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Ranking High School Musical Songs

High School Musical is one of my childhood favorites, so it’s very much a nostalgic franchise for me. It’s a musical that depends heavily on its numbers to carry it through the cheesy plot and dialogue, and for the most part the films succeeded in that area. All three films had their strong numbers, but the second movie was clearly the best one. I am going to rank every single HSM song by how catchy and memorable they are and how well sung, written and performed they are as well. Here is my ranking of all 28 High School Musical songs.

 

28. Just Wanna Be With You

This is another filler song set on the stage during the last movie. Of all the romantic songs in that film, this one was the most lackluster one. It’s too slight, too fluffy and the lyrics are beyond cheesy and corny, so it gets the last place on my list.

 

27. A Night to Remember

This one is pretty forgettable. The stage setting somewhat elevated it beyond being totally uninteresting, but the overall lyrics, energy and music are very lacking here. Even the chorus is not all that striking. It’s not bad, but it’s very much a filler song.

 

26. The Boys Are Back

The Boys Are Back does benefit from a very memorable imagery of Troy and Chad being all cool and nostalgic. The choreography and props on the scene were the highlights here and so was the feel of the lyrics, but the number itself is thoroughly uninteresting and far from memorable.

 

25. Now or Never

This is an odd song that is set on the court and is all about basketball, but then suddenly Gabriella bursts into a song midway through, professing her love for Troy. It was corny and unnecessary. The whole song is energetic and very well filmed for sure, but it’s too chaotic and messy for it to work properly.

 

24. Can I Have This Dance

This romantic ballad does have strong choreography, a solid setting and it is, well, quite romantic and sweet. Their dance was the highlight here. The song itself is okay. It’s well sung and charming, but far from truly unforgettable. The third movie had way too many of these ballads in my opinion.

 

23. I Want It All

Everything that I will say about Fabulous also applies here. This HSM3 song is another ode to Sharpay as a character and she is definitely very memorable here, but the song itself is another forgettable number that isn’t all that entertaining to me. Its chorus is catchier, but the imagery weaker than the aforementioned song, so they’re pretty much of the same quality.

 

22. Fabulous

Fabulous is really not my cup of tea. I do get why people love this song as who doesn’t love Sharpay? However, it’s such a disappointing number on its own that even she couldn’t save it. The lyrics are funny and fitting the character so well and the actress killed it, but the song has an annoying sound and bop to it that really did not appeal to me. It’s too slight and forgettable.

 

21. Start of Something New

This one is fine for what it is – the beginning of the entire series basically. This is where the tone of the franchise was established and the musical tone too as it sounds so much like most High School Musical songs. This is why it’s also far from memorable to me. It’s too fluffy and forgettable, though obviously very well sung.

 

20. What Time Is It?

This number is not at all memorable in its bop and refrain. It really should have been more striking in its overall chorus. However, where it does succeed is in the lyrics, which perfectly embody the sheer joy and excitement of the upcoming summer vacation during your high school years. It was a solid way to begin the second movie for sure.

 

19. What I’ve Been Looking For

The inferior of the two versions of this song, this is once again a very short and breezy number. It’s gorgeously sung for sure, but it’s also way too slow and I definitely prefer the similarly intentioned You Are the Music in Me over this slight ballad.

 

18. Walk Away

Walk Away is a Gabriella solo number where she has to, well, walk away from a certain issue in her life. This is pretty much the formula behind each and every one of her solo songs throughout the entire franchise, so it felt very familiar here. With that being said, the refrain is so catchy and fun and the song has that nineties feel to it that I really appreciated. It’s one of the better HSM3 songs for me.

 

17. Get’cha Head in the Game

A perfectly fine song, but one that was a bit too repetitious in its refrain, though undeniably infectiously catchy. It serves its purpose in terms of the plot and characterization and it’s suitably energetic, but I personally prefer songs that aren’t set on the basketball court.

 

16. High School Musical

The third best song of the third movie by a long shot, the song isn’t as great as it should have been given that it’s named after the entire franchise, but it’s still a pretty good one. Everyone singing and dancing together for the last time was definitely quite moving. The refrain is pretty catchy itself and the song is exuberant and fun, though obviously it could have been even more memorable.

 

15. What I’ve Been Looking For

By far the better of the two versions of this number – this one is longer, more energetic and much more enjoyable. Sharpay and Ryan have always been a wonderful duo and they were so well synced in here with their singing and dancing. The highlight is the final dance moment that is so joyous and just so much fun.

 

14. You Are the Music in Me

Very schmaltzy in its lyrics, but undeniably fun and charming in its lightweight, upbeat tempo. It’s very well sung and again highly pleasant, but when compared to the best songs in HSM2 it cannot quite compare. But I still really like it and it only gets better as it gets faster toward the end.

 

13. Bet on It

Bet on It is one of those Troy songs that are meant to offer a glimpse into his inner conflict, this time about his fears of disappointing his friends and partner. Zac Efron is electric here and the song makes a great use of its golf field setting, making for a great music video look to it. The song isn’t among my absolute favorites, but it’s still so well done and quite catchy, proving just how strong the HSM2 soundtrack really is. The final refrain is particularly terrific.

 

12. Scream

Of all the songs that High School Musical had, Scream is the most unique. This is probably the only rock number in the franchise and it gets extra credit for its different tone and feel. It has surprisingly deep lyrics for the series, an electric Zac Efron, strong imagery and it just sounds excellent all-around. It’s the standout from the third movie that otherwise has lackluster songs, so this one deserves even more praise for managing to stand head to toes with the songs from the first two flicks.

 

11. I Don’t Dance

Another hit from the second movie, I Don’t Dance has a very catchy and fun bop that is also quite memorable. The song is iconic not just for its beat, but also for its lyrics – they suggest some unsolved feelings between Chad and Ryan as they basically sing about their attraction to each other. It’s a very fun number and such a blast to watch and listen to.

 

10. Right Here, Right Now

This is just one of two High School Musical 3 songs that I genuinely enjoyed. That movie really has some lackluster songs, but Right Here, Right Now is a wonderful Troy-Gabriella duet that really works. It’s classical in a sense, so romantic and very catchy. The treehouse setting is lovely and the singing from both of them is excellent. It’s the best song from the final film.

 

9. Stick to the Status Quo

Stick to the Status Quo is one of the first movie’s songs that grew on me as it gets better and better as you listen to it more and more. It’s quite long and repetitious for sure, but it works in its main beat that is infectiously catchy and choreography that is reliably superb. As the high school students jump and dance and sing about the importance of sticking to the status quo, the number perfectly functions as the leitmotif for the movie’s story.

 

8. Work This Out

One of the most modern and coolest numbers you can find in this franchise, Work This Out isn’t only catchy and kinetic, but it also made perfect use of its kitchen setting, utilizing the appliances as instruments and making some great sounds and beats. It’s a slight, but fun number and one of the best in the second flick.

 

7. Bop to the Top

The most purely entertaining HSM1 number, Bop to the Top is very short indeed, but it’s so damn effective. Sharpay and Ryan are undeniable pros and their choreography is impeccable. The song is charmingly Latin-infused in its beat, incredibly catchy and just fun, but the highlight is the dancing from this powerhouse sibling duo. They always stole the show when they performed together, so it’s a shame that they didn’t do it more often.

 

6. All for One

All for One is another very underrated gem in the effortless second movie. This is the final number that closed that movie with style and loads of fun. The choreography is insanely good, the pool imagery is super cool and the song is irresistibly catchy in its main refrain. The highlight for me is the theme of the lyrics as the song pinpoints the pure joy and excitement that all of us felt when school ended and summer vacation began.

 

5. When There Was Me and You

This is by far the most underrated gem from the original’s soundtrack. As a big fan of ballads, I loved this one. As Gabriella sings about Troy and their time spent together in the past, the result is a very romantic and moving number that is the most Disneyesque in this roster of songs. There is not a lot that happens here in terms of scope and choreography, but not all songs need to be kinetic and huge, and this one functions as a nice in-between charmer that is so beautifully sung.

 

4. Breaking Free

Breaking Free is one of the final numbers in the first movie and one of the best for sure. It’s a great Gabriella-Troy duet and by far the second best number of the original. It’s a catchy song that is so energetic, so well sung and wonderfully performed by Hudgens and Efron. When you think of HSM ballads, this is one of the first numbers that pops up and for a good reason.

 

3. Everyday

Everyday is one of a couple of songs that ended the second movie on a real bang. It’s a beautiful duet between Troy and Gabriella that is so well sung, catchy and so elegantly romantic. The highlight here is all of the audience chiming in and tapping and eventually dancing together with the two of them, making for such a joyous, triumphant number that is oh so High School Musical.

 

2. Gotta Go My Own Way

By far the most underrated HSM song and my absolute favorite, Gotta Go My Own Way came during the important moment of fallout between Troy and Gabriella and you can just sense the feel of sadness and regret in her voice as she sings about having to find her own way. The number is definitely very dramatic, but this is a series about teenagers, so it should be dramatic. This is a wonderful, sad romantic ballad that benefits from a particularly phenomenal final chorus where the two sing to each other in a very emotional way. The bridge scenery is also lovely and the refrain is just so catchy and moving. It’s my favorite HSM song, but it doesn’t quite represent the franchise most fittingly, so it is the runner-up on my list.

 

1. We’re All in This Together

What do all of us think when we think of High School Musical? The answer is plain and simple – we think of the triumphant final number that closed the original film – We’re All in This Together. Vibrant, kinetic and oh so catchy, this song is so easy to sing to and featuring quite memorable lyrics that fit within this universe so well. The highlight, however, is clearly the masterful choreography. It was so well orchestrated with every single actor and actress delivering stellar moves and working in sync to create such a joyous, brilliantly crafted number. Wherever you look on the screen, you will see strongly executed moves. For all of these reasons, this song has to take the number one spot on this list as it’s objectively the pinnacle of the entire franchise.