Greatest Broadway Musicals

[Tim]

Criteria: these Broadway musicals are ranked according to their influence, acclaim, popularity, longevity

1. Oklahoma! - Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1943)
2. West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim (1957)
3. Show Boat - Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II (1927)
4. Fiddler on the Roof - Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick (1964)
5. Gypsy - Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim (1959)
6. A Chorus Line - Marvin Hamlisch & Edward Kleban (1975)
7. Les Misérables - Claude-Michel Schönberg & Herbert Kretzmer (1987)
8. Hamilton - Lin-Manuel Miranda (2015)
9. The Phantom of the Opera - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe (1986)
10. Chicago - John Kander & Fred Ebb (1975/1996)
11. My Fair Lady - Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner (1956)
12. Wicked - Stephen Schwartz (2003)
13. Guys and Dolls - Frank Loesser (1950)
14. Cabaret - John Kander & Fred Ebb (1966)
15. Porgy & Bess - George & Ira Gershwin (1935)
16. The Lion King - Elton John & Tim Rice (1997)
17. South Pacific - Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1949)
18. Rent - Jonathan Larson (1996)
19. Hair - Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni & James Rado (1967)
20. The Music Man - Meredith Willson (1957)
21. Carousel - Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1945)
22. Kiss Me, Kate - Cole Porter (1948)
23. The King and I - Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1951)
24. The Sound of Music - Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1959)
25. Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber, T. S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn & Richard Stilgoe (1982)
26. Hello, Dolly! - Jerry Herman (1964)
27. Jesus Chris Superstar - Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice (1971)
28. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Stephen Sondheim (1979)
29. Evita - Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice (1979)
30. Company - Stephen Sondheim & George Furth (1970)
31. The Producers - Mel Brooks (2001)
32. The Book of Mormon - Trey Parker, Matt Stone & Robert Lopez (2011)
33. Oliver! - Lionel Bart (1962)
34. Anything Goes - Cole Porter (1934)
35. Shuffle Along - Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, Flournoy Miller & Aubrey Lyles (1921)
36. Annie Get Your Gun - Irving Berlin (1946)
37. Into the Woods - Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine (1987)
38. Camelot - Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner (1960)
39. Grease - Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey (1972)
40. Annie - Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin & Thomas Meehan (1977)
41. Of Thee I Sing - George & Ira Gershwin (1931)
42. How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying - Frank Loesser (1961)
43. Man of La Mancha - Mitch Leigh & Joe Darion (1965)
44. 42nd Street - Harry Warren, Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer (1980)
45. Dreamgirls - Henry Krieger & Tom Eyen (1981)
46. La Cage aux Folles - Jerry Herman & Harvey Fierstein (1983)
47. Sunday in the Park with George -  Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine (1983)
48. Hadestown - Anaïs Mitchell (2016)
49. Fiorello! - Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick (1959)
50. Ragtime - Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens (1996)
51. Mamma Mia! - Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus (1999)
52. Miss Saigon - Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boublil (1989)
53. Funny Girl - Jule Styne & Bob Merrill (1964)
54. On the Town - Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden & Adolph Green (1944)
55. Damn Yankees - Richard Adler & Jerry Ross (1955)
56. Hairspray - Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Thomas Meehan & Mark O'Donnell (2002)
57. Avenue Q - Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx & Jeff Whitty (2003)
58. Falsettos - William Finn (1992)
59. In the Heights - Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes (2008)
60. Follies - Stephen Sondheim (1971)
61. Jersey Boys - Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice, Bob Gaudio & Bob Crewe (2004)
62. Mary Poppins  - Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherma, George Stiles & Anthony Drewe (2006)
63. Candide - Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur, Lillian Hellman & Hugh Wheeler (1956)
64. Singin’ in the Rain - Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed (1983)
65. Dear Evan Hansen - Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (2016)
66. 1776 - Sherman Edwards & Peter Stone (1969)
67. Spring Awakening - Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater (2006)
68. Pippin - Stephen Schwartz (1972)
69. Next to Normal - Brian Yorkey & Tom Kitt (2008)
70. The Wiz - Charlie Smalls, Timothy Graphenreed, Harold Wheeler, George Faison, Luther Vandross & William F. Brown (1975)
71. Billy Elliot: The Musical - Elton John & Lee Hall (2008)
72. Brigadoon - Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner (1947)
73. Sunset Boulevard - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton & Amy Powers (1991)
74. A Little Night Music - Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler (1973)
75. Kinky Boots - Cyndi Lauper (2012)
76. Merrily We Roll Along - Stephen Sondheim (1981)
77. Roald Dahl’s Matilda - Tim Minchin (2013)
78. Newsies - Alan Menken & Jack Feldman (2011)
79. Come From Away - Irene Sankoff & David Hein (2017)
80. Waitress - Sara Bareilles (2016)
81. Parade - Jason Robert Brown (1998)
82. The Color Purple - Brenda Russell, Allee Willis & Stephen Bray (2005)
83. Aida - Elton John & Tim Rice (2000)
84. Spamalot - John Du Prez & Eric Idle (2004)
85. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Rupert Holmes (1985)
86. Six - Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss (2017)
87. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - William Finn (2005)
88. Legally Blonde - Neil Benjamin & Laurence O’Keefe (2007)
89. Once - Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová (2012)
90. Fun Home - Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron (2013)
91. Grey Gardens - Scott Frankel, Michael Korie & Doug Wright (2006)
92. Bye Bye Birdie - Charles Strouse & Lee Adams (1960)
93. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - Stephen Sondheim (1962)
94. Sweet Charity - Cy Coleman & Dorothy Fields (1966)
95. Mame - Jerry Herman (1966)
96. Applause - Charles Strouse & Lee Adams (1970)
97. Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death - Melvin Van Peebles (1971)
98. Gigi - Frederick Loewe & Alan Jay Lerner (1973)
99. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - Carol Hall, Larry L. King & Peter Masterson (1978)
100. They're Playing Our Song - Marvin Hamlisch & Carole Bayer Sager (1979)

[Dubrow555]

Outstanding! I will say that Rent seems a little low, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be #1 for the 1990's.

[ManPerson]

Curious for WSS vs Show Boat breakdown.

[Tim]

For curiosity:

https://beckchris.com/literature-lists/ ... me-ranked/

[Tim]

Curious for WSS vs Show Boat breakdown.

I'd say influence and longevity Show Boat, acclaim and popularity West Side Story. Think West Side Story also deserves a lot of influence credit for changing the role of dance in musicals and it's longevity is not far behind Show Boat's.