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.

Frank Loesser: Top 30 Songs

First posted 12/8/2019.

image from frankloesser.com

Musical theater composer Frank Loesser was born 100 years ago today on 6/29/1910 in New York City, NY. Best known for Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Died 7/28/1969. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

---

Top 30 Songs

---

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Many of these songs have been recorded multiple times. Only the highest-ranked version in Dave’s Music Database is included in this list. The recording artist is noted in parentheses. Songs which hit #1 on these charts are noted: United States Billboard Hot 100 pop chart (US), Hit Parade (HP), United Kingdom pop chart (UK), and Australian pop chart (AU).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Jingle Jangle Jingle (Kay Kyser with Harry Babbitt & Julie Conway, 1942) #1 US, HP
2. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition (Kay Kyser & the Glee Club, 1942) #1 US

DMDB Top 5%:

3. On a Slow Boat to China (Kay Kyser with Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood, 1948) #1 HP, AU
4. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting, 1949)
5. Says My Heart (Red Norvo with Mildred Bailey, 1938) #1 US, HP
6. Two Sleepy People (Fats Waller, 1938) #1 US
7. Heart and Soul (Larry Clinton & Bea Wain, 1938) #1 US
8. I Don’t Want to Walk Without You (Harry James, 1942) #1 US, HP
9. They’re Either Too Young or Too Old (Jimmy Dorsey with Kitty Kallen, 1943)
10. My Darling, My Darling (Jo Stafford with Gordon MacRae, 1948) #1 US

11. The Lady’s in Love with You (Glenn Miller with Tex Beneke, 1939)
12. I Wish I Didn’t Love You So (Vaughn Monroe, 1947) #1 HP
13. Small Fry (Bing Crosby with Johnny Mercer, 1938)
14. Let’s Get Lost (Vaughn Monroe with the Four Lee Sisters, 1943) #1 US, HP
15. Say It Over and Over Again (Glenn Miller, 1940)

DMDB Top 10%:

16. Dolores (Bing Crosby, 1941)
17. A Bushel and a Peck (Perry Como with Betty Hutton & Mitchell Ayres’ Orchestra, 1950) #1 HP
18. Once in Love with Amy (Ray Bolger with Sy Oliver, 1949)
19. Spring Will Be a Little Later This Year (Morton Downey with Johnny Lytell, 1944)
20. Hoop-Dee-Doo (Perry Como with the Fontane Sisters & Mitchell Ayres’ Orchestra, 1950) #1 US

DMDB Top 20%:

21. Can’t Get Out of This Mood (Kay Kyser with Harry Babbitt, 1942)
22. Luck Be a Lady (Frank Sinatra, 1965)
23. Standing on the Corner (The Four Lads, 1956)
24. How Sweet You Are (Kay Armen & the Balladiers, 1943)
25. The Moon of Manakoora (Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter’s Orchestra, 1936)
26. If I Were a Bell (Frankie Laine, 1950)
27. A Woman in Love (Frankie Laine, 1955) #1 UK
28. Sand in My Shoes (Connee Boswell with Victor Young’s Orchestra, 1941)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

29. I’ve Never Been in Love Before (Robert Alda with Isabel Bigley, 1950)
30. I Hear Music (Robert Paige with Peter Lind Hayes, Frank Jenks, & Eddie Quillan; 1940)

---

Awards:

---

50 years ago: Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway

Guys and Dolls Frank Loesser (music & lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: November 24, 1950 Recorded: December 3, 1950 Released: January 8, 1951 Peak: 11 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Released: November 3, 1955 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Runyonland Music/ Fugue for Tinhorns/ Follow the Fold The Oldest Established I’ll Know A Bushel and a Peck Adelaide’s Lament Guys and Dolls If I Were a Bell My Time of Day I’ve Never Been in Love Before Take Back Your Mink More I Cannot Wish You Luck Be a Lady Sue Me Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat Reprise: Guys and Dolls Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) Overture (JACK BLACKTON) Fugue for Tinhorns (STUBBY KAYE / FRANK SINATRA) Follow the Fold (JEAN SIMMONS) The Oldest Established Floating Crap Game in New York (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA) I’ll Know (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) Pet Me Poppa (VIVIAN BLAINE) Adelaide’s Lament (VIVIAN BLAINE) Guys and Dolls (STUBBY KAYE / JOHNNY SILVER / FRANK SINATRA) Adelaide (FRANK SINATRA) If I Were a Bell (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) A Woman in Love (MARLON BRANDO / JEAN SIMMONS) Take Back Your Mink (VIVIAN BLAINE) Luck Be a Lady (MARLON BRANDO) Sue Me (VIVIAN BLAINE / FRANK SINATRA) Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (STUBBY KAYE) Guys and Dolls Finale (JACK BLACKTON) Singles/Hit Songs: As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show: ”A Bushel and a Peck” – Perry Como & Betty Hutton (#3, 1950), Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely (#6, 1950), Doris Day (#16, 1950), the Andrews Sisters (#22, 1950), Johnny Desmond (#29, 1950) ”If I Were a Bell” – Frankie Laine (#30, 1950) ”Luck Be a Lady” – Frank Sinatra (--, 1965)

Rating: 4.428 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: “Guys and Dolls, based on the stories of Damon Runyon about New York gamblers, became a stunning success upon its Broadway opening in 1950. While Abe Burrows’ libretto was much praised, the show's main asset is Frank Loesser’s songs, which are unfailingly tuneful and which accurately represent the vernacular of Runyon’s characters, from Fugue for Tinhorns, a trio song full of horse racing slang, to Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat, a revival meeting pastiche in which a gambler claims to have found salvation. Luck Be a Lady, a gambler’s ode to good fortune, became a standard.” WR “Winning as these are, love songs such as I’ll Know and I’ve Never Been in Love Before are equally affecting. And that isn’t even to mention the songs that became contemporary hits, If I Were a Bell and A Bushel and a Peck.” WR The show premiered on Broadway on November 24, 1950 and ran for 1200 performances. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was selected as the winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize, but got vetoed because Abe Burrows had problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee. WK-C WR The 1955 film adaptation starred Blaine along with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Jean Simmons. Five songs from the stage musical were omitted from the movie and Loesser wrote three new songs for the film: Pet Me Poppa, Your Eyes Are the Eyes of a Woman in Love, and Adelaide. The last was written specifically with Sinatra in mind. WK-S

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Frank Loesser WR William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide WK-C Wikipedia (cast album) WK-S Wikipedia (soundtrack) First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/22/2021.