Musicales: Los 100 Mejores de Todos los Tiempos Clasificados

From Les Misérables and West Side Story to Rent and Hamilton, musicals offer stories for every mood. Explore our ranking of 100 favourites, discover what makes the top ten special, and find inspiration for your next theatre trip.

The list spans classic Broadway shows, West End favourites, rock musicals and modern hits. Follow the show links to learn more, and check current dates and availability when you’re ready to plan a visit.

Whether you are new to musical theatre or chasing the greatest musicals of all time after years of cast albums, start with the top 10 write-ups, then scan the full musicals list for the next title on your list.

Best musicals of all time: the top 10

Our top ten includes enduring love stories, sharp comedies and musicals that changed the sound of theatre. Here’s what makes each one worth discovering.

Les Misérables
The record-breaking musical has left audiences weeping and breathless since its first staging in 1985. Cameron Mackintosh’s epic Les Misérables has been seen by 130 million people in 53 countries and 22 languages around the world. It is the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in history.

The stage adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel follows ex-prisoner Jean Valjean attempting to become a good man despite his jailer’s pursuit. Encountering tragedy and living through the Paris uprising of 1832 tests his morals, and the fate of others is left in his hands. For many theatregoers, this is still the definition of the greatest musicals of all time.

West Side Story
Jerome Robbins, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein’s modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet set the world ablaze when it opened on Broadway in 1957, and it is still hot today.

Set in Manhattan in the mid-1950s, West Side Story is the familiar story of forbidden love. Despite belonging to rival gangs, Tony and Maria fall in love. Tension rises between the foes and tragedy awaits the young couple. The show received six Tony Award nominations and won two in 1958. The 1961 film adaptation was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 10. The 2021 Steven Spielberg film was nominated for seven Oscars and won one.

Oklahoma!
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first Broadway show shifted the framework for musical theatre. Before Oklahoma!, most musicals featured songs purely for spectacle. The legendary duo blended comedy, drama, dance and story-driven songs into one show.

The result was a cohesive story about a young farmer named Laurey who wants to pursue her feelings for Curly, a cowboy, while a new farmhand tries to win her over instead. Full of fun numbers that have lasted the test of time, and the fact that musicals would not be what they are today without it, Oklahoma! sits in the top five of our best musicals of all time list.

Wicked
The enchanting reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz has cast its spell on theatregoers for over 20 years. It opened on Broadway in 2003 and flew over the pond to the West End in 2006.

With its glitzy costumes, grand set design, and some of the catchiest songs in musical theatre history, Wicked is a family favourite. Telling the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West before she earned the moniker, Wicked explores the true meaning of good and evil, and remains one of the most popular musicals still packing houses.

Hamilton
It was the most talked about show of the 2010s. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multi-award-winning retelling of Alexander Hamilton completely revolutionised musical theatre.

With a minimal set, diverse casting and a score comprised of predominantly rap music, Hamilton brought a new face and audience to Broadway and the West End. It received a record-setting 16 nominations in 13 categories at the 2016 Tony Awards, winning 11, and still sits among the top musicals any first-timer asks about.

Disney’s The Lion King
When Disney’s The Lion King first hit the stage in 1997, audience members could not believe their eyes. Accompanying the award-winning score from Elton John and Tim Rice were life-size puppets that had never been seen before. Almost 30 years later, it is still wowing both children and adults alike.

And if its longevity and wonder were not enough to earn The Lion King a place on the best musicals of all time list, its status as the highest-grossing Broadway production ever should.

Guys and Dolls
Thanks to some of the most well-known and beloved songs in musical theatre history, Guys and Dolls has firmly won its spot on the top 10 musicals list.

The timeless tale of a gambler betting on love makes it a fun, fast-paced and glamorous musical that has been loved since 1950. The recent production at the Bridge Theatre artfully showed that you do not have to change much about a musical to update it. The promenade version of Guys and Dolls reminded West End audiences of the potential of musical theatre.

Cabaret
In the 1960s, Kander and Ebb braved criticism and backlash when they invited theatregoers to the Kit Kat Club. Set in 1920s Berlin, Cabaret deals with themes of war, abortion, and discrimination, all set to a jazz-infused score.

It is a show that keeps growing and showing. The most recent iteration, which has played in both London and New York, has had theatre lovers around the world debating the take. That constant discussion and discourse keeps it fresh and earns its place as one of the best musicals of all time.

Into The Woods
Stephen Sondheim was the grandfather of musical theatre. He wrote some of the most highly regarded and best musicals in the world. Among his masterpieces is the twisted fairytale, Into The Woods.

Interweaving several Brothers Grimm stories, Into The Woods features characters and tales we all know well. The dark interpretation is accompanied by a haunting and beautiful score. Written in collaboration with James Lapine, the dark twist on a classic won multiple Tony and Olivier Awards when it was first staged in the 80s and 90s.

Rent
Daring and heartbreaking, Jonathan Larson’s tragic rock musical about impoverished artists struggling to survive in NYC was unlike anything else on stage at the time.

Rent was one of the first shows to portray people living with HIV in a positive light. The sung-through musical features the song Seasons of Love, which is often regarded as one of the top songs in musical history. Rent’s history is laced with tragedy as the show’s creator suddenly passed the day before opening night. Sadly, he never knew his seminal work would be regarded as one of the best musicals of all time.

The 100 best musicals ranked

Here is the complete musicals list: 100 of the greatest musicals of all time, ranked from 100 to 1. Use it as a checklist of top musicals to see, stream or revisit. Titles with a live British Theatre show page are linked so you can open the listing for current West End or UK availability.

• 100. We Will Rock You
• 99. Spamalot
• 98. Mean Girls
• 97. Grease
• 96. Fun Home
• 95. Sunny Afternoon
• 94. Cats
• 93. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
• 92. Once
• 91. Disney’s Frozen
• 90. Back to the Future - The Musical
• 89. Heathers The Musical
• 88. & Juliet
• 87. Bat Out of Hell
• 86. Hadestown
• 85. Chess
• 84. Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• 83. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• 82. Kiss Me, Kate
• 81. Dear Evan Hansen
• 80. Show Boat
• 79. The Music Man
• 78. Beauty and the Beast
• 77. The Addams Family
• 76. Moulin Rouge
• 75. Sunday in the Park with George
• 74. Half a Sixpence
• 73. Rock of Ages
• 72. Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York
• 71. The Last Five Years
• 70. The Scottsboro Boys
• 69. Groundhog Day
• 68. The Color Purple
• 67. Disney’s Aladdin
• 66. 42nd Street
• 65. La Cage aux Folles
• 64. Sister Act
• 63. Hello, Dolly!
• 62. Dreamgirls
• 61. Pippin
• 60. Anything Goes
• 59. Legally Blonde
• 58. Next to Normal
• 57. Mamma Mia!
• 56. The Producers
• 55. The King and I
• 54. Billy Elliot
• 53. Avenue Q
• 52. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
• 51. Gypsy
• 50. Hair
• 49. South Pacific
• 48. Merrily We Roll Along
• 47. Singin’ in the Rain
• 46. Carousel
• 45. Sunset Boulevard
• 44. Mary Poppins
• 43. Follies
• 42. A Chorus Line
• 41. In the Heights
• 40. Evita
• 39. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
• 38. Spring Awakening
• 37. The Book of Mormon
• 36. Hairspray
• 35. Newsies
• 34. Waitress
• 33. Matilda the Musical
• 32. Funny Girl
• 31. Annie
• 30. Porgy and Bess
• 29. Kinky Boots
• 28. Come From Away
• 27. Company
• 26. Miss Saigon
• 25. Six The Musical
• 24. Oliver!
• 23. Starlight Express
• 22. The Rocky Horror Show
• 21. Jersey Boys
• 20. Little Shop of Horrors
• 19. Chicago
• 18. Come From Away
• 17. Sweeney Todd
• 16. Fiddler on the Roof
• 15. My Fair Lady
• 14. The Sound of Music
• 13. Jesus Christ Superstar
• 12. Blood Brothers
• 11. The Phantom of the Opera
• 10. Rent
• 9. Into The Woods
• 8. Cabaret
• 7. Guys and Dolls
• 6. Disney’s The Lion King
• 5. Hamilton
• 4. Wicked
• 3. Oklahoma!
• 2. West Side Story
• 1. Les Misérables

Popular musicals still packing theatres

A ranked list of the best musicals of all time is only half the story. Popular musicals keep earning their place because people still buy seats. On the West End and on Broadway, long runners and recent hits prove that audiences want spectacle, earworm scores and stories they can share.

Family musicals such as The Lion King and Matilda the Musical keep introducing new generations to the art form. Jukebox and pop titles including Mamma Mia!, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and ABBA Voyage pull in visitors who know the songs before they know the plot. Epic dramas like Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera remain pilgrimage titles for anyone building a personal greatest musicals of all time shortlist.

Newer crowd magnets sit further down our ranking but punch above their weight at the box office. Wicked and Hamilton are popular choices for a London theatre trip. The Book of Mormon, Back to the Future - The Musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York show how contemporary musicals keep the form moving without losing the thrill of a big night out.

Planning a theatre trip soon? Browse musicals in London and choose a performance that fits your visit.

Where to see musicals on British Theatre

Looking for your next night out? Explore these musicals, compare venues and check the available performance dates.

• Les Misérables
• Wicked
• Hamilton
• The Lion King
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Mamma Mia!
• Matilda the Musical
• The Book of Mormon
• Back to the Future - The Musical
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
• Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York
• ABBA Voyage

Check performance dates and ticket availability before making travel plans. Some productions are booking for future seasons, while others are between runs.

How musicals grew into an art form

Musicals have been around for a long time. Following the success of operas, the first musical comedy often cited in English-language histories, The Black Crook, hit the New York stage in 1866. A lot has changed since then. Over the past 160 years the art form has evolved from variety and revue into integrated book musicals, rock musicals, sung-through epics and jukebox hits.

Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Lloyd Webber, Miranda and many others pushed what stories musicals could tell. West End and Broadway stages still trade hits across the Atlantic. That history explains why a ranked list of the greatest musicals of all time mixes 1950s classics with 2010s game-changers: the best musicals keep earning their place every time a new audience finds them.

Start with a familiar favourite or try a show you’ve never heard before. Whether you love a sweeping score, a sharp comedy or a story told through rock and pop, there’s plenty here to add to your theatre wish list.