Hazbin Hotel is easily one of the hottest animated shows around right now, and that’s largely thanks to its catchy music numbers. From a ballad of two sinners banding together in their misery to a rousing call to action by the Princess of Hell, the show has something for just about everybody.
But then, as is usually the case, there are some songs which stand out as the best while others feel like less impressive attempts. Even if they’re not bad, the latter just don’t hold up or stick in your brain the way the series’ best ditties do.
With all that in mind, we decided to establish our personal ranking of every Hazbin Hotel song via a Tier List. Note that this only applies to the songs in Season 1, and we’ll be adding to the list after Season 2 releases.
And with that, let’s get into it.
Hazbin Hotel S Tier Songs
First up are the best of the best in terms of Hazbin Hotel’s musical numbers. These stick in your brain like they’re coated in Gorilla Glue, and the way they’re used and framed in the plot only bolsters their quality even more.
The Show Must Go On
It might seem a little unfair to put the first season’s finale song at the top of the Tier List, but “The Show Must Go On” more than earns it.
Most every key character from the cast gets some time to shine, and they all nail their vocals in a way which perfectly sells the hope that the entire series is built on. At the same time, it gives Alastor a pivotal solo which upends this tone and builds plenty of tension for the next season via hints at his desire to escape his contract.
Good luck getting this song out of your head once you hear it, because there’s little chance of it being outshone anytime soon.
Loser, Baby
While some might argue Poison is the better Angel Dust number, we can’t help but love the song he shares with Husker in Episode 4.
Equal parts hilarious and much-needed acceptance, “Loser, Baby” humanizes both characters more than any of their wisecracking in previous episodes allows. Their similarities are brought to the surface, and their relationship deepens with each new portion of the track.
It’s also a great showcase for both actors, as Keith David more than holds his own alongside Blake Roman to give some of the best vocal singing in the series.
We could go on, but the point remains: Loser, Baby is among the best songs in Hazbin Hotel, and more than earn its S Tier distinction.
Stayed Gone
Whereas most of the other songs on this list juggle hopeful or motivational tones, “Stayed Gone” leans fully into cutting jabs and ominous foreshadowing.
Initially Vox’s number and a shot fired at Alastor, the tune quickly warps into the Radio Demon’s triumphant return ballad with clever lyrics, brilliant imagery, and a deeply unsettling tone shift later on. It’s equal parts unnerving and inspiring, and helps to differentiate itself from the rest of the series’ songs wonderfully.
If not for Amir Talai’s equally brilliant performance in “The Show Must Go On”, you can bet this one would have risen even higher on our list. All the same, it sits comfortably within Hazbin Hotel’s S Tier songs.
More Than Anything
“More Than Anything” is hands-down the most traditionally uplifting song in Hazbin Hotel, and that’s far from a bad thing.
Erika Henningsen and Jeremy Jordan offer perfect performances as Charlie and Lucifer respectively, and the characters’ long-needed reconciliation offers a huge emotional catharsis. The lyrics are also so fluid and thoughtful that you get wrapped up in them instantly, making for an endlessly pleasant listening experience.
It’s honestly not surprising the song has a reprise later on in the series, but this one remains the better of the two; and, rather decisively, one of the best tunes the series offers.
Hazbin Hotel A Tier Songs
Next up are the A Tier songs from Hazbin Hotel. While not as impossibly catchy as the ones in S Tier, these ones are still great in their own right and capture at least a part of what makes the series so exceptional.
Ready for This
“Ready For This” sits at the peak of A Tier, and it’s easy to see why after only one listen.
Though a little slow to start, it more than pays off its buildup with clever tone shifts and sharp lyrics delivered by Charlie and the Cannibal Town residents. And speaking of Charlie: The song is among Henningsen’s best vocal performances, and really sells her range as a singer and voice actor.
Round all that out with a triumphant climax, and this song only just misses its chance to reach the S Tier. Luckily, it still lands at the very top of A Tier and isn’t likely to lose that distinction.
Poison
There’s no denying “Poison” is a terrific song, and it’s among the best solo tunes Hazbin Hotel has to offer.
Roman gives his all as Angel Dust for this performance with gutting lyric deliveries, belted notes, and palpable emotion that drips from every verse. As you listen, you’re equal parts enthralled and horrified at how expertly the character conveys his circumstances through the animation, and the framing via the story makes it all the more harrowing.
It’s truly a great musical number, and if not for the sheer quality of the rest of the soundtrack, it could have risen even higher. Still though, it handily fends off the rest of the competition to nab its slot within the A Tier songs.
You Didn’t Know
“You Didn’t Know” is exceptionally passionate and angry, and that’s far from a bad thing.
Set after several episodes of struggling against heaven’s rigidness, the song finally unleashes all of Charlie’s frustrations and lets Emily join in for good measure. Both build from confusion and frustration into outright opposition after Adam’s Hell Is Forever refrain, and they voice all of the anger the series has helped viewers feel over the course of six episodes.
And then, just as it seems like change can finally happen, Adam and Lute pull the rug out from under Charlie and the viewers with a perfect “All is Lost” reveal.
Its only real fault is that it can feel a little busy, but even then it’s a perfect encapsulation of the series’ plot and conflict. We can only hope future songs try to nail the tone and emotion that this number did.
Hell’s Greatest Dad
“Hell’s Greatest Dad” is cartoonish to a fault, and that honestly serves to distinguish it among the rest of the series’ music.
Drenched in frantic energy and underlying malice thanks to Lucifer and Alastor’s back and forth, the tune is equal parts uncomfortable and thrilling. Both characters are at their most manic, and their digs at each other drive the plot forward ever so slightly to ensure it earns its place in the show. And that’s all before you factor in the inventive imagery that shows off both characters’ otherworldly powers.
It might not stick around in your head like other songs, but it’s still one of the series’ most inventive tunes by a wide margin. If you need a song to show off to newcomers to get them invested in the series, then look no further.
Hazbin Hotel B Tier Songs
Next in line are the B Tier songs from Hazbin Hotel. These songs aren’t bad, but they do lack that special something the other songs have like good framing by the plot, catchy lyrics, or clever writing.
Happy Day in Hell
It may be outshined by the majority of the songs that follow it, but “Happy Day in Hell” is still a commendable piece of work.
It sells the juxtaposition between Charlie and Hell wonderfully, and Henningsen carries the song with ease thanks to her flawless jumps between lyrics and joke deliveries. The animation is also solid, with fun moments hidden from frame to frame for viewers to discover.
It’s really a shame that this song is presented before all of the other musical numbers, because the refrain of it in “The Show Must Go On” shows just how strong it could have been in comparison with some tweaked placement.
Hell Is Forever
“Hell Is Forever” isn’t a bad song, but it does suffer from the fact that it feels like a small part of a bigger number.
Alex Brightman kills it as Adam in both his singing and line delivery, and the animation offers a glimpse at what the show has to offer perfectly. At the same time though, it’s hard not to see that the song works best when it clashes with other characters and tones like it does in “You Didn’t Know”.
It’s still fun to listen to, but we wouldn’t blame fans if they pass up on it in favor of its reprise in the latter half of the series.
Out For Love
It’s almost a crime “Out For Love” is as short as it is, because it really does right by Daphne Rubin-Vega in a way her other songs don’t.
The animation is excellent, and it pays off the song she shared with Vaggie via a well-done sparring match between the two. All the while, Rubin-Vega belts out lurics that bring home her character arc and help Vaggie work toward her own; and gives Carmilla some time to shine as an underappreciated key character in the series.
All of this doesn’t quite make up for the blink and you miss it run time, but it’s still a solid enough song over all. Here’s hoping Carmilla gets the opportunity to really shine in the next season with a song that makes good on this one’s potential.
It Starts With Sorry
Similar to “Out For Love”, “It Starts With Sorry” is a little too brief to rise any higher than B Tier. Still though, it’s a terrific song that encapsulates one of the series’ core messages.
Brightman’s turn as Pentius is genuinely emotional, and he plays off of Henningsen’s optimistic proclamations as Charlie perfectly. It’s also not without hints of humor thanks to Blake and Stephanie Beatriz’ lines as Angel Dust and Vaggie respectively, and we’d be hard-pressed to think of a better way to bring Pentius into the cast as a main character.
Respectless
“Respectless” is a difficult Hazbin Hotel song to rank, and it’s mainly due to where it sits within the series.
On one hand, it’s a glorious back and forth between Carmilla and Velvette that nails the irreverent tone of the show. Rubin-Vega really sells Carmilla’s guarded pomp, while Lilli Cooper kills it with the indignant and rebellious energy Velvette radiates the whole way through.
And yet, because of what it has to present to viewers, the song feels bogged down with exposition. The lyrics occasionally hang due to the different bits of story it has to convey, and it messes up what otherwise could have been more smooth and fluid.
It’s still far from the worst song in the show, but it could have been so much more.
Hazbin Hotel C Tier Songs
Last up are the C Tier songs. None of them are terrible and there are even some that come down to matters of opinion, but they still don’t stand out the way so many other tunes on this list do.
Whatever It Takes
For all of the importance “Whatever It Takes” carries in terms of plot, there’s no getting around how it just doesn’t make the impact it should.
Rubin-Vega and Beatriz still give terrific performances, but the song just doesn’t land in a convincing manner. There’s not much about the animation that really grabs you, and the major plot points surrounding it make you wish the story could resume in earnest.
It’s a real shame, and when you hold it up against other numbers that rise above similar circumstances, it’s plain to see why the song falls to the lower Tiers.
Welcome to Heaven
“Welcome to Heaven” is a fine song, but there just isn’t much to it.
While Darren Criss gives a great performance as Peter for the majority of the song and Shoba Narayan’s bits as Emily are solid, the song is a blink and you’ll miss it affair that doesn’t exactly grab your attention in the minute or so it has.
It’s really unfortunate, especially when you consider that it could have been redeemed with a reprise later on through some scenes in the finale.
More Than Anything (Reprise)
On one hand, the reprise of “More Than Anything” is a beautiful moment. Charlie and Vaggie have their most intimate moment yet, and Henningsen and Beatriz both nail all of their vocal deliveries in a way that’s on par with the full song.
At the same time though, it’s just to brief to measure up to most every other song in the show. It almost feels like it should have been paired with another Reprise or song to really hold itself up.
