40 Overdone Audition Songs to Avoid – by Vocal Type
Are you wondering what types of songs you should avoid when auditioning for a musical or college program? In my opinion, the following songs are overused and oversung and should in most cases be avoided.
HOWEVER, I am a big believer that there are always exceptions to every rule. I’m not going to tell you that the following songs should never be sung. But these overdone audition songs should definitely be chosen less often.
That said, you will stumble upon many of these songs in our audition posts for specific musicals. That’s because I do recommend them for very specific characters in very specific musicals. Also, if you know that you can rock one of these, sing it!
But if you’re looking for a general go-to song for a general audition, I would recommend giving the following overdone audition songs a pass!
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase through one of the following links, we may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.
Altos
“As Long As He Needs Me” – Oliver!
“Funny Honey” – Chicago
“I Dreamed a Dream” – Les Misérables
“Live Out Loud” – A Little Princess
“Popular” – Wicked
Baritones
“Extraordinary” – Pippin
“Mister Cellophane” – Chicago
“More I Cannot Wish You” – Guys and Dolls
“Santa Fe” – Newsies
“This is the Moment” – Jekyll & Hyde
Basses/Bass-Baritones
“Nice Work If You Can Get It” – Nice Work If You Can Get It
“Put on a Happy Face” – Bye Bye Birdie
“Some Enchanted Evening” – South Pacific
“Stars” – Les Misérables
“The Impossible Dream” – Man of La Mancha
Contras
“A Change in Me” – Beauty and the Beast
“God Help The Outcasts” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
“Last Midnight” – Into the Woods
“Small World” – Gypsy
“Some People” – Gypsy
Psst… Here’s where you can find out your vocal type!
Mezzo-Sopranos
“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” – Gypsy
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” – Grease
“I Cain’t Say No” – Oklahoma!
“My Favorite Things” – The Sound of Music
“Watch What Happens” – Newsies
Sopranos
“Many a New Day” – Oklahoma!
“Part of Your World” – The Little Mermaid
“Pulled” – The Addams Family
“Think of Me” – The Phantom of the Opera
“Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” – The Phantom of the Opera
Tenors
“All I Need Is the Girl” – Gypsy
“Bring Him Home” – Les Misérables
“Corner of the Sky” – Pippin
“Freeze Your Brain” – Heathers
“Words Fail” – Dear Evan Hansen
Trebles/Kids
“Castle on a Cloud” – Les Misérables
“Good Girl Winnie Foster” – Tuck Everlasting
“My New Philosophy” – You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
“Tomorrow” – Annie
“Where is Love?” – Oliver!
Want a weekly list of stagey surprises?!
Have you ever chosen one of these overused audition songs?
And how was your experience with it? We would love to hear all about it in the comments! And in the meantime, you can check out our database of best audition songs for specific musicals.
Need extra help? Just go through this free audition prep checklist!
Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, author of The Thespian’s Bucket List, and creator of The Cast Album List. She holds a BA in theatre, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.