The Best Jukebox Musical Plays, Ranked

Buster McDermott
Updated September 16, 2023 2.0K votes 397 voters
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!

Most divisive: Xanadu
Ranked by
  • Mamma Mia!
    1

    Mamma Mia!

    168 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 the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". Ulvaeus and Andersson, who composed the original music for ABBA, were involved in the development of the show from the beginning. Anni-Frid Lyngstad has been involved financially in the production and she has also been present at many of the premieres around the world. The musical includes such hits as "Super Trouper", "Lay All Your Love on Me", "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take a Chance on Me", "Thank You for the Music", "Money, Money, Money", "The Winner Takes It All", "Voulez Vous", "SOS" and the title track. Over 54 million people have seen the show, which has grossed $2 billion worldwide since its 1999 debut. A film adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård and Julie Walters was released in July 2008.
  • Jersey Boys
    2

    Jersey Boys

    132 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 formation, success and eventual break-up of the 1960s rock 'n roll group The Four Seasons. The musical is structured as four "seasons", each narrated by a different member of the band who gives his own perspective on its history and music. Songs include "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry", "December 1963", "My Eyes Adored You", "Stay", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Working My Way Back to You" and "Rag Doll", among others. The title refers to the fact that the members of The Four Seasons are from New Jersey. The musical opened on Broadway in 2005 and has since had two North American National Tours and productions in London's West End, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne and other Australian cities, Singapore, South Africa, The Netherlands and elsewhere. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
  • 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 the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Previews began on March 24, 2010, and the musical officially opened on April 20, 2010. The show closed on April 24, 2011, after 422 performances. While Green Day did not appear in the production, vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong performed the role of "St. Jimmy" occasionally throughout the run. The story expanded from that of the album, centres on three disaffected young men, Johnny, Will and Tunny. Johnny and Tunny flee a stifling suburban lifestyle and parental restrictions, while Will stays at home to work out his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Heather. The former pair look for meaning in life and try out the freedom and excitement of the city. Tunny quickly gives up on life in the city, joins the military and is shipped off to war. Johnny turns to drugs and finds a part of himself that he grows to dislike, has a relationship and experiences lost love. The book was written by Armstrong and director Michael Mayer. The music was composed by Green Day and the lyrics were by Armstrong. The score included all the songs from the original American Idiot album, as well as additional Green Day songs from the 2009 concept album 21st Century Breakdown, and "When It's Time", a song originally recorded for the musical. The musical won two Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Christine Jones and Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Kevin Adams. It also received a nomination for Best Musical. In 2011, its Broadway cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
  • Beautiful: the Carole King Musical
    4
    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 with Gerry Goffin, and other contemporary songs by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector and others.
  • Rock of Ages
    5

    Rock of Ages

    81 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, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe, among other well-known rock bands. It was written by Chris D'Arienzo, directed by Kristin Hanggi and choreographed by Kelly Devine with music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. During the performance, the performers frequently break the "fourth wall", directly addressing the audience and seemingly forgetting (or perhaps reminding the audience) that they are actors in a musical. Despite the musical's title, the Def Leppard song of the same name is not included in the musical. The original Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances, closing on January 18, 2015 tied as the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history. Since debuting on the Great White Way in 2009, it has spawned replica productions worldwide in Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom among others, as well as several touring productions.
  • We Will Rock You
    6

    We Will Rock You

    82 votes