To purchase the original London Cast Recording of SUNSET BOULEVARD, click on the image above.

1. “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard

I know, I know – everybody hates Sunset Boulevard. I don’t. It’s probably Andrew Lloyd Webber’s strongest offering in the past quarter century and it has some great set pieces. This song, in which Norma Desmond, deluded about her return to Paramount, expresses both the joy and apprehension she feels about what she thinks marks her return to the movie industry is captivating, no matter who your favourite Norma is. (Me, I’ll take Patti LuPone over Glenn Close any day, and I wish someone had done a film of this when Liza Minnelli still could have pulled it off. Alas, those days have passed.) Why do I like this song so much? Because I think it captures the essence of the moment in which you approach a new job in the performing arts so beautifully. Of course, usually one doesn’t have the sense of dramatic irony that is imbued upon this song in the context of the show, but there you are.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading through this list of ten of my favourite show tunes from the 1960s. What are some of your favourites? Share your thoughts using the comments box below.