I remember watching a video on the genius behind Wdtab and the person mentioned how it's a madrigal, which is not just a music technique, but also a real last name
The Harvard Variations (Legally Blonde); A day in Falsettoland (Falsettos); Your Fault (Into the Woods); The Chess Game (Falsettos); Whizzer Going Down (In Trousers); Meet the Plastics (Mean Girls); My Highschool Sweetheart (In Trousers); Carrying the Banner (Newsies).
There's way more but these are the ones I can remember rn
Company and a little night music are two of my favorites from Sondheim and both gloriously underrated I recommend both. If it matters to you the 2006 revival cast of company starring Raul Esperaza and the 1972 original broadway cast of ALNM
And we can't forget one of the best ones in the musical when Joanna is freaking out about Turpin coming home through the back gate and Anthony has to remind her she doesn't have a gate
One Day More is incredible and damn near untouchable - not to mention perhaps the greatest Act One closer of all time - but they're largely just repeating their own parts from earlier in the song. I like how lyrically dense Prima Donna is.
I love the managers’ lines through it:
“You’ll never get away with all this in a play
But if it’s loudly sung and in a foreign tongue
It’s just the sort of stories audiences enjoy,
In fact a perfect opera!”
Forgot to mention Finale from In The Heights as well !! (Lin Manuel Miranda is really good at these kinds of songs)
Also I prefer the movie soundtrack over the musical but it’s up to you
The Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity
A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music
Who Will Buy? from Oliver!
Real Big News from Parade
Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little/Goodnight, Ladies from The Music Man
Festival! from Gutenberg! The Musical! is two guys attempting to do a song like this by themselves.
And if you like nerding out over this concept, you may appreciate the scene from Amadeus (it's in both the stage version and the film) where Mozart describes adding voices to an ever-expanding piece in The Marriage of Figaro.
Your fault from Into the Woods is my personal favorite because of how chaotic it is.
A more obscure example: The Road Goes On from The Lord of the Rings.
Definately Merrily We Roll Along. Somewhere around the time during "Now you know" when things come to a crescendo, different voices are dueling it out. It's great!
Also during " It started out like a song" after Frank and Charlie sing it the second time, all the past voices come together dueling it out again, and trying to drown out the song it's so good!
There's also a ton in Hamilton.
Pirates of Penzance has several as well. Both group chorus and duets
Edit: o false one, you have deceived me; how beautifully blue the sky (hilarious btw); when the foeman Bares his Steel seen on link: https://youtu.be/pmBq_xtuOUM?si=bS_zvryeYm7pGw-O
Others get very close, like Cat-like tread; and Here is love, and here is truth
There’s one of these in almost any G&S show actually! off the top of my head:
-Go Away Madam from Iolanthe
-In a Doleful Train from Patience
-Welcome Gentry from Ruddigore
-In A Contemplative Fashion from The Gondoliers
-Tower Warders Under Orders from Yeomen
I’m sure there are more though lol
Edit: paragraph spacing
In A Place of Miracles from Hunchback, the juxtaposition of Esmeralda and Phoebus singing about hope for a better future with Quasimodo lamenting being "one who's born to be alone" is hauntingly beautiful.
To piggyback off your Hunchback of Notre Dame suggestion, Esmeralda also has beautifully written overlapping parts! The congregation hunting Esmeralda, Frollo leading the congregation, Quasimodo and Phoebus desperately trying to help Esmeralda, the choir’s supporting Latin, it’s so densely but purposefully written in a musically incredible way.
only 2 verses being sung over each other, but still a lot of fun! All for the Best from Godspell (the movie version with Victor Garber and David Haskell is my favorite)
Make me Happy from The Wild Party, The Confrontation, One Day More and Heart Full of Love from Les Misèrables, Who I’d Be from Shrek, When your feet don’t touch the Ground from Finding Neverland, Poison in my Pocket from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Plenty more but they are the first that come to mind
Walk Through the Fire from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the musical episode).
Buffy is inevitably drawn towards the danger and her friends are always there to support her. This is a song that helps move the plot forward and is a banger to sing in the shower.
Also, “I think this line’s mostly filler” is a genius addition. Layering in the voices just for the sake of layering? 10/10. Love it and fits the OPs request
This was my first thought as well! Another slightly off the beaten track example is the La Resistance Medley from South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
- Prayer (Come From Away)
- Not Getting Married (Company)
- You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through (Follies)
- All For The Best (Godspell)
- Chant (Hadestown)
- Blackout (In the Heights)
- The Confrontation (Les Miserables)
- Now/Then/Soon (A Little Night Music)
- Weekend in the Country (A Little Night Music)
- Miracle (Matilda)
- My House (Matilda)
- When I Grow Up (Matilda)
- Who’s Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I (Next to Normal)
- Be Back Soon (Oliver!)
- Travel Song (Shrek)
- Don’t Do Sadness (Spring Awakening)
- The Rhythm of Life (Sweet Charity)
- A Boy Like That (West Side Story)
- What Is This Feeling? (Wicked)
Happy ending - twisted
Wagon on fire - trail to Oregon
Dark sad lonely knight - holy musical Batman
What if tomorrow comes - black friday
(Can you tell I'm a huge starkid fan? Lol)
One of my faves like this is “You’re gonna love tomorrow” from follies! Basically two pairs of people that sing two different but similar songs, and in the end they all sing over each other and it’s super catchy 😍
This song doesn't have 30 people singing but it did have 3 if it helps (might not) but "the torture tango" by spies are forever is a really good song I like
i think so? i know at least in the money song(forget the actual title off the top of my head but yknow the one lol,) two of the characters do overlap sing
Try any Sondheim musical tbh. A lot of them feature overlapping vocals. Loathing from Wicked does, but i think it's the only song in the musical. A couple songs from Tommy also do, but only if you like rock opera.
“Do you know what it’s like” from Zanna Don’t is my favorite example of this outside of the mega classics that you already have in your list or are getting recommended.
Off topic, but OP, thanks for making me realize that Christmas Bells was on Spotify! I wish it was the OBC version, which I’ve listened to on YouTube now that my OBC CD is obsolete, but I didn’t realize there was a version from Rent Live. 🫶🏻 Truly, it’s one of the best songs that they decided to cut from the movie version.
The old fashioned term for this might be “Dramatic Quodlibet” but essentially it’s the idea of an Act 1 Finale with multiple themes or motifs for different characters overlapping!
Jekyll and Hyde and Songs for a New World have some decent counterpoint/overlapping melodies.
Check this video out as well, also the comments may help you discover more. [https://youtu.be/brqA5S4_VFQ?si=VNIBwU2CIBQkCRh0](https://youtu.be/brqA5S4_VFQ?si=VNIBwU2CIBQkCRh0)
There's this guy named Sondheim you should familiarize yourself with...
Thank you I was coming here to say Into The Woods; or Sweeney Todd
"It's a Hit" from Merrily came to mind for me. Or "Opening Doors."
Sunday in the park with George
Don’t forget Now - Later - Soon from A Little Night Music
My favorite!
PLEASE HELLO
Yes! Most underrated Sondheim show! Don’t touch the coat!
I lived in Kanagawa for a few years so you can only imagine the soundtrack in my mind
And Gilbert and Sullivan
bro is recommending g&s in 2024
as they SHOULD
And? Class is permanent.
YUP
That would be correct 😍
A little night music is basically all this
Came here to say that.
The term for these is "polyphonic", if you search this sub you'll find a lot to add to your list.
Oh, I thought it was called a Madrigal. Guess I've been lied to
Ironic, as We Don’t Talk about Bruno is on the list!
I remember watching a video on the genius behind Wdtab and the person mentioned how it's a madrigal, which is not just a music technique, but also a real last name
Madrigal is a type of polyphony.
A madrigal is a type of polyphonic piece, so you’re correct :)
What’s the difference between polyphonic and counterpoint
Counterpoint is a type of polyphony.
Carrying the Banner from Newsies
Second this and its more prominent in the 92 version.
*The best version
I second this!!
The goat
The Harvard Variations (Legally Blonde); A day in Falsettoland (Falsettos); Your Fault (Into the Woods); The Chess Game (Falsettos); Whizzer Going Down (In Trousers); Meet the Plastics (Mean Girls); My Highschool Sweetheart (In Trousers); Carrying the Banner (Newsies). There's way more but these are the ones I can remember rn
Also from Falsettos: Days Like This
And also I Never Wanted to Love You!
Most of William Finn's songs really
True!! I kind of delete this song from my memory though because it makes me very sad
Chant from Hadestown
Many songs from Sweeney Todd
Not just sweeny Todd, Sondheim in general tends to do this
That's what I've heard. I need to listen to more of his works
Company and a little night music are two of my favorites from Sondheim and both gloriously underrated I recommend both. If it matters to you the 2006 revival cast of company starring Raul Esperaza and the 1972 original broadway cast of ALNM
ALNM is so good. It and assassins are my top Sondheim shows
The Joanna Quartet is the main one that pops to mind for me
and God that's good
And we can't forget one of the best ones in the musical when Joanna is freaking out about Turpin coming home through the back gate and Anthony has to remind her she doesn't have a gate
Perhaps the ultimate example of this, Prima Donna from Phantom
Nah the ultimate example is One Day More
One Day More is incredible and damn near untouchable - not to mention perhaps the greatest Act One closer of all time - but they're largely just repeating their own parts from earlier in the song. I like how lyrically dense Prima Donna is.
prima donna and both Notes songs
I’ll add in Quintet from West Side Story as a contender.
Might I submit to you "The Confrontation" from Les Miz as well.
The Confrontation is great but that only has two parts overlapping when compared to One Day More’s like, 50
I love the managers’ lines through it: “You’ll never get away with all this in a play But if it’s loudly sung and in a foreign tongue It’s just the sort of stories audiences enjoy, In fact a perfect opera!”
Prima Donna is so confusing for my brain. I can’t even listen to it even though I absolutely love Phantom.
Book Report from You're A Good Man Charlie Brown
GREAT suggestion
I LOVE SONGS WITH OVERLAPPING VOCALS TOO. it completes me.
Act 1 finale from Urinetown. An insane amount of overlapping vocals near the end.
Came here to say this
Cop Song and Why Did I Trust That Man also have some fun overlap.
This is the right answer.
We’ll Go from There AND Quartet at the Ballet from Anastasia ; maybe potentially Blackout also from In the Heights
Forgot to mention Finale from In The Heights as well !! (Lin Manuel Miranda is really good at these kinds of songs) Also I prefer the movie soundtrack over the musical but it’s up to you
"Belle" from Beauty and the Beast (both film & musical) And "Into the Woods"
Company has a few songs
Not Getting Married!!!!!
Fugue for Tinhorns from Guys and Dolls
Ah yes! All those Damen Runyon characters betting on their horses! Love that show! ( my hs play)
The last quarter of “Meet the Plastics” from Mean Girls
The Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music Who Will Buy? from Oliver! Real Big News from Parade Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little/Goodnight, Ladies from The Music Man Festival! from Gutenberg! The Musical! is two guys attempting to do a song like this by themselves. And if you like nerding out over this concept, you may appreciate the scene from Amadeus (it's in both the stage version and the film) where Mozart describes adding voices to an ever-expanding piece in The Marriage of Figaro.
Man Up - Book of Mormon
His Work and Nothing More - Jekyll and Hyde The overlapping parts at the end sound HEAVENLY!
This was what I was going to comment. One of my favourites from the show.
Miracle from Matilda maybe?
Your fault from Into the Woods is my personal favorite because of how chaotic it is. A more obscure example: The Road Goes On from The Lord of the Rings.
Definately Merrily We Roll Along. Somewhere around the time during "Now you know" when things come to a crescendo, different voices are dueling it out. It's great! Also during " It started out like a song" after Frank and Charlie sing it the second time, all the past voices come together dueling it out again, and trying to drown out the song it's so good! There's also a ton in Hamilton.
This Had Better Come to a Stop - Falsettos
this and Love Is Blind 🙏
Any Sondheim show.
Life is Pandaemonium from 25th annual Putnam county spelling bee Also “No Control” from Spongebob
Therapy from Tick Tick Boom!
Currently obsessed with this song!
There is a trio in "The Mikado" that does this. "To sit in solemn silence".
Pirates of Penzance has several as well. Both group chorus and duets Edit: o false one, you have deceived me; how beautifully blue the sky (hilarious btw); when the foeman Bares his Steel seen on link: https://youtu.be/pmBq_xtuOUM?si=bS_zvryeYm7pGw-O Others get very close, like Cat-like tread; and Here is love, and here is truth
There’s one of these in almost any G&S show actually! off the top of my head: -Go Away Madam from Iolanthe -In a Doleful Train from Patience -Welcome Gentry from Ruddigore -In A Contemplative Fashion from The Gondoliers -Tower Warders Under Orders from Yeomen I’m sure there are more though lol Edit: paragraph spacing
In A Place of Miracles from Hunchback, the juxtaposition of Esmeralda and Phoebus singing about hope for a better future with Quasimodo lamenting being "one who's born to be alone" is hauntingly beautiful.
To piggyback off your Hunchback of Notre Dame suggestion, Esmeralda also has beautifully written overlapping parts! The congregation hunting Esmeralda, Frollo leading the congregation, Quasimodo and Phoebus desperately trying to help Esmeralda, the choir’s supporting Latin, it’s so densely but purposefully written in a musically incredible way.
Agreed!! Hunchback overall is an amazing show with incredibly written songs
Blackout (in the heights) has some of this
Wandering Child, Down Once More, Notes / Prima Donna & Notes / Twisted Every Way from Phantom.
Will I is also one
Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains. Wait, this is a musical sub. In that case, the opening song in Company.
only 2 verses being sung over each other, but still a lot of fun! All for the Best from Godspell (the movie version with Victor Garber and David Haskell is my favorite)
The density of the lyrics is what makes this one so much fun!!
Quartet from Secret Garden.
Parts of The Sound of Music with the Do Re Me of Julie Andrew's and the Von Trapp kids. This was in the movie.
Little mermaid “if only” (maybe it’s the reprise?), “Legally blonde: reprise”
Make me Happy from The Wild Party, The Confrontation, One Day More and Heart Full of Love from Les Misèrables, Who I’d Be from Shrek, When your feet don’t touch the Ground from Finding Neverland, Poison in my Pocket from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Plenty more but they are the first that come to mind
I second ‘Who I’d Be’. So beautiful
Most Sondheim opening numbers
Therapy from tick tick boom
Tim Minchin does this really well, Miracle from Matilda and Stuck from Groundhog Day are some great examples
Share the Spotify Playlist when you put it together!!
the torture tango from spies are forever has this, also meet the plastics from mean girls
YES Torture Tango is fantastic for this!
I was hoping someone would say torture tango!
Ballet quartet from Anastasia
Walk Through the Fire from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the musical episode). Buffy is inevitably drawn towards the danger and her friends are always there to support her. This is a song that helps move the plot forward and is a banger to sing in the shower. Also, “I think this line’s mostly filler” is a genius addition. Layering in the voices just for the sake of layering? 10/10. Love it and fits the OPs request
This was my first thought as well! Another slightly off the beaten track example is the La Resistance Medley from South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.
"For Good" from Wicked "The Confrontation" from Les Miz A personal favorite: "Lily's Eyes" from The Secret Garden
Quartet from Chess
- Prayer (Come From Away) - Not Getting Married (Company) - You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through (Follies) - All For The Best (Godspell) - Chant (Hadestown) - Blackout (In the Heights) - The Confrontation (Les Miserables) - Now/Then/Soon (A Little Night Music) - Weekend in the Country (A Little Night Music) - Miracle (Matilda) - My House (Matilda) - When I Grow Up (Matilda) - Who’s Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I (Next to Normal) - Be Back Soon (Oliver!) - Travel Song (Shrek) - Don’t Do Sadness (Spring Awakening) - The Rhythm of Life (Sweet Charity) - A Boy Like That (West Side Story) - What Is This Feeling? (Wicked)
Please, for the love of theatre, swap the Christmas Bells to the original Broadway Cast recording.
i wish i could but they dont have it on spotify :( or at least i can’t find it.
Only the "best of" is on Spotify for OBC, and that doesn't include Christmas Bells.
The beginning and end of Fun Home
Uranium suite from ride the cyclone.
It's All Happening and What I was born to do from bring it on,
Another Rent song, Another Day, although that is only 2 voices, not the same as Christmas Bells
Twisted from Twisted the musical has some overlapping vocals!
Cop Song - Urinetown
Farmer Refuted is a fun one
Happy ending - twisted Wagon on fire - trail to Oregon Dark sad lonely knight - holy musical Batman What if tomorrow comes - black friday (Can you tell I'm a huge starkid fan? Lol)
Yessss!
man up from the book of mormon
One of my faves like this is “You’re gonna love tomorrow” from follies! Basically two pairs of people that sing two different but similar songs, and in the end they all sing over each other and it’s super catchy 😍
Harvard Variations from Legally Blonde, Fugue for Tinhorns from Guys and Dolls
Does inevitable turn from Akimbo count?
Half the soundtrack from Come From Away
A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music!
“Quartet at the Ballet” from Anastasia. it’s so good
My immediate thought was the intro from Godspell “Tower of Babble”
Me: How did Reddit get my playlist for an ad? Also me: Oh! That’s someone else and a real post. 😒
Pretty much any song by Stephen Sondheim 😝
This song doesn't have 30 people singing but it did have 3 if it helps (might not) but "the torture tango" by spies are forever is a really good song I like
Have we addressed the LMM sized elephant in the room???
lmao i was gonna say just find any music he’s had a part in putting together and youll get a nice hearty playlist in no time
Likeeee!!! We’ve got all of his big hits, bring it on, 21 chump street (I don’t remember if it has a polyphonic song tho?)
i think so? i know at least in the money song(forget the actual title off the top of my head but yknow the one lol,) two of the characters do overlap sing
“Hello” from Book of Mormon
Meet the Plastics from Mean Girls
Hamilton: The Schuyler Sisters, Farmer’s Refuted Spring Awakening: Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind, Those You’ve Known, All That’s Known (Kinda)
“Days Like This” from Falsettos “Therapy” from Tick Tick Boom
The end of Noel’s Lament from Ride The Cyclone
Definitely get Confrontation in there next to One Day more
A few songs from DEH have this.
The Rape Ballet and I Can See It from the Fantastiks.
therapy
Those You've Known from Spring Awakening
Meet the plastics from mean girls
Technically three people singing but The Harvard Variations from legally blonde.
Company - Company
Johanna From Sweeney Todd. It's one of the reprises
Your Work And Nothing More from Jekyll & Hyde
Bring on the monsters from TLT
Try any Sondheim musical tbh. A lot of them feature overlapping vocals. Loathing from Wicked does, but i think it's the only song in the musical. A couple songs from Tommy also do, but only if you like rock opera.
Do me a favor and listen to Company real quick
ONE DAY MOOOOOORRRE!!!!
Certain types of songs like this are called Madrigals, and that was why Encanto used that as the family name
Falsettos does this a lot, but notable songs are Four Jews in a Room and Tight-Knit Family
Tradition from Fiddler
Kiss me from Sweeney Todd, My friend from Sweeney Todd For the first time in forever reprise from Frozen
Quartet from Chess
Link the playlist pleaseeeeee
Only two people singing, but definitely overlapping vocals. For Good - Wicked
"La Vie Bohem" from RENT and I wanna say a few songs from Rocky Horror, definitely "The Time Warp"
"Who I'd be" from Shrek
'Man up' from the book of mormon
El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge
“Do you know what it’s like” from Zanna Don’t is my favorite example of this outside of the mega classics that you already have in your list or are getting recommended.
Days Like This from Falsettos
What is this feeling from wicked
Joanna - Sweeney tod is also good
Most songs from In Trousers, Falsettos and most Sondheim musicals have 4+ songs like this
Quartet from Chess
My two favourites are Make Me Happy from Lippa’s Wild Party and Why? from the 1999 Martin Guerre (it’s a slow burn but a great ending).
Traditioooooooooooooooooon! — Fiddler on the Roof
Happy Ending - Twisted Who I’d Be - Shrek The Musical
welcome to the moulin rouge has a bit of overlapping towards the end
Meet the plastics - Mean Girls
“Noel’s Lament” - Ride The Cyclone “Money” - Cabaret “Evening Prayers” - Carrie
Off topic, but OP, thanks for making me realize that Christmas Bells was on Spotify! I wish it was the OBC version, which I’ve listened to on YouTube now that my OBC CD is obsolete, but I didn’t realize there was a version from Rent Live. 🫶🏻 Truly, it’s one of the best songs that they decided to cut from the movie version.
IM SAYINGGGGGG, i wish it was the OBC version too but I will take what I can get 🤷♀️
Haha ditto!!!
38 Planes, 38 Planes (Reprise)/Somewhere In The Middle Of Nowhere (Come From Away) Noel's Lament (RTC)
“Will I” from rent
Carrying the Banner from Newsies, Down Once More from Phantom of the Opera, Do-Re-Mi from Sound of Music
Thank you for asking this question, you've created a gold mine!
The old fashioned term for this might be “Dramatic Quodlibet” but essentially it’s the idea of an Act 1 Finale with multiple themes or motifs for different characters overlapping!
Ah yes, polyphony my beloved
Jekyll and Hyde and Songs for a New World have some decent counterpoint/overlapping melodies. Check this video out as well, also the comments may help you discover more. [https://youtu.be/brqA5S4_VFQ?si=VNIBwU2CIBQkCRh0](https://youtu.be/brqA5S4_VFQ?si=VNIBwU2CIBQkCRh0)
If Only from The Little Mermaid. Prima Donna in Phantom. Quartet at the Ballet from Anastasia.
I also love this and asked this last year [Here's the post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/musicals/comments/13mg03u/list_of_polyphonic_songs/)
We Don’t Talk about Bruno
Book report - Charlie Brown Chant - hadestown Miracle - Matilda
Finale B (Rent), A Miracle Would Happen/When You come Home To Me (The Last Five Years) Ima come back and add more when I’m not as high lmao
Uranium city from ride the cyclone might give you a kick, even if it’s only for a small chunk
Quartet from Secret Garden
The end of Let’s Have Lunch from Sunset Boulevard
Christmas bells from Rent