Here’s the list of my favorite musicals of all time! This list is going to be constantly updated as I listen to new cast recordings, see more shows, and re-watch/listen to things. For example, I might not end up obsessing over a musical until seeing it the third time. Or I might not quite be convinced about a show until re-listening to the cast album or reading the libretto.
Notes: This is a personal opinion of my own favorite musicals! Your list is probably going to look a lot different from mine. But this is also a good place to start if you’re looking for new ideas of shows to see or cast recordings to check out. And if you’re like me and want to keep track of all of the best musicals you’ve seen and plays you’ve read, you might just love The Thespian’s Bucket List!
And here’s a comprehensive list of my cast album ratings!
My Top 10 Musicals
* This list can always change!
- Les Misérables
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Sweeney Todd
- Hadestown
- Into the Woods
- Rent
- Hamilton
- Chicago
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Fangirls
My Top 100 Musicals
* This list is always changing!
- Les Misérables
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Sweeney Todd
- Hadestown
- Into the Woods
- Rent
- Hamilton
- Chicago
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Fangirls
- In the Heights
- Falsettos
- Company
- Ragtime
- Miss Saigon
- The Book of Mormon
- She Loves Me
- A Little Night Music
- Spring Awakening
- 21 Chump Street
- Cabaret
- West Side Story
- The Sound of Music
- Guys and Dolls
- The Rocky Horror Show
- The Lion King
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Aladdin
- American Psycho
- Heathers
- Chess
- Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
- Ride the Cyclone
- Floyd Collins
- Closer to Heaven
- Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope
- A Year With Frog and Toad
- The Wizard of Oz
- Grease
- Mary Poppins
- Preludes
- Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
- Nevermore
- A Strange Loop
- Zorba
- Alice by Heart
- An American in Paris
- Hundred Days
- La Cage aux Folles
- Parade
- Follies
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Grey Gardens
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- Sunday in the Park with George
- The Dolls of New Albion
- Venice
- Bernarda Alba
- Gypsy
- Carousel
- Caroline, or Change
- Lizzie
- Cyrano
- Sweet Smell of Success
- The Producers
- Titanic
- tick, tick… BOOM!
- Little Shop of Horrors
- The Band’s Visit
- The Lord of the Rings
- Next to Normal
- The Color Purple
- The Last Five Years
- The Wiz
- The Robber Bridegroom
- Amélie
- A Christmas Story
- Merrily We Roll Along
- Be More Chill
- Jagged Little Pill
- Memphis
- The Scottsboro Boys
- A Chorus Line
- The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
- The Phantom of the Opera
- A New Brain
- Anastasia
- My Fair Lady
- Fun Home
- Come From Away
- A Bronx Tale
- Something Rotten!
- Working
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
- Anything Goes
- The Capeman
- The Bridges of Madison County
- South Pacific
- Big River
- The Lion
Rating: 10/10
A 10/10 musical is a rare musical in my eyes. In my opinion, a musical is worth a 10 if I ever find myself listening to the cast recording for weeks on end, or sometimes even longer. These are what I consider to be the best musicals of all time. These are musicals that interfered with life (at whatever point I first discovered them) in a way that I could not listen to anything else for a considerable period of time.
- Chicago
- Company
- Falsettos
- Fangirls
- Fiddler on the Roof
- Hadestown
- Hamilton
- In the Heights
- Into the Woods
- Les Misérables
- Miss Saigon
- Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
- Ragtime
- Rent
- Sweeney Todd
- The Book of Mormon
Rating: 9/10
The following musicals are ones that I consider to be among the best of all time. I’d say that the following are just shy of being perfect.
- 21 Chump Street
- A Little Night Music
- A Strange Loop
- A Year With Frog and Toad
- Aladdin
- Alice by Heart
- American Psycho
- An American in Paris
- Cabaret
- Chess
- Closer to Heaven
- Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope
- Floyd Collins
- Grease
- Guys and Dolls
- Heathers
- Hundred Days
- Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
- Mary Poppins
- Nevermore
- Preludes
- Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future
- Ride the Cyclone
- She Loves Me
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Spring Awakening
- The Lion King
- The Rocky Horror Show
- The Sound of Music
- The Wizard of Oz
- West Side Story
- Zorba
Rating: 8.5/10
I consider the following musicals to be extremely special. They are very close to being among my favorite musicals of all time.
- Bernarda Alba
- Caroline, or Change
- Carousel
- Cyrano
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Follies
- Grey Gardens
- Gypsy
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- La Cage aux Folles
- Lizzie
- Parade
- Sunday in the Park with George
- Sweet Smell of Success
- The Dolls of New Albion
- The Producers
- The Scottsboro Boys
- Venice
Rating: 8/10
I love the following musicals. They are simply wonderful and ones that I would absolutely recommend seeing or reading/listening to.
- A Bronx Tale
- A Chorus Line
- A Christmas Story
- A New Brain
- A VHS Christmas Carol
- Allegiance
- Amélie
- Anastasia
- Anything Goes
- Bare
- Be More Chill
- Big River
- Brigadoon
- Cinderella
- Come From Away
- Daddy Long Legs
- Dessa Rose
- Doctor Zhivago
- Dog Man: The Musical
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
- Falsettoland
- Fun Home
- Golden Boy
- Hairspray
- Harlem Song
- Here Lies Love
- His Story
- Honeymoon in Vegas
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- If/Then
- Jagged Little Pill
- Jane Eyre
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Kean
- Kid Victory
- Leap of Faith
- Little Shop of Horrors
- March of the Falsettos
- Memphis
- Merrily We Roll Along
- My Fair Lady
- Next to Normal
- Nymph Errant
- Oliver!
- On the Twentieth Century
- Passing Strange
- Robert and Elizabeth
- Ruthless!
- Sarafina
- Say My Name!
- Selma
- Six
- Something Rotten!
- South Pacific
- Summer of ’42
- Sunset Boulevard
- The Band’s Visit
- The Bridges of Madison County
- The Capeman
- The Clockmaker’s Daughter
- The Color Purple
- The Fields of Ambrosia
- The Last Five Years
- The Last Ship
- The Life
- The Lion
- The Lord of the Rings
- The Mad Ones
- The Music Man
- The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes
- The Phantom of the Opera
- The Pirate Queen
- The Prince of Egypt
- The Robber Bridegroom
- The Story of My Life
- The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
- The Wiz
- The Zulu and the Zayda
- Tick, Tick… BOOM!
- Titanic
- Tomfoolery
- Tuck Everlasting
- Violet
- Waitress
- We Aren’t Kids Anymore
- Wicked
- Working
Rating: 7.5/10
The following musicals have something special that makes them feel a bit closer to an 8 than a 7. I really enjoy/appreciate these musicals.
- & Juliet
- 1776
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- A Minister’s Wife
- Adding Machine
- Ain’t Misbehavin’
- Allegro
- Annie
- As Thousands Cheer
- Assassins
- Bandstand
- Beauty and the Beast
- BKLYN The Musical
- Black and Blue
- Blitz!
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Bravo Giovanni
- Bright Star
- Brooklyn Crush
- Bumblescratch
- Camelot
- Death Note
- Death Takes a Holiday
- Descendants
- Destry Rides Again
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
- Dogfight
- Dreamland
- Ernest Shackleton Loves Me
- Eugenius!
- Evening Primrose
- Evita
- Fela!
- Fly by Night
- Frankenstein
- Frozen
- Funny Girl
- Ghost
- Ghost Quartet
- Giant
- Goblin Market
- Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge
- Goosebumps The Musical
- Grand Hotel
- Hair
- Hands on a Hardbody
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- Hello, Dolly!
- House of Flowers
- I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
- In Trousers
- Infinite Joys
- Irma La Douce
- It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues
- James and the Giant Peach
- Jasper in Deadland
- Jekyll & Hyde
- Jelly’s Last Jam
- Kat and the Kings
- King Kong (1959)
- Kinky Boots
- Kismet
- Kiss of the Spiderwoman
- Knickerbocker Holiday
- Knoxville
- Lady, Be Good
- Life Begins at 8:40
- Light Years
- Li’l Abner
- Lizard Boy
- Louisiana Purchase
- Mamma Mia!
- Marguerite
- Martin Guerre
- Me and My Girl
- Movin’ Out
- Oh! What a Lovely War
- Oklahoma!
- Once
- Once Upon a Mattress
- One Mo’ Time
- Pardon My English
- Peter Pan (1954)
- Pippin
- Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
- Pump Boys and Dinettes
- Ring of Fire
- See What I Wanna See
- Soft Power
- Something for the Boys
- Spamalot
- Starry
- Strike Up the Band
- Sweet Charity
- Taboo
- Tanz der Vampire
- Tenderloin
- The Big One-Oh!
- The Burnt Part Boys
- The Cher Show
- The Full Monty
- The Hatpin
- The Hello Girls
- The Immigrant
- The Light in the Piazza
- The Light Princess
- The Little Mermaid
- The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
- The New Moon
- The Rothschilds
- The Scarlet Pimpernel
- The Show Goes On
- The Spitfire Grill
- The Threepenny Opera
- The View UpStairs
- The Visit
- The Wild Party (Lippa)
- The Will Rogers Follies
- The Witches of Eastwick
- The Woman in White
- Tintypes
- Tokyo Rose
- Top Hat
- Twisted
- Wings
- Yours, Anne
Rating: 7/10
These musicals are pretty good. Some are classics. Some are popular. I enjoy/appreciate these musicals for what they are.
- 13
- 35mm
- 70, Girls, 70
- A Christmas Carol
- A Class Act
- A Man of No Importance
- Aida
- Ain’t Too Proud
- Almost Famous
- American Idiot
- Amour
- Annie Get Your Gun
- Anyone Can Whistle
- Avenue Q
- Barnum
- Bella: An American Tall Tale
- Bells Are Ringing
- Ben Franklin in Paris
- Big
- Black Nativity
- Blackbirds of 1928
- Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
- Blues in the Night
- Breathe
- Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk
- Bring It On
- Bullets Over Broadway
- Bye Bye Birdie
- Calvin Berger
- Cambodian Rock Band
- Candide
- Carrie
- Catch Me If You Can
- Charlotte Sweet
- Children of Eden
- City of Angels
- Closer Than Ever
- Crazy for You
- Cruel Intentions
- Cry-Baby
- Curtains
- Damn Yankees
- Dear Edwina
- Dearest Enemy
- Desperate Measures
- Disaster!
- Do I Hear a Waltz?
- Doctor Dolittle
- Dreamgirls
- Elf
- Ernest in Love
- Face the Music
- Fame
- Fanny
- Far From Heaven
- Fifty Million Frenchmen
- First Daughter Suite
- Five Guys Named Moe
- Flora, the Red Menace
- Freaky Friday
- Fugitive Songs
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- Get Up Stand Up!
- Greenwillow
- Groundhog Day
- Hex
- How to Eat Like a Child
- I Can Get It for You Wholesale
- I Do! I Do!
- Illya Darling
- I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road
- Inner City
- Jamaica
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
- Jumbo
- Juno
- KPOP
- Legally Blonde
- Let ‘Em Eat Cake
- Let It Be
- Little By Little
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Little Women
- Love Never Dies
- Lucky Stiff
- Marie Christine
- Matilda
- Mayor
- Milk and Honey
- MJ The Musical
- Mrs Henderson Presents
- Newsies
- Nine
- No, No, Nanette
- No Strings
- On the Record
- On Your Feet!
- Once on This Island
- Only Fools and Horses
- Phantom
- Pickwick
- Pins and Needles
- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
- Promenade
- Purlie
- Rags
- Raisin
- Reefer Madness
- Salvation
- Saturday Night
- Seesaw
- Shucked
- Smile
- Something’s Afoot
- Song of Norway
- Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
- St. Louis Woman
- State Fair
- Stop the World – I Want to Get Off
- Street Scene
- Sunny Afternoon
- Tarrytown
- Tarzan
- The Addams Family
- The Bodyguard
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- The Drowsy Chaperone
- The Frogs
- The Glorious Ones
- The Golden Apple
- The Grand Tour
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- The King and I
- The Landing
- The Likes of Us
- The Man in the Ceiling
- The Mystery of Edwin Drood
- The New Yorkers
- The Pajama Game
- The Prom
- The Theory of Relativity
- The Who’s Tommy
- They’re Playing Our Song
- Thoroughly Modern Millie
- Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
- Tootsie
- Tovarich
- Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Urinetown
- Victor/Victoria
- We Are the Tigers
- Where’s Charley?
- Yank!
- Young Frankenstein
- You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- Zanna, Don’t!
Rating: 6/10 or Below
The musicals that didn’t quite make it into the above ratings are going to be politely left off of this list and kept safely in my own documents!
So there you have it! My list of the best musicals of all time. This is of course just the beginning, and this list is going to continue to change and evolve. I listen to 5-6 new cast recordings a week and see new shows regularly. So I’ll be updating this as opinions change and become more “refined”. If you like lists and ideas and stuff like that, you can also check out my list of favorite books, musicals, and plays!
But I would be so curious to know … is there anything that you absolutely disagree with above? I would love to know! What would the best musicals of all time look like on your list? Feel free to share in the comments below!
2 Responses
We are big fans of you Stacy!!!!
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your support. 🙂