Fellow Ozians, let us be glad! Let us be grateful! Let us rejoicify that Wicked has finally landed in theaters!
On Friday (Nov. 22), the long-awaited film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical arrived, much to the delight of theater fans around the world. Starring Cynthia Erivo as the viridescent heroine Elphaba and Ariana Grande as her pink-loving frenemy Galinda (a.k.a. Glinda the Good), the film earned early praise from critics, especially for the leading ladies’ respective performances in these iconic roles.
Alongside the release of the film comes Wicked: the Soundtrack, a collection of the film’s 11 songs and singular new orchestral track (Wicked is just the first of a two-part adaptation, meaning the musical’s second-act songs will be released with Part 2 in November 2025). Taking the original orchestrations and lyrics from Stephen Schwartz’s original 2003 score, the new soundtrack expands upon and brightens the sounds that made fans fall in love with the reimagined Land of Oz two decades ago.
But it’s the vocal performances throughout the soundtrack that gloriously stand out. Erivo’s powerful belt arrives fully-formed, while Grande is given ample room to play between her operatic soprano and her more pop-leaning mezzo. Meanwhile the supporting cast — including a flirtatious Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero), a slightly sinister Jeff Goldblum (Oz, the Great and Terrible) and a bleating Peter Dinklage (Doctor Dillamond) — help bring the shining success of this Broadway juggernaut to the big screen.
But which of these new versions stand head and shoulders (and broomsticks) above the rest? Below, Billboard ranks each of the 11 new renditions off Wicked: the Soundtrack (not their performances in the film itself, which this reviewer has yet to see), both in comparison to their original counterparts and in their ability to stand alone as singular pieces of movie musical excellence.
https://www.billboard.com/lists/wicked-soundtrack-songs-ranked/
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