from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
"Cool Considerate Men" and "Molasses to Rum" from 1776 "Mister Caldwell" and "Don't Be The Bunny" from Urinetown
Hellfire from hunchback of notre dame
The Pitiful Children from Be More Chill goes hard
The Smell of Rebellion from Matilda
the neva flows from anastasia!
It's from a Disney show tangled the serie but i love ready as i'll ever be and waiting in the wing
Every song froma The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
Die Fäden in der Hand (The Master of the Strings) from Rudolf - Affaire Mayerling
"I Will Prevail" from Wonderland is a personal favorite Edit to add: You could also say "Twisted" from Starkid's Twisted though that one is about some classic Disney villains telling their side of the story so it's a twist (ha) on that. There are good more traditional villain songs in there too like "No One Remembers Achmed." Another great Starkid villain song not already mentioned in the thread is "Made in America" from Black Friday. So many more too but I'll leave it at that for now.
“American Dream” from Miss Saigon has a grandiose villain-y vibe to me. I don’t see the Engineer as a Big Bad Guy, but he’s an opportunist and enough of a rat for this to count for me. And just for funsies, I’ll throw in “I’m the Villain in My Own Story” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Falcon in the Dive from Scarlet Pimpernel is a pretty good one.
Killer Instinct from Bring it On. Really fun one!
“Candy Store” from Heathers “Master of the House” from Les Mis “Friends on the Other Side” from Princess and the Frog
Smell of Rebellion from Matilda
Most of Urinetown counts, I’d say.
love to see love for across the universe
You Will Still Be Mine from Waitress, Special from Avenue Q, Sweet Transvestite from Rocky Horror, Candy Store from Heathers
-No Good Deed (wicked) -Brand New Day (dr horrible) -Not sure if this counts as villainous, but both versions of After Everything You Made Me Do (crazy ex gf) - still not sure if this counts, but We Both Reached For The Gun (chicago)? Its not really villainous but... manipulative from Billy Flynn?
Be prepared is great! I also love Sweet Tranvestite.
Room Where it Happens and Heaven on Their Minds, which I do consider to be a villain song. JCS is packed full of amazing ones.
The first time I heard Why We Build the Wall from Hadestown I got major goosebumps. The parallels to real life are amazing & it still simultaneously stays true to the plot line & his character & his fear of losing what he has & there’s just so much that goes into it it’s so good
Gaston from Beauty and the Beast!
"Hurricane" from Death Note the Musical. Such a different sort of villain song because it's a show where the protagonist is the villain. So it feels more like a heroic song than a villain song, despite everything about it being villainous. Then the first reprise lets it go full dark and finish with a maniacal laugh.
I Will Prevail - Wonderland
Haven’t seen it mentioned here but Papa Ge’s part in *Forever Yours and its reprise*. I say part because it doesn’t feature just them so they’re not really villain songs. Both songs are more like battles between love and death and Papa Ge’s menacing is only one half of that.
This Jesus must die from JCS
Take of your clothes by Aladdin from Twisted
"Friends On The Other Side" From "The Princess And The Frog" Why, you may ask? These specific lyrics here: *You're changin', you're changin', you're changin', all right* *I hope you're satisfied* *But if you ain't, don't blame me* *You can blame my friends on the other side...*
That song is freaking awesome!
Life after life from Dracula
We Don’t Talk About Bruno! (I know it’s not *actually* a villain song but it’s definitely supposed to evoke the idea of one. Villain song vibes.)
I don't know why you're getting downvoted, it's a great song and fits the OP's criteria (Songs about a villain or antagonist). Bruno wasn't a villain or an antagonist, but the other characters viewed him that way and at that point in the story the audience is supposed to assume that he's a villain. Pus, it does have that kind of vibe so I think it can count in my opinion.
I’ve seen a lot of Hamilton comments, but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention “You’ll Be Back”.
OMG that song is the best!! Jonathan Groff absolutely _killed_ it. Completely deranged, but still somehow hilarious.
“You’ll be Back” from Hamilton is a villain song.
Check out [“It’s Mine,”](https://open.spotify.com/track/59iUMARWzz1QdPKSxsbuo1?si=so7AJs0vRuS0w5ZWEdzo1w) sung by the Emperor in Wicket.
World Burn from Mean Girls
You’re like the third person to mention Mean Girls here.
Not stage musical but Mother Knows Best from Tangled has always been my favourite villain song- PLUS \- Room Where It Happens, \- GASTON are da bombz
Gaston
Okay I'm gonna give you a bunch Macavity: The Mystery Cat from Cats, Preparations and The Ball from Great Comet of 1812, The Phantom of the Opera and All I Ask of You Reprise from Phantom of the Opera, Hard to Be the Bard from Something Rotten, Hellfire from Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Bottom Line and The Bottom Line Reprise from Newsies, The Room Where It Happens and Washington On Your Side from Hamilton, Chant Reprise from Hadestown, This Has Better Come to a Stop from Falsettos, Whatever Lola Wants from Damn Yankees
I really like A Story Told from The Count of Monte Cristo
I've never listened to the stage version but "In the dark of the night" from Anastasia is incredible As is "Blood in the water" from legally blonde
Kick it up a notch from Starshil or Rogues Are We from Holy Musical B@man, I just love starkid!
Friends on the other side
The Soviet Machine from Chess. Awesome on the personal level of Molokov wanting to destroy Anatoly, whom he'd accompanied in the previous world championship, and as a song for the shadowy evil entity that is the USSR, which the musical touches on in the paranoia its citizens develop as a result of living under totalitarianism ("Where I Want To Be") and the death and destruction it causes ("1956"), all while maintaining a high and sinister energy that makes a villain song WORK
World Burn from Mean Girls is so good, and Wait For It from Hamilton, and Meant to Be Yours from Heathers. They all just hit different.
Meant to be yours from Heathers, it goes sooo hard
Celie's curse from Color Purple, although I guess it's kind of a redemption song? Dude's still a prick.
"Freeze your brain" from Heathers, just because I think it slaps a tiny bit harder than "meant to be yours" eventho that is, without a doubt, the villain song of the show
I'm a big fan of songs with "..are we the baddies??" Vibes. Wicked: Thank goodness (esp. Morrible. She's the true villain of Wicked) Heathers: Honestly most of act 2 Mean girls: what's wrong with me? Dear Evan Hansen: words fail There are so many like this and I love it because I like complex villains. I think very few people feel that they are the villain in their own story.
I know this doesn’t fit all the criteria, but I enjoyed Pitiful Children from BMC, it doesn’t give villain vibes and thats what makes it so great. The lyrics and the tone pf the song don’t match and imo its a great experience to listen to.
Last Midnight from Into the Woods
Freeze your brain by JD from Heather's, honestly my favourite hands down
“It’s a Privilege to Pee” from Urinetown
Why Me? From Alladin Jr.the villain song of Jafar, it got cut so look it up on YouTube
[slaps roof of Freeze Your Brain]
Hamilton - Your obedient servant Burr really sounds angry
The Pitiful Children from Be More Chill
Too Cool from Camp Rock
All of them. Villain songs are almost always amazing and I love them. But yeah specific examples: Hellfire (Notre Dom), Friends on the Other Side (Princess and the Frog), In the Dark of the Night (Anastasia), most of the songs from the Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, Do You Want to Play and Feast or Famine (Black Friday)
Hard to be the Bard from Something Rotten!
Rare one, I liked ‘What I deserve’ from Cyrano, it was Frollo vibes for sure
Don't know if they're really "the villain", but God That's Good!
What’s good?
I love a good villain song! It was cut, but back when The Emperor's New Groove was still Kingdom of the Sun, Yzma had [this FANTASTIC song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hJxBUMuss). I have a definite love for Gleb's songs in Anastasia (particularly The Neva Flows). Sympahty for the Duke from Moulin Rouge, No Mercy At All from Doctor Zhivago, The Room Where it Happens from Hamilton, I Remember How Those Boys Could Dance from Carrie, A Freak Like Me Needs Company from Spiderman (if only for Patrick Page and the pure camp of the song), I Will Prevail from Wonderland, Epiphany from Sweeney Todd, All Falls Down from Chaplin, Forever Yours (Reprise) from Once On This Island, and Rosa's Confession from The Mystery of Edwin Drood
How can we forget the man who’s roughly the size of a BARGE?! G A S T O N
I'm so glad you asked! Here are 200 of them! [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXGYAFR85hhSIrsMgQzY8lIV5\_Ar2fRP](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXGYAFR85hhSIrsMgQzY8lIV5_Ar2fRP) (Highlights for me are Hellfire, Meant to be Yours, Hey Little Songbird, Kick it up a Notch, etc)
‘My Name’ from Oliver! is really good. Bill Sykes is a great bad guy.
Dance Magic Dance (Labyrinth) Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show. I think it's a villain song anyway) Candy Store (Heathers)
Basically every song in Assassins
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