When people talk about the greatest musicals of all time, three names always come up first: Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats. These aren’t just popular shows-they’re cultural landmarks that reshaped what musical theatre could be. They ran for decades, broke box office records, and turned songs into household tunes. If you’ve ever heard someone hum ‘Memory’ or ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ you’ve felt their impact.
Why These Three? The Unspoken Rules of Musical Greatness
There are hundreds of beloved musicals. Hamilton, Wicked, Chicago-all huge. But the big three stand apart because of three things: longevity, global reach, and emotional power. They didn’t just run for years-they ran for generations. The Phantom of the Opera opened in London in 1986 and played for 35 years straight. Les Misérables has been running continuously since 1985. Cats held the record for longest-running musical on Broadway until 2006. That’s not luck. That’s something deeper.
These shows didn’t rely on flashy technology or celebrity casting to survive. They survived because they made people feel something real. Les Misérables turns revolution into a personal cry for justice. The Phantom of the Opera turns obsession into tragedy. Cats turns weirdness into wonder. They’re not just stories-they’re experiences.
Les Misérables: The Revolution That Sang
Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Misérables is a sprawling epic about poverty, redemption, and rebellion. But what makes it work on stage is how it turns big ideas into small, human moments. Jean Valjean’s aria ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ isn’t just a song-it’s the sound of a broken man realizing he’s lost everything. Fantine’s death scene, sung with raw pain, has brought audiences to tears since 1985.
The show’s score, by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, uses recurring musical themes to tie characters together. The same melody that opens the show as a chorus of prisoners dragging chains returns later as a hopeful anthem of freedom. That’s musical storytelling at its most powerful.
It’s not just about the music. The staging is stripped back, almost bare. A rotating stage, a single bridge, and a wall of chains. No fancy sets. No CGI. Just voices, emotion, and a story that doesn’t let go. It’s played in over 40 countries and translated into 22 languages. It’s the musical that taught the world that theatre doesn’t need spectacle to move people.
The Phantom of the Opera: The Ghost in the Box Office
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera didn’t just break records-it redefined them. When it opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in 1986, no one expected it to become the longest-running musical in history. But it did. Over 14,000 performances. More than 140 million people have seen it worldwide. It’s the only musical to have earned over $1 billion on Broadway alone.
What made it work? The spectacle. The chandelier that crashes. The hidden passageways. The mask. The haunting violin theme. It’s theatre as a theme park ride-but with soul. The music, written by Lloyd Webber, is lush and romantic. ‘The Music of the Night’ isn’t just a villain’s song-it’s a seduction. ‘All I Ask of You’ isn’t just a love duet-it’s a plea for safety in a world of chaos.
It’s also a show that understands the power of mystery. The Phantom is never fully explained. Is he a monster? A genius? A victim? The ambiguity keeps audiences coming back. And the set design? Every detail matters. The grand staircase, the mirror that opens to reveal a hidden lake, the organ that plays itself. It’s not just a stage-it’s a haunted palace.
Cats: The Musical That Defied Logic
If Les Misérables is about justice and The Phantom is about love, then Cats is about… cats. And yet, it’s the most successful musical of its time. Based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, it has no plot. No villain. No central character. Just 20 cats, a junkyard, and a magical night when one gets chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer.
It sounds ridiculous. And that’s why it worked. The show, choreographed by Gillian Lynne and directed by Trevor Nunn, turned poetry into movement. Dancers in full-body fur suits moved like real cats-stretching, licking, pouncing. The music, again by Andrew Lloyd Webber, blends jazz, rock, and classical into something entirely new. ‘Memory,’ sung by Grizabella, the faded glamour cat, became a global hit. It’s a song about loneliness, regret, and second chances. And it’s sung by a cat in a sequined bodysuit.
People didn’t go to Cats for the story. They went for the feeling. The awe. The sheer weirdness of it all. It won seven Tony Awards and ran for 18 years on Broadway. Even today, when people say ‘that musical where everyone sings about cats,’ they mean this one. It proved that musical theatre could be surreal and still break hearts.
The Legacy: Why They Still Matter
These three musicals didn’t just dominate their time-they set the template for everything that came after. Les Misérables showed that musicals could tackle serious history with emotional honesty. The Phantom of the Opera proved that spectacle and sentiment could coexist. Cats taught us that a musical doesn’t need a plot to be unforgettable.
They’re also the reason why musical theatre survives. Touring companies still play them in small towns. High schools still audition for them. Parents still take their kids to see them. They’re the gateway drug to theatre. If you’ve ever cried at a musical, chances are it was one of these three that opened the door.
And they’re still running. Les Misérables is still on tour in Australia, the UK, and North America. The Phantom of the Opera returned to London in 2023 after a pandemic pause. Cats had a major revival in 2016 and still draws crowds in Tokyo and Seoul. They’re not relics. They’re living things.
What Comes Next?
Will another musical ever join the big three? Maybe. Hamilton has the cultural footprint. Wicked has the box office power. But none have matched the sheer endurance of these three. They weren’t designed to last. They were designed to feel. And that’s why they still do.
If you’ve never seen one of them, start with Les Misérables. It’s the most emotionally direct. If you want spectacle, go for The Phantom. If you want something strange and beautiful, try Cats. Don’t watch them because they’re famous. Watch them because they’re still alive.
Are Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats really the only big three musicals?
They’re the most widely recognized as the ‘big three’ because of their unprecedented longevity, global reach, and cultural impact. Other musicals like Hamilton or Wicked have massive followings, but none have matched the combined run time, worldwide attendance, and generational staying power of these three. They’re the foundation-everything else built on top of them.
Which of the big three is the most popular today?
As of 2025, Les Misérables leads in global touring activity and streaming viewership. It’s the most frequently performed by schools and community theatres. The Phantom of the Opera still draws crowds in London and New York, especially during holiday seasons. Cats has seen a resurgence in Asia, particularly in Japan, where it’s considered a national treasure.
Why do people still love Cats when it has no plot?
People love Cats because it’s an experience, not a story. It’s visual, emotional, and sensory. The music, costumes, and choreography create a world that feels alive-even if it doesn’t make logical sense. ‘Memory’ alone gives it emotional weight. It’s not about understanding the plot-it’s about feeling the mood.
Can I watch these musicals online?
Yes. Official recordings are available on streaming platforms. Les Misérables has the 2012 film version and the 2019 live concert recording. The Phantom of the Opera has the 2004 film and the 2011 25th Anniversary live performance. Cats has the 1998 studio recording and the 2019 film adaptation (though the latter is divisive). The original stage recordings are also on Spotify and Apple Music.
Which musical should I see first if I’ve never been to a live musical?
Start with Les Misérables. It’s emotionally powerful, easy to follow, and the music is instantly memorable. You don’t need to know the history of 19th-century France to feel Jean Valjean’s pain. It’s the most accessible of the three, and it’s the one most likely to make you want to see more.