'Smash' Songs: 10 Bombshells (and 5 Bombs)

BEST 10. ''Broadway, Here I Come''

Performer: Jimmy Collins (Jeremy Jordan)
Why It Blew Us Away: This future Hit List anthem, written by Joe Iconis, closed out season 2's premiere, promising a big, bold, rebooted Smash that would wash away the sordid memory of season 1. That potential was never really realized, largely because Jimmy turned out to be such an unlikable character...but man, the kid can sing. —Hillary Busis

BEST 9. ''Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking''

Performers: Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) and cast
Why It Blew Us Away: Like the pizzazz-y production number ''The National Pastime'' we saw early on, this Vaudevillian delight gave Broadway triple-threat Borle a chance to show off his chops. What gives it the edge over ''Pastime,'' though, was how desperately viewers wanted (needed!) an uninterrupted original toward the end of season 1. And Borle's Donald O'Connor delivery as Tinseltown legend Darryl F. Zanuck was just what the doctor ordered. —Lanford Beard

BEST 8. ''I Can't Let Go''

Performer: Veronica Moore (Jennifer Hudson)
Why It Blew Us Away: Because this ''Jimmy Collins original'' was actually written by Smash's in-house songwriting team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, it's got much more Broadway bombast than the typical Collins joints — which made it a perfect fit for J.Hud's gigantic, reach-for-the-rafters voice. Bonus points for including Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) as backup singers. —Hillary Busis

BEST 7. ''Second Hand White Baby Grand''

Performer: Ivy
Why It Blew Us Away: Uma, Ivy, Ivy, Uma. As movie star Rebecca Duvall (played by Uma Thurman) was revealed to be less than exceptional as a singer, Tom and Julia (Debra Messing) were forced to do some creative blocking to find ways around her need for Auto-Tune. The solution: ''Shadow Marilyns'' who stepped in to give Marilyn her voice. The result: A chance for Hilty to shine on this moving, melancholy ballad and show a rare vulnerability. —Laura Hertzfeld

BEST6. ''I Heard Your Voice in a Dream''

Performer: Jimmy
Why It Blew Us Away: This urgent tune was written by Something Corporate's Andrew McMahon, a guy who knows a thing or two about catchy hooks with emotional overtones. Just hearing its pulsating strings gets your heart pumping, making this song and its energetic choreography the best argument for why Hit List gets Smash's characters so excited. —Hillary Busis

BEST 5. ''The 20th Century Fox Mambo''

Performers: Karen and the cast
Why It Blew Us Away: For Karen supporters, there was no greater validation than this early-in-the-series original that showed Karen literally transform into Marilyn. Snappy rehearsal choreography only added to the fun. —Erin Strecker

BEST 4. ''History Is Made at Night''

Performers: Ivy and the cast
Why It Blew Us Away: Smash successfully went sultry in episode 4 as Ivy cooed sexy lyrics during a date scene between Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio. When it came to sex appeal, Ivy proved she could more than deliver. —Erin Strecker

BEST 3. ''They Just Keep Moving the Line''

Performer: Ivy
Why It Blew Us Away: Thank the subway gods for stranding Karen underground, allowing Ivy to step in to sing this number instead. Her performance was a weary sigh, a playful wink, and a powerful belt-a-palooza all at once, proving in just a few minutes why Ivy was born to play Marilyn. —Hillary Busis

BEST 2. ''Let's Be Bad''

Performers: Ivy and the cast
Why It Blew Us Away: This tune represents the best of Smash for the musical theater lovers among us. We dare you not to get the chorus stuck in your head. —Erin Strecker

BEST 1. ''Let Me Be Your Star''

Performers: Ivy and Karen
Why It Blew Us Away: The gold standard of Smash originals, this dueling diva-off capped off the spectacular pilot and set the stakes for what seemed like a phenomenal season to come. Ivy and Karen's powerhouse vocals belied their intense vulnerability as they vied to play Marilyn, and the stunning climax landed them in the heart of Times Square — just two girls with huge dreams. —Lanford Beard

NEXT: Smash's five worst songs...

WORST 5. ''Dig Deep''

Performers: Rebecca and the cast
Why It Bombed: A cool beatnik vibe couldn't make up for this number's major shortcomings — namely, Rebecca's weak vocals and a series of truly unforgivable lyrics, including ''I'll finally get to use my mind's interior, and not only just my bust and my posterior!'' —Hillary Busis

WORST 4. ''Our Little Secret''

Performer: Karen and Simon (Julian Ovenden)
Why It Bombed: This Marilyn/JFK duet is supposed to be a sultry pas de deux that leads to the star and the president's first sexual encounter. Instead, it's a creepy ''seduction'' scene in which Kennedy pressures Monroe to sleep with him. Is Jack seriously quoting Grease 2's ''Let's Do It for Our Country'' to get Marilyn into bed? —Hillary Busis

WORST 3. ''I'm Not Sorry''

Performer: Karen and Daisy Parker (Mara Davi)
Why It Bombed: Hey, remember the empty, generic electro-garbage that was season 1's ''Touch Me''? Well, Hit List's ''I'm Not Sorry,'' written by Andrew McMahon, is even worse — even if it's supposed to be empty, generic electro-garbage sung by two pop artists at the VMAs. (And the less said about their goofy dance-fighting, the better.) —Hillary Busis

WORST 2. ''Dance to the Music''

Performers: Cast
Why It Bombed: The camp factor was cranked up to 15 when the gang took over a bowling alley to cover this Sly and the Family Stone classic. While we're normally fans of over-the-top fun, this cheesy mess was bound straight for the gutter. —Erin Strecker

WORST 1. ''Redneck Woman''

Performer: Karen
Why It Bombed: Why did Karen's hometown best friend decide to have her baby shower at a honky-tonk? Why do Smash's writers think Iowa and the Deep South are the same thing? In what universe is McPhee a convincing country singer? These questions and more all come to mind when watching Karen's anemic rendition of Gretchen Wilson's ''hey y'all and yee-haw'' anthem. The performance was as gratuitous as season 1's scarves. —Hillary Busis