The first High School Musical gave us the soundtrack to our life. It gave us the most unrealistic expectations of high school and relationships and our singing/dancing abilities. After 11 years (gosh, are we really that old?) the songs are still a jam.
9. What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)
Troy and Gabriella's take at the song is pretty and gives us all the feels (just look at how they look at each other), but the short duet isn't very memorable.
8. What I've Been Looking For
Sharpay and Ryan's take on the song is actually a lot better than the Gabriella/Troy version. The song is the first time the extravagant duo are on stage. When you sing the song, it's almost impossible not to try to imitate their energy and choreography.
7. When There Was Me And You
Gabriella's solo is the peak of cliches for High School Musical: love is not a fairytale, singing your feelings in an empty school, and a very early-2000's outfit. After singing this song, you hate Troy and practically every person you have ever had a crush on.
6. Bop To The Top
Bop To The Top is a JAM, a classic, truly iconic. Every time you hear, it, you just want to dance. Sharpay and Ryan's over-the-top costumes and random onomatopeias distract you from even realizing what they are singing about. (Also, why hasn't anyone addressed the random Spanish that has nothing to do with anything?) It may be superficial, but it's super fun.
5. Stick To The Status Quo
Arguably the most underrated song of HSM, Stick to the Status Quo sums up the entire meaning of the movie. After everyone finds out Troy the manly basketball player likes to sing, other people get the courage to truly break out of the mold society makes for them: athletes like to bake, skater boys like to play an instrument, and a nerd likes to dance. Students have the courage to be themselves all while the rest of the crowd is telling them to stick to what society tells them to be. It's a great song with a great meaning that you receive subconsciously when you're young and understand fully when your older and have experienced the weight of society's hierarchy.
4. Breaking Free
Yay! Troy and Gabriella are finally singing in front of their peers! The fact that Troy is still in his basketball clothing and Gabriella in her lab coat is no accident. The athlete and the genius finally allow themselves to be more than just what they're told to be. Better yet, their different groups finally mingle and collectively enjoy the performance.
3. The Start Of Something New
The Start of Something New perfectly opens up the movie. Troy and Gabriella both start off shy and uncomfortable, but they quickly begin to have fun. Neither of them originally want to sing, but at the end, they really strike a connection with the music and each other. Not to mention, this song has everyone on New Years Eve wishing they were doing some karaoke and falling in love - New Years Eve goals forever and ever.
2. Getcha' Head in the Game
This song is a danger to society. Seriously. Every time I have my HSM CD in my car and this song comes on, I blast it and start pretend dribbling and shooting baskets and faking rights and breaking lefts and wow. I just really love this song. Constructed with sounds of basketball, it just has such a nice beat. Plus, it's a clash between Troy's athletic career and his new desire to sing. The internal conflict of his "head in the game" but his "heart in the song" begins here, and it just conveniently happens to be jam.
1. We're All In This Together
What a great conclusion! Everyone from all different cliques finally realize that you don't have to be in a clique. Every kind of student comes together and celebrates what makes them different. You would be lying if you said you never tried to learn this choregoraphy. This fianl scene is iconic and wraps up what High School Musical is all about: Expressing your differences and celebrating your differences together.
