Ranking the Musical Episodes (From Worst to Best)

For a while, since the very end of Season 3 we appeared obligated to get one big musical episode a season. Episodes jam packed with songs for just a single part, all to help the pacing flow. They've definitely produced some of the most memorable songs of the show, but what about the episodes themselves?

We've got only 4 episodes to look at for this category, because we're not counting any of the big two parters that have had multiple songs. "A Friend in Deed" also won't count since while it does have 4 songs in its episode they don't really move the pacing along and two of them are just quick little throwaway ditties. The same disclaimers as always apply, and we're looking at how these episodes function as musicals, not just their overall quality.

4. A Hearth's Warming Tail (Season 6, Episode 8)
Why it's on the bottom: All of these episodes are pretty good so deciding which one to put on the bottom was really difficult, I really debated which one should have the unfortunate honor. Ultimately I gave it to this one largely because it's not just a musical episode, it's also an adaptation A Christmas Carol, a surprisingly refreshing one at that. Even then there is one detail that is really off putting, when Princess Luna sings in "Luna's Future" she has a different voice actor than Kazumi Evans (who had sung for her prior). It's not bad but it really doesn't fit a character like Luna, it feels more like it would belong to Zecora (now that I think about it, why not make Zecora the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come?).

3. Magical Mystery Cure (Season 3, Episode 13)
Why it's not on the bottom: Again, this episode is pretty good. However, it opens up and ends with a song which only "A Hearth's Warming Tail" also did. We have some of Daniel Ingram's best works here, including "What My Cutie Mark is Telling Me", "I Have to Find a Way", and "A True, True Friend", but we also have songs like "Behold, Princess Twilight" which despite feeling not unlike a church hymn feels too short and lacking. Ultimately, I just feel a slightly stronger attachment to the remaining two episodes.

2. Crusaders of the Lost Mark (Season 5, Episode 19 in production order/18 in airdate)
Why it's not on the top: Perhaps the biggest sins for this episode as a musical are that "The Vote Song" is all over the place and lacks any kind of true rhythm (it feels like three different songs meshed into one) and the reprise of "We'll Make Our Mark" gets confusing when they keep repeating fillies even though that's not a gender neutral term (foals at least would make sense, though what was wrong with ponies?). Plus, at this point in time when the CMC say Diamond is "Better than this hostility", they actually don't know since up to this point they don't know for sure that Diamond Tiara is capeable of making the right decision. However, it's more than made up for "The Pony I Wanna Be" and its reprise, which does a lot to flesh out Diamond Tiara and make us wish we'd gotten this sort of development sooner. And "Light of Your Cutie Mark" manages to change from a frantic chase piece to a triumphant and hopeful plea very well. Emotion is largely what carries this musical, the songs feel more directly connected to the overall story and theme whereas with the previous two cases they were largely there to help move the plot along.

1. Pinkie Pride (Season 4, Episode 12)
Why it's on the top: Ironic isn't it that the best musical episode is the one that does not begin or end with a musical number. Well, I think a big part of what drives this episode is how well Weird Al collabs with Daniel Ingram, and how well Daniel Ingram captures Weird Al's energy as Cheese Sandwich (supposedly Daniel Ingram or William Anderson used to be a bandmate for Weird Al). That's not to say Pinkie Pie isn't handled well in her songs, because she is. In fact, if there was a pony who was made for a musical episode it would have to be her considering she used to sing all the time (mostly back in Season 1 and early on). I still consider "Pinkie's Lament" to be the absolute best song of the entire show, but there are lots of other good songs to enjoy as well, including "The Super Duper Party Pony", "The Goof Off", "Cheese Confesses", and even "Make A Wish". It being a key episode (and the best of the bunch at that) is just the icing on the cake. So for all those reasons, I'm putting this episode in the top spot.

And there you have it, come back tomorrow when we'll rank the Map Missions.

Comments

[superfun]

For me, it goes:
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Hearth's Warming Tail
Pinkie Pride
Magical Mystery Cure