The Saddest Musical Soundtracks To Cry Your Heart Out To
If you’ve had a bad day, the saddest musical soundtracks have got your back. Whether characters are lamenting their lost loves, friendship troubles, or sleeping through the French revolution, there’s something relatable for everyone’s woes.
Be More Chill
Jeremy is a high-school junior, resigned to being a loser. In order to impress Christine, the girl of his dreams, he takes an experimental pill from Japan that contains a supercomputer. Jeremy learns to ‘be more chill’ from the super computer’s instructions. But the saddest number in the soundtrack doesn’t come from Jeremy at all, but his best friend Michael. ‘Michael in the bathroom’ soliloquises about his best friend leaving him behind, and how misunderstood he feels by his peers. It’s the perfect mood music for your own bathroom break-down.
The Prom
Emma is bullied for wanting to go to her prom with her same-sex partner. Unsurprisingly, this musical has a number of songs that label it as one of the saddest musical soundtracks. However, the message of inclusivity does lead to a heart-warming ending. But that’s not to say you won’t cry: Emma has to face down the scheming PTA blocking her every move, while closeted Alyssa struggles to come to terms with her sexuality and her relationship with her family.
Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen is another high-school musical, dealing with many mature themes in a comedic, bitter-sweet way. A series of mishaps paint Evan as the only friend and confidant of the recently-deceased school bully, Connor Murphy. Evan’s awkward lies start to make him feel accepted by his peers and crush, and the situations begin to spiral out of his control. Evan imagines the ghost of Connor spurring him on, but in his heart, he knows he should tell the truth.
The Dressmaker
The Australian premiere of the Dressmaker features all the saddest moments from the book and film; when put to music, it features one of the saddest musical soundtracks. Tilly moves back to the town of Dungatar to put to rest the demons that have followed her for her whole life. Just as it seems like everything is going to be alright for the dressmaker, her allies begin to leave town, or sadly perish. Fortunately, Tilly’s bad luck begins to affect the cruel townspeople too; the abusive town chemist drowns, the councilman who assaults his wife is murdered, before in a grand finale the country town is razed to the ground by Tilly herself.
Hamilton
How does an obnoxious, arrogant, loudmouth bother have one of the saddest musical soundtracks of all time? While things don’t really get dark until act II, songs like ‘Dear Theodosia’ and ‘History has its eyes on you’ can still bring tears to your eyes. Hamilton tells the story of how Alexander Hamilton single-handedly won the American revolution, practically came up with all of George Washington’s legislature, basically could have totally become President if he really wanted to, but has since been key in deciding every presidential election to date, and how he essentially invented equality. Things go downhill pretty quick for Mr 10-Dollar Bill when his affair comes to light in ‘The Reynolds Pamphlet’.
Little Women
Another musical where act II takes a sad turn. If you’re familiar with the novel or other adaptions of Little Women, it may not be surprising that its Broadway show has one of the saddest musical soundtracks. The story tells the tale of a loving family separated from their father, a Union Army chaplain, by the civil war. Shy and timid sister Beth eventually falls sick with scarlet fever, and is mourned by her family. It’s a story of resilience in the face of tragedy, and leaves many audiences in tears.
Do these productions have the saddest musical soundtracks? What songs make you cry? Comment below.
Featured Image: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/theater/hamilton-puts-politics-onstage-and-politicians-in-attendance.html
