OK guys, nominate the best showtunes/torch songs of all time here. Bonus points if you can nominate a particular artist’s performance, and a gold star if you can play it on the piano…
All of Cole Porter’s work deserves to be mentioned.
I think that being able to not only sing the songs, but having done so live should count.
My favorites are:
So In Love
You Do Something To Me
Everytime We Say Goodbye
You forgot everything from the Red, Hot and Blue album.
Putting in a personal vote for "Miss Otis Regrets.
I got a right to sing the blues
I got a right to moan and sigh
I got a right to hang around
Down along the river
I know that deep blue sea
will soon be calling me
It must be love, say what you choose,
I got a ri-ight to si-ing the blues
If Billie ain’t available, will I do?
Redblues
Easy.
Gershwin - Summertime. Sung in a slinky voice.
Fran
My friend Steve from Rochester is coming North for the Quebec City protests, and as we do each time we meet, we shall indulge in the singing of a complete version of “La Vie Bohème” from Rent, because we are queer.
To sodomy, it’s between God and me…
To S&M, La Vie Bohème!
I don’t know about showtunes so much, but for torch, I have to nominate k. d. lang singing “Shadowland” from the LP of the same name. And then probably just about anything sung by Billie Holiday.
Goboy’s nominations for Best Ever Performances of Torch Songs/Show Tunes:
The Man Who Got Away Judy Garland in A Star Is Born(1954)
And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going Jennifer Holiday in Dreamgirls(1982)
Stormy Weather Lena Horne in Stormy Weather (1943)
On My Own Lea Salonga in Les Miserables(1987)
Constant Craving sung by k.d. lang
Don’t Rain On My Parade Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl (1968)
Always True To You Written by Cole Porter
Someone To Watch Over Me Written by George Gershwin
I am enjoying the new Jesus Christ Superstar DVD. It’s a slick, updated production with no hippies in the desert to be seen. Gloomy, sparse set pieces, and the Roman costumes give a nod to Kurosawa. Judas’s penultimate “Superstar” is god-pounding good rock ‘n’ roll complete with vinyl costumes. But you just can’t top Yvonne Elliman as Magdalene in the original movie.
I can’t nominate a best song; there are just too many. I will mention that have a special place in my heart for “By My Side” from Godspell, and lately I can’t get enough of Jesse Martin’s performance of “I’ll Cover You” from the Rent CD.
I’ll second goboy’s nomination for “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and add that it should only be the version done by Ella Fitzgerald.
Just to add one of my own, there is the haunting “As Long As He Needs Me,” sung by Shani Wallis, in the movie Oliver*.
Hmm… I agree with “So In Love” and “I’ll Cover You”.
From Rent, I also like “Tango Maureen” and “Out Tonight”.
My all-time favorite, though, is “The Riddle” or Storybook" from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Ooo! Or anything from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
Ok, I’m a showtunes addict, what can I say?
A thread after my own heart. Of course, most of my favorite songs from musicals aren’t exactly torch songs, but here goes:
I heard a terrific version of “Cabaret” by Kate Shindle in a touring company, probably the best anyone’s ever done that particular song.
Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is a great one. Fred Astaire does a good version, and, oddly enough, Kenneth Branagh and company do it very well in “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
As far as Porter is concerned, “Always True to You Darling (In My Fashion)” is definitely great, but “I Get a Kick Out of You” is more torchy.
Bernadette Peters’s version of Irving Berlin’s “You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun” is very haunting – surprisingly so.
Robert Preston doing “Ya Got Trouble.” Don’t need to say more about that. 
Astaire does a nice version of Kern’s “A Fine Romance.”
“Shall We Dance” from “The King and I” is almost a perfect song, and highly sophisticated.
“Adelaide’s Lament” from “Guys and Dolls” by Vivan Blaine is both funny and wistful.
I love Harry Warren’s work, most notably “Lullabye of Broadway.”
More favorites"
“I Could Have Danced All Night” – My Fair Lady
“Those Were the Good Old Days” – Damn Yankees
“I’m Not At All In Love” – Pajama Game
“If I Were a Bell” – Guys and Dolls
“Till There Was You” – The Music Man (the only showtune recorded by the Beatles, BTW)
“One” – A Chorus Line (or “Nothing” or “Sing”)
“Master of the House” – Les Miserables
“Love Changes Everything” – Aspects of Love (one of the few really great Andrew Lloyd Weber songs)
“Kids” – Bye Bye Birdie
“Brotherhood of Man” – How to Succeed in Business
“Brush Up Your Shakespeare” – Kiss Me Kate
“You’ve Got Possibilities” – It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman
I’d better stop before I get carried away.
I’ve got a few:
[ul]
[li]Jesse L. Martin singing the reprise of “I’ll Cover You” after Angel has died. I love this song![/li][li]“The Last Night of the World” sung by Lea Solonga and I forget who else in the '89 cast recording.[/li][li]“Another Suitcase In Another Hall” from the 1978 original cast recording of Evita, featuring Patti LuPone (I think that’s how you spell her name).[/li][li]“You Made A Fool Of Me” by Meshell Ndegeocello. Anyone who has ever been in love with someone who hurt them will relate to this song, and her voice is absolutely aching with pain.[/li][li]“I’ve Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” by Ella Fitzgerald. The line, “he don’t love thee like I love him/ No, nobody could” kills me every time.[/li][li]“Thses Foolish Things” by Billie Holliday. I listen to this song ten times a day![/li]“At Last” by Etta James. I’ve loved this song for as long as I can remember.[/ul]
In addition to the above (especially These Foolish Things, which for a while I used on my answering mesage)
Is That All There Is? Peggy Lee
God Bless the Child Billie Holiday
Lullaby of Birdland Sarah Vaughan
Falling in Love with Love (Not sure which I’d pick)
Don’t Smoke in Bed Nina Simone"
Somewhere (Again, not sure which I’d pick)
Sons Of Judy Collins
Not sure if it qualifies, but the Ultimate of Ultimates, rip-your-heart-out must be:
“Strange Fruit” Billie Holiday
Anything from “Camelot,” “South Pacific,” or “The Sound of Music”
“Oklahoma!” and “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top” from “Oklahoma!”
“Shall We Dance” and “Getting to Know You” from “The King and I”
“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from “Evita”
“I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady”
“I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from “Jesus Christ, Superstar”
“Sunrise, Sunset” from “Fiddler on the Roof”
“Tomorrow” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” from “Annie”
“Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”
“Don’t Smoke In Bed” was also recorded by Jack Teagarden. Very sad, very melancholy, slightly off-key in that “it’s 2 in the morning so set 'em up Joe” atmosphere. You can almost see the cigarette smoke drifting from the speakers.
Carly Simon did an album of torch tunes years ago, including a lovely version of “Body and Soul.”
As for show tunes, “Comedy Tonight” is FABulous with its mix of razzle-dazzle and edgy humor. “Tragedy tomorrow / comedy tonight” indeed.
Can’t claim a gold star for playing any of them, but I did do musical theater years ago, including a local version of “Cabaret” (chorus only, I’m afraid). Does that count?
“At Last” by Etta James for a torch song
and “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak definitely is the alltime best male torch song
At least someone has brought up a torch song for a man. Let’s hear more!
“If I Could Ever Leave You” from Camelot.
“Wanting Things” from Promises, Promises. A surprise; you don’t expect it, and it just goes right through you. (“Sometimes Your Eyes Look Blue to Me” from that show is great for women, too.)
“Sweeny Todd” seems like some of the songs should count, but it’s hard to pick them out from the overall theme, they merge together so well.
The Best is Yet to Come
Strangers in the Night
Send in the Clowns
All by Frank Sinatra
Beyond the Sea Bobby Darin
Unchained Melody
You’ve Lost that Lovin Feelin
by the Rightous Brothers
Tracks of my Tears by… (arraugh I can’t reacll daaahhhhgggggg)
As for Broadway tunes I like
The Creation of Man and The Riddle from The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Man of LaMancha and the Impossible Dream (from Man of LaMancha)
New Orleans from the muscial version of Streetcar Named Desire from the Simpsons.