1. "Bye Bye Birdie"
   "Grease"
2. "Footloose"
   "Hairspray"

These famous lyrics are from "Grease," a popular musical set in 1959 that follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the peer pressures and trials of high school and young love. It starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

1. "West Side Story"
   "Grease"
2. "The Music Man"
   "Wicked"

"West Side Story" is a classic musical adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet." This song opens the show and sets up the Jets, one of the rival gangs that takes the place of the warring families in the original play.

1. "Annie Get Your Gun"
   "The Music Man"
2. "The Pajama Game"
   "Oklahoma"

"The Music Man" follows a con man who sells nonexistent musical instruments, but eventually falls in love with the librarian of a town he intended to scam. The musical, which was adapted as a film in 1962, is widely referenced and parodied in pop culture.

1. "Newsies"
   "Tick, Tick...Boom!"
2. "In the Heights"
   "Jersey Boys"

These lyrics are from "Newsies." Both the on-screen original and the Broadway show are based on the true story of the Children's Crusade told through the eyes of newspaper boys in New York.

1. "Repo: The Genetic Opera"
   "Little Shop of Horrors"
2. "Avenue Q"
   "Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog"

"Little Shop of Horrors" follows Seymour's attempt to revitalize a struggling flower shop, only for his new plant to grow out of control and demand human blood. With Seymour's help, the plant ends up eating Orin, a sadistic dentist who abuses his patients and girlfriend.

1. "The Sound of Music"
   "Cabaret"
2. "My Fair Lady"
   "Man of La Mancha"

The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a language specialist, so that she may pass as a lady. In this song, Eliza has just succeeded in speaking like a proper lady. The show is based on the George Bernard Shaw play, "Pygmalion."

1. "Oliver"
   "Les Miserables"
2. "Jesus Christ Superstar"
   "Cats"

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" focuses on the tension between Jesus' teachings of humility, his following, personal celebrity and his destiny to die. In this song, after overturning the money-changers' tables at the temple, he's overwhelmed by a large group of lepers demanding to be healed.

1. "A Chorus Line"
   "Cabaret"
2. "Gypsy"
   "Hair"

"A Chorus Line" is about the audition process for a fictional musical. At the end, we get to see and hear "One," which is the signature number from the show within the show.

1. "The Sound of Music"
   "The Phantom of the Opera"
2. "Matilda"
   "Kinky Boots"

"The Phantom of the Opera" is the longest running Broadway show in history and the best known work by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

1. "Hamilton"
   "1776"
2. "Assassins"
   "The Book of Mormon"

"Hamilton" is one of the most acclaimed musicals of the past few decades, winning not only Tony awards, but also a Pulitzer and Grammy. In this song, Aaron Burr laments that he had no role in deciding which city would be the U.S. capital. His frustrations lead him to pursue higher political power, even as it means burning bridges with Alexander Hamilton, his former friend.

1. "Hello, Dolly!"
   "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
2. "Anything Goes"
   "Guys and Dolls"

Originally a Broadway show, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" was made into a film in 1953. While the film wasn't Marilyn Monroe's first, her performance as Lorelai Lee is arguably her most iconic, especially the scene of her singing, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."

1. "Anything Goes"
   "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
2. "HMS Pinafore"
   "South Pacific"

"HMS Pinafore" is one of Gilbert and Sullivan's enduring operettas. Satirizing the British class system and government, the characters pointedly change their views on how honorable sailing is based purely on the social status of the sailors, with no regard to their talent.

1. "Oliver"
   "Cabaret"
2. "Anything Goes"
   "Annie Get Your Gun"

"Anything Goes" is an iconic Cole Porter musical. In addition to its title song, the show was also the origin for, "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You're the Top," which have each been covered by dozens of artists.

1. "Rent"
   "Miss Saigon"
2. "The King and I"
   "Hello, Dolly!"

"The King and I" is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best known works, focusing on a romance between the King of Siam and a British teacher. This song, "Shall We Dance," was named one of the best songs in film history by the American Film Institute.

1. "Avenue Q"
   "The Producers"
2. "Bare: A Pop Opera"
   "Hairspray"

These lyrics are from the hit Broadway show, "Avenue Q." The show's characters lament that as children, they were assured that they were special and could do anything; but as adults, they have discovered (to their surprise and dismay) that in the real world, their options are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else.

1. "South Pacific"
   "Spring Awakening"
2. "Fun Home"
   "The Boy Friend"

"Fun Home" is an adaptation of Alison Bechdel's graphic novel memoir of the same name. The story documents her coming to terms with her homosexuality and her discovery that her father was also gay, but never openly. The song "Ring of Keys" flashes back to Alison as a young child, as she remembers the first time she saw an '"old-school butch" woman, and the impact this had on her sense of self.

1. "Kiss Me Kate"
   "The Threepenny Opera"
2. "My Fair Lady"
   "Carnival!"

"Kiss Me Kate" was Cole Porter's most successful musical, focused on a troubled production of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." Near the end of the show, two gangsters give pun-filled advice on why a familiarity with Shakespeare is helpful in love.

1. "Guys and Dolls"
   "Pippin"
2. "Into the Woods"
   "Merrily We Roll Along"

These lyrics are from the musical, "Pippin." Originally, "Pippin: was conceived as a student musical entitled, "Pippin, Pippin," and performed by Carnegie Mellon University's Scotch'n'Soda theater troupe.

1. "Next to Normal"
   "In the Heights"
2. "Spring Awakening"
   "Hair"

These lyrics are from the hit musical, "Next to Normal." Its story concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that her illness and the attempts to alleviate it have on her family. The musical also addresses such issues as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry and the underbelly of suburban life.

1. "Wicked"
   "American Idiot"
2. "Once"
   "Rent"

These lyrics are from the hit musical, "Wicked." In this retelling of "The Wizard of Oz," Elphaba, later known as the Wicked Witch of the West, gets to share her side of the story. It was based on the book by Gregory Maguire.

1. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
   "Chicago"
2. "Annie"
   "Hair"

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is best known for its film adaptation, which is one of the most famous cult films ever made. These lyrics come from the iconic Time Warp sequence, which is Brad and Janet's first introduction to the world of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Let's do the Time Warp again!

1. "Legally Blonde"
   "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
2. "Dear Evan Hansen"
   "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

These lyrics are from "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." The title says it all, really. A group of kids participate in the 25th annual Putnam County spelling bee. Despite being young, these children have complicated feelings and a rich internal life that plays out as they are eliminated, one by one, from the competition.

1. "Jersey Boys"
   "Sunset Boulevard"
2. "Assassins"
   "Porgy and Bess"

"Assassins" is a Steven Sondheim musical following the lives and motivations of presidential assassins, whether successful or not. In this song, the balladeer outlines John Wilkes Booth's motives for killing Lincoln. In most productions, the balladeer is later revealed to be Lee Harvey Oswald.

1. "Urinetown"
   "Spring Awakening"
2. "Passing Strange"
   "13"

These lyrics are from the musical, "Spring Awakening." Based on the 1891 German play of the same name, "Spring Awakening" follows the sexual awakening of a group of teenagers. Melchior and Wendla find themselves drawn to one another, unsure of what to do with their attraction, while their friend Moritz struggles with confusing desires and depression.

1. "Kinky Boots"
   "Chicago"
2. "Rent"
   "Once"

Jonathan Larson's "Rent" follows a group of self-proclaimed bohemians struggling with AIDS and a lack of money in 1990s New York. In the song "Out Tonight," Mimi comes home from her job as an exotic dancer and makes it a mission to seduce Roger, who was attracted to her, but hesitant to start a new relationship.

1. "Into the Woods"
   "Cinderella"
2. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
   "South Pacific"

These lyrics are from the musical "Into the Woods." The film adaptation of this Stephen Sondheim show grossed over $213 million worldwide and received three Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations.

1. "The Last Five Years"
   "Legally Blonde"
2. "The Light in the Piazza"
   "Fiddler on the Roof"

These lyrics are from "The Last Five Years." The story explores a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage,) and Jamie's is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met.)

1. "Avenue Q"
   "Spamalot"
2. "Hairspray"
   "Little Shop of Horrors"

At the beginning of "Hairspray," Edna hasn't left her apartment in years due to anxiety about her weight. She also tries to discourage her daughter, Tracy, from auditioning for a spot on TV, since she worries Tracy will also be attacked for her size. By the end of the show, Edna and Tracy are both dancing on live TV, unashamed.

1. "Spamalot"
   "Man of La Mancha"
2. "The Pirates of Penzance"
   "South Pacific"

In Gilbert and Sullivan's, "The Pirates of Penzance," the pirates are easily guarded against due to their policy against harming orphans. The Major-General initially lies about being an orphan to escape them, but then enlists the police to arrest the pirates. His daughters do a poor job of encouraging their success.

1. "Godspell"
   "Les Miserables"
2. "Man of La Mancha"
   "Jesus Christ Superstar"

In "Les Miserables," Inspector Javert sings "Stars" to explain his belief in law as an organizing force in the universe and his need to uphold the law at all costs. This uncompromising view makes him the show's antagonist, albeit a sympathetic one, until he realizes his own moral failings in light of Jean Valjean.

1. "The Pajama Game"
   "Curtains"
2. "West Side Story"
   "Urinetown"

These lyrics are from "Curtains," a musical mystery comedy. The musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots. Set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts, it follows the fallout when the supremely untalented star of 'Robbin' Hood of the Old West' is murdered during her opening night curtain call.

1. A Year With Frog And Toad
   "Finding Neverland"
2. "Seussical the Musical"
   "Peter and the Starcatcher"

These lyrics are from "Seussical the Musical." The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two U.S. national tours and a United Kingdom tour. It has become a beloved show for schools, communities and regional theaters.

1. "Gypsy"
   "The Producers"
2. "Evita"
   "Cabaret"

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita" is based on the life of Argentina's Eva Peron. While she and her husband enjoyed great popularity, the show's narrator criticizes her for a lack of substance and the government's autocratic leanings, particularly after her death.

1. "Kinky Boots"
   "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
2. "Hairspray"
   "Hair"

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is a cult musical about a rocker who gets a sex change and becomes a woman in order to marry her 'Sugar Daddy' and escape East Berlin.

1. "Sunday in the Park With George"
   "The Producers"
2. "Gypsy"
   "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"

"Sunday in the Park With George" is split in two parts. The first focuses on impressionist painter, Georges Seurat, while the second focuses on his great-grandson, a modern artist struggling to maintain funding and attention for his own art.

1. "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"
   "Guys and Dolls"
2. "Chicago"
   "Cabaret"

"Chicago" is an American musical with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical is centered around lovely ladies and the murderous acts they commit. In this hit song, "Roxie," Roxie Hart reflects on how this murder will make her famous on the vaudeville circuit once she's out of prison.

1. "13"
   "Avenue Q"
2. "Fiddler on the Roof"
   "Mean Girls"

These lyrics are from a lesser known musical, "13." This show follows young Evan Goldman, a 13-year-old boy who's just moved from New York City to small-town Indiana. Evan Goldman grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school.

1. "Jesus Christ Superstar"
   "The Book of Mormon"
2. "Fiddler on the Roof"
   "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat"

"The Book of Mormon" is a hit musical following two Mormon missionaries who are woefully unequipped to handle the horrors of their post in Uganda. At the end of the first act, Elder Price becomes disillusioned, challenges God and makes plans to leave. Eventually, he has a change of heart.

1. "Bare: A Pop Opera"
   "Spring Awakening"
2. "The Last Five Years"
   "A Light in the Piazza"

These lyrics are from "Absolution" in "Bare: A Pop Opera." These lyrics come from the end of the musical about two teen boys in love, where Peter accuses the priest of failing to show Jason empathy, and when the priest merely apologizes for Peter's loss, Peter ironically forgives the priest.

1. "Les Miserables"
   "Jesus Christ Superstar"
2. "Company"
   "A Little Night Music"

"Company" is a Sondheim play focused on the dating and married lives of a group of New York thirty-somethings. In this song, "Not Getting Married Today," one of the characters gets cold feet about her impending wedding and begins singing one of the fastest songs Sondheim ever wrote.