I have recently been listening to show tunes on my iPod at work, and am looking for some recommendations for new additions.
For an idea of the kind of stuff I’m looking for, here’s what I have now:
Tommy
Hair
Rent
Les Miserables
Godspell
Pippen
A friend recommended Godspell a few weeks back and I just bought it on Amazon MP3 the other night and I’m rockin’ to it right now.
Got any suggestions that would blend in with the others?
Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I only have the movie soundtrack not the OCR; yonks ago some folks around here recommended getting the OCR too. The soundtrack is on iTunes.
Moulin Rouge! 1 and 2. The first is on iTunes.
Bat Boy: The Musical. Not on iTunes, sadly.
Little Shop of Horrors. Another one where I have the movie soundtrack and not the OCR. A couple of OCRs available on iTunes.
Hairspray. Either the soundtrack from the original film (which isn’t original music but is still good) or the Broadway OCR. Haven’t heard the newer movie soundtrack, but that’s all that’s on iTunes.
The Rocky Horor Show, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Shock Treatment. I have the Roxy OCR and the two film soundtracks. Several OCRs on iTunes. No Shock Treatment though.
Carrie: The Musical. Especially the duets between Carrie and her mother. No official recordings exist but there are bootlegs floating around on the web.
I second Hedwig. iTunes has the movie soundtrack version and the “Wig In A Box” tribute. I prefer the original theatrical version over either.
And since you’re clearly down with both rock and 70’s/80’s pop music shows, Chess is a necessity. It was written by Tim Rice along with Abba’s Benny and Björn. You may know “One Night In Bangkok,” which achieved some small success on the charts in the 80’s.
Missed my edit window.
Chess is not available on iTunes, nor Amazon MP3. At least not the London recording that is most worth getting. The $33 price tag may seem steep, but it’s more than worth every penny. You can probably find it for less elsewhere, but below $30 is a steal.
Also, with an eye toward the quirky and the subversive, Avenue Q is worth a listen. If you’re going to sample first, try “It Sucks to be Me” (for the humor) or “There’s a Fine, Fine Line” (for the sentimentality). The Internet is for Porn is one of the best songs. Just imagine most of the WoW monsters are actually foulmouthed Sesame Street parodies.
Thirding Hedwig.
Hair. I prefer the original (the first album I ever bought for myself, more than 40 years ago) to the movie.
Well, I guess I’m just going to have to find Hedwig somewhere, then!
I am trying to stay with things that I can find on Amazon MP3 since I prefer my music DRM-free. However, since three folks already said it’s great, I might just pick it up on iTunes.
I agree. I have both and I far prefer the original. The female duet part in the middle of “The Flesh Failures” gives me goosebumps :).
I have resisted the urge to turn the first bars of “White Boys” into a ring tone. Imagine being in a somber business meeting when some dude’s cell phone suddenly starts belting out White boys are so pretty, skin as smooth as milk; White boys are so pretty, hair like Chinese silk! in a very Supremes kind of voice.
Which is the best one for both of these, OCR or film?
And Only Mostly Dead, thanks for the recommendation for Chess; I’ll put that London recording on my list of things to keep an eye out for.
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I have resisted the urge to turn the first bars of “White Boys” into a ring tone. Imagine being in a somber business meeting when some dude’s cell phone suddenly starts belting out White boys are so pretty, skin as smooth as milk; White boys are so pretty, hair like Chinese silk! in a very Supremes kind of voice.
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This would actually tempt me to have an MP3 for a ring tone, rather than the stock ones that my phone came with.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Jesus Christ, Superstar yet. I have the London revival cast recording, but both the original cast recording and the 1970s movie recording are good.
I definitely second Avenue Q. And Bat Boy: The Musical and Little Shop of Horrors. I like the movie soundtrack over the cast recording for that last one.
This isn’t quite rock opera or musical, but I think you might like Wicked. As far as I know, the only recording is the original cast recording with Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. I find myself singing “Popular” fairly frequently, and I enjoy all the musicals in your OP.
If you like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you might want to grab Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell album. I believe it was originally supposed to be a musical, but instead got turned into an album.
Out of what you listed, I only recognize “Tommy”. I’m not sure how well it would fit, but I remember thinking “Thoroughly Modern Millie” was pretty catchy.
I’ve got the soundtrack for Wicked, which is pretty good…
I addition to many of these I would strongly recommend Spring Awakening. Let me look through my ginormous collection to see what else, but get this one
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I’ve got the soundtrack for Wicked, which is pretty good…
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Not only is this wonderful, but Stephen Schwartz wrote both this and Pippin, so the OP should like.
Looking briefly, and unsure which itunes have but,
Aida
Phantom of the Opera (yes, yes I’m recommending Webber. Deal with it. Longest running show on broadway and awesome soundtrack)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is pretty fun (Tony performance of one of the songs here )
Reefer Madness (just 'cause I like the wacky)
Urinetown (still having fun with this)
Cabaret
The Life
Into The Woods (not really because of style, but I’d feel ashamed of myself if i didn’t offer a Sondheim)
I can offer samples of anything you’d like to be more sure of too. Including everything already recommended.
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Which is the best one for both of these, OCR or film?
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I only have the OCRs or soundtracks as noted in my earlier post, so i can’t really offer a comparison of OCR vs soundtrack.
The Wicked OCR is gorgeous. I would have recommended it but it’s not really of the same genre as the scores listed in the OP.
[QUOTE=coffinjumper]
Not only is this wonderful, but Stephen Schwartz wrote both this and Pippin, so the OP should like.
Looking briefly, and unsure which itunes have but,
Aida
Phantom of the Opera (yes, yes I’m recommending Webber. Deal with it. Longest running show on broadway and awesome soundtrack)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is pretty fun (Tony performance of one of the songs here )
Reefer Madness (just 'cause I like the wacky)
Urinetown (still having fun with this)
Cabaret
The Life
Into The Woods (not really because of style, but I’d feel ashamed of myself if i didn’t offer a Sondheim)
I can offer samples of anything you’d like to be more sure of too. Including everything already recommended.
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Great list! I was just about to mention several of those myself. 
Judging by the shows in the OP, you need to get Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s the kind of rock opera that fits exactly with the shows you already have.
Seconding The Rocky Horror Show.
Another rock-ish show I like is Taboo, the Boy George musical. Get the Broadway version, not London, as that one has Raul Esparza and an additional song.
If you like Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell, Wicked), another one by him I like is Children of Eden.
You have Rent on your list, so you will probably enjoy tick…tick… BOOM!, which is also by Jonathan Larson.
I love ALW’s Phantom. I think the music is beautiful and it’s the same kind of sung-through show as what you have.
Try a Sondheim or two. They’re different than the shows you’ve listed, but they are brilliant and I find Sondheim to be very catchy. Sweeney Todd, the original recording w/ Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou, is a masterpiece.
Other favorite albums of mine, that may not fit what you want exactly but that I will highly recommend to anyone, include:
Side Show
Closer Than Ever
Urinetown
West Side Story
Company
A New Brain
Bright Lights, Big City
The Full Monty
Jekyll & Hyde
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Martin Guerre
March of the Falsettos
Rags
[QUOTE=coffinjumper]
Urinetown (still having fun with this)
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Urinetown has always reminded me of Our Town, if Our Town were set in a sewer and were a musical and really, really strange. It also reminds me of A Spoon River Anthology for reasons I can’t quite place my finger on.
I’m giggling just thinking of Agony.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is good. Chess is excellent.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying Legally Blonde. I’m not sure why. It’s catchy though.
How about Assassins?
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How about Assassins?
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I love Assassins! I was just listening to the revival album today as a matter of fact. 
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Jekyll & Hyde
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I’d recommend the concept cast of this one. I just love Bring On The Men
[QUOTE=coffinjumper]
I’d recommend the concept cast of this one. I just love Bring On The Men
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Oh yes, definitely. The concept cast stars one of my favorite artists, Anthony Warlow, as the title character. (Later played by Bob Cuccioli on Broadway.)
I would like to throw in A Chorus Line.
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I only have the OCRs or soundtracks as noted in my earlier post, so i can’t really offer a comparison of OCR vs soundtrack.
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I can! Since I’m a huge ass theatre geek and all.
Definitley get the OBCR of Hairspray instead of the soundtrack. The movie is missing some songs. Mamma I’m A Bug Girl Now (though it is added as a special on the soundtrack), and “The Big Dollhouse” . Oh, and “You Can’t Stop The Beat” has a verse by the Von Tassels and the cute funny number “Blood on the Pavement” afterwards. Several others also have pieces which were cut, like Tracy’s verse in “Without Love.” And Kerry Butler kicks Amanda Byne’s ass.
Little Shop of Horrors is harder, both are really good. I’m going to give it to the OMPS though.