Top 10 Musical Soundtracks With Absolutely NO SKIPS

From the sonorous first chords of the “Overture” to the final reprise of “Music of the Night,” this musical seizes you and never lets you go. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most successful musical is a Puccini pastiche in the best way possible, a tapestry of several melodies seamlessly interwoven throughout the score. The original 1986 London cast is still a tough act to beat, with Sarah Brightman’s crystal-clear Christine, Steve Barton’s velvety Raoul, and Michael Crawford’s charismatic Phantom. Both the highlights and the full recording were certified Platinum four times in the U.S., with over four million copies sold. We just can’t get enough of this night music.

It was definitely the season of love when Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical opened on Broadway. The original Broadway cast recording contains the full musical score, based on Puccini’s “La bohème,” minus some minor spoken dialogue. Some highlights include not only “Seasons of Love,” but “La Vie Bohème” and “Take Me or Leave Me,” among other favorites. “Seasons of Love” alone became a pop song in its own right, hitting number 33 on the U.S. “Billboard” Hot 100. For all the show’s dramaturgical quirks and flaws, “Rent”’s cast album still sounds as fresh and modern as ever.

The seventh longest-running Broadway show in the U.S., this dance musical also showcases an incredible score. With standouts such as “I Hope I Get It,” “What I Did For Love,” and the rousing finale “One,” “A Chorus Line”’s score is a hit in all respects. Comic numbers such as “Sing!,” “Nothing,” and “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three” are clever satires of the theater industry and the struggles of those trying to make it. The original Broadway cast recording is still the definitive album, with the talents of Kelly Bishop as Sheila, Donna McKechnie as Cassie, and Priscilla Lopez as Diana. It’s no wonder it won the Tony Award for Best Original Score in 1976.

A classic Golden Age musical, Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner’s score has banger after banger—literally. No fewer than seven songs have become standards in their own right. “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”...we could go on. The original Broadway cast featured Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison’s expressive and hilarious Professor Higgins. This album has the distinction of being the first LP record to sell a million copies. It also spent no less than 480 weeks on the U.S. Billboard 200. As loverly as this album is, many prefer the London cast recording - the same principals but in stereo rather than mono.

Goodness knows, this musical has become one of modern Broadway’s biggest successes. The original Broadway cast album featured Idina Menzel’s formidable vocal belt as Elphaba and classically-trained Kristin Chenoweth’s impeccable vocals as Glinda. Their respective solos, “Defying Gravity” and “Popular,” have become musical theater standards in their own right, while tracks such as “No One Mourns the Wicked” showcase a powerful ensemble. Certified triple platinum, the album was re-released in new editions for its fifth, tenth and fifteenth anniversaries. With the popularity of the film adaptation in 2024, the original cast album re-entered the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at number 33. Thank goodness.

There is no problem to be solved with this Maria. This Rodgers and Hammerstein show received a successful cast album, staying 16 weeks as No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in 1960. But it was the film soundtrack that was truly legendary, selling no less than 20 million copies worldwide. Overall, the soundtrack stayed on the Billboard 200 for 238 weeks. There is the excellent score, of course, filled with standards such as the titular “Sound of Music,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and the soaring “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.” But there is also Julie Andrews’ indelible performance as Maria, making this soundtrack album a must-have.

Although this Kander and Ebb musical premiered in 1975, it wasn’t until its revival in 1996 that this show’s quality was properly recognized. The 1996 cast album is iconic, to be sure. But it's the film soundtrack that truly made this musical soar, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than two million copies. It’s a tour de force of great performances, particularly Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Velma Kelly and Renée Zellweger’s Roxie Hart. You also get well-thought-of arrangements of “Cell Block Tango,” “We Both Reached for the Gun,” and “All That Jazz.” You won’t want to skip any track of this album.

Granted, this isn’t Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical rodeo. His first project, “In the Heights,” deserves a shout-out for its unique salsa flair. But when it comes to musical greatness, few musical recordings can beat “Hamilton”’s critically-acclaimed original cast album. This album smashed many records, becoming the first cast album to reach number one on the Rap Albums chart. It was also certified Diamond in the U.S.. With heavyweights like “Alexander Hamilton” and Hamilton’s defiant cri de coeur “My Shot,” history definitely has got an eye on this album.

From the first notes of the titular fiddler, this 1964 musical’s cast album is still one of the best in musical theater history. From the rousing opening “Tradition” to the ebullient “To Life” to the plaintive finale “Anatevka,” “Fiddler”’s score is as heart-stirring and heart-wrenching as ever. Zero Mostel’s performance as the original Tevye is still a hard act to beat, especially his definitive “If I Were A Rich Man.” And then there is the ensemble cast’s beautiful “Sunrise, Sunset,” which never fails to bring tears. It’s no wonder it was chosen by the Library of Congress in 2020 to be preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Who Doesn’t Know This Iconic & Chart-Topping Film Soundtrack?

We’ll Always March in Time with This Grammy Award-Winning Album

This Joyous Ode to Equality Has Never Sounded This Good

Step Into This Candy Store of An Album

Anaïs Mitchell’s Grammy Award-Winning Album is Haunting & Tragic

But of course, the most golden of the Golden Age musicals has a cast album that is just as iconic. Leonard Bernstein’s and Stephen Sondheim’s collaboration produced a score that can be said to be flawless. Honestly, it’s much easier to identify which songs haven’t become standards ingrained in our cultural consciousness. Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal[a], working with Bernstein, also supplied some of the most gorgeous and vibrant orchestrations ever to grace Broadway. Meanwhile, the performances are absolutely timeless– Carol Lawrence, having originated Maria, is a clear standout with her beautiful, emotionally-charged vocals. Even the instrumental numbers pull their weight narratively as you let this soundtrack carry you through the musical’s classic love story. This is sheer musical genius, from beginning to end.


Which other musical has a perfect cast album or soundtrack? Let us know in the comments down below!

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