In Trope-Tastic, Ellaheh Gohari ’28 explores the history of tropes in film and media.

Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

Although I may have grown up wishing upon a star for my dreams to come true, deep inside, the songs that I really jam out to are the villain’s. Deliciously wicked, catchy and just plain excessive, villain songs tell us all we need to know about the antagonist’s evil motives and the lengths they’ll go to achieve them. The bad guys get to truly shine in their musical manifestos, stealing the show as they ham it up across our screens and stages. 

Historically, composers have used the minor key to convey mystery, melancholy and malice, — like in Bach’s iconic “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” which has become synonymous with the goth genre — and villain songs are no different. Complete with harsh percussion and a spine-chilling melody, villain songs are distinctive for their sound. 

Whereas the hero and their compatriots might sing a jaunty, major-key tune, the darkness in a villain song makes it memorable even after the story has concluded. Whether we’re belting out “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from “The Little Mermaid” or reveling in the devilish spirit infused in “Master of the House” from “Les Miserables,” villain songs prove that, sometimes, being unabashedly unscrupulous has its perks.

Here are my three picks for the best villain songs:

“Hellfire” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”

Written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

Disney is a powerhouse when it comes to antagonistic anthems, with 63 entries in the Disney Villains category according to Walt Disney Records’ official Spotify account (though some of the songs they included are arguably not villain songs). Still, despite how incredible some of these are — looking at you, “Be Prepared” and “Friends on the Other Side” — none can hold a candle to Disney’s best villain song: “Hellfire” from “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” 

Sung by the chillingly psychopathic Claude Frollo, “Hellfire” shows how someone can weaponize religion for selfish gains. Its towering vocals and dramatic orchestration paint a picture of a man consumed by his self-righteousness and desperation to justify his darkest desires. Frollo is not simply evil for the sake of it; he has been corrupted by lust and power, which is portrayed masterfully through the song’s stark lyrics and terrifying visuals. The most disturbing part about Frollo’s character is that he truly believes he is correct, blaming his crimes on everyone from his victim to Satan himself in a move disturbingly reminiscent of real-life villains. Indeed, the song’s power lies not only in its masterful composition but its terrifyingly realistic tale that sticks with you long after Quasimodo wins the day. 

“Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago”

Written by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Who knew that a song about five murderers (and one innocent woman) killing their beaus in cold blood could be so catchy? A sizzling and seductive tale of female rage, “Cell Block Tango” takes listeners on a journey through each crime. The song’s genius rests in its ability to garner sympathy for these characters. After all, while it’s true one storyteller killed her partner, he was cheating on her with six other women, so who’s really at fault here? Even for the less-sympathetic tales (like one woman who killed her husband because he was chewing gum too loudly), the women’s unabashed confidence and humorous justifications gives the audience an understanding for their behavior despite knowing they are in the wrong.

In both the original stage musical and the 2002 movie, the visuals of “Cell Block Tango” are marked by sensual choreography that emphasize each woman’s femininity and dynamism. Rather than fall into the stereotype of a meek woman — as was the standard for the era that “Chicago” is set in — these characters embrace their inherent power and assert their dominance to audience acclaim… even when said dominance takes a more murderous edge.

“The Room Where it Happens” from “Hamilton”

Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Aaron Burr plays a unique role in “Hamilton.” Although he kills the protagonist and ends up the villain of the musical, he didn’t start out that way. His desperate and forceful plea to finally be included in the titular room where political decisions happen provides the bridge between the passive Burr we knew in Act One and the unscrupulously ambitious future-murderer we see during the rest of the musical. 

Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison’s flippant behavior when discussing how to meet contrast beautifully with Burr’s impassioned incredulity that, yet again, the country is moving on without his input. The song’s resonant vocals as Burr realizes the extent of Hamilton’s backroom dealings — and his continued exclusion from said dealings — are supported by a jazzy hip-hop beat and surprise banjo appearance that becomes an earworm right from the first few notes. Clever wordplay and extended ensemble performances round out the song and elevate it to one of the best of the musical.