From 'Taboo'
Who? Boy George (plus Kevan Frost, John Themis, Richie Stevens.)
When? Telling the story of the troubled pop star himself, ‘Taboo’ opened in the West End in 2002 and, despite terrible reviews, transferred to Broadway in 2003.
Why? It’s not a great song, but it’s got some nice, sarcastic lyrics courtesy of Boy George and it channels something of Lionel Bart’s great tunes from ‘Oliver’.
Sing-a-long rating 3/10
From ‘Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark’
Who? U2 (Bono and the Edge)
When? Amidst some terrible delays, onstage technical hitches, and a lot of overrunning budgets, the musical opened on Broadway in 2010.
Why? Generally slated, the songs all sound pretty much like boring versions of U2 songs (Who knew they could get MORE boring?). This one, though, has a distinct sense of the theatrical about it and is much spunkier than the rest. It’s also pretty catchy.
Sing-a-long rating 4/10
From 'Closer to Heaven'
Who? The Pet Shop Boys
When? ‘Closer to Heaven’ opened in 2001 in the Arts Theatre in London, running from May until October.
Why? It’s a tune which, unsurprisingly, seeing as it’s written Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, wouldn’t sound strange on the dance-floor. There are a couple of epic, almost orgasmicaly intense climaxes, with some excellent space-alien ray sound effects. Awesome.
Sing-a-long rating 1/10
From 'The Capeman'
Who? Paul Simon (with lyrics by Derek Walcott)
When? This one pass you by? Simon’s musical flop opened to bad reviews and a 68 run on Broadway in 1998. There was an album released first though, which came out in 1997.
Why? This song brings out the best of Simon’s surely unmatched ability to write music in pretty much any genre and make it sound original. Here it’s a blend of classical guitar, Latino grooves, salsa and gospel.
Sing-a-long rating 2/10
From 'Chess'
Who? Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (with Tim Rice)
When? The Abba guys teamed up with musical-man Rice on a concept album released in 1984. It was made into a hit-musical in 1986.
Why? ‘Wasn’t it madness?’ croon Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson in the video which accompanied this number one single. It’s a cheesy romantic ballad, but it’s cheese at its very best.
Sing-a-long rating 6/10
From ‘Here Lies Love’
Who? David Byrne and Norman Cook
When? The title track from a slightly bizarre collaboration between David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim (aka Norman Cook) which started out as live song cycle about Imelda Marcos, first performed in 2006 which became a concept album in 2010 and opened as a musical in New York this year.
Why? The weird mix of Byrne’s melodic genius with Cook’s beat-ability makes for a constantly surprising, haunting song.
Sing-a-long rating 3/10
From 'Kinky Boots'
Who? Cyndi Lauper
When? Adapted from the 2005 film about the true story of a traditional Northampton shoemaker who starts making fetish footwear (without songs) into a Tony-winning musical in 2012 with both music and lyrics from Lauper.
Why? It’s got soul. Although it starts out like a boring rock anthem, Lauper’s tune becomes impossibly funky with some brilliant riffs on James Brown and ‘The Blues Brothers’ movie.
Sing-a-long rating 6/10
From 'Billy Elliot'
Who? Elton John, aka Reginald Kenneth Dwight, with Lee Hall
When? Lee Hall’s classic film about Billy, the miner’s son from Everington who becomes a ballet dancer was adapted into a musical and opened on the West End in 2005.
Why? It’s a brilliantly sassy show-tune, performed during an amateur ballet rehearsal led by the harassed Mrs Wilkinson (‘I don’t care if your mother has got Cerebral Palsy, Keeley, you have to bring your shoes’) who sings with a satisfying northern twang.
Sing-a-long rating 5/10
From 'Xanadu'
Which pop star? Jeff Lynne, the only full-time member of rock-group Electric Light Orchestra who also co-founded the Travelling Wilburys (Remember them? No? Thought not.)
When? Originally a 1980 fantasy film starring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly, it was adapted into a musical in 2007.
Why? Because the song is supremely, wonderfully Eighties and comes complete with Casio keyboard tinklings. Also, the version recorded by the band and sung by Newton John got to number one in the UK charts – ELO’s only number one UK single.
Sing-a-long rating 7/10
From ‘The Lion King’
Which pop star? Elton John. Again. This time with Tim Rice
When? Disney’s epically successful film came out in 1994 and the subsequent musical opened in 1997 on Broadway, in London in 1999 and is still on at the Lyceum theatre.
Why? Quite apart from the fact that once you hear it, you’ll be humming it for the next two weeks, Elton John and Tim Rice’s tune is sung by the show’s best characters (Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog) and is surely a motto (translation – ‘no worries’) which, if the whole world took note, would probably stop anyone from going to war ever again.
Sing-a-long rating 9/10
The ten best songs from musicals written by pop stars
Are there any good ones not by Elton John? Are there any good ones at all? Have a browse and decide for yourself...
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Pop minstrel Tori Amos's musical 'The Light Princess' opens this October at the National Theatre. To celebrate the occasion, we've rounded up ten of the best musical songs written by pop stars for your listening pleasure. Disagree? Let us know in the comments section.
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