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.

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.

Show Tune Albums – Top 10

image from sodahead.com

Originally posted on the DMDB Facebook page on 2/21/10. This list has since been expanded into a top 50 list. Check here for the updated list.

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50 years ago: Damn Yankees opened on Broadway

Damn Yankees Richard Adler & Jerry Ross (music & lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: May 5, 1955 Charted: June 11, 1955 Peak: 6 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: December 1, 1958 Peak: 21 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Song Title (Performers) [time] Overture (Orchestra) / Six Months Out of Every Year (Shannon Bolin, Robert Shafer, Baseball Fans, & Baseball Widows) [4:42] Goodbye, Old Girl (Robert Shafer, Stephen Douglass) [3:13] Heart (Russ Brown, Jimmie Komack, Nathaniel Frey, Albert Linville) [4:40] Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. (Rae Allen, Baseball Players) [3:40] A Little Brains, A Little Talent (Gwen Verdon) [3:37] A Man Doesn’t Know (Stephen Douglass, Shannon Bolin) [3:08] Whatever Lola Wants (Gwen Verdon) [3:10] Heart (Reprise) (Jean Stapleton, Ronn Cummins, Jackie Scholie, Cherry Davis) [1:23] Who’s Got the Pain? (Gwen Verdon, Eddie Phillips) [2:51] The Game (Jimmie Komack, Nathaniel Frey, Baseball Players) [4:30] Near to You (Stephen Douglass, Shannon Bolin) [3:28] Those Were the Good Old Days (Ray Walston) [2:35] Two Lost Souls (Gwen Verdon, Stephen Douglass) [2:15] A Man Doesn’t Know (Reprise) (Shannon Boli, Robert Shafer) [1:25] Finale (The Entire Company) [0:54] Total Running Time: 46:11 Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) [time] Overture (Orchestra) [1:43] Six Months Out of Every Year (Shannon Bolin, Robert Shafer, Vocal Group) [1:59] Goodbye, Old Girl (Robert Shafer, Tab Hunter) [3:14] Heart (Russ Brown, Jimmie Komack, Nathaniel Frey, Albert Linville) [2:51] Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. (Rae Allen, Baseball Players) [3:19] There’s Something About an Empty Chair (Shannon Bolin) [2:10] Whatever Lola Wants (Warnber Bros. Studio Orchestra) [2:47] A Little Brains, a Little Talent (Gwen Verdon) [3:26] Whatever Lola Wants (Gwen Verdon) [3:49] Those Were the Good Old Days (Ray Walston) [2:35] Who’s Got the Pain? (Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse) [3:32] Two Lost Souls (Gwen Verdon, Tab Hunter) [4:57] There’s Something About an Empty Chair (Reprise) (Shannon Bolin, Robert Shafer) [1:21] Total Running Time: 38:07 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: ”Two Lost Souls” – Perry Como (#18, 1955) “Whatever Lola Wants” – Gwen Verdon (#5 HP, 1955), Alma Cogan (26 UK, 1957)

Rating: 3.824 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: Damn Yankees is a musical comedy based on Douglass Wallop’s 1954 novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. It is “a modern retelling of the Faust Legend, set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C. during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball.” WK The team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross had a hit the year before with The Pajama Game and they looked to have a bright future before Ross died at age 29 from chronic bronchiectasis. WK The show opened on Broadway on May 5, 1955, and ran for 1,109 performances. It opened at London’s West End on March 28, 1957, and ran for 258 performances. “The all American…subject matter aria treatment” CA “defines 1950s Broadway style” CA “for many musical theater buffs.” CA “Baseball may be the show’s surface theme, but it also deals with questions of aging and disappointment as refracted through a modern retelling of the Faust legend with a number of fantasy elements at play, including a natty but nasty devil, a suddenly young hero, and a sassy temptress. Also, the show teases audiences with a sort of April-November romance between the young man and the wife of his former, older self.” CA “That’s not to say this is a dark musical in sum; its serious notions never become grim and, midway through the first act, it’s galvanized by the brassy allure of Lola, the devil’s choice glamor girl. Gwen Verdon created the role in 1955, and Damn Yankees has been under her flame-haired spell ever since.” CA About the Cast Album: “While the original cast album can’t give us her legendary dance moves, it does present her fetching vocalism in its freshest form. Whatever Lola Wants is essential for the archives, and A Little Brains, a Little Talent is not far behind. Fortunately, the rest of the cast doesn’t fade by comparison. Stephen Douglass was one of the best Broadway baritones of his time, and he’s teamed with the appealingly homespun Meg of Shannon Bolin. Russ Brown expertly growls Heart, Rae Allen is up to the belting of Shoeless Joe, and Ray Walston reminisces amusingly in the devilish Those Were the Good Old Days. This first recording of Damn Yankees is an apt souvenir of a show and an era.” CA About the Soundtrack: The movie version, directed by George Abbott and Stanley Donen, “didn’t fare as well on screen as the other Adler-Ross transfer, The Pajama Game. But most of the Broadway leads recreated their roles in the film, and movie star Tab Hunter makes a perfectly acceptable Joe Hardy; Hunter sounds OK here, partly because the role’s more challenging songs (A Man Doesn’t Know and Near to You) were eliminated.” CA “A feeble new tune, There’s Something About an Empty Chair, is sung as a solo by Shannon Bolin. Vocally, Hunter teams well with Verdon on Two Lost Souls. Again in blissful form, Verdon is partnered in Who’s Got the Pain? by future husband Bob Fosse, who choreographed Yankees (and Pajama Game) for both stage and screen. Walston is an even more snide Satan, Brown sings ‘Heart’ with brio, and Jean Stapleton’s distinctive soprano wails in a supporting role. The soundtrack benefits from expanded orchestrations by Ray Heindorf; an instrumental cut of ‘Whatever Lola Wants,’ used as background scoring, is especially lush. But it should be noted that the early-stereo-era sound is somewhat shallow and glassily reverberant. This, along with that dull ‘Chair’ song, puts this enjoyable recording a notch or two below the original.” CA

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Richard Adler DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jerry Ross CA Cast Album Reviews by Richard Barrios WK Wikipedia page about the musical First posted 12/23/2021.