# In 1965, Phil Collins heard the best musical composition ever. 30 years later, he wanted to know everything about it

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1965-phil-collins-heard-the-best-musical-composition-ever-30-years-later-he-wanted-to-know-everything-about-it/
- Published: 2026-11-07T16:20:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T17:50:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1965-phil-collins-heard-the-best-musical-composition-ever-30-years-later-he-wanted-to-know-everything-about-it/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Collins considers *West Side Story* one of the finest musical scores.
- He studied it to learn how Broadway songs create drama.
- Its influence informed his work on *Tarzan*.

## Summary

Phil Collins says his lasting admiration for *West Side Story* helped shape his approach when he began writing for the stage. He regarded its score as one of the best ever written and studied it to understand what makes a song work in a Broadway musical.

Collins first encountered the show as a child and later drew on its dramatic flair while developing music for *Tarzan*. The article connects that influence to “You’ll Be in My Heart” and to a song written to bring the stage production together, while noting that Collins aimed to adapt the lessons rather than imitate the show’s sound.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.