You can't stop the beat. Seriously. You actually can't. If you’ve ever found yourself humming a baseline while doing the dishes or suddenly feeling the urge to do a 1960s-style shimmy in the grocery store aisle, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The songs from the movie Hairspray aren't just musical theater fluff; they are a masterclass in pastiche, social commentary, and pure, unadulterated dopamine.
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman did something weirdly brilliant when they wrote this score. They didn't just write "Broadway songs." They wrote a love letter to the early 60s Baltimore sound, blending Motown soul, rockabilly, and that specific brand of bubblegum pop that feels like a strawberry milkshake with a side of rebellion.
It's catchy. It’s loud. It’s important.
The genius behind the opening: Good Morning Baltimore
Most movie musicals take a few minutes to find their feet. Hairspray (the 2007 cinematic version, which is what most of us have burned into our retinas) hits the ground running—literally. When Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad starts belting "Good Morning Baltimore" while perched on top of a moving garbage truck, the movie lays its cards on the table.
It’s a song about optimism in the face of grit. You’ve got lyrics mentioning "the rat on the street" and the "drunkard on the sidewalk," but the melody is so sun-drenched you almost forget she’s singing about urban decay. This is a classic "I Want" song, a staple of musical theater, but it’s stripped of the usual yearning balladry. Tracy doesn’t want to escape her world; she wants to be the queen of it.
Honestly, the orchestration here is the secret sauce. The brass hits are punchy. They mimic the sound of a city waking up. If you listen closely to the percussion, it has that specific "Wall of Sound" quality popularized by Phil Spector, which immediately anchors the film in its 1962 setting.
Why Welcome to the 60s is actually a fashion manifesto
Let's talk about the transition from the stage to the screen for a second. In the 2007 movie, "Welcome to the 60s" becomes this massive, vibrant set piece where Tracy takes her mother, Edna (played by John Travolta in a fat suit that took four hours to put on), to Mr. Pinky's Hefty Hideaway.
This song is the pivot point.
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Musically, it’s a total homage to The Supremes and The Ronettes. The inclusion of The Dynamites—the trio of backup singers who appear on posters and then magically come to life—is a direct nod to the girl groups that defined the era. But look deeper. The lyrics are actually about the shifting cultural landscape. "Hey Mama, welcome to the 60s / Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, Mama, welcome to the si-i-xties." It’s a literal invitation for the older generation to step out of the house and into a world that is becoming louder, brighter, and more inclusive.
The bassline is driving. It’s relentless. It feels like progress.
The emotional weight of I Know Where I’ve Been
If you want to talk about the songs from the movie Hairspray that actually carry the weight of history, you have to talk about Queen Latifah. As Motormouth Maybelle, she delivers "I Know Where I’ve Been," and it’s arguably the most powerful moment in the film.
It’s a gospel soul anthem. Period.
While the rest of the soundtrack leans into pop-rock and upbeat dance numbers, this track slows everything down. It was actually written specifically for the Broadway show to ensure the Civil Rights message wasn't lost in the glitter, and the movie elevates it by staging it as a literal protest march. Latifah’s vocal performance is restrained until it isn’t. When she hits those final blue notes, it’s not just about a movie plot; it’s a reflection of real-world struggle.
Interestingly, many people don't realize that Shaiman and Wittman were worried about putting a heavy gospel ballad in the middle of a comedy. They shouldn't have been. It provides the "soul" that the rest of the movie spends its time dancing toward. Without this song, the movie is just a story about a girl who likes to dance; with it, it’s a story about a girl who realizes the world needs to change.
The John Travolta factor and (The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs
We have to address the elephant in the room. John Travolta as Edna Turnblad.
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Some people hate it. Some people love it. But you can't deny that his songs, especially "Timeless to Me" with Christopher Walken, are strangely charming. It’s a soft-shoe Vaudeville number. In a movie filled with high-energy pop, this is a quiet, rhythmic breather. It’s two veteran actors having the time of their lives, and that chemistry makes the song work despite the inherent absurdity of the casting.
On the flip side, you have Michelle Pfeiffer’s "Miss Baltimore Crabs."
Velma Von Tussle is the villain we love to hate, and her big number is a masterclass in passive-aggressive musicality. The song uses a mambo rhythm, which was slightly dated even by 1962 standards, perfectly signaling that Velma is clinging to a past that is rapidly disappearing. It’s sharp, it’s biting, and Pfeiffer delivers it with a coldness that contrasts beautifully with the warm, "big" sound of the rest of the cast.
It’s Takes Two and the Zac Efron era
Before he was a serious A24 actor or a survivalist on Disney+, Zac Efron was Link Larkin. And "It Takes Two" is the quintessential teen idol song.
If you grew up in the mid-2000s, this song was inescapable. It’s a mid-tempo crooner piece that sounds like it was pulled directly from an Elvis Presley or Ricky Nelson B-side. The lyrics are simple. The rhyme schemes are basic. But that’s the point. It’s meant to represent the sanitized, "safe" version of rock and roll that The Corny Collins Show was trying to sell to white teenagers before the "integration" movement took hold.
The explosive finale: You Can’t Stop the Beat
This is it. The big one.
"You Can’t Stop the Beat" is widely considered one of the best finale songs in musical history. Why? Because it never stops accelerating.
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Literally.
The tempo actually increases as the song progresses. It’s a grueling number for the actors—many have spoken about how they were physically exhausted by the end of filming because the pace is so relentless. It starts with Tracy, moves to Penny (Amanda Bynes), then Edna, and finally Motormouth Maybelle. Each verse adds a new layer of instruments and vocal harmony until the sound is massive.
It’s a metaphorical steamroller. The "beat" isn't just the music; it’s the inevitable march of time and social change. You can’t stop it, so you might as well join the dance. The song is a "megamix" style ending that ties every musical theme from the previous two hours into one giant, euphoric knot.
Why the 2007 soundtrack stands out from the original and the live versions
While the 1988 John Waters film is a cult classic, it wasn't a "musical" in the traditional sense—it used existing 60s hits. The 2007 movie used the Broadway score but polished it for a cinematic ear.
- Bigger Orchestration: The movie used a full studio orchestra, giving it a richer sound than the pit bands of Broadway.
- Star Power: Having Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer brought a different vocal texture than traditional theater belts.
- Pacing: Songs like "The New Girl in Town" were added or repositioned to help the movie's flow, making the soundtrack feel like a cohesive album rather than just a collection of scenes.
There's a reason this album went Platinum. It’s rare for a movie musical soundtrack to have that kind of legs, but Hairspray managed to bridge the gap between theater nerds and general pop fans.
How to actually enjoy these tracks today
If you're revisiting the songs from the movie Hairspray, don't just put them on in the background. Listen to the lyrics. There's a lot of wit tucked into the corners.
In "Without Love," look for the line: "Like a week that's only Mondays / Only ice cream, no hot fudge sundays." It’s silly, sure, but it perfectly captures the melodrama of teenage romance. The song is a parody of 60s "forbidden love" duets, but it's played with such sincerity by the cast that it actually works as a genuine love song.
Actionable insights for your next listen
To get the most out of this iconic soundtrack, try these specific steps:
- Listen for the "Wall of Sound": Put on high-quality headphones and listen to "Good Morning Baltimore." Try to pick out how many different percussion instruments are playing at once. This is the hallmark of the 1960s production style the movie mimics.
- Compare the versions: If you've only seen the movie, go back and listen to the Original Broadway Cast recording (with Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein). The vocal choices are wildy different—Fierstein's Edna is a gravelly, comedic powerhouse compared to Travolta's softer approach.
- Watch the choreography while you listen: The music was written specifically to match the "The Madison" and other period dances. Watching the 2007 film’s "You Can’t Stop the Beat" while focusing on the rhythm of the footwork shows just how tightly the music and movement are integrated.
- Analyze the lyrics of "I Know Where I've Been": Read the lyrics without the music. It reads like poetry and provides a necessary historical context that anchors the rest of the film’s upbeat energy in something real and meaningful.
The songs from Hairspray have survived several decades because they aren't just about the 60s. They are about the universal desire to be seen, to be heard, and to be allowed to dance with whoever you want. That’s a message that doesn't go out of style, no matter how much hairspray you use.