Check out Clarkson and Groban's duet here!
Gloria Gaynor – "I Am What I Am"
Along with Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor is recognized as one of the legends of 1970's disco, best known for her hit "I Will Survive." Gaynor put a fun disco twist on "I Am What I Am," from Jerry Herman's much-loved musical La Cage Aux Folles. The show won six Tony Awards for its original Broadway staging in 1983. It has been revived twice, in 2005 and 2011, garnering more Tony wins.
Madonna – "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina"
Josie Stomann: When Madonna sings "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina" in "Evita" I just lose my mind.
Pop legend Madonna starred in the 1996 film adaptation of the multi Tony-winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Performance. Tim Rice and Webber also won both the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song for the track "You Must Love Me." Madonna has performed once on Broadway but not in a musical role; she made her debut instead in David Mamet's Speed the Plow in 1988.
Pet Shop Boys - "Losing My Mind"
Joseph Molnar: Pet Shop Boys "Losing My Mind"
U.K. synth pop group The Pet Shop Boys surprised fans in 1989 with a dance rendition of "Losing My Mind" by Stephen Sondheim from the musical Follies. They also released a cover featuring Broadway legend Liza Minnelli, which became an instant hit.
Max Minton: Since Streisand started out on Broadway, maybe she doesn't count but some of her Broadway covers are phenomenal. "Send in the Clowns" "Somewhere (There's a Place for Us) are two of my favorites."
Barbra Streisand started off on Broadway as a young 20-something in I Can Get it For You Wholesale in 1962 and appeared again in '64 in Funny Girl. While she then went on to forge a very successful music and acting career off of the Broadway stage, she never abandoned her Broadway roots. Her rendition of "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's 1973 musical A Little Night Music is a much-loved cover and the famed composer even added a verse for Streisand to use in her concert performances in 1985 as well as the recording "The Broadway Album." It is perhaps one of his best-known tracks and has been covered by music legends Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins, Grace Jones, Cher and many more.
Bonnie Tyler - "Tire Tracks and Brokent Hearts"
Jen Lau: Bonnie Tyler – "Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts"
Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborated with lyricist Jim Steinman for the music on Whistle Down the Wind, including the song "Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts." The 1996 musical was based on the film of the same name. Steinman was most known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler, who then covered the song at Webber's 50th birthday celebration at The Royal Albert Hall.
Linda Clifford – "If My Friends Could See Me Now"
Joseph Molnar: Linda Clifford's "If My Friends Could See Me Now" is a classic.
Linda Clifford's rendition of this classic Sweet Charity tune brought a funky, disco sound to the well-known Broadway song and made it a club favorite in 1978. While Clifford never performed on Broadway, she had many notable R&B, disco and pop hits throughout the 70's and 80's. Her song "Red Light" featured on the "Fame" motion picture album.
Nightwish – "Phantom of the Opera"
Laura Ahsley: Nightwish's cover of "Phantom of the Opera" is freaking perfect! It is, hands down, the greatest cover of the song in existence.
Finnish metal band Nightwish's cover of the "Phantom of the Opera" brings a hard edge to the musical's most well-known song. Trained opera vocalist Tarja Turunen, combined with the band's goth-influenced symphonic sound is a surprisingly perfect match for this tune.
Frank Sinatra – "Good Thing Going"
Frank Sinatra's smooth voice is a perfrect match for this Stephen Sondheim classic from Merrily We Roll Along. While Sinatra never performed in a musical, he did play Broadway in a concert with fellow legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald at the Uris Theatre (now the Gerswhin) in 1975.
Gwen Stefani – "Wind It Up"
Gwen Stefani's 2006 hit "Wind It Up" featured extracts from The Sound of Music favorite "The Lonely Goatherd." In the film clip, Stefani and her dancers wore outfits similar to those worn by the Von Trapp children in the film version. There are several refrences to the iconic film throughout the clip: she appears in a nun's costume and reenacts the storm scene in which Maria comforts the children.
