I personally don't see how Sunset Boulevard or Aspects of Love can even be considered for best score. If the SCORE covers the entire show - all music -- both of those shows have SO much repetition in their melodies and recitative to make the full CDs almost unlistenable. Yes, I'd agree both have some fantastic songs, but as a full score, I don't think either of them ranks up there with JCS or Evita. Phantom has similar problems of repeated melodies, but it's not the recitative that does it, so to me that's a bit more acceptable.
I was glad to see he fixed the problem in the last three shows to some extent, though Whistle Down the Wind also has problems (but some of my favorite individual songs). Beautiful Game and Woman in White are both pretty good, though they both took a long time to grow on me - not something I think a good score should have to do since in the theater you hear it once.
Oh, Joseph and Song and Dance aren't bad either, though I don't think they live up to JCS or Evita.
Notice I didn't mention Cats or Starlight Express. At least I can say each has a couple of good songs (I judge a score by how much of it I'll put on my iPod, each of those got maybe five tracks, as opposed to JCS and Evita which are both on in full.)
I think ALW can write some fantastic songs -- but other than the two shows mentioned, I don't think any of his FULL scores work on the level of Sondheim, Lerner and Lowe, Loesser, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb.....
Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.