The Best Rock Musicals of All Time

A list of the best rock musicals of all time, including Rent, Spring Awakening, and American Idiot.

“Rent”

“Rent” is a milestone in rock musicals. It was one of the first to tackle difficult subject matter, including poverty, AIDS, and homosexuality. It’s also a beautiful love story with great music. The soundtrack includes classics like “Seasons of Love” and “No Day But Today.”

“The Who’s Tommy”

“The Who’s Tommy” is widely considered to be one of the best rock musicals of all time. The story follows the life of a young man who is accidentally blinded and then deafened after seeing his mother kissing another man. Despite his disability, he learns to communicate through music and becomes a world-famous pinball champion. The story is based on the real-life experiences of The Who’s lead singer, Roger Daltrey.

“Hair”

“Hair” is a classic rock musical that has been entertaining audiences for decades. The story follows a group of young people in the 1960s who are struggling to find themselves and their place in the world. The music is catchy and the lyrics are powerful, and the show has been praised for its positive portrayal of counterculture. If you’re looking for a rock musical that will make you laugh, cry, and think, “Hair” is a great choice.

“The Rocky Horror Show”

“The Rocky Horror Show” is a British musical comedy horror stage production, written by Richard O’Brien. The show premiered on June 16, 1973, at the Theatre Upstairs in London’s West End. The story centers on a young couple, Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, who find themselves stranded in an isolated country estate and seek help from the estate’s resident transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter. The show became enormously popular in Britain and quickly developed a cult following.

“Little Shop of Horrors”

One of the best rock musicals of all time, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a comedy about a man-eating plant. The story revolves around Seymour Krelborn, a poor floral assistant who happens upon a strange plant. The plant, which he names Audrey II, brings him fame and fortune, but as it grows larger and more demanding, Seymour must make some increasingly difficult choices. With catchy tunes and iconic characters, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a must-see for any fan of musical theater.

“Jesus Christ Superstar”

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is widely considered to be one of the best rock musicals of all time. The musical tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot.

“The Phantom of the Opera”

“The Phantom of the Opera” is one of the most popular and well-known rock musicals of all time. The story follows the romance between a young soprano, Christine, and the “phantom” who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. The music is absolutely beautiful, and the show is very well-produced. If you’re a fan of rock musicals, you will definitely enjoy “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“Mamma Mia!”

The 2006 musical film adaptation of “Mamma Mia!” was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and produced by Judy Craymer, Richard Curtis, and Benny Andersson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper, Ashley Lilley, Sophie Sternberg and Alexa Davies. The title of the film is taken from the group ABBA’s 1975 chart-topper “Mamma Mia”.

“Mamma Mia!” received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 74% based on 235 reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site’s critical consensus reads: “An irresistible star turn from Meryl Streep breathes life into Mamma Mia!, a sunny adaptation of ABBA’s smash hit musical.” On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 63% based on 39 reviews, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.

“Rock of Ages”

“Rock of Ages” is a rock musical with a book by Chris D’Arienzo and arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. The musical is based on the 1987 film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the 1984 album Reckless by Canadian rock band Bryan Adams. “Rock of Ages” premiered on Broadway on April 7, 2009, and played a total of 2,328 performances. The show closed on January 18, 2015.

“Spring Awakening”

“Spring Awakening” is a 2006 rock musical adaptation of the 1891 German play of the same name by Frank Wedekind. The music is composed by Duncan Sheik, with a book by Steven Sater. It tells the story of teenager Melchior Gabor, his best friend Moritz Stiefel, and their friend Wendla Bergmann. The three discover their sexuality and sexual urges in a time and place where such things were not openly discussed or understood.

While “Spring Awakening” may not be as well-known as other rock musicals, it is widely considered to be one of the best of all time. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards, winning four, and was also named one of Time magazine’s “Top 10 Theater Productions of the Year.” If you’re a fan of rock music and musical theater, “Spring Awakening” is a must-see.