A Definitive (And Perhaps Controversial) Ranking Of Rent Songs

Even if you’ve never actually seen a production of Rent, you know the songs of Rent. The Broadway musical has been a staple on playlists since what feels like the beginning of time, and in some musical class somewhere you either performed, or simply watched, a performance of “Seasons of Love.” There’s no escaping “Seasons of Love” no matter how hard you try. We’re always going to be measuring years in performances of “Seasons of Love,” from now until probably the end of time.

But, that’s not the only song in Rent. With Fox’s live musical version of the show on the way, it’s time to take a look at all the songs in the beloved musical, and rank them as best we can. This is by no means a scientific process, but rather a process by someone who saw Rent not once, but three times during high school (and some were student productions, so all the “adult parts” were removed!).

While every song in Rent is a classic in its own right, some are simply easier on the ears than others (Come on, there are five different “Voice Mail” songs in Rent). So for those who want to relive their favorites, or want a quick primer on the best songs in Rent to listen to on repeat, here are the 13 best songs in the musical.