Top 10 Broadway Songs That Make You Happy Cry

Listen to Josh Groban sing this without weeping softly – we dare you. Written by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus, “Anthem” is a song about the importance of knowing where you come from. The number comes from the musical “Chess,” and is sung by Soviet world champion Anatoly as he leaves his home country. The music is almost operatic, and absolutely soars in the choruses as it’s accompanied by heart-wrenching lyrics of love and loyalty. Even though Anatoly may be physically leaving, his heart will never leave home, making for a teary, musical moment.

Jason Robert Brown is a champion at writing beautifully orchestrated, sweeping, romantic declarations of love. So why should this song from one of his lesser-known musicals be any different? “The Bridges of Madison County” wasn’t extremely well received on Broadway, but we had to shout out “One Second and a Million Miles.” Sung between the show’s main love interests Robert and Francesca, the number marks a turning point in their relationship. Robert pleads with Francesca to run away with him while she considers what might happen if she decides to leave her husband and family behind. There’s so much passion between these two, it’s hard not to get emotional over the whole thing.

“The Prom” is all about self-acceptance, so we had to pick a song from the show that perfectly encapsulates that theme. And no number does it better than “Unruly Heart.” The musical centers around Emma and Alyssa, two teenage girls who want to go to prom together, but are banned from doing so by their school. At a low point in the girls’ relationship, Emma posts a video of herself singing a song online. The song is “Unruly Heart,” and Emma bears all of her insecurities to the world while still promising to be true to herself. It’s a really uplifting, tender moment in the show, and one of our favorite songs.

Who wouldn’t cry over Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell falling in love? 1998’s “Ragtime” has one of the most beautiful scores in all of musical theater, and there are plenty of songs in its ranks that make us sob like babies. But out of all those songs, “Wheels of a Dream” stands out as the best. Coalhouse and Sarah sing this gorgeous number about what they hope to see happen for their son as he grows up. It’s a stunning duet, with beautiful harmonies and such unabashed yearning that there won’t be a dry eye left in the house.

If there’s one person we can count on to make us feel things, it’s Stephen Sondheim. “Company” is one of Sondheim’s most beloved shows, and for good reason – it’s no-skips all the way through. We could spend hours lauding the greatness of “Company,” but today we’re here to talk about one song in particular – “Being Alive.” The main character, Bobby, sings this number at the end of the show when he finally decides that he’s ready to commit to a relationship. There’s still fear that comes with that decision, no doubt, but Bobby has decided that finding one person to share his life with is worth the risk. It’s a passionate number about giving into love, and how great risk breeds great reward.

Here’s one that definitely brings mixed feelings – and tears are for sure a part of that. “Dear Evan Hansen” follows Evan, an anxiety-ridden teen who gets caught up in a lie he can’t control when he pretends he was friends with a classmate who recently died. Evan’s popularity reaches a crescendo when he gives a speech at an assembly for the student, singing our next entry, “You Will Be Found.” The song itself offers hope to people who feel as if they don’t belong, but knowing that Evan is lying about so much brings a dark note to that message. It makes us happy cry, but we also find it bittersweet.

Speaking of self-acceptance, is there a better celebration of self than “I’m Here?” We certainly don’t think so. But “The Color Purple” has a lot of struggles and strife to get through before we reach that famous eleven o’clock number. Celie, the main character, learns a lot of hard lessons throughout the show. Before she sings “I’m Here,” she’s just learned that Shug, the woman she’s in love with, wants to leave her for a man. The two have been through a lot at this point, but amazingly, Celie doesn’t let this new development break her. Instead, she sings this amazing number about how for the first time, she’s learned to love herself first and foremost.

Romantic love might give us all the feels, but when it comes to friendship? Some songs have the ability to turn us into straight-up puddles. So is the case with this bittersweet duet from “Wicked.” “Wicked” follows the friendship and later rivalry between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba – or as you may know her, the Wicked Witch of the West. The two sing “For Good” at the end of the second act, just before they leave each other behind… well, for good. The song is a beautiful recognition of their relationship and everything they’ve meant to each other, good and bad. If there’s one thing that’s true, it’s that people leave their mark – and this song is a wonderful tribute to that fact.

Here’s a song that ends up in a hopeful place, but takes a lot of sadness to get there. In “Carousel,” a character named Nettie sings “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to our main character Julie, just after her husband Billy dies from a stab wound. It’s meant as a song of encouragement, but it doesn’t really reach that crescendo until it’s sung again at the end of the show. Billy has returned as a spirit to try and help his daughter Louise, who’s become angry and lonely as she’s grown up without him. He implores her to believe the words of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and eventually she does. The song morphs into not just encouragement, but a song of hope and good will.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Slipping Through My Fingers,” “Mamma Mia!” (1999)
ABBA Knew What They Were Doing with This

“A Part of Us,” “Once on This Island” (1990)
Who Knew a Tree Could Make Us Cry?

“Somewhere That’s Green,” “Little Shop of Horrors” (1983)
Such a Simple Request, So Many Tears

“You Matter to Me,” “Waitress” (2016)
The Simplest Statement of All Is Also the Weepiest

“I Am What I Am,” “La Cage Aux Folles” (1983)
Loving Yourself Is the Most Important Thing

On his own, Sondheim can make us cry. But add Leonard Bernstein in, and you’ve got yourself a sobfest. “West Side Story” is one of the greatest musicals of all time, and its music soars above the rest. “One Hand, One Heart” fills us with hope for the love between Tony and Maria but nothing quite reaches the heights of “Somewhere.” In the original show, Tony and Maria sing this song in one last desperate attempt to keep their love alive. But in the new 2021 movie, a new character – played by the incomparable Rita Moreno – sings the song as almost a prayer for the young people in her neighborhood. No matter who sings it, it never fails to tug at our heartstrings.