The Tony Awards have never had a best song category, honoring the year’s best song from a Broadway musical. The Grammys have presented a song of the year award every year since they were founded in 1958. Three times, the award has gone to a Broadway song.
We’ll take a closer look at those three songs, but first, just think of some of the treasured songs that might have won (or at least been nominated) if the Tonys had had a best song category since they got underway in 1947. To name just a few: “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “Shall We Dance” from The King and I, “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady, “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, “Being Alive” from Company, “I’m Still Here” from Follies, “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz, “One” from A Chorus Line, “Tomorrow” from Annie, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita, “Memory” from Cats, “Seasons of Love” from Rent, “Good Morning Baltimore” from Hairspray and “My Shot” from Hamilton.
The Tonys – which are set to air on CBS on Sunday June 11 — include two related categories – best musical and best original score. This year’s nominees for best musical are & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Shucked and Some Like It Hot. Kimberly Akimbo, Shucked and Some Like It Hot are also nominated for best original score, along with Almost Famous and KPOP.
Let’s take a closer look at the three Broadway songs that have won the Grammy for song of the year.
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“What Kind of Fool Am I” (1962)
Songwriters: Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse
From: Stop the World – I Want to Get Off
Show Opened on Broadway: Oct. 3, 1962
Sung in the Broadway Show by: Anthony Newley
Highest-Charting Hot 100 Rendition: Sammy Davis Jr. (No. 17 in 1962)
Other Hot 100 Renditions: Anthony Newley (No. 85 in 1962), Robert Goulet (No. 89 in 1962)
Notes: Newley received a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical for his performance as Littlechap. The show also yielded two other songs that were staples on variety TV shows of the era – “Gonna Build a Mountain” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The show ran for 555 performances, through Feb. 1, 1964. Bricusse went on to win an Oscar for best original song for “Talk to the Animals,” which was sung by Rex Harrison in Doctor Dolittle (1967).
Rick Springfield released a new, unrelated song with the same exact same title in 1982. It reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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“Hello, Dolly!” (1964)
Songwriter: Jerry Herman
From: Hello, Dolly!
Show Opened on Broadway: Jan. 16, 1964
Sung in the Broadway Show By: Carol Channing, David Hartman, waiters and cooks; reprised by Channing and David Burns
Highest-Charting Hot 100 Rendition: Louis Armstrong (No. 1 in May 1964)
Other Hot 100 Rendition: Bobby Darin (No. 79 in 1965)
Notes: Armstrong’s version ended The Beatles’ 14-week hold on the No. 1 spot, achieved through the back-to-back-to-back success of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Channing won a Tony for best actress in a musical for her performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi. Bette Midler won in the same category 53 years for a revival of the show. Hello, Dolly! ran for 2,844 performances, through Dec. 27, 1970. The tune-rich show also included “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” and “Before the Parade Passes By.”
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“Send in the Clowns” (1975)
Songwriter: Stephen Sondheim
From: A Little Night Music
Show Opened on Broadway: Feb. 25, 1973
Sung in the Broadway Show By: Glynis Johns
Highest-Charting Hot 100 Rendition: Judy Collins (No. 19 in November 1977)
Notes: Collins’ recording, produced by Arif Mardin, originally reached No. 36 in August 1975. It climbed even higher when it was re-released two years later. Frank Sinatra included the song on his 1973 album Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back. Barbra Streisand included it on her 1985 album The Broadway Album, which topped the Billboard 200 in early 1986 and brought the legend her eighth (and most recent) competitive Grammy in early 1987.
Follies ran for 601 performances, though Aug. 3, 1974. Johns won a Tony for best actress in a musical for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt. Catherine Zeta-Jones won in the same category 38 years later for a revival of the show. Sondheim went on to win an Oscar for best original song for “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man),” which was sung by Madonna in Dick Tracy (1990).
This story originally appeared on Billboard
