Top Ten Musicals for People Who Don't Know Shit About Show Tunes

See Also:

• Top Ten Classical Albums for People Who Don't Know Shit About Classical Music
• Top Ten Jazz Albums for People Who Don't Know Shit About Jazz
• Top Ten EDM Albums for People Who Don't Know Shit About Dance Music
• Top Ten Rap Albums For People Who Don't Know Shit About Hip-Hop
• Top Ten Metal Albums for People Who Don't Know Shit About Metal

Theater has been portrayed on TV shows like Smash and Glee, introducing a whole new generation to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." But there are bad things about it, too. For one thing, it pales in comparison to the front-row live experience. But for those of you who wouldn't know Broadway if it passed through your living room, here are the best musicals for beginners.

10) Little Shop of Horrors 
by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (1982)

Menken penned every perfect Disney song known to man (Mermaid, Beast, Pocahontas, Aladdin). He is a legend and Little Shop is a cult phenomenon. Motown tones and kitsch galore make this a quintessential must ingest treat. Feed me!

9) Hedwig and the Angry Inch
by John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask (1998)

One to blast loudly on sheer principle when a naysayer of musical theater is in the room. Hedwig was developed in nightclubs by John Cameron Mitchell and premiered off-Broadway to much acclaim. Featuring glam rock, touch of punk and sexual identity, it's a wild card for someone needing a little more emotional noise than Gilbert and Sullivan.

8) Phantom of the Opera
by Andrew Lloyd Webber (1986)

With skilled musicians and pyrotechnics, Phantom is a boundless combination of art and technology. Unsurprisingly, this grandiose production has become the longest running show on Broadway. The universal score has spanned 27 countries and grossed over $5 billion.