Time Out NY's Best 21st Century Broadway Cast Recordings

No revivals or Off-Broadway recordings were considered.



Best Cast Recordings of the 21st Century

Updated On: 9/27/16 at 02:42 PM

^ Great Comet's recording was for the off-broadway production, so it wasn't considered.

Thrilled that both The Wild Party and Caroline, or Change are on the list - and in top spots, no less!

Spring Awakening's recording has always sounded rather tinny to me. I love the score, but on the quality of the album alone, I don't agree with its ranking.

That's almost exactly the way I'd rank them except I would flip Passing Strange and Spring Awakening.

barcelona20 said: "Fun Home is not better than Passing Strange or Bridges of Madison County. Give me a break. Drowsy should be higher. I'd argue that Jukebox musicals shouldn't even be on the list. Wicked should be lower."



Especially considering the Fun Home album was only sort of re-recorded for Broadway.

Updated On: 9/26/16 at 04:33 PM

I pretty much agree with this list. I also agree however that Jukebox musicals should not have been included.

As much as I love the Bridges and Passing Strange albums, Fun Home is better. The album is really well put together and is an excellent representation of the show. It is easy to follow and shows off Tesori's beautiful score and Kron's wonderful book. I do think that Bridges should probably be in the top ten however.

I'm glad some lesser-known musicals like Women on the Verge and The Wild Party made the list.
I would've placed Aida in there somewhere, though.

^Jeez Hogan. We're just discussing a list. We know that it doesn't mean anything, but it's interesting to see what people have to say about this topic.

They lost me at Xanadu.

Hard to find any issues with a list that includes *Caroline, or Change* and *Hamilton* in the top two. I'd have put *Beautiful* much higher, I think it's one of the most impeccably produced cast recordings I've ever listened to.

Aida should not be on there, because it is not one of these guys' 25 favorites. Also, it kind of sucks.

HogansHero said: "I am mystified that some people are glad (or sad) that some show is(or is not) on this list. All it is is the opinions of 2 human beings about what they like. Nothing objective about it. No prizes for winning. Why do we care? It's just the click bait they are trained to employ in the desperate hope it'll keep them afloat a bit longer."



Part of it click-bait, sure- that's how internet media has progressed. But rankings lists have been around for decades and are all just as objective and arbitrary as this one. For people unfamiliar with the things being ranked, it's a good introduction to the topic and the essentials. For people who are familiar, it can be a nice reminder of things you've forgotten and a way to inspire giving something another look or looking at things from another perspective. Reading opinions is never a bad thing.