Album sales used to be the measure of success for a cast recording, but in the era of music streaming, album sales are not the full picture. In fact, album streams have convinced producers and theatre owners of a title’s viability. Be More Chill first debuted at Two River Theater in 2015, but it wasn’t until the album exploded on streaming platforms that producers brought it to Off-Broadway’s Signature Center in August of 2018 before making a full Broadway transfer. SIX: The Musical has done big numbers, as well. The show turned its U.K. tour into an extended London West End run and then two pre-Broadway runs in Chicago and A.R.T. in Cambridge ahead of its Broadway bow this coming spring. Broadway’s Beetlejuice, which struggled with ticket sales early on, has now exploded at the box office, coinciding with a massive boost in streams. Point is: streaming matters.
Here, we have the definitive list of the 10 most-streamed theatre albums in the U.S, both in 2019 and the decade. (Data as of December 19, 2019, courtesy of The Nielson Company.)Top 10 Streamed in 2019
10. Six: The Musical (Studio Cast Recording)
47,618,975 streams
Released by Independent label
The musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII as a raucous pop-techno musical. The world premiere of the musical took place at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, enjoyed a mini run at the Arts Theatre in December 2017 and released its studio recording September 13, 2018. Six embarked on a U.K. tour, which became its West End transfer in August 2018. It hits Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson beginning February 13, 2020. Six is orchestrated by Tom Curran with vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music.
9. Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
56,097,805 streams
Released by Sing It Again Records/Arts Music
Though Anaïs Mitchell’s musical began as a concept album—and later released a live Off-Broadway recording—the Broadway album tops the streaming charts. The show, which weaves the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and of Hades and Persephone, won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical. The Broadway cast recording has been nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. With orchestrations and arrangements by Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown features vocal arrangements and music direction by Liam Robinson. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
8. Mean Girls (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
65,099,969 streams
Released by Atlantic Group
Tina Fey’s stage adaptation of her 2007 movie features a score with music by Jeff Richmond in his Broadway debut and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde The Musical). The show opened in April 2018 at the August Wilson Theatre, where it continues its run. The album debuted at No. 42 on the Billboard 200 chart, the highest debut for a cast album in over a year at that time. Orchestrated by John Clancy, Mean Girls features dance arrangements and incidental arrangements by Glen Kelly, vocal arrangements by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Richmond, and Natalie Tenenbaum, and music direction by Campbell. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
Check out the track-by-track breakdown from Richmond and Benjamin here.
7. The Lion King on Broadway (Original Cast Album)
67,143,168 streams
Released by Disney/Buena Vista
With music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer, The Lion King original 1997 cast album is the only recording of the musical that includes “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”—but it does not come with the full reprise of “Circle of Life.” With musical direction by Joseph Church, orchestrations were by Robert Elhai, David Metzgerand Bruce Fowler; with additional scoring by Mancina, and vocal arrangements by Lebo M. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
6. Waitress (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
70,428,529 streams
Released by DMI Soundtracks
Waitress marked singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles’ Broadway debut, with her original score for the musical adaptation of the Adrienne Shelly film. The album was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Bareilles and The Waitress Band orchestrated, with arrangements by Nadia DiGiallonardo. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
5. Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording)
87,370,974 streams
Released by Ghostlight Records
With music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, Be More Chill marked the Hit List songwriter’s Broadway debut. But it’s the original Two River Theater cast recording that made No. 5 on the streaming charts. That should come as no surprise since the album’s popularity online is what led to its eventual Broadway run and new Broadway cast recording. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
Check out the track-by-track breakdown from Iconis here.
4. Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
100,671,052 streams
Released by Decca International
Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics have stood the test of time. Though the musical bowed on Broadway before streaming became ubiquitous, it still reaches No. 4 on this list. Wicked also features orchestrations by William David Brohn and arrangements by Alex Lacamoire and Stephen Oremus with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott and music direction by Oremus. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
3. Beetlejuice (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
152,305,299 streams
Released by Ghostlight Records
Australian composer-lyricist Eddie Perfect made a double Broadway debut with King Kong and Beetlejuice in the same season, but the latter has gone viral. Beetlejuice features orchestrations, incidental music, additional arrangements, and music direction by Kris Kukul with dance arrangements by David Dabbon. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
Check out the track-by-track breakdown from Perfect here.
2. Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
189,170,897 streams
Released by Atlantic Group
The megahit by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul beat out Bareilles (and others) for the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The pair also won the Tony Award for Best Original Score, and the show won Best Musical. With orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, the album also features vocal arrangements by Paul with additional arrangements by Paul and Lacamoire, additional orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke, and music direction by Ben Cohn. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
1. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
1,267,301,264 streams
Released by Atlantic Group
With music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton tops the streaming charts by a mile. The album won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016, after winning 11 Tony Awards that same year, including Best Musical. Hamilton features orchestrations and music direction by Alex Lacamoire and arrangements by Miranda and Lacamoire. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
Top 10 Streamed of the 2010s
10. The Book of Mormon (Original Cast Recording)
147,251,727 streams
Released: May 17, 2011 by Ghostlight Records
From double EGOT winner Robert Lopez, The Book of Mormon album features music and lyrics by Lopez, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone. Mormon won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2012 and features orchestrations by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus with dance arrangements by Glen Kelly, and vocal arrangements and music direction by Oremus. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
9. In the Heights (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
149,171,836 streams
Released: June 3, 2008 by Ghostlight Records
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway musical told the story of Usnavi and his Latinx community in Washington Heights. The musical won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The album won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2009. With orchestrations and arrangements by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, and music direction by Lacamoire, In The Heights launched Miranda to Broadway fame. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
8. Beetlejuice (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
152,305,299 streams
Released: June 7, 2019 by Ghostlight Records
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
7. Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert (International Cast)
185,075,527 streams
Released July 23, 1996
Filmed in 1995 at Royal Albert Hall in London, producer Cameron Mackintosh hand-picked the cast for the celebration: Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Javert, Michael Ball as Marius, Lea Salonga as Éponine, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Michael Maguire as Enjolras, Alun Armstrong as Thénardier, Jenny Galloway as Madame Thénardier, Adam Searles as Gavroche, and Hannah Chick as Young Cosette. The concert featured new orchestrations for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a large chorus ensemble. Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
6. Waitress (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
187,966,170 streams
Released: June 3, 2016 by DMI Soundtracks
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
5. The Lion King on Broadway (Original Cast Album)
211,929,415 streams
Released: November 11, 1997 by Disney/Buena Vista
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
4. Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording)
264,558,765 streams
Released: October 30, 2015 by Ghostlight Records
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
3. Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
390,165,265 streams
Released: August 28, 2006 by Decca International
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
2. Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
543,301,603 streams
Released: February 3, 2017 by Atlantic Group
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
1. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
4,381,756,776 streams
Released September 27, 2015 by Atlantic Group
Available on Amazon, iTunes and Apple Music
