The Best Jukebox Musical Plays, Ranked

Over 300 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Jukebox Musical Plays, Ranked

Are you a fan of jukebox musicals? Whether they focus on a band's biography or tell a story all their own, the best jukebox musicals inspire audiences to get up and dance along with the performers. And it's no wonder why - jukebox musical plays use already popular songs as their scores. This list includes some of the best Broadway jukebox musicals and musical biographies ever made.

You'll find all kinds of shows represented here. Take Rock of Ages, for instance - it celebrates glam music from the 1980s in all its glory. Before this musical became a movie, it was a huge hit on Broadway, with musical numbers including “Sister Christian,” “Here I Go Again,” and of course, “Don’t Stop Believin'.”

Other outstanding examples of the best jukebox musical plays include Jersey Boys, the 2005 musical that tells the story of the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, and Green Day's rock opera American Idiot. And of course, no list of great jukebox musicals would be complete without Mamma Mia! Featuring the music of ABBA, it's now one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.

Vote for your favorite jukebox musicals, and add any great shows that are missing!

Photo: I see so / flickr / CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Ranked by
  • Mamma Mia!
    1
    172 votes
    Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. The title of ...more
  • Jersey Boys
    2
    135 votes
    Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the ...more
  • American Idiot
    3
    American Idiot is a sung-through rock musical based on the 2004 concept album of the same name by punk rock band Green Day. After a run at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2009, the show moved to ...more
  • Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a jukebox musical with a book by Douglas McGrath that tells the story of the early life and career of Carole King, using songs that she wrote, often together ...more
  • Rock of Ages
    5
    85 votes
    Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical built around classic rock songs from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of that decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, ...more
  • We Will Rock You
    6

    We Will Rock You

    84 votes