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

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.