Show tune

A Showtune is a song designed and written for a musical theater production, such as the songs from:

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, The Sound of Music
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, Gigi, Camelot
Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Jerry Herman's Milk and Honey, Hello Dolly!, Mame, Dear World, Mack & Mabel, La Cage aux Folles
Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd
John Kander and Fred Ebb's Cabaret, Chicago
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera

Though show tunes may vary in style, they do tend to share common characteristics — they tend to be singable, and to contain content which fits (or can be fit into) the context of a larger story. Even independent songs that are later used in musicals usually have a "show tunes"-appropriate quality to them. That is, they don't just "happen" to be in musicals. They are in musicals for a reason.

Show tune

See also