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Today marks the 15th anniversary of ‘High School Musical’, which means now is the time to revisit our favorite shows from the TV movie that started it all.
That’s right – it’s been a decade and a half (!) Since basketball player Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and bizarre genius daughter Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) were brought together by fate and the karaoke gods in a ski chalet on New Year’s Eve.
Since then, prolific director Kenny Ortega’s cinematic masterpiece, an original Disney Channel film, has sparked multiple sequels, stage productions, countless memes and even a spinoff series for a new generation on Disney + – which has recently taken off.
Starring Efron, Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman, the 2006 family film followed Troy, Gabriella and their fellow East High Wildcats as they sang and danced their hormonal hearts on stage, through the hallways. , in the dining room. and on the basketball court.
In honor of the film’s 15th anniversary, we’ve ranked each musical number in the film from bravo to brava.
9. “What I searched for (Reprise)”
Yes, this brief cover is essential to the plot, (spoiler alert!) Assuring our protagonists a fateful reminder in the winter music of East High. And the harmonies are sweet. But frankly, it’s a snooze-fest compared to Ryan and Sharpay’s lively arrangement (see: # 5).
It’s still worth watching, however, only for my favorite part (at 0:20) when Gabriella flaunts her best “B—, I have this” smile as student songwriter Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) lays her out. landmark. Classic.
8. “Bop up”
While “Bop to the Top” holds a special place in my heart, I take my work as a critic of “High School Musical” very seriously. And the harsh truth is that any song with the lyrics “zig, zag, zop / bop like a mop”, objectively has to bop, bop, bop at the bottom of this list.
But hey, props to Sharpay (Tisdale) and the unsung hero of the “High School Musical” series, Ryan (Grabeel), for giving everything to this doomed encore, complete with a flashy gold ladder and disco ball.
7. “We are all in the same boat”
Presenting the hottest take in this ranking: “We are all together” is overrated and overplayed! Somewhere down the line, the good-humored, school-spirited finale became the definitive theme song for the entire “High School Musical” saga, and that’s a shame. Because there are so many better options (see: Nos. 1-6).
The solos are fun and energetic, the message is inspiring – albeit extremely cliché – and Yes, I have memorized The Dance since I was 9 years old. (Haven’t we all?) But it’s still a difficult and rare jump on a soundtrack full of gems that never get old.
6. “When there was me and you”
No “High School Musical” movie would be complete without a deliciously melodramatic break-up ballad from teenage angst queen Gabriella Montez. It’s not “Gotta Go My Own Way” from “High School Musical 2,” but “When There Was Me and You” deserves a top spot on this list for the ridiculously large hallway poster of Troy Bolton alone. (Go to 2:17. You’re welcome.)
5. “What I searched for”
Sharpay’s shimmering half-shrug! Ryan’s Dazzled Hat! Unpleasant vocal warm-ups! The drama club co-chairs really delivered this upbeat and superior interpretation of “What I’ve Been Looking For.” Sorry, Kelsi, but everyone loves a good jazz square. It’s a crowd favorite.
Speaking of the Place of Jazz: I’m always grateful to this scene for giving us the greatest “High School Musical” meme of all time. Let’s just say Disney wouldn’t endorse us including said meme here, but real “HSM” stans know what I’m talking about.
4. “Respect the status quo”
For anyone who hasn’t seen “High School Musical”: First off, it looks like it’s time for a quarantine viewing night. And secondly, it’s no spoiler that the whole plot hinges on the absurd idea that once you join a clique in high school (like, say, the basketball brothers) you’re definitely banned. to splash around! other! interests! (like, say, musical theater) if you want to maintain some semblance of social life.
These strict rules are spelled out with a theatrical touch in the cafeteria showstopper ‘Stick to the Status Quo’, which essentially sees East High students losing their damn minds and repeatedly shaming their classmates for having hidden talents. cool, like playing the cello or baking (justice for Zeke and his nasty creme brulee none of his fake friends deserve!).
3. “Get’cha Head in the Game”
Two words: basketball choreography. Ortega and his creative team really went above and beyond with this certified “I Want” number bop for Troy that perfectly sums up that feeling when your head is in the game but your heart is in the song. We’ve all been there.
2. “Start of something new”
OK, seriously, how cute are Baby Z and Baby V ?! I sincerely hope that the casting director who discovered Zac and Vanessa still receives nice royalties, because their onscreen chemistry is truly unmatched. It is immediately apparent from the opening issue of the “High School Musical” franchise that Disney struck solid gold with their main lovers, for whom the TV movie was indeed the “Beginning of Something New.”
(Note: If you haven’t seen “Drivers License” hitmaker Olivia Rodrigo perfectly cover this song for Disney + “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”, you should correct this situation.
1. “Breaking Free”
Easily clinching first place on this list is “Breaking Free,” the dynamic pre-final final to complete all pre-final finals. The movie never touches on the fact that Kelsi and drama teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) ruthlessly sabotaged Ryan and Sharpay’s recall (see: “Bop to the Top”), but we’re very happy about it.
Not only is Troy and Gabriella’s last audition song the best in the series – it’s the best in all of “High School Musical” canon. What do the lyrics mean? Absolutely nothing! And that’s okay, because watching the most iconic star-crossed lovers since Romeo and Juliet soar and fly across the stage in their matching East High tracksuit and lab coat is pure Disney magic.
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