The sound of song is in the air — or more precisely, all over TV.
With the recent releases of Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & the Six, Hulu’s Up Here and Paramount+’s Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, musical shows have taken over the small screen with catchy melodies. But the aforementioned series are hardly the only ones to have their casts belt out high notes, as evidenced by TVLine’s ranking of musical shows, from worst to best.
The below list includes current entries (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and past ones (The Monkees), and ranges from quality musical shows (Flight of the Conchords) to ones that missed the mark (we’re looking at you, Cop Rock).
Note: To make our rankings, the show’s characters had to have regularly broken out into song in musical numbers that were either real (Empire, Nashville) or imagined (Eli Stone, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), be they original tunes or covers à la Glee. The series must have also aired at least one season, so Rise of the Pink Ladies, which is still in the midst of unspooling its freshman run, didn’t make the cut. Finally, educational/children’s programming like Sesame Street was not included.
Review TVLine’s ranking of musical shows to find out which series was No. 1 on the Billboard charts in our hearts, then hit the comments with your favorites!
This Bill Bixby-directed 1984 fever dream about a pop act on the rise was so crummy that CBS couldn’t bring itself to air more than half of its dozen episodes. But the musical sitcom did mark John Stamos’ first post-General Hospital role, and the tunes were pitch-perfect for MTV’s Golden Age. One of them even went on to become a No. 1 smash — although not until it was covered by Heart three years later. (Press PLAY on the video above to have a listen.)
If not handled just right, musical TV shows can easily veer into campy self-parody, and that was unfortunately the case with this glitzy CBS misfire, featuring Hugh Jackman as a swaggering (and singing!) casino mogul. Based on a vastly superior British show, Laughlin had its cast sing along to popular rock hits, but the numbers were jarring, and critics and viewers were not applauding. CBS swiftly dropped the axe after just two episodes. Though if you wanted to see Jackman strut his way through a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil,” this was the show for you!
This infamous 1990 crime drama/musical hybrid, hailing from Steven Bochco, was ambitious, to be sure, punctuating its procedural aspects with rock, blues, gospel and pop numbers. The Nielsen numbers, however, delivered only low notes — the series ranked No. 80 out of 101 programs that season — and then-ABC chief Bob Iger pulled the plug. A genial Bochco harbored no ill will, acknowledging that ABC had been “terrific” by keeping the show on, even though its dismal ratings triggered make-goods for advertisers.
This short-lived Fox drama about the titular band gave us the No. 1 Billboard hit “How Do You Talk to an Angel,” and a post-Days of Our Lives/pre-NYPD Blue Charlotte Ross, but little else during its 12-episode run.
Have you ever felt deceived by a television show? That’s how most viewers probably look back at this bait-and-switch country music drama, which featured Susan Sarandon at the forefront of its marketing… only to kill her off in the first episode. The show’s uninspired murder mystery didn’t help, nor did its endless parade of covers masquerading as original songs.
Audiences (or at least a Netflix-sized audience) didn’t quite warm up to this ambitious, dance-heavy series about a group of interconnected love stories in Los Angeles. Before word of mouth even began to get around about this under-appreciated series, the lip-syncing drama had already been sunk.
No doubt inspired by the runaway success of Empire, Fox partnered with creator Lee Daniels for another musical series, this one centered around three young singers chasing the American dream. But even though it shared the same auspices as Empire and even crossed over with the hit drama, Star couldn’t capture the magic of its predecessor and was cancelled after somehow managing to eke out three seasons.
Expectations were high for the NBC musical drama. After all, a series from Parenthood and Friday Night Lights showrunner Jason Katims about a high school drama club putting on a production of the beloved musical Spring Awakening seemed to have “winner” written all over it. But while the young cast, led by powerhouse Auli’i Cravalho, was genuinely impressive, the show’s self-serious tone and some unfortunate characters, like Josh Radnor’s English teacher/drama club director, overshadowed what did work.
If you weren’t a tween somewhere in the neighborhood of 2009-13, this Nickelodeon comedy probably wasn’t for you. (Silly wasn’t just its middle name, it was also its first and last.) But for 74 episodes (as well as a big-screen feature), youngsters thrilled to the misadventures of the quartet of hockey-playing pals thrown together to form the boy band that gave the show its title. And if it had little else going for it besides cute guys with questionable hairdos, it did at least boast a steady flow of slammin’ power-pop songs. (Press PLAY above to rock out.)
Created for the kiddies, Disney Channel’s candy-coated 2011-16 musical comedy was anything but high art. However, as it told the love story of wannabe pop idol Austin Moon and introverted songwriter Ally Dawson, it wove in the duos’ collaborations with ease and gave a tantalizing taste of what a badass rock star a pre-Teen Beach Movie, pre-Driver Era Ross Lynch was going to become. (Check him out above in the Season 3 premiere.)
A year after Saved by the Bell blessed us with its classic “Rockumentary” episode (#FriendsForever), TNBC sitcom generator Peter Engel introduced these lovable surf dudes with attitudes. It was Saved by the Bell on the beach, complete with cheesy original songs every week. Was it good? No. Do we still find ourselves humming the theme song from time to time? Yes. And we’d happily queue it up on Peacock if the Powers That Be ever do the right thing and make the complete run of California Dreams available to stream.
Penned by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez — who are responsible for earworms like Frozen‘s “Let It Go” and WandaVision‘s “Agatha All Along” — the ditties in Hulu’s musical rom-com were expectedly clever. We’re not positive, though, that the show needed them. As Lindsay and Miguel tried to navigate romance and career ambitions in New York City, we were charmed enough by Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes’ easy, believable chemistry — and as far as kooky conceits go, the show already had one in the form of Lindsay and Miguel’s respective inner voices, who only they could see and hear. The addition of songs often made the show feel overstuffed, and we admit we haven’t been humming ’em in the weeks since Up Here dropped its first season.
Confession: We probably would’ve ridden hard for any music-based TV show starring Brandy and Eve. But ABC’s single-season drama about a reunited ’90s girl group was inspired by Verzuz and had music producer Swizz Beatz as its executive music producer, so the tunes were tight. And look, if all of the storylines — like an up-and-coming artist having a diamond unicorn horn surgically sewn into her forehead — weren’t winners, all we had to do was wait for the next rehearsal montage, music video or Nasty Bitches performance, when Queens was on its most regal footing.
Miley Cyrus’ 2006-11 Disney Channel smash may have tended to lean heavily toward over-the-top goofiness. OK, not “may have,” flat-out “did”; nuanced, it wasn’t. But week after week, everyteen Miley Stewart’s superstar alter ego reliably churned out kid-pop bangers that were such earworms, the series’ first two soundtracks both went triple platinum. Sometimes the songs were even good enough to make you overlook the wig that kept Miley’s secret identity a secret. Well, sometimes.
Tweens in the early 2010s didn’t appreciate how blessed they were to have the likes of Victoria Justice, Liz Gillies and Ariana Grande pop-rocking out on a weekly basis, serving up earworms while also keeping audiences laughing with that signature Nickelodeon nonsense humor. From 2010 to 2013, we all wanted to enroll at Hollywood Arts High School.
This Canadian musical dramedy (which aired Stateside on The N) earns high marks for its catchy soundtrack, featuring tunes like “Waste My Time,” “Liar Liar” and so many more. Fans followed along for four seasons as singer/songwriter Jude Harrison (played by Alexz Johnson) assembled her newest album, which was then made available for purchase in real life. While we thoroughly enjoyed the series and its featured tracks, though, we can’t overlook the troubling will-they-won’t-they love story at the center of it: Tommy, in his mid-twenties, falling for and even kissing Jude while she was still a teenager.
Loosely based on the Cowsills, a family pop group of the late 1960s, this ABC sitcom followed widow Shirley Partridge (played by musical vet Shirley Jones) as she gets nudged to join her five kids in an upstart band. Episodes featured the family on tour or rehearsing/performing elsewhere, though only Jones, and eventually eldest TV son/real-life stepson David Cassidy, did their own singing. In its four-season run, the series was twice nominated for a Golden Globe for best musical/comedy.
Inspired by the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night, this 1966 NBC comedy served up far-out scenarios that thrust the titular, struggling rock ‘n’ roll quartet (played by Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork) into comedic capers, while always finding time for a montage set to one of the group’s tunes. In the wake of some Season 1 backlash (as it got out that the actors were not writing or performing, but only lending vocals for the songs), Season 2 rejiggered things to accommodate the foursome’s actual levels of talent.
Sure, the Netflix series’ premise was ridiculously out-there (teen girl performs with the ghosts of a ’90s band, but plays it off as holograms) and some of the storylines veered toward silly (the guys died of food poisoning from… bad hot dogs). But the cast was charismatic, the songs were legit bops, and the show’s sweetness was inspiring rather than saccharine. Plus, Charlie’s song for his mother, “Unsaid Emily,” was an emotional showstopper.
The underrated ABC series, created by future Arrow showrunners Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, elevated itself beyond mere legal procedural with a fun twist: Jonny Lee Miller’s titular lawyer experienced visions that often manifested as delightful musical numbers performed by the show’s cast, which included vocal powerhouses Victor Garber and Loretta Devine. Or sometimes, George Michael himself serenaded Eli (see above). Quirky and thought-provoking — is Eli experiencing a brain aneurysm, or is he a prophet? — Eli Stone deserved more than just two seasons.
Set at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, this 1982-87 adaptation of the movie of the same name hit many of the right notes. Not only was the Golden Globe-winning series anchored by the estimable Debbie Allen, one of several actors to reprise their roles from the film, but its production numbers gave off an energy that was infectious. (Not for nothing, the show bagged Emmys for Allen, directing, choreography, costuming and cinematography.) Mind you, the clip above — featuring a pre-Control Janet Jackson — probably doesn’t rank as one of the series’ all-time highs.
The music? Perfection. The show itself? Kind of a mess. NBC’s two-season drama followed the making of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe’s life, and while that finished product (Bombshell) was an unmitigated work of genius, it still couldn’t make up for Smash‘s unlikable characters, uninteresting storylines and endless theatrical clichés. (“I’m in tech,” anyone?) Still, the show’s cult following cannot be denied. In fact, it’s not being denied! An original musical based on Smash is currently in the works for the 2024–2025 Broadway season.
More than merely a contender for longest show title in history, this Disney+ mockumentary is an extremely accurate — and sometimes too real — portrayal of theater kids in their natural habitat, successfully channeling plenty of the magic that made High School Musical a runaway phenomenon back in the day. Plus, the show is a proven star factory, introducing the world to names like Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett and Julia Lester.
While many TV musicals develop small-but-loyal fanbases and perpetually struggle in the ratings, Fox’s coming-of-age dramedy exploded into the cultural conversation like a slushie to the face. The songs dominated iTunes charts (rightfully so, given the talents of Lea Michele, Amber Riley and other powerhouse cast members), and the show was a safe haven for anyone who felt like an outcast. But in its later seasons — particularly after Cory Monteith’s tragic death in 2013 — the show fell apart in fever-dream fashion, introducing bizarre character arcs and even more bizarre song covers. It’s hard to deny the impact Glee had on pop culture and the future of musical television… but it’s best to pretend the show ended with Season 4.
There’s no denying that the Fox series was a cultural and ratings phenomenon right out of the gate, thanks to its impressive soundtrack of original songs and a dynamic ensemble. (Taraji P. Henson’s Cookie Lyon will forever go down as one of TV’s most indelible characters.) But what started out as an addictive King Lear-esque drama full of complicated family power struggles and musical prowess ultimately got bogged down by its soapy plotlines.
One of Netflix’s most underrated gems, this one-season masterpiece follows a war horse’s journey to reunite with her rider and save two worlds from an unspeakable dark force. Powerhouse Broadway voices like Megan Hilty, Lea Salonga, Jessie Mueller and Kimiko Glenn provide additional gravitas to this inspiring (and occasionally heartbreaking) tale of perseverance, friendship and — of course — horses in thigh-high leather boots belting for the gods.
The NBC dramedy understood that music is emotion, and as Zoey struggled with her newfound ability to hear people’s innermost thoughts through song covers, the series imbued so much feeling into its musical numbers. (Any performance having to do with the deteriorating health of Zoey’s father, Mitch, was reliably heart-wrenching.) While the show lost some of its focus following Mitch’s death and got tangled up in a frustrating love triangle in Season 2, its heart remained intact. Plus, we’re still marveling at that “one-shot,” full-cast performance of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Skylar Astin’s wonderfully manic sex medley and anything sung by Alex Newell.
The Prime Video drama chronicled the rise and untimely fall of a 1970s rock band with a Fleetwood Mac-level of romantic turmoil fueling its music. Whether you thought the adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel was wonderfully faithful or missed the mark, the series truly sang when its lead singers, Daisy and Billy, put their conflicted feelings into their songs. And with a bevy of legitimate music industry producers/songwriters contributing to the show’s soundtrack, and stars Riley Keough and Sam Claflin’s surprisingly impressive vocal chemistry, the catchy original tracks more than made up for any plot misfires.
Peacock’s criminally under-watched comedy centers around a British punk-rock band made up entirely of Muslim women, and rock they did with biting wit and original jams like “Voldemort Under My Headscarf” (press PLAY above) and “Bashir With the Good Beard.” The only thing that could make the show better is if it would hurry up with the long-awaited release of Season 2.
One needn’t be a musical junkie to admire just how much effort goes into Apple TV+’s exuberant sendup, which manages to strike just the right balance of parody and homage. It is both a fitting tribute to the shows it’s satirizing (beginning with 1940s musicals in Season 1, before transitioning to 1960s and ’70s musicals in Season 2) and a deliciously meta commentary on the genre’s many clichés. It’s no wonder executive producer Cinco Paul managed to attract such Broadway talent as Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit to come play.
The TRL nostalgia is strong with this quippy comedy about a ’90s girl group reuniting decades later for another shot at fame. The jokes are sharp — creator Meredith Scardino worked on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Tina Fey is an executive producer — and the cast is fantastic, highlighted by Renée Elise Goldsberry as certified diva Wickie. But the best part might be the perfect parodies of Y2K-era hits, including the catchy theme song “Famous 5eva” and the ode to chastity “Can’t Wait 2 Wait.” It flew under the radar for two seasons on Peacock, but Netflix picking it up for Season 3 might just boost it to the top of the charts.
With a cast full of actors playing country musicians, and a setting of Music City itself, ABC’s primetime soap effortlessly mixed its very catchy tunes into the weekly action. Because what was more natural than Rayna and Juliette headlining a national tour, or Deacon taking the stage at the Opry? Even when the plot grew unbelievably far-fetched (later seasons, we’re looking at you), Nashville‘s music always made for a life that was good.
Way back in days of old (well, January 2015), there was a (hilarious) legend told about Galavant (played by Joshua Sasse) and his clash with King Richard (Timothy Omundson) over the lovely Madalena (Mallory Jansen). ABC’s brilliantly cast, two-season fantasy comedy, hailing from Dan Fogelman and with songs penned by no less than Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, served up such gems as “Maybe You’re Not the Worst Thing Ever,” “Oy, What a Knight” and “Hey, Hey, We’re the Monks.”
This HBO gem from 2007 follows New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo as its members — Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie — seek fame in New York City. Its writing is whip-smart, with laughs that are quirky, off-kilter and bordering surrealism. The group’s songs and parodies prove to be cathartic for its characters, allowing for some serious expression that’s jam-packed with silliness and clever visuals. Having produced just two seasons, the band left the spotlight well before overstaying its welcome. Here’s to hoping they return someday for a proper encore.
The CW’s colorfully quirky musical rom-com took us inside the mind of Rebecca Bunch, a truly hopeless romantic who ditched her life to move across the country and pursue her childhood camp crush. That pursuit was accompanied by an explosion of elaborate musical numbers that ranged from doo-wop to hip-hop and everything in between. The original songs were a marvel of creativity and damn funny to boot, helping to illustrate Rebecca’s inner struggles and putting a happy face on some very dark material. This show was so wonderfully weird, we’re honestly amazed it ran for four seasons on a broadcast network… but we’re so glad it did.
I kept scrolling thinking “Where is Crazy-ex GF?”, only to be pleasantly surprised in the end.
Same! Finally some well-deserved recognition for this show.
Me too! I love the show, might have to do a re-watch now.
Yes same! So thrilled to see Crazy Ex-Girlfriend recognized – as much as I enjoy Schmigadoon and Girls5eva for example, they wouldn’t exist in their current form without CEG putting in the hard yards on broadcast for four seasons. It was so ahead of its time in its point of view and sensibilities, and the performances are just fantastic. Sometimes I don’t think the scripts quite lived up to its performances or songs, but that’s a minor quibble.
I thought this list was a group vote thing but it had to be one person’s opinion. First, Star rode the line of a Jerry Springer episode but the songs and cast were great. It is not to 10 but it shouldn’t be in the 30’s either. Second, the cult following that Smash has should earn it more love. Again, the music was excellent. Third, this list can’t be real if Glee is not top 3. Between the viewers, how long it was around, the numbers on itunes, and the fact it even had 2 world tours between seasons. It is the most successful of them all whether you love it or hate it. Sadly it’s also the most cursed, RIP Naya.
Agreed, how many of the shows here, albeit great (Crazy Ex is an all time fav for me, and the number 1 is well deserved) can say they charted a couple of songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, only Glee.
The Monkees can. Six top 10 songs. Four #1 albums in one year (something no one else has ever done before or since). Millions of records sold and a top 20 charted album 48 years after the original show went off the air. Impressive!
Totally agree that Glee and Smash should have ranked higher. Only other show I could mention was Freeform’s Ruby and the Rockets. It featured David Cassidy, co-starred his stepbrother Patrick; and was created by Shaun Cassidy. Also, it co-starred an 18 year old Austin Butler!
The Monkees should have ranked way higher on this list!! And Daisy Jones and the Six should have ranked much lower due to the How I met Your Mother ending they gave us.
I came to say the same thing about the Monkees. Way too low.
Very pleased by the top 3 Rankings.
Galavant was an under-appreciated gem, but I listen to the Soundtrack CONSTANTLY. Some of the funniest songs to come along in a while.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was also fantastic, and did a surprisingly sensitive and touching job of portraying Rebecca’s mental illness.
I STILL have the Instant Star albums in rotation. Alexz Johnson could have and should have made it as a real-life music star.
She’s touring right now in NYC and heads to Europe the beginning of May!
Dear evan hansen, Wicked, Mean girls, etc..
Those are all musicals, not musical TV shows…
I must have missed those TV series
Where is Bob’s Burgers? Music and plot-based original songs have been a cornerstone of the series from Season 1 to the present. I mean, you included Eli Stone.
Pretty questionable top ten (Way too many current or short lived that had little impact or unknown impact), *except* number 1 is right on. Crazy Ex-Girlfirend was pretty perfect of a show with spot on songs. I still sing several often… “I’m So Good at Yoga”
I loved your commentary on Rise. The supporting and young cast were so good, but Josh Radnor’s delivery and his character’s writingreally made that show hard to watch. So frustrating for the rest of that cast.
Teen shows really didn’t get the right amount of love on this list. Austin & Ally, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and Big Time Rush should all be higher. Austin & Ally had some surprisingly good teen pop songs that are still stuck in my head.
Glee maybe should be a smidge higher. It had it’s problems then, it really hasn’t aged well, but it was so huge so hard so fast. I’d put it at 10. It deserves top 10, but barely.
Monarch should be dead last. It’s awful that it’s ahead of The Heights. Those two at very least should be flipped.
I really enjoyed up here. But I can agree the musical aspects of it weren’t really needed.
I kept scrolling looking for Girls 5eva. #5, nice. It’s BPE, y’all.
Julie and the Phantoms would be at the top for me, otherwise a good list.
I would be very curious to see where S Club 7 would land on the list. I LOVED it at the time and their album still gets pulled out on occasion, but was it just hitting me at the right time at the right age for it?
I guess they only focused on American shows.
It took place in Miami and Hollywood. Definitely American.
But they were made in the UK.
Was definitely made in the US. my roommate at the time was a PA on the show & I lived in CA
Galavant’s cancelation was nothing short of a crime against humanity! Hyperbole aside, that show was amazing and I really wish that we got a third season to wrap things up. I am sure that seeing Tad Cooper in his full grown form would have been worth it alone.
LOVED GALAVANT! I couldn’t believe it didn’t get a season 3. I was crushed. The cast was superb.
Agree with you both, but at least it had a conclusion, unlike the infuriating ending of season one. I was shocked and surprised Galavant got a second season at all (but was glad it did!).
I loved Galavant! The songs were so great, I wish they would just turn it into a B’way show.
The Big Leap is the only other one I could think of that didn’t make the list. The Monkees, and Zoey could have been higher, and Glee should be #1 with Crazy Ex #2.
I wouldn’t consider The Big Leap a musical. It had music in it to support the dancing, but it was not a musical in the sense that these other shows on the list are where singing is at the forefront.
That’s Life starring Robert Morse
Where is Kids Incorporated. This brought us, Fergie, Martika as singers and also had Mario Lopez and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Also Kidd Video – both 80s show I loved as a kid
I can’t believe that I forgot about Kidd Video. It definitely should be on the list.
I found my people. Before all the Disney and Nick shows were listed, Kids Inc should have been mentioned. At least California Dreams made it.
Right? This was one of my first thoughts… and then I saw them say they’re leaving out kids shows… but then they started putting in kids shows and I had hopes, but nothing.
Thanks for including Up Here. I disagree on your take. Really enjoyed it…great music and leads. It’s no Zoeys (the GREATEST), but very worth your time.
I would have placed Rags to Riches somewhere in there, otherwise a nice list.
Justice for Rags to Riches! How dare they forget that gem.
Galavant LOL so funny
Disappointed to not see Rap Sh!t on this list. First season was such a gem and one of the best shows seen about the hip hop industry yet
Star was 10000x better than empire
Kids Incorporated!! That show was my childhood and gave us Fergie, Mario Lopez, Martika, Jennifer Love Hewitt. Was it corny? Yes! But so much better talent than then Hannah Montana and all these other Disney shows.
Empire over Glee, that is certainly a choice, the first 2, even 3 seasons of Glee were really good, just because of the cultural impact Glee had, and all those songs they charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Glee should be at least Top 5.
Crazy Ex being number 1 feels right tho, I was so sad when they cancelled Galavant, still am
Shocked and genuinely happy to see INSTANT STAR on this list! Love seeing Alexz Johnson acknowledged in mainstream media!
Thanks for putting “Cop Rock” on your list. I’m probably one of the very few out there who actually LIKED the show (I looked forward to Randy Newman’s opening each week). Even the producers had a sense of humour with the final scene of the final episode, starting off with “we’ve been cancelled”…
Ok by what are tvlines thoughts on the rise of the pink ladies? Cause I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the grease prequel
I’m still mourning Eli Stone!
Me too! Loved it!