The High School Musical trilogy, as well as its spin-offs, is one of the most successful musical franchises in history. The songs from the High School Musical movies have been watched, listened to, and danced to by both millennials and Gen Z. The Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” (HSM) series of movies has been a smash hit in the United States since 2006, with a plethora of excellent songs on their original soundtracks. Since then, prolific director Kenny Ortega’s cinematic marvel of a Disney Channel original film has spawned numerous sequels, stage adaptations, endless memes, and even a spinoff series for a new audience on Disney+ — which has recently gained a cult following.
It’s been more than 15 years since the first High School Musical film aired on television, introducing us to East High and Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. Nowadays, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are big stars, and we’re getting ready for High School Musical 4, so there’s no way that the first trilogy will go down in Disney Channel Original Movie history as perhaps the most famous films. While every song the East High crew sang was an instant hit, we can’t argue that some are (way) better than others. So, we have compiled a list of the “Best High School Musical Songs” for you to look at and reminisce about the time you wanted to star in this movie.
High School Musical From High School Musical Three
The super-popular Disney series “High School Musical” encapsulates the sentiment behind it, as the kids enjoy their Wildcat experiences while looking ahead to the future. This final song perfectly sums up the trilogy, with a slew of nods to the series’ other mega hits. It serves as a reminder that, while high school (and the musical, and this series) might be over, the songs and memories created can last a lifetime.
You Are The Music In Me From High School Musical 2
Kelsi wrote the song for Troy and Gabriella to sing. Sharpay, on the other hand, takes the song to the Midsummer Night’s Talent Show. You will hear the reprised rockier version of the song in the voice of Tisdale in place of Hudgens as Troy and Sharpay practice. This song may not have been a success at first, but fans of the franchise have come to appreciate the elegance of this secret gem over time. The music is more than a love song; it emphasizes the relationship between the movie’s characters. This is the only album from the second film’s soundtrack that makes the cut, owing to the fact that the others are essentially rehashes of the first film’s hits.
We’re All In This Together From High School Musical
“We’re All In This Together” is a full-cast, “Drumline”-style song about school spirit and individuality, and it’s most likely the song that got stuck in your head the first time you saw the movie. It’s always catchy, but it also teaches an important message in watching out for someone. It’s the best way to “make our dreams come true,” after all. This is the first film’s main closing theme, and it’s one of the top five tracks from the High School Musical films. This is one of the songs where the whole cast joins in and has a great time singing and laughing in celebration of friendship.
What I’ve Been Looking For From High School Musical
“What I’ve Been Looking For,” a jaunty piano-driven ditty about newly-discovered emotions, is one of the most Broadway musical-like songs on any of the “High School Musical” Soundtracks. This is a song from the trilogy’s first film. Sharpay and Ryan, the renowned brother-sister duo of East High School, make their first appearance. Sharpay and Ryan, both stars of the Wildcats Theatre Department, lead the voices, so it’s no surprise that this number is so big. If you like Broadway musicals, you will enjoy this song. This fine and classic jazz square may be a musical cliché, but the two actor-singers stun us with their confidence, attitude, and airy performance.
Just Wanna Be With You From High School Musical Three
“Just Wanna Be with You,” a radio-friendly pop song, is an ode to everlasting friendship, sharing the sentiment that no matter how many distractions life throws at you, friends will always be “with you” every step of the way. This is the franchise’s show-stopper tune, which appears at the end of the third film, High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Troy and Gabriella don’t want to miss their last performance on the East High School level. So they return and sing their hearts out while their friends join in at the end of the set, and they all share one more happy moment on stage. This song is great for those near-graduation blues you get from worrying about how much you’ll miss seeing your closest mates every day, with lyrics like “You’re on my mind, you’re in my heart / It doesn’t matter where we are / It’ll be alright / Even if we’re miles apart.”
Breaking Free From High School Musical Three
“Breaking Free” is a pop-rock song about moving beyond and above peer expectations, saying “no” to the status quo, and pursuing your real ambitions. Breaking Free is the trilogy’s heart and soul, as it insists on pursuing one’s heart rather than what others tell you to do. In the film’s climax sequence, Troy and Gabriella come together amid all of the challenges thrown at them to sing their hearts out, and the whole East High comes to see these partners shine. It is, without a doubt, the best song in all three films. The two stars croon to one another about how they’ll finally soar if they can just do it together—free—in this celebratory number that begins out on a high note and continues to build.
The Boys Are Back From High School Musical Three
The Boys Are Back is a duet between Troy and Chad, the best boys from the High School Musical franchise, who performs his song in Riley’s Auto Salvage Junkyard while pondering their future during their senior year at East High School. They’ve been best friends since childhood, not only as Wildcats. They talk of how they want to go to college together and play basketball on the same side, which has become a long-held ambition of theirs. Apart from the actor-singers performances, the production designer’s costume choice stands out in this song. The headband and hip street boy look are a departure from how we usually see the characters dressed. The outfit choice most likely represents them maturing and making their own decisions.
Start of Something New From High School Musical
This song serves as the opening number for the first film, as well as the entire franchise. To put it another way, this song carried a lot of the weight of the whole franchise, and an opening song can often make or break a film. With its sweet melody complementing Troy and Gabriella’s budding relationship, “Start of Something New” certainly hit the mark. The song is set during Troy and Gabriella’s winter break at a ski resort, where they get together to sing at a karaoke night. Gabriella was a freshman at East High School at the time. This is a pivotal scene because it is here that the characters meet and fall in love for the first time.
Get’cha Head In The Game From High School Musical
Get’cha Head in the Game has become a popular basketball chant. It’s a powerful song that demonstrates Troy’s commitment to the game and his Wildcats team. The fast-paced, powerful rhythm puts a lot of energy on the Wildcats while still making us want to dance to the beats. “Get’cha Head in the Game,” a thumping, sneaker squeak/basketball bounce-infused R&B song about the distraction of a new crush, was one of the first film’s mega hits. This beat-heavy track is led by an ensemble cast that includes Zac Efron as Troy and Corbin Bleu as Chad. While the overall lyrics of this short song aren’t very exciting, the catchy backbeat and message of “concentrate now” make it ideal for a workout.
Right Here Right Now From High School Musical Three
This power ballad embraces teen love while also raising concerns about the impending life changes brought about by graduation. This smash hit, performed by Zac Efron as Troy and Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella, is unquestionably the highlight of the trilogy’s third film. It’s no surprise that this power ballad is a sensation with younger audiences, with lines like “Can you imagine what would happen / if we could have any dream?” It advocates living in the moment and not thinking about tomorrow, as well as pursuing any dream one can imagine.
