\n\tWhat time is it? Twenty years (exactly, as of Jan. 20, 2026) since Disney Channel released arguably its most enduring original film yet: High School Musical<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tOn the surface, the 2006 TV musical dramedy starring Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in their breakout roles seems no different than any other high school movie. You\u2019ve got shy but brainy new girl Gabriella (Hudgens) and golden boy jock Troy (Efron) who end up together despite their differences. Then there\u2019s Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), the popular diva who tries to rip them apart; Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), Sharpay\u2019s brother and partner-in-crime; and Chad (Corbin Bleu) and Taylor (Monique Coleman), the best friends of the two leads \u2014 who give pretty bad advice, but that\u2019s what part of drives the plot forward.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat made this film \u2014 and the two sequels that came after \u2014 unique wasn\u2019t how the characters broke out of their archetypes by the end of the story (which they do), but rather the music that came with it. The first film\u2019s soundtrack topped the Billboard 200, and a handful of its songs hit the top 40 of the Hot 100. There was even a concert tour with the original cast members (excluding Efron, who was replaced by Drew Seeley, the singing voice for Troy in the first film). One could say it inspired the TV musicals that came after \u2014 including Hannah Montana<\/em> and Glee<\/em> \u2014 not to mention Disney+\u2019s 2019 adaption High School Musical: The Musical: The Series<\/em>, which spawned a new breakout star of its own in Olivia Rodrigo.<\/p>\n \n\tTo celebrate 20 years of the East High Wildcats, Billboard<\/em> is revisiting the soundtrack that started it all. Check out our ranking of all nine songs from the first film, ranked from worst to best, below.<\/p>\n
![\"Billboard](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2HpFicp.png\")
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