So I've been pretty thoroughly obsessed with the Hamilton musical lately, listening to the soundtrack any chance I get. There are a lot of songs and, if you're not sure if you'd enjoy it I can understand not wanting to jump right into the soundtrack. So here are my top 10 songs (in chronological order) based on how enjoyable the music is and how important it is to the story. This obviously isn't exhaustive, but if you haven't been exposed to music from this show then I highly recommend starting here.
1. Alexander Hamilton
This song starts the whole play, introducing the titular character, so from a story perspective it's pretty important. It provides the relevant history of Hamilton's childhood that brought him to the events of the play. The music here is also really nice, displaying a lot of the variety that the play has to offer. This beat and rhythm repeats several time through the play and holds things together nicely.
2. My Shot
Yeah, third song in, so it's still establishing the characters and setting. Story wise this song introduces several key characters to each other and what their motivations are. Musically, I love the line "I'm just like my country I'm young, scrappy, and hungry". The idea of missing a shot and the line "I'm not gonna miss my shot" are used frequently in the play and this is where they start. Lines from this single song echo through the entire play, so it's role can't be understated.
3. You'll be Back; What Comes Next; I Know Him
Yes, it is somewhat cheating to include three songs under a single entry, but basically every song the King sings is amazing fun. They have the cheeriest beats in the whole musical that are impossibly infectious while also having the undercurrent of malice from the King. I lose it with laughter every time I hear the line "Jesus Christ this will be fun." They are also a great look into the British side of the story, which is a nice story device to include.
4. Right-hand Man
George Washington's introduction does not disappoint in the slightest. I love this song and the importance for the story is huge: It is where Hamilton assumes the role of Washington's assistant. Listen to the bass on this one if you can, it's great!
5. Helpless; Satisfied
These definitely help fill in more singing than rapping (although both elements are present throughout). These stress the gorgeous voices of the actresses for Eliza and Angelica. I'm pairing them together because only together to you get a good feel for the somewhat odd conditions surrounding Hamilton and Eliza marrying. Satisfied also has some really fun pop elements that I can't ignore. I actually enjoy Satisfied a lot more, but it makes sense after listening to Helpless.
6. Yorktown
This song on it's own is so much fun with a great beat, fun lyrics, and lots of energy. It is also a pivotal moment in the story of Hamilton and American history. This is easily one of the biggest songs in the entire play and well worth a listen even if you listen to nothing else.
7. Non-stop
The beat for this song is actually unique in the whole musical as well as building to get as big as Yorktown at the end. No other beat even sounds close to this one and it's a really fun song to listen to. It also fits in a lot of plot development, especially between Hamilton and Burr. The lyrics paired with such a fun beat are unforgettable, I swear this song gets stuck in my head and pops up all the time. I still get chills when Burr is describing Hamilton writing 51 of the Federalist papers.
8. Hurricane
So I'm skipping several here, there are several key plot points in between but this song can not be skipped. It is a beautiful balance of the different elements of the play and provides the key rationale for a huge decision that is hard to explain: Hamilton writing the Reynold's Pamphlet explaining his affair and the blackmail around it.
9. Burn
I'm sorry, just listen to this one now. It is a break from the hip-hop style of most of the other songs and is absolutely gorgeous. It gives me chills every time, especially the last line.
10. The World Was Wide Enough; Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
As the climactic songs in a musical, you know they are going to be epic. They wrap up the entire story in a way that had me crying, yeah, that good. Yes, huge spoilers at this point, but are spoilers really a thing when it comes to musicals about historical events and figures?
