Are you Muppet enough for these musical numbers? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Muppets Musical Numbers, reaching across the entire Muppets franchise.
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00:00Is that a song then? And do I belong then?
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Muppets Musical Numbers,
00:13reaching across the entire Muppets franchise.
00:16You ready for that big time?
00:18Is it ready for me?
00:21Number 10, In the Navy, The Muppet Show.
00:24We want you, we want you, we want you as a new recruit.
00:30Among their many talents, the Muppets are great at covering popular songs.
00:35In this number from The Muppet Show, a squadron of Viking pigs performs the Village People's campy hit song.
00:41In the Navy, guess who can sail the seven seas?
00:44In the Navy, guess who can put your mind at ease?
00:48In the Navy.
00:50Besides their rendition being a bop, the puppetry and stage design are particularly impressive.
00:55Behind-the-scenes footage of this performance was captured for the TV movie of Muppets and Men,
01:00where you can see just how much effort was put into this sequence.
01:03But clearly, all of their hard work paid off, as they created a show-stopping number that never gets old.
01:09Guess who can put your mind at ease?
01:11In the Navy.
01:13Come on now people, make a stand.
01:15In the Navy.
01:16Number 9, Scrooge, The Muppet Christmas Carol.
01:19There he is, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge.
01:24Now this is a legendary opening number.
01:27This song is performed at the very beginning of The Muppet Christmas Carol,
01:30where we learn about all the shortcomings of our anti-hero.
01:33Unkind as any, and the wrath of many, this is Ebenezer Scrooge.
01:38Oh, there goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim.
01:43The Muppets add their signature twist to this classic tale,
01:46and Michael Caine's portrayal of Scrooge is one of the very best.
01:50The choreography and cinematography of this ensemble performance are of such impressive quality,
01:55it sets a high bar for the rest of the film.
02:07Hot take, but of all the Christmas Carol adaptations out there,
02:10we'd say The Muppets takes the cake.
02:12Number 8, Finale, The Magic Store, The Muppet Movie.
02:23No, we're not crying, you're crying.
02:25The Magic Store, including a reprise of Rainbow Connection,
02:29is the last number in The Muppets' first film,
02:31and it's all about the culmination of their paths to achieving their dreams.
02:42What is it you'd like to do?
02:46In the film, The Muppets have gotten their standard rich and famous contract,
02:50and are ready to start producing a movie.
02:52Whatever your own personal hopes and aspirations are,
02:55this is a moving song that underlines the importance of believing in yourself
02:59and being surrounded by people who cheer you on.
03:02Animal's roaring soundcheck kind of steals the show.
03:05Sound is ready, give me a level.
03:08Gas can!
03:13Number 7, Together Again, The Muppets Take Manhattan.
03:16If only they'd bring Manhattan melodies back to Broadway,
03:19it would sell out instantly.
03:21Together again.
03:23Gee, it's good to be together again.
03:29This number opens The Muppets Take Manhattan,
03:31and it has such a familiar infectious rhythm to it.
03:34And, as the song itself reminds us,
03:36it's always wonderful to see The Muppets crew all together for a performance.
03:40Together again.
03:42Gee, it's good to be together again.
03:46I just can't imagine that you've ever been gone.
03:49Watching The Muppets is always so comforting,
03:51and this number in particular makes you feel like you're being welcomed back by the family.
03:55The song got an update in 2014 in the finale of Muppets Most Wanted,
04:00as they're together again, again.
04:02Cause no feeling feels like never when we're together again, again.
04:09Number 6, Fever, The Muppet Show.
04:12Never know how much I love you.
04:16Never know how much I care.
04:19This moment from the first season of The Muppet Show
04:22encapsulates the incredible humor and comedic timing of the series.
04:26Rita Moreno performs the song with Animal on the drums,
04:29who becomes increasingly unpredictable with his solos.
04:33Fever.
04:36In the morning.
04:39Fever all through the night.
04:42Her frustration is so well acted and brings the joke's simple premise to the next level.
04:47Fun fact, Moreno is one of the few EGOT award recipients,
04:51and her Emmy was earned from this performance.
04:54When you kiss me.
05:00Fever.
05:02If you ask us, we think that Animal should have gone up to accept the honor with her.
05:07Number 5, Man or Muppet, The Muppets.
05:10Gary, I've gone home.
05:12I love you, but you need to decide.
05:14Are you a man or a muppet?
05:19Everyone has had to ask themselves this burning question at least once in their life.
05:23Written by the musician and comedian Brett McKenzie,
05:26this number is as sincere and heartwarming as it is absurd.
05:30If I'm a man, that makes me a muppet of a man.
05:33A muppet of a man.
05:35The dramatics of the performance add to the intensity of the song's meaning,
05:39which is all about the process of self-discovery and acceptance.
05:42And whether you're a man or a muppet, that's a message anyone can relate to.
05:46I think I've made up my mind.
05:50Now I understand who I am.
05:53Plus, this number was responsible for bringing home the Muppets' first ever Oscar Award win.
05:59Number 4, Movin' Right Along, The Muppet Movie.
06:02Play this one on your next road trip.
06:04It's a great sing-along.
06:05Movin' right along in search of good times and good news.
06:09With good friends you can't lose.
06:12This could become a habit.
06:14Maybe just don't follow their navigation unless you want to end up in Saskatchewan.
06:18Kermit and Fozzie are heading out west to California to find fame,
06:21and they're appreciating the trip together as they go.
06:24Movin' right along, we found the life on the highway.
06:28And your way is my way.
06:31So trust my navigation.
06:33This duet is filled with funny one-liners as the two realize they are completely off course.
06:38But hey, it's all about the journey, not the destination, right?
06:41We also get an unexpected cameo from Big Bird, who is out looking for stardom as well.
06:47Hey there, want a lift?
06:49Oh, no thanks.
06:50I'm on my way to New York City to try to break into public television.
06:55Number three, Cabin Fever, Muppet Treasure Island.
06:59This performance turns horrifying claustrophobia into a party.
07:03I got cabin fever!
07:05I got the tears!
07:11When the Muppets' ship, the Hispaniola, starts slowly drifting,
07:14the crew begins to lose their marbles.
07:17And not only is this number incessantly catchy, it's just plain old silly.
07:21We got cabin fever!
07:23We lost what chance we had!
07:25We got cabin fever!
07:27We're all going mad!
07:28It captures the humor of the Muppets perfectly.
07:31It's over-the-top, wacky, and a little bit fourth-wall breaking.
07:35The song changes genre and style a handful of times,
07:38from salsa to country to yodeling and beyond.
07:41We've got cabin fever.
07:43No ifs, ands, or buts.
07:45We're disoriented, and demented, and a little odd.
07:49Overall, the Muppets' crew gave Cabin Fever everything but the kitchen sink,
07:53making it a true treasure.
07:55Number two, Ma-Na-Ma-Na, The Muppet Show.
07:58We apologize in advance for getting this one stuck in your head.
08:03Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:06Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:08Okay, we're not that sorry.
08:10This song slaps.
08:11Without even having to utter a single word,
08:14this Muppet sketch is one of the most well-known and loved.
08:17Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:24Performed by Bip, Bipidotta, and the Two Snouts,
08:26Ma-Na-Ma-Na was the opening number on the very first episode of The Muppet Show in 1976.
08:32It's been done lots of times since,
08:34and was sung as the end credits by all the stars of the 2011 Muppets movie.
08:38Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:41Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:43Ma-Na-Ma-Na.
08:46It is impossible to hear this song and not bop along.
08:50Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
08:54Turn the World Around, The Muppet Show.
08:56This Harry Belafonte song was so beautiful that Statler and Waldorf had no complaints.
09:13I Want to Go Tomorrow, The Muppet Show.
09:16A hilarious ditty performed by the Muppet Country Trio.
09:30It Feels Like Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol.
09:33An underrated hit from the Ghost of Christmas Present.
09:43It's all the ways that we show love that feel like Christmas.
09:48Crocodile Rock, The Muppet Show.
09:50How do you make the song even better?
09:52Add a swamp of crocodiles.
10:07Twelve Days of Christmas, John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together.
10:11A seasonal classic.
10:13If only Fozzie could remember his lines.
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10:46Is there anything more inspiring than this Kermit the Frog ballad?
11:01This performance once again shows us what is so special about the Muppets.
11:05Their ability to deliver both genuinely moving and deeply entertaining media for all ages.
11:10This number opens up the Muppet movie and teaches us more about Kermit's core desires and inner thoughts.
11:25The set is simple, emphasizing the song's thoughtful lyricism and emotion.
11:30While it has been re-recorded by countless artists, including Willie Nelson, The Carpenters, Gwen Stefani, Barbra Streisand and more,
11:37this original rendition remains its finest performance.
11:52Which Muppet do you most identify with personally? Let us know in the comments.
12:00For old friends who've just met.
12:04Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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