Over the course of four seasons, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend became know for their original musical numbers in each episode. These fun, comedic tunes elevated the storytelling to another level and are part of what made the show so groundbreaking, despite not being popular in the ratings.
In honor of the show’s series finale airing tonight, I decided to pick my top 5 songs from each season of the show. With over 100 musical numbers in their repertoire, there were some tough cuts. But these are my top 20 personal favorite songs from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Season 1
“I Have Friends” (season 1, episode 3)
Early on in the show, Rebecca desperately wanted to be liked and have all the friends. So whenever I go to a convention or a festival and am surrounded by all of my friends, I always find myself singing this song. A classic Crazy Ex-Girlfriend number for me.
“You Stupid Bitch” (season 1, episode 11)
I have to be honest: I didn’t really have any feelings about this song until I saw Rachel Bloom sing it live on the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend tour last year. It was a completely chilling experience to hear everyone sing along, especially considering that this song is full of some of the harshest words Rebecca could find for herself in that moment. But now, it’s one of my go-to’s from the show.
“JAP Battle” (season 1, episode 13)
Another Crazy Ex-Girlfriend classic, this song is constantly ranked amongst the show’s best tunes. But if you’re Jewish, like myself, I guarantee this song takes on a whole other meaning for you. Every joke made about “Jewish American Princess” culture throughout the song had me dying from laughter at it’s accuracy. “Sheket bevaka shut the hell up” if you disagree.
“I Gave You a UTI” (season 1, episode 17)
This is the first song from the show I found myself truly obsessed with. The lyrics are extremely honest about this uncomfortable as hell female bodily function. Only Santino Fontana could sing them with such a smug charm and sense of pride, especially when he sings “What has two thumbs and gave you a UTI? This guy”. It’s such an easy song to get stuck in your head and I’ve definitely found myself singing this song at many inappropriate times.
“Oh My God I Think I Like You” (season 1, episode 17)
This song is all about the moment when you realize you may have deeper feelings for the person you’ve been casually seeing. On the one hand, this song is sweet because it’s about someone realizing their true feelings for another person, but it’s also simultaneously super raunchy because Rebecca and Greg are basically having sex in different places throughout Rebecca’s apartment throughout the entire number. It’s another one I’ve loved since my first watch and find myself singing at the most random times.
Season 2
“The Math of Love Triangles” (season 2, episode 3)
Rebecca’s best Marilyn Monroe impression in “The Math of Love Triangles” has made this one of the show’s best and most notable numbers. From the production to choreography to the geometry double entendres, everything is top-notch and the perfect way for viewers to see Rebecca trying to sort out her conflicting feelings for Greg and Josh.
“It Was a Shit Show” (season 2, episode 4)
I love Greg (well the original version of Greg, but that’s a different discussion) and was so sad when Santino Fontana left the show back in season 2. But this song was the perfect end to Rebecca and Greg’s brilliant yet more-often-than-not toxic relationship. Anyone who has been through a painful breakup can relate to a relationship being both “beautiful, heart-stopping, breathtaking, life-changing” and also a total and utter shit show.
“Friendtopia” (season 2, episode 6)
On the surface, this Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life”-esque parody is upbeat, cheery and pays tribute to girl power. But once you actually listen to the lyrics, you realize that it’s actually Rebecca, Heather and Valencia’s full-on plan to take over the world. It may be dark and maniacal, but it’s oh so fun.
“We’ll Never Have Problems Again” (season 2, episode 10)
The episodes where Rebecca and Josh are actually together are some of my least favorite episodes of the entire series, which is why it continues to surprise me how much I love this song. It’s hilarious trying to see them convince everyone (and themselves) that everything from here on out is going to be smoothing sailing (“No more ups and downs/It’s just ups and ups and ups!”). It’s fun, catchy, and at the end of the day proves that there’s nothing like a good Soul Train line.
“Let’s Have Intercourse” (season 2, episode 11)
This Ed Sheeran-inspired number is without a doubt the number that made me fall in love with Nathaniel. From the moment Nathaniel and Rebecca met, it was obvious Rachel Bloom and Scott Michael Foster had such insane chemistry, and it was at the forefront of this number. It also showed that Scott Michael Foster had the chops to keep up with this talented cast, which is something that has been proved, time and time again, is no small feat.
Season 3
“Let’s Generalize About Men” (season 3, episode 1)
In an 80s girl group inspired number, Rebecca, Paula, Valencia, and Heather get together to do what all girlfriends do: complain about how awful men are. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s third season premiere happened to air the week after the Harvey Weinstein allegations first came out, so this song took on a whole other meaning. But even long after that scandal, this song still holds up because the feelings expressed about men throughout continue to be completely accurate.
“A Diagnosis” (season 3, episode 6)
This series has been at the forefront of the fight to de-stigmatize mental illness, especially through Rebecca’s struggles with borderline personality disorder. This anthem is an earnest reflection on Rebecca’s mistakes, yet it’s also a declaration that her diagnosis will mark a turning point in her life ands he will make a better future for herself from this point forward.
“The First Penis I Saw” (season 3, episode 7)
Donna Lynne Champlin’s Paula Proctor is one of best parts of this show; every single one of her numbers is equally brilliant. But this onr is my absolutely favorite. A tribute to her first real boyfriend’s man parts? Something only Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could get away with. Also, Kat Burns’ choreography takes this number to the next level. Singing into cucumbers and eggplants? Genius.
“Fit Hot Guys Have Problems Too” (season 3, episode 9)
This Nathaniel/White Josh number was everything I didn’t know I needed and more. What starts out as them going to a gay bar to bond over their recent breakups ends up with them on stage, determined to convince the world that it’s a lot harder to be fit and hot than it seems. It’s hilarious from the opening notes all the way to when Josh comes in at the end. It also doesn’t hurt that Scott Michael Foster and David Hull are shirtless for half the number either.
“Without Love, You Can Save the World” (season 3, episode 9)
The series’ 100th song is a Hair-inspired number all about Rebecca rejecting the idea of love and trying to fill that hole with things that will actually do good in the world. It’s just a feel-good number that features all of our core characters, which is the perfect way to celebrate such a milestone in the show’s history.
Season 4
“No One Else is Singing My Song” (season 4, episode 1)
TBT to that time Rebecca was in prison; that feels like a different lifetime ago. Anyway, she sang this song ballad about how lonely she was feeling in that moment — not knowing that Nathaniel and Josh were feeling the exact same way in their respective locations. I love how the rest of the cast comes in after they sing the line, “How beautiful would it be, if it was the entire company?” and it ends in a beautiful 11-part harmony. Just one of the many things only Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could brilliantly pull off.
“The Group Mind Has Decided You’re In Love” (season 4, episode 5)
The reasons I love this number are pretty simple. First, the entire song is essentially everyone — in not so subtle terms — telling White Josh and Darryl that they belong together. While I respect the fact that White Josh and Darryl were at a crossroads in terms of how they felt about kids and respectfully decided to part, that relationship was one of my favorite parts of the show; I miss it and loved seeing a whole number centered around the idea that everyone else in West Covina misses them together too. Second, I love a good group number featuring everyone in the cast (something that should be evident from this list).
“Gratuitous Karaoke Moment” (season 4, episode 11)
This might be one of, if not the, best songs Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has ever done. In an episode that was a tribute to the rom-com genre, the lyrics hit on every single one of the clichés that can be found in classic karaoke scenes. Every time I watch this scene — and I’ve watched it a lot — I find myself thinking about some of my all time favorite rom-coms and how they all include the things discussed in this episode. It’s also just hilarious to see Scott Michael Foster and Esther Povitsky go against everything they know and sing so off-key.
“Anti-Depressants Are So Not A Big Deal” (season 4, episode 13)
Yet another great example of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend de-stigmatizing mental illness. This song is so important and has already made many people feel better about their own journeys with mental health. Oh, and it’s a big La La Land inspired, dancing-in-the-street number. What could honestly be better?
“Love’s Not a Game” (season 4, episode 16)
This ode to Guys & Dolls proved that David Hull was sorely underutilized as White Josh and he should just be cast in every show from here on out. Seriously — how did we only end up with two White Josh-led numbers in throughout this entire run? But in all seriousness, this group number is so satisfying and enjoyable.
What is your favorite Crazy Ex-Girlfriend song? Are you going to miss the show as much as I am? Let me know in the comments below!
The final episode Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs tonight at 8/7c followed by a special concert event directly after the episode.