The Wicked Movie Saga & Its Two Spellbinding Soundtracks
After more than two decades of Broadway dominance, Wicked finally flew to the big screen in a two-part adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu. Part One, simply titled Wicked, arrived in November 2024 and covers Act I of the original stage musical. Its companion album, Wicked: The Soundtrack, reimagines all of Act I’s songs with lush new orchestrations and powerhouse vocals from Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda).
Part Two, Wicked: For Good, landed in theaters on November 21, 2025, adapting Act II and closing out Elphaba and Glinda’s story. Its soundtrack, Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack, includes most of the musical’s second-act numbers plus two brand-new Stephen Schwartz songs written specifically for the film: “No Place Like Home” for Erivo and “The Girl in the Bubble” for Grande.
Between both films, fans now have 22 cinematic versions of Wicked songs to obsess over. So which ones really soar, and which feel more like filler in a very green, very sparkly package?
How This Ranking Works
This list looks at all 22 songs across both soundtracks and ranks them based on:
- Musical impact – melody, orchestration and emotional punch
- Vocal performance – what Erivo, Grande and the cast actually do with the material
- Storytelling power – how well the song works inside the movie, not just as a standalone track
- Comparison to Broadway – does the film version improve, match, or fall short of the iconic originals?
Minor spoilers for both movies ahead – you’ve been warned.
The Lower Tier: Solid but Skippable (22–18)
22. “A Sentimental Man”
The Wizard’s wistful little solo still feels like the show’s weakest link. As on stage, it’s a brief, old-fashioned character piece that nudges the plot forward but never quite justifies its own existence. Jeff Goldblum brings his trademark odd charm, yet the song remains the easiest skip on a full listen-through.
21. “Every Day More Wicked”
Expanded from a short intro to “Thank Goodness,” this new standalone piece acts as a “here’s where everyone is now” update. While it gives both Erivo and Grande moments to shine, the song leans heavily on exposition and slows momentum instead of propelling the story. It feels more like a narrated recap than a must-listen track.
20. “Something Bad”
“Something Bad” has an important job: foreshadowing the creeping authoritarianism of Oz. The movie underscores that with darker orchestration and Professor Dillamond’s unsettling bleating, but musically the number never fully catches fire. Erivo and Peter Dinklage sell the drama, yet the song still lands in the “necessary but not exciting” category.
19. “Dear Old Shiz”
As an alma-mater-style choral piece, “Dear Old Shiz” offers a nice showcase for the ensemble’s polished harmonies. It creates a nostalgic campus mood, but in the context of a stacked soundtrack, it’s more texture than highlight – pleasant, competent, and quickly overshadowed by the larger set pieces around it.
18. “One Short Day”
The Emerald City anthem gets supersized for the screen, with extra lyrics and the highly publicized cameo of original Elphaba and Glinda, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Their presence is pure fan service in the best way, even if the added exposition makes the “short day” feel a bit long. A fun, glittery detour rather than essential storytelling.
The Middle Pack: Good Songs with Caveats (17–12)
17. “March of the Witch Hunters”
This angry mob song could easily feel like pure plot mechanics, but Ethan Slater’s white-hot performance as Boq injects it with urgency. His rage at becoming the Tin Man gives the number a pulsing, chaotic energy just when the story needs a jolt. Still, it’s more functional than unforgettable.
16. “The Girl in the Bubble” (New Song)
One of the two new additions for For Good, Glinda’s ballad finds her floating above the chaos, emotionally and literally. Ariana Grande leans into fragility here – her voice cracks, swells, and soars in ways that feel deeply human. The trade-off: the song arrives at a point where the plot is accelerating, and its introspective mood temporarily stalls the film’s pacing.
15. “The Wicked Witch of the East”
Long omitted from the original Broadway cast recording, this song finally gets a high-quality official version on the movie soundtrack. Marissa Bode brings aching vulnerability to Nessarose, and the reworked lyrics soften the ableist edges of earlier iterations. But in humanizing Nessa, the film also dulls some of her furious bite, leaving the number emotionally rich yet slightly less incendiary than its stage counterpart.
14. “No Place Like Home” (New Song)
Elphaba’s new solo is a classic Stephen Schwartz power ballad – expansive, emotional, and packed with vocal opportunities that Cynthia Erivo devours. The lyrics lay out exactly how Oz has warped into a fascist state and why Elphaba is still fighting for its “idea” rather than its current reality. It’s stirring, but in a catalogue full of all-time greats, it doesn’t quite climb into the top tier.
13. “I’m Not That Girl”
This Act I confession is still structurally a small mid-show sigh, but Erivo refuses to let it stay small. She threads in tasteful riffs and raw vulnerability, turning Elphaba’s insecurity into something intimate and piercing. It’s more moving than the original recording, yet the song itself remains modest next to the giant showstoppers.
12. “Wonderful”
Turning “Wonderful” into a trio by adding Glinda was controversial pre-release – and absolutely the right call. Jeff Goldblum leans into the Wizard’s salesman charm, while Grande’s presence adds delicate tension as she tries to mediate between Elphaba and Oz’s great manipulator. The result is a bouncier, richer version that outshines the Broadway original both musically and dramatically. (IMDb)
Strong Standouts That Nearly Break the Top 10 (11–8)
11. “As Long As You’re Mine”
On a purely vocal level, this is one of the lushest tracks in the entire duology. Erivo and Jonathan Bailey blend beautifully, their voices wrapping around each other in a smoky, sensual tangle. Some viewers may wish the staging had leaned more into the musical’s almost feral passion in this moment, but as a listening experience, it’s gorgeous.
10. “I’m Not That Girl (Reprise)”
In barely more than a verse, Ariana Grande devastates. Her Glinda, newly widowed and friendless, sounds nothing like the bubbly co-ed we met in Act I. Every word lands like fallout from choices made and paths diverged. It’s short, but it hits like a punch to the gut.
9. “What Is This Feeling?”
The classic “I hate you… maybe I don’t?” roommate duet gets a cinematic glow-up that leans hard into comedy. Grande and Erivo milk every petty aside and exaggerated insult, turning the number into a showcase for their chemistry as both vocalists and actors. Comedy timing plus killer harmonies = instant replay value.
8. “No One Mourns the Wicked”
The curtain-up crowd-pleaser of Part One still does exactly what an opening number should do: establish tone, stakes, and spectacle. The updated orchestrations feel fresher and fuller, and Grande’s soprano glitters over the ensemble. It’s not trying to reinvent the original – just to deliver a modern, cinematic version of it, and it succeeds. (Wikipedia)
The Elite Tier: From Fan Favorites to Modern Classics (7–4)
7. “Dancing Through Life”
One of the biggest glow-ups from stage to screen. Schwartz gives the number more pop-leaning grooves, and Jonathan Bailey seizes the opportunity, turning Fiyero’s himbo philosophy into a flirty, free-wheeling anthem. The song also quietly becomes an ensemble showcase, with Ethan Slater’s Boq and Marissa Bode’s Nessarose making strong impressions in their featured moments. It’s fun, fizzy, and – yes – more “swankified” than ever. (Wikipedia)
6. “Popular”
Kristin Chenoweth’s original is the stuff of Broadway legend, so the pressure on Grande here was astronomical. Instead of mimicking, she threads her own pop-princess chaos into Glinda’s makeover lecture, playing up the character’s vanity and clueless sincerity. The extended ending with sky-high key changes turns the song into a vocal roller coaster – and she nails it. “Popular” proves that reverence and reinvention can coexist.
5. “Thank Goodness / I Couldn’t Be Happier”
Among die-hard Wicked fans, this has always been the Glinda test. On film, Grande passes with flying colors. Her Glinda floats through the public, sparkly “Thank Goodness” façade before cracking open in the “I Couldn’t Be Happier” section, showing how brittle that perfect life really is. It’s a masterclass in acting through song – and one of the clearest examples of how the movies deepen Glinda’s arc. (Wikipedia)
4. “The Wizard and I”
Few numbers chart a character’s emotional journey in real time like “The Wizard and I.” Erivo starts small – hopeful, tentative, almost shy – and then keeps stacking emotion, power and resonance until the final chorus feels like the sun breaking through emerald clouds. The orchestration stays close to the Broadway blueprint, trusting her voice to do the heavy lifting. Wise choice.
The Top 3: Witchy Perfection
3. “For Good”
The heart of Wicked has always been the love story between two women whose lives change each other forever. In the film version of “For Good,” that emotional core is almost overwhelming. Grande and Erivo trade lines, harmonies and even original vocal parts, constantly blending and separating like two paths crossing for the last time. Their real-life friendship bleeds into the performance, making the final “I have been changed for good” feel heartbreakingly true.
2. “No Good Deed”
Director Jon M. Chu has openly called this song a “banger,” and he’s not wrong. “No Good Deed” has always been Elphaba’s 11 o’clock volcanic eruption, and Erivo treats it like an Olympic event. She spits out the incantations, claws her way up dizzying belts, and somehow still keeps total technical control. It’s rage, grief and resignation wrapped into four minutes of vocal firepower – and the movie staging leans into the darkness without flinching.
1. “Defying Gravity”
There was never really any doubt, was there?
“Defying Gravity” is the defining song of 21st-century musical theater – and the movie treats it accordingly. The orchestrations remain largely faithful, with just a few cinematic expansions, leaving room for Erivo to completely re-imagine the vocal arc. She starts grounded and human, then climbs higher and higher until the final section feels almost impossible.
Grande’s harmonies and spoken interjections give the scene an added emotional texture, but the moment belongs to Erivo, who somehow makes a song everyone thinks they know feel brand new again. It’s the rare film musical number that doesn’t just honor its Broadway legacy – it meets it.
Why These Wicked Songs Matter So Much
Together, the two Wicked films and their soundtracks do more than translate a Broadway hit to the screen. They:
- Re-introduce Stephen Schwartz’s score to a whole new generation
- Give fans long-requested “official” recordings like “The Wicked Witch of the East”
- Expand the story with new songs tailored to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s strengths (Wikipedia)
Whether you’re obsessively replaying “Defying Gravity,” ugly-crying to “For Good,” or arguing that your fave deserved a higher spot on this list, one thing’s clear: in 2024–2025, Wicked didn’t just come back. It came back for good.
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