Think of your favourite song. There\u2019s a good chance it\u2019s a showtune and an ever better chance it was written by one of these composers. Who are the very best musical composers?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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10 of the best stage musicals of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
10 of the best Christmas musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
10 of the best songs from musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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There are plenty to choose from, but here\u2019s a rundown of ten you really ought to know about. Some stepped onto Broadway after careers in pop and film music, others confidently straddled the worlds of commercial and classical music. And there\u2019s many more we could name\u2026 Who have we missed? Who are your faves?<\/p>\n
Best Musical Theatre Composers<\/h2>\n
George Gershwin<\/strong> (1898-1937)<\/h3>\nOne of the great all-rounders, George Gershwin<\/a><\/strong> might be considered the father of the American musical. He composed over a dozen shows from throughout the 1920s and \u201930s, while at the same time composing music for films and the concert stage \u2013 not to mention opera. He worked regularly with his brother, Ira Gershwin, and gave Broadway the likes of Funny Face<\/em> (1927) and Girl Crazy <\/em>(1930). His work inspired new and revised stage musicals decades after his death, with the likes of Crazy for You<\/em> (1992) and An American in Paris<\/em> (2015) proving immensely popular.<\/p>\n
Frederik Loewe<\/strong> (1901-1988)<\/h3>\n
German-born, Loewe formed an enduring creative partnership with the lyricist Alan Jay Lerner in the US (where he\u2019d lived since the 1920s). Together they created classics like Brigadoon <\/em>(1947), My Fair Lady <\/em>(1956) and Camelot <\/em>(1960), and not-so-popular musicals like Paint Your Wagon <\/em>(1951). Their 1958 musical film Gigi<\/em> was revised as a stage musical in 1973.<\/p>\n
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Richard Rodgers<\/strong> (1902-79)<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s fair to say Rodgers\u2019s impact on stage musicals was huge. His early career saw him penning some of 20th-century music\u2019s great standards \u2013 enough to give the Gershwins a run for their money. He wrote the likes of \u2018Blue Moon\u2019 and \u2018My Funny Valentine\u2019 with lyricist Lorenz Hart \u2013 indeed, \u2018Rodgers and Hart\u2019 was as familiar to Americans as \u2018Cookies and Cream\u2019. Though their stage hits included classics The Girl Friend <\/em>(1926) and Pal Joey<\/em> (1940), it was with his next writing partner that Richard Rodgers\u2019s star truly blazed. With Oscar Hammerstein II Rodgers would give the world hit after hit, including Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951) and The Sound of Music (1959).<\/em><\/p>\n
Recommended recording:<\/strong> My Favourite Things \u2013 A Richard Rodgers Celebration<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n