What Is the Most Popular Song From ‘West Side Story’?
Whether it’s the Jets and the Sharks or María and Tony singing, several iconic musical moments originated from the Broadway production of West Side Story. Some tracks earned international recognition, even being used in television shows and reaching millions of Spotify plays.
Here’s what we know about the most popular West Side Story songs.
Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ released the official soundtrack ahead of the movie’s premiere
After months of anticipation, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story is premiering in theaters, reintroducing the world to the whirlwind romance of María and Tony. The cast of West Side Story features Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as the lead roles, performing iconic songs featured in the original Broadway musical.
The official West Side Story soundtrack debuted ahead of the film’s theatrical release. That meant re-recorded versions of fan-favorite tracks, like “America,” “Maria,” and “The Dance at the Gym: Mambo.”
What is the most popular song from ‘West Side Story’?
The stage production of West Side Story earned several Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. The movie adaptation also earned praise, especially for its musical numbers. When it comes to the 1961 motion picture soundtrack, “I Feel Pretty” is the track with the most Spotify plays. It earned over 3 million streams since its debut.
This is a song performed by María after her magical encounter with Tony. It features other members of the female ensemble and, since its release, was used in several commercials and even the television series Glee for “I Feel Pretty/Unpretty.”
When it comes to the 2021 adaptation of this musical, the song with the most Spotify streams is “Tonight, Tonight,” performed by Elgort and Zegler as Tony and María respectively. This could be because this track was released ahead of the official soundtrack. Additionally, it was featured in an official sneak peek of the film.
Does Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ include original songs?
Because this movie musical is based on the original Broadway production, it doesn’t include original songs. However, the story does somewhat differ from the 1961 film, as stated by Zegler.
“We’re not trying to recreate, frame for frame, the 1961 film,” Zegler said during an interview with Town and Country. “That film exists as this incredible piece of pop culture that everyone has seen and been affected by in some way. I don’t think any of us would ever try to recreate that.”
“It’s such a cultural phenomenon, that film and the musical in general,” she continued. “I think the way Steven and Tony framed it to all of us when we were auditioning, when we were rehearsing, when we were shooting, was, ‘We are making a movie of the original Broadway musical. This is our take on a story that everyone has heard, and knows so well, and really loves.’”
