Top 50 Musical Theater Composers

Musical Theater Composers: Top 50

This list was first posted on March 22, 2012 in honor of the births of two of musical theater’s most celebrated composers (Stephen Sondheim: March 22, 1930; Andrew Lloyd Webber: March 22, 1948). While this list focused on musical theater, a separate list produced around the same time focused on The Top 100 Songwriters of the Rock Era. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II 1. Richard Rodgers 2. Oscar Hammerstein II 3. Stephen Sondheim 4. Andrew Lloyd Webber 5. George Gershwin George and Ira Gershwin, image from wmky.org 6. Leonard Bernstein 7. Cole Porter 8. Irving Berlin 9. John Kander 10. Stephen Schwartz Stephen Sondheim 11. Jerry Herman 12. Frank Loesser 13. Frederick Loewe 14. Ira Gershwin 15. Alan Jay Lerner Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice 16. Tim Rice 17. Fred Ebb 18. Jonathan Larson 19. Jerome Kern 20. Harold Arlen Irving Berlin 21. Lorenz Hart 22. Alan Menken 23. Charles Strouse 24. Marvin Hamlisch 25. Lee Adams Cole Porter, image from hometownstohollywood.com 26. Cy Coleman 27. Jason Robert Brown 28. Jeanine Tesori 29. Dorothy Fields 30. Jerry Ross Leonard Bernstein, image from npr.org 31. Jule Styne 32. Richard Adler 33. Sheldon Harnick 34. Jerry Bock 35. Lin-Manuel Miranda Jerry Herman, image from jerryherman.com 36. Kurt Weill 37. Betty Comden 38. Adolph Green 39. Harold Rome 40. Elton John Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe 41. E.Y. “Yip” Harburg 42. Burton Lane 43. Richard Sherman 44. Robert Sherman 45. Claude-Michel Schönberg Jerome Kern, image from discogs.com 46. Mel Brooks 47. Lynn Ahrens 48. Bob Merrill 49. Johnny Mercer 50. Noël Coward Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Musicals/Cast Albums: Top 50 Dave’s Music Database: The Top 100 Songwriters of the Rock Era Dave’s Music Database: Lists Focused on Media, including Stage & Screen Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories First posted 3/22/2012; last updated 7/1/2026.

Top 50 Musicals/Cast Albums of All Time

Musicals/Cast Albums: Top 50 All Time

This is an expansion of a list (Top 10 Show Tune Albums of All Time) originally posted on Dave’s Music Database Facebook page on February 21, 2010. As with most DMDB lists, this was created based on sales, chart peaks, awards, and an aggregate of lists, in this case more than 100 best-of lists focused on cast albums, musicals, soundtracks, and music-themed movies. The names before the titles indicate the composers. Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. Check out other stage & screen lists here. 1. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II South Pacific (1949) 2. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe My Fair Lady (1956) 3. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The Sound of Music (1959) 4. Leonard Bernstein (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) West Side Story (1957) 5. Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni & James Rado (lyrics) Hair (1967) 6. Meredith Willson (music & lyrics) The Music Man (1957) 7. Lin-Manuel Miranda (music & lyrics) Hamilton (2015) 8. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) with Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) Phantom of the Opera (1986) 9. George Gershwin (music) with Ira Gershwin & Dubose Heyward (lyrics) Porgy and Bess (1935) 10. Jerry Bock (music) & Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) Fiddler on the Roof (1964) 11. Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) 12. Elton John (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) The Lion King (1997) 13. Cole Porter Kiss Me, Kate (1948) 14. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Oklahoma! (1943) 15. Richard Rodgers (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Carousel (1945) 16. Stephen Sondheim Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) 17. Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe Camelot (1960) 18. Irving Berlin (music & lyrics) Annie Get Your Gun (1946) 19. Grease (1972) 20. John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Cabaret (1966) 21. Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) The King and I (1951) 22. Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat (1927) 23. Claude-Michel Schönberg (music) with Alain Boublil & Herbert Kretzmer (lyrics) Les Misérables (1985) 24. Jerry Herman (music & lyrics) Hello, Dolly! (1963) 25. Jonathan Larson (music & lyrics) Rent (1996) 26. John Kander (music) & Fred Ebb (lyrics) Chicago (1975) 27. Jule Styne (music) & Bob Merrill (lyrics) Funny Girl (1964) 28. Lionel Bart (music & lyrics) Oliver! (1960) 29. Frank Loesser (music & lyrics) Guys and Dolls (1950) 30. Alan Menken (music) with Howard Ashman & Tim Rice (lyrics) Beauty and the Beast (1994) 31. Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) Company (1970) 32. Marvin Hamlisch (music) & Edward Kleban (lyrics) A Chorus Line (1975) 33. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) & Tim Rice (lyrics) Evita (1976) 34. Jule Styne (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) Gypsy (1959) 35. Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) & T.S. Eliot (lyrics) Cats (1981) 36. Trey Parker & Matt Stone with Robert Lopez (music & lyrics) The Book of Mormon (2011) 37. Charles Strouse (music) & Martin Charnin (lyrics) Annie (1977) 38. Richard O’Brien (music & lyrics) The Rocky Horror Show (1974) 39. Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics) Wicked (2003) 40. Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Hairspray (2002) 41. Mitch Leigh & Joe Darion Man of La Mancha (1965) 42. Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe Brigadoon (1947) 43. Harry Warren (music) with Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer (lyrics) 42nd Street (1980) 44. Richard Adler (music) & Jerry Ross (lyrics) Damn Yankees (1955) 45. Pete Townshend (music & lyrics) The Who’s Tommy (1993) 46. Henry Krieger (music) & Tom Eyen (lyrics) Dreamgirls (1981) 47. Charles Strouse (music) & Lee Adams (lyrics) Bye Bye Birdie (1960) 48. Stephen Schwartz (music & lyrics) Godspell (1971) 49. Alan Menken Little Shop of Horrors (1979) 50. Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) A Little Night Music (1973) Resources and Related Links: Original Facebook post (2/21/2010). “Top 10 Show Tune Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Broadway: Top 100 Songs” Dave’s Music Database: On-Screen Musicals: Top 50 Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre/category lists Dave’s Music Database “Other Stage & Screen Lists” First posted 2/21/2010; last updated 11/4/2023.

Standards of the American Songbook: Top 100

American Songbook Standards: Top 100 Songs

Songs which have become known as standards or those comprising the great American songbook are generally popular songs from the early 20th century. These are songs from an era when songwriters were more at the forefront, penning songs for theater and film that were often recorded by multiple artists and spawned multiple chart versions. This list has been created by aggregating 31 lists (see sources at the bottom of the page) which focused on 20th century song titles not recorded by any specific artist. Here are the top 100 songs listed with their songwriters and first year of appearance: 1. Irving Berlin “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911) 2. Cole Porter “Night and Day” (1932) 3. Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish “Stardust” (1927) 4. W.C. Handy “St. Louis Blues” (1914) 5. Irving Berlin “White Christmas” (1942) 6. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II “All the Things You Are” (1939) 7. Harold Arlen and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg “Over the Rainbow” (1939) 8. Cole Porter “Begin the Beguine” (1935) 9. George M. Cohan “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1904) 10. George M. Cohan “Over There” (1917) 11. Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (1930) 12. Fats Waller “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (1929) 13. George Gershwin and Irving Caesar “Swanee” (1920) 14. Isham Jones and Gus Kahn “It Had to Be You” (1924) 15. Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (1928) 16. Hughie Cannon and Johnnie Queen “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home” (1902) 17. George and Ira Gershwin “I Got Rhythm” (1930) 18. Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar “Tea for Two” (1925) 19. Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields “The Way You Look Tonight” (1936) 20. Cole Porter “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” (1936) 21. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II “Ol’ Man River” (1927) 22. Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1933) 23. Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” (1933) 24. Irving Berlin “Cheek to Cheek” (1935) 25. Richard H. Gerard and Harry Armstrong “Sweet Adeline (You’re the Flower of My Heart)” (1903) 26. Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, and Irving Mills “Sophisticated Lady” (1933) 27. Gus Kahn, Raymond B. Egan, and Richard Whiting “Ain’t We Got Fun?” (1921) 28. Ernie Burnett and George A. Norton “My Melancholy Baby” (1928) 29. Gus Kahn and Walter Donaldson “Carolina in the Morning” (1923) 30. Kurt Weill, Mark Blitzstein, and Berthold Brecht “Mack the Knife” (1928) 31. Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908) 32. Jay Gorney and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” (1932) 33. Duke Ellington “Mood Indigo” (1931) 34. Herman Hupfield “As Time Goes By” (1931) 35. Jimmy Monaco and Joseph McCarthy “You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)” (1913) 36. George & Ira Gershwin “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (1937) 37. Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer “Blues in the Night (My Mama Done Tol’ Me)” (1941) 38. George & Ira Gershwin “Someone to Watch Over Me” (1926) 39. Walter Donaldson and George A. Whiting “My Blue Heaven” (1927) 40. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart “Manhattan” (1925) 41. Arthur B Sterling and Kerry Mills “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” (1904) 42. Irving Berlin “Blue Skies” (1927) 43. Vernon Duke and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg “April in Paris” (1932) 44. Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse “They Didn't Believe Me” (1914) 45. George Meyer, Edgar Leslie, and E. Ray Goetz “For Me and My Gal” (1917) 46. traditional, adapted by Fred Weatherly “Danny Boy” (1913) 47. George M. Cohan “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” (1906) 48. Irving Berlin “God Bless America” (1939) 49. Edward Madden and Percy Wenrich “Moonlight Bay” (1912) 50. Irving Berlin “Always” (1926) 51. Harry H. Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” (1905) 52. Harry Warren and Al Dubin “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1934) 53. Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson “September Song” (1905) 54. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart “Blue Moon” (1935) 55. John Schonberger, Richard Coburn, and Vincent Rose “Whispering” (1920) 56. Shelton Brooks “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917) 57. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed “Singin’ in the Rain” (1929) 58. Johnny Green, Eddie Heyman, Robert Sour, and Frank Eyton “Body and Soul” (1930) 59. Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell “Georgia on My Mind” (1930) 60. Richard A. Whiting and Raymond B. Egan “Till We Meet Again” (1919) 61. Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields “I’m in the Mood for Love” (1935) 62. Andy Razaf and Joe Garland “In the Mood” (1939) 63. Buddy DeSylva and Louis Silvers “April Showers” (1922) 64. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart “My Funny Valentine” (1937) 65. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart “Lover” (1933) 66. Irving Berlin “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918) 67. Fred Fisher “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” (1922) 68. Cole Porter “Just One of Those Things” (1935) 69. Edward Madden and Gus Edwards “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” (1909) 70. George Powell (aka Charles Asaf) and Felix Powell “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile” (1915) 71. Alfred Bryan and Fred Fisher “Peg O’ My Heart” (1913) 72. Max Freedman and Jimmy DeKnight “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954) 73. Paul Dresser “My Gal Sal” (1905) 74. Richard Whiting “The Japanese Sandman” (1920) 75. Ren Shields and George Evans “In the Good Old Summertime” (1902) 76. Ren Shields and George Evans “In My Merry Oldsmobile” (1902) 77. Jack Norworth and Nora Bayes “Shine on, Harvest Moon” (1908) 78. Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, and Jean Schwartz “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” (1918) 79. Milton Ager and Jack Yellen “Happy Days Are Here Again” (1930) 80. Leigh Harline and Ned Washington “When You Wish Upon a Star” (1940) 81. George M. Cohan “Yankee Doodle Boy” (1905) 82. Leo Friedman and Beth Slater Whitson “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1910) 83. Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn “My Buddy” (1922) 84. George & Ira Gershwin “Summertime” (1935) 85. Shelton Brooks “Some of These Days” (1910) 86. Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer “That Old Black Magic” (1943) 87. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” (1941) 88. Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin “I Can’t Get Started” (1938) 89. Walter Donaldson and Arthur Fields “The Aba Daba Honeymoon” (1914) 90. Cole Porter “I Get a Kick Out of You” (1934) 91. Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” (1945) 92. Harry Warren and Al Dubin “42nd Street” (1933) 93. Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin “Long Ago and Far Away” (1944) 94. Walter Gross and Jack Lawrence “Tenderly” (1947) 95. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II “It Might As Well Be Spring” (1945) 96. Nat D. Ayer and Seymour Brown “Oh You Beautiful Doll” (1911) 97. Walter Donaldson, Sam Lewis, and Joy Young “My Mammy (The Sun Shines East, the Sun Shines West)” (1920) 98. George & Ira Gershwin “Embraceable You” (1930) 99. George & Ira Gershwin “The Man I Love” (1928) 100. Turner Layton and Henry Creamer “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” (1922) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists AmericanMusicPreservation.com “American Music History Timeline (1820-1920)” AmericanMusicPreservation.com (2017). “100 Essential Songs (1861-1961)” ASCAP (1999). “Top 25 Songs of the Century” ASCAP All-Time Hit Parade (1985) as found in Don Tyler’s Hit Parade 1920-1955. New York, NY: Quill. Billboard (1953). “Disc Jockey Poll: All-Time Favorite Songs” as found in Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories, page 639. BBC Radio 2 (1999). “100 Favourite Songs of the Century” BMI (1999). “Top 100 Songs of the Century” Café Songbook (2018). “Catalog of the Great American Songbook” Doug Clark (2008). “Popular Music in the First Half of the 20th Century” Peter Evans and Peter Lavender (1999). Great Songs of the 20th Century: 1900-1950 Roger Hall (2018). “100 Essential Songs of the 20th Century” Ronald Herder (1997). 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics David A. Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. LastMinuteMusicians.com (2020). “Top 100 Most Popular Cover Songs from 2500+ Set Lists” Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Julius Mattfield (1971). Variety Music Cavalcade, 1620-1969 Max Morath (2002). The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards National Public Radio (1999). “The Most Important American Musical Works of the 20th Century” ParlorSongs.com (2020): catalog ParlorSongs.com (2002). “Enduring American Song Hits: The Best of American Popular Song, Part One 1890-1910” PopCultureMadness.com: “1900s’ Pop Song Hits” (1900-1919) Public Domain Music (2020). “World War I Music from 1914-1918” Theodore Raph (1964). The Songs We Sang RimChiGuy.com “The Old Songs (1900-1929)” Songbook “1890-1969 Selected Standards and Hits Index” Don Tyler (1985). Hit Parade 1920-1955. New York, NY: Quill. Variety (1/4/1956). “Hit Parade of a Half Century” (as published in Don Tyler’s Hit Parade 1920-1955 Wikipedia.org (2020). “List of Pre-1920 Jazz Standards” Wikipedia.org (2000). “Great American Songbook” Alec Wilder (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 First posted 4/11/2020; last updated 4/16/2020.

The Top 100 Broadway Songs

Broadway: Top 100 Songs

Since the early part of the 20th century, musicals have fueled American music with some of its most beloved standards. In the first half of the 1900’s, many pop hits were recordings of songs which had originated on the Broadway stage. What follows is a list of the top 100 Broadway songs, as determined by an aggregate of 34 Broadway song collections and best-of lists. The show and the year of its stage premiere are listed after each song. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. 1. Memory (Cats, 1981) 2. Ol’ Man River (Show Boat, 1927) 3. Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific, 1949) 4. Tonight (West Side Story, 1957) 5. If I Were a Rich Man (Fiddler on the Roof, 1964) 6. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Carousel, 1945) 7. Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music, 1973) 8. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ (Oklahoma!, 1943) 9. Seasons of Love (Rent, 1996) 10. What I Did for Love (A Chorus Line, 1975) 11. The Sound of Music (The Sound of Music, 1959) 12. If I Loved You (Carousel, 1945) 13. On the Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady, 1956) 14. All That Jazz (Chicago, 1975) 15. Don’t Cry for Me Argentina (Evita, 1978) 16. The Impossible Dream (Man of La Mancha, 1965) 17. I Don’t Know How to Love Him (Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971) 18. Aquarius (Hair, 1967) 19. I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables, 1985) 20. Tomorrow (Annie, 1977) 21. Cabaret (Cabaret, 1966) 22. Defying Gravity (Wicked, 2003) 23. Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered (Pal Joey, 1940) 24. The Music of the Night (The Phantom of the Opera, 1986) 25. I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady, 1956) 26. Climb Ev’ry Mountain (The Sound of Music, 1959) 27. My Favorite Things The Sound of Music, 1959) 28. Till There Was You (The Music Man, 1957) 29. My Funny Valentine (Babes in Arms, 1937) 30. Somewhere (West Side Story, 1957) 31. Oklahoma! (Oklahoma!, 1943) 32. On My Own (Les Miserables, 1985) 33. There’s No Business Like Show Business (Annie Get Your Gun, 1946) 34. I Got Rhythm (Girl Crazy, 1930) 35. Luck Be a Lady (Guys and Dolls, 1950) 36. Put on a Happy Face (Bye Bye Birdie, 1960) 37. Seventy-Six Trombones (The Music Man, 1957) 38. Getting to Know You (The King and I, 1951) 39. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (The Lion King, 1997) 40. The Time Warp (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1973) 41. Hello, Dolly! (Hello, Dolly!, 1964) 42. Do-Re-Mi (The Sound of Music, 1959) 43. Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof, 1964) 44. Day by Day (Godspell, 1971) 45. Shall We Dance? (The King and I, 1951) 46. Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man (Show Boat, 1927) 47. If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot, 1960) 48. The Party’s Over (Bells Are Ringing, 1956) 49. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Roberta, 1933) 50. As Long As He Needs Me (Oliver!, 1960) image from the odysseyonline.com 51. All the Things You Are (Very Warm for May, 1939) 52. Summertime (Porgy and Bess, 1935) 53. Circle of Life (The Lion King, 1997) 54. Everything’s Coming Up Roses (Gypsy, 1959) 55. Written in the Stars (Aida, 1999) 56. One (Singular Sensation) (A Chorus Line, 1975) 57. Someone to Watch Over Me (Oh, Kay!, 1926) 58. You’re the Top (Anything Goes, 1934) 59. Maria (West Side Story, 1957) 60. I Love Paris (Can-Can, 1953) 61. Hello, Young Lovers (The King and I, 1951) 62. New York, New York (On the Town, 1944) 63. Almost Like Being in Love (Brigadoon, 1947) 64. I Get a Kick Out of You (Anything Goes, 1935) 65. The Lady Is a Tramp (Babes in Arms, 1937) 66. People Will Say We’re in Love (Oklahoma!, 1943) 67. Once in Love with Amy (Where’s Charley?, 1948) 68. Maybe This Time (Cabaret, 1966) 69. You Can’t Stop the Beat (Hairspray, 2002) 70. Falling in Love with Love (The Boys from Syracuse, 1938) 71. Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971) 72. Comedy Tonight (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1962) 73. This Is the Moment (Jekyll and Hyde, 1997) 74. People (Funny Girl, 1964) 75. The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In (Hair, 1964) 76. All I Ask of You (The Phantom of the Opera, 1986) 77. Over the Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz, movie: 1939) 78. Edelweiss (The Sound of Music, 1959) 79. Wouldn’t It Be Loverly (My Fair Lady, 1956) 80. Try to Remember (The Fantastics, 1960) 81. Mack the Knife (The Threepenny Opera, 1928) 82. Younger Than Springtime (South Pacific, 1949) 83. Bill (Show Boat, 1927) 84. Summer Nights (Grease, 1972) 85. Hernando’s Hideaway (The Pajama Game, 1954) 86. June Is Bustin’ Out All Over (Carousel, 1945) 87. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, 1965) 88. I Enjoy Being a Girl (Flower Drum Song, 1958) 89. This Can’t Be Love (The Boys from Syracuse, 1938) 90. The Phantom of the Opera (The Phantom of the Opera, 1986) 91. So in Love (Kiss Me, Kate, 1948) 92. Camelot (Camelot, 1960) 93. Where or When (Babes in Arms, 1937) 94. Close Every Door (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, 1972) 95. For Good (Wicked, 2003) 96. There’s a Small Hotel (On Your Toes, 1936) 97. Wheels of a Dream (Ragtime, 1996) 98. Springtime for Hitler (The Producers, 2001) 99. Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast, 1998) 100. It’s a Hard-Knock Life (Annie, 1977) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Other Genre/Category Song Lists” First posted 6/27/2016.

The musical Hamilton premiered

Hamilton Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer)

Premiered Off-Braodway: February 17, 2015 Opened on Broadway: August 6, 2015 Cast Album Recorded: August 16-21, 2015 Cast Album Released: September 25, 2015 Peak: 2 US, 58 UK, 2 CN, 6 AU Sales (in millions): 9.0 US, 0.6 UK, 9.71 world (includes US and UK) Genre: show tunes

Act One: Song Title [time] Alexander Hamilton [3:56] Aaron Burr, Sir [2:36] My Shot [5:33] The Story of Tonight [1:31] The Schuyler Sisters [3:06] Farmer Refuted [1:52] You’ll Be Back [3:28] Right Hand Man [5:21] A Winter’s Ball [1:09] Helpless [4:09] Satisfied [5:29] The Story of Tonight (Reprise) [1:55] Wait for It [3:13] Stay Alive [2:39] Ten Duel Commandments [1:46] Meet Me Inside [1:23] That Would Be Enough [2:58] Guns and Ships [2:07] History Has Its Eyes on You [1:37] Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) [4:02] What Comes Next? [1:39] Dear Theodosia [3:04] Non-Stop [6:25] Act Two: Song Title [time] What’d I Miss [3:56] Cabinet Battle #1 [3:35] Take a Break [4:46] Say No to This [4:02] The Room Where It Happens [5:18] Schuyler Defeated [1:03] Cabinet Battle #2 [2:22] Washington on Your Side [3:01] One Last Time [4:56] I Know Him [1:37] The Adams Administration [0:54] We Know [2:22] Hurricane [2:23] The Reynolds Pamphlet [2:08] Burn [3:45] Blow Us All Away [2:53] Stay Alive (Reprise) [1:51] It’s Quiet Uptown [4:30] The Election of 1800 [3:57] Your Obedient Servant [2:30] Best of Wives and Best of Women [0:47] The World Was Wide Enough [5:02] Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story [3:37] Total Running Time: 142:13

Rating: 4.440 out of 5.00 (average of 22 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote one of the most successful musicals in years with Hamilton. He was inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton. The two-act musical won 11 Tonys, including Best Musical, and received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2020, a filmed version of the Broadway producted was released on Disney +. The story, according to BroadwayMusicalHome.com: “Alexander Hamilton, a bastard orphan, is an American on the outside. With his fierce patriotism and willing perseverance, though, he rises through the military and political ranks, becoming an indispensable ally for some of America’s most renowned early heros. His story includes such struggles as the young nation’s first sex scandal and a long-time rivalry with Aaron Burr, all en route to his becoming head of the nation’s Treasury.” BMH the two-act musical about the founding father looked at how Hamilton was influenced by some of the nation’s most important historical figures, including presidents Washington, Madison, and Jefferson. Hamilton combined traditional-style show tunes with hip hop, R&B, pop, and soul. For example, My Shot included elements of LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” as well as South Pacific’s “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.” Cabinet Battle #1 interpolated Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message” while Cabinet Battle #2 pulled from the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy.” The cast album was one of only three in 50 years to reach the top 10 on the Billboard album chart. WC It was the highest-charting cast album since Hair in 1969 WC and the first to top the rap albums chart. In 2019, it became the best-selling cast album of all time. WC

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Lin-Manuel Miranda BMH BroadwayMusicalHome.com WC Hamilton (cast album) WM Hamilton (musical) First posted 12/16/2021; last updated 3/13/2024.

50 years ago: Funny Girl opened on Broadway

Funny Girl Jule Styne (music), Bob Merrill & Walter Scharf (lyrics)

The Musical

Opened on Broadway: March 26, 1964 Number of Performances: 1348 Opened at London’s West End: April 13, 1966 Number of Performances: ? Movie Release: September 19, 1968

Cast Album

Charted: May 2, 1964 Peak: 2 US, 19 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, -- UK, 2.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: September 28, 1968 Peak: 12 US Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Overture If a Girl Isn’t Pretty I’m the Greatest Star Cornet Man Who Taught Her Everything? His Love Makes Me Beautiful I Want to Be Seen with You Tonight Henry Street People You Are Woman Don’t Rain on My Parade Sadie, Sadie Find Yourself a Man Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Who Are You Now? The Music That Makes Me Dance Don’t Rain on My Parade (Reprise) Songs on Soundtrack: Overture I’m the Greatest Star Roller Skate Rag I’d Rather Be Blue Over You Than Happy with Somebody Else His Love Makes Me Beautiful People You Are Woman, I Am Man Don’t Rain on My Parade Sadie, Sadie The Swan Funny Girl My Man Finale Singles/Hit Songs: These are songs from this musical which became hits: “People” – Barbra Streisand (#5, 1964) ”Funny Girl” – Barbra Streisand (#44, 1964) ”Don’t Rain on My Parade” – Glee Cast (#53, 2009)

Rating: 4.702 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show and Cast Album: “This recording of the Fanny Brice biomusical has that wonderful collection of Jule Styne-Bob Merrill songs; vivid performances by Sydney Chaplin as Nick Arnstein, Kay Medford as Fanny’s mother, Danny Meehan as her showbiz pal Eddie Ryan, and Jean Stapleton as a family friend; a killer overture, more than good enough to rival Gypsy’s; Ralph Burns’ opulent orchestrations; and Milton Rosenstock’s excellent musical direction/conducting.” CA “But what matters most is Barbra Streisand, who deservedly shot to super-stardom playing Brice. She’s never been fresher or more appealing than she is here in I’m the Greatest Star, Cornet Man, Who Are You Now?, Don’t Rain on My Parade, “The Music That Makes Me Dance,” and the definitive rendition of People. Streisand uses her sprawling belt, liberally doused with her natural tenacity and eccentricity, to make these songs sound like no one else should even think about singing them for fear of paling in comparison. Even so, her ambitious approach to the songs is always held in check by a complete commitment to character. More than 50 years after this cast album was made, Streisand’s performance still represents the best of what Broadway can be, and propels the recording from ‘excellent’ to ‘essential.’” CA About the Movie and Soundtrack: Streisand reprised her role as Fanny Brice for the movie and won an Academy Award for her performance. However,“the heartfelt emotions she summons on the original Broadway cast recording eminently preferable to the affected, manufactured emoting she does on the film soundtrack.” CA “Strictly in terms of vocal quality, Streisand probably sounds better on the soundtrack than on the Broadway album, but the mile-thick shell of artifice is very off-putting” CA as “Streisand’s bottomless self-indulgence is given full rein here.” CA “The film is notable for the almost complete absence of any singing by other characters; we hear only little bits from Kay Medford, back as Fanny’s mom, and Omar Sharif as Nicky Arnstein.” CA “There are drastic changes to the tune stack, with some of Styne and Merrill’s best work cut. Replacements include two old songs associated with Brice, My Man and I’d Rather Be Blue; and some new numbers written by Styne and Merrill, including the lame Roller Skate Rag and The Swan, plus a superfluous title song that has no heart in it.” CA

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jule Styne CA CastAlbumReviews.com by Matthew Murray First posted 12/24/2021.

50 years ago: Hello, Dolly! opened on Broadway

Hello, Dolly! Jerry Herman (music & lyrics)

The Musical

Premiered in Detroit: November 18, 1963 Opened on Broadway: January 16, 1964 Number of Performances: 2844 Opened at London’s West End: December 2, 1965 Number of Performances: 794 Movie Release: December 16, 1969

Cast Album

Charted: February 22, 1964 Peak: 11 US Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: November 15, 1969 Peak: 49 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Prologue/Call on Dolly I Put My Hand In It Takes a Woman Put on Your Sunday Clothes Ribbons Down My Back Motherhood Dancing Before the Parade Passes By Elegance Hello, Dolly! It Only Takes a Moment So Long, Darie Finale Songs on Soundtrack: Just Leave Everything to Me It Takes a Woman It Takes a Woman (Reprise) Put on Your Sunday Clothes Ribbons Down My Back Dancing Before the Parade Passes By Elegance Love Is Only Love Hello, Dolly! It Only Takes a Moment So Long, Darie Finale Singles/Hit Songs: These were covers of songs from this musical which became hits: “Hello, Dolly!” – Louis Armstrong (#1, 1964) ”So Long, Dearie” – Louis Armstrong (#56, 1964)

Rating: 4.208 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Quotable: “One of the last great old-style musicals” – William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: “Few Broadway musicals have proven as timeless as Hello, Dolly!.” LP “The centerpiece is the David Merrick adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker (1956). When coupled with Gower Champion’s impeccable direction and choreography, as well as Jerry Herman’s equally memorable score, (pardoning the pun) the stage was set for an irrepressible blend of laughter and song.” LP “Herman used a turn-of-the-century, major-chord, big-melody approach” WR to create “one of the last great old-style musicals and a massive hit. Even today, its songs…are so memorable most people can hum them.” WR “The ensemble are…superb, boasting the respective talents of [Carol] Channing as Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, Charles Nelson Reilly portraying Cornelius Hackl, and concurrent newcomer Eileen Brennan as Irene Molloy.” LP “It’s precisely because Channing doesn’t quite have the range for these melodies that she’s able to express the character so well (an effect lost in the Barbra Streisand movie version, though Streisand has no trouble expressing character in other ways).” WR “In addition to the universally renown title selection, Hello, Dolly!, the David Burns’ led It Takes a Woman, Reilly and Brennan’s It Only Takes a Moment, Channing’s I Put My Hand In and So Long Dearie are a few of the other classics.” LP “After opening at the St. James Theater on January 16, 1964, Hello, Dolly! immediately became an unprecedented success, ultimately running for 2, 844 performances – the most for any Broadway musical up to that point. The soundtrack yielded similar enthusiasm, selling roughly 80,000 copies during its’ first week alone. While those results would have been staggering for any release circa 1964, for an LP of a stage show the numbers were all the more impressive.” LP Notes: The 2003 deluxe edition of the cast recording overhauled the sound with digital remastering and added six recordings, including “‘I Put My Hand In’ and ‘So Long Dearie’ taken from the 1965 London cast, led by Mary Martin. ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ and ‘Hello, Dolly!’ featuring Pearl Bailey are from the 1967 revival. Plus, Ethel Merman's 1970 redux of ‘Love, Look in My Window’ and ‘World, Take Me Back.’” LP There’s also “ten-minutes-worth of recollections from a 2003 interview with Carol Channing,” LP which contains “wonderful reminiscences, nicely enhancing the substantial cache of supplements.” LP

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jerry Herman LP All Music Guide review by Lindsay Planer WR All Music Guide review by William Ruhlmann First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/24/2021.

50 years ago: Oliver! opened in London

Oliver! Lionel Bart (music & lyrics)

The Musical

Opened on Broadway: January 6, 1963 Number of Performances: 774 Opened at London’s West End: June 30, 1960 Number of Performances: 2618 Movie Release: October 5, 1968

Cast Album

Charted: November 3, 1962 Peak: 4 US Sales (in millions): 0.5 US Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: November 23, 1968 Peak: 20 US, 4 UK Sales (in millions): 0.5 million Genre: show tunes

Songs on London Cast Album: Food Glorious Food Oliver! I Shall Scream Boy for Sale That’s Your Funeral Where Is Love? Consider Yourself You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two It’s a Fine Life Be Back Soon Oom - Pah My Name As Long As He Needs Me I’d Do Anything Who Will Buy? Reviewing the Situation Oliver! (Reprise) As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise) Reviewing the Situation (Reprise) Finale: Food Glorious Food / Consider Yourself / I’d Do Anything Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) [time] Overture Food, Glorious Food / Oliver! Boy for Sale Where Is Love? You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two Consider Yourself I’d Do Anything Be Back Soon As Long As He Needs Me Who Will Buy? Reviewing the Situation Oom-Pah-Pah Finale (Where Is Love?/Consider Yourself) Singles/Hit Songs: These were covers of songs from this musical which became hits: ”As Long As He Needs Me” – Shirley Bassey (#2 UK, 1960)

Rating: 4.284 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: This musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist was quite a phenomenon in its day, beginning as a modest, fringe-type production in London and becoming an international smash hit. The show boasted a melodic score by composer-lyricist-librettist Lionel Bart, innovative sets by Sean Kenny, fluid direction by Peter Coe, and orchestrations and arrangements that were simple, clear, and direct.” CA About the London Cast Album: “On this cast recording, the now-legendary performance of Ron Moody as Fagin is vibrant and unforgettable. Georgia Brown makes the part of Nancy her own; her husky voice throbs with emotion, and she is entirely believable as a woman of the Victorian underworld. Her rendition of As Long as He Needs Me is definitive. Also excellent are Keith Hamshere as Oliver and Martin Horsey as the Artful Dodger.” CA About the Broadway Cast Album: “Although Clive Revill gives a fine performance as Fagin, his characterization isn’t as colorful and eccentric as that of Ron Moody of the original London cast. But this Broadway album does have Georgia Brown recreating her landmark role of Nancy, as powerfully as ever. Bruce Prochnik sings well as Oliver, Michael Goodman is a fine Artful Dodger, and Willoughby Goddard is well cast as Mr. Bumble. With musical director Donald Pippin breathing new life into the score, the tempi are brighter than on the London album, although the earlier effort is fresher on the whole and more authentic in atmosphere. RCA’s ‘Living Stereo’ sound is superior. An interesting note is that this recording was made in Los Angeles, where the show’s pre-Broadway tour began; by the time the production reached New York, Michael Goodman had been replaced as the Artful Dodger by David Jones, who went on to become famous as one of The Monkees.” CA About the Soundtrack: “Earning six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the film version of Oliver! was masterfully directed by Sir Carol Reed, with the grand score given a bigger-than-big-movie-musical treatment. Under the direction of maestro Johnny Green, the orchestrations and choral arrangements heard on the soundtrack recording are layered with counterpoint, but the overall effect is appropriate to the alternating opulence and squalor of the story’s various settings. Lionel Bart’s songs stand up beautifully to the elaborate scoring, and the performances are as vivid as the orchestrations. At the forefront is Ron Moody, who outdoes his own fine work as Fagin on the original London cast album. Equally excellent is Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger; with his charming Cockney accent, he offers the best account of the role on record. Shani Wallis sings with great warmth and conviction as Nancy, and Harry Secombe as Mr. Bumble displays a superb tenor that elevates the title song and Boy for Sale to classic level. The one off-note is Kathe Green (daughter of Johnny), who sounds a bit phony and overly sweet in her dubbing of Oliver’s songs for Mark Lester.” CA

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Lionel Bart CA CastAlbumReviews.com by Gerard Alessandini First posted 12/24/2021.