- 1 year ago
Join us as we explore which musical catalogs deserve the theatrical spotlight, and which ones should stick to their day jobs. Get ready for drama, both onstage and off, as we break down the hits and misses!
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00:00Ready, it's showtime!
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at artists whose discographies were made for theatrical adaptations,
00:14and those that shouldn't touch the stage with a 10-foot pole.
00:17This is it, the apocalypse!
00:24Number 5 should stay away, Maroon 5.
00:27While they may have a decent amount of hits in their catalogue, that doesn't mean they're destined for the stage.
00:40At its core, Maroon 5 is centered entirely around its frontman, Adam Levine,
00:45meaning a biographical jukebox musical would ultimately be the same.
00:49Besides his infamous 2022 cheating accusations, there wouldn't be much to get into,
00:54which would result in the world's most boring show.
00:57Baby, I'm broken down, I need your lovin', lovin', I need it now.
01:04Even if they decided against the memoir route,
01:07most of their discography is so straightforward and radio-friendly
01:10that it's practically impossible to craft a meaningful story around it.
01:13It would essentially be two acts of random, disconnected songs with no real meaning to them,
01:18a formula that would have everyone scrambling for a refund.
01:21I'm at a payphone trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you.
01:30Number 5 would make a great show, Prince.
01:33This is what it sounds like, windows cry.
01:37With his immense talent and ability to adapt to practically every genre,
01:41a show centered around his work would be legendary at the very least.
01:45Purple Rain gave us a taste of what a Prince-centered jukebox musical could be,
01:49but one spanning his 40-plus year career may just revolutionize the concept as we know it.
01:54Whether it's centered around his own life or a fictional character,
02:04the music would have the audience locked in from beginning to end.
02:08With his incredible, emotionally-driven ballads and funky party tunes,
02:11there's no shortage of choices that would lend itself to a compelling, award-winning story.
02:16Number 4. Should Stay Away, Katy Perry.
02:26If we were to only focus on a small sliver of her career, then this would be a much different entry.
02:31Stuck on a rollercoaster, can't get off this ride.
02:40Unfortunately, when you scale back to take all of Katy Perry's catalog into account,
02:44the probability of it making a good jukebox show shrinks.
02:54Even her best material would be hard to work into a plot,
02:57particularly hits like E.T. or Dark Horse that don't have much meaning to them.
03:08From the Witness era on, all bets are off.
03:11Several of her singles from that album and everyone following it veer too far into campy territory
03:16and would be impossible to take seriously.
03:19Even imagining a theatrical adaptation of Swish Swish or Woman's World is laughable,
03:24and not in a good way.
03:30Number 4. Would Make a Great Show, Janelle Monae.
03:33If there was any artist whose work was made to be adapted into a fictional story,
03:38it's Monae's. In fact, Janelle Monae is one step ahead,
03:42with their first two bodies of work being centered around an alter-ego from 2719 named Cindy Mayweather.
03:53There's already plenty of lore surrounding the character,
03:57making her the perfect subject of a potential show.
03:59That's only dipping a toe into Monae's world building.
04:02Can't be explained, but I can try it for ya.
04:06Yeah, baby, don't make me spell it out for ya.
04:10Even just imagining Cindy being implanted into the futuristic world of Dirty Computer
04:14and going on a romantic adventure with Jane57821
04:18is enough to make us wish this musical existed in real life.
04:21It would be a story full of poignancy, progressivism, and freedom,
04:25with a soundtrack that would have everyone dancing in their seats.
04:28Number 3. Should Stay Away
04:38Drake. He's the ultimate proof that popularity wouldn't equate to a compelling musical.
04:44His discography, while giant, doesn't have too many hard-hitting tracks.
04:48Even his more emotional songs don't have much substance to them,
04:51which would make any show fall flat in response.
04:53You used to call me on my cell phone
04:56Late night when you need my love
05:01While a hip-hop jukebox act could be refreshing,
05:05his catalog leans too far into pop to succeed in that vein.
05:08His own life wouldn't lend itself well to a biographical story,
05:11unless we want endless scenes about flexing wealth or the pitfalls of love.
05:15My mama wish I would've went corporate,
05:17she wish I would've went exec.
05:18I still turn to a CEO,
05:20so the lifestyle she respect.
05:22Ironically, the one facet of his career
05:23that would make for an interesting plot
05:25would be his feuds with other rappers.
05:27But even then,
05:28he and his music would take a backseat to theirs.
05:30Go.
05:31The audience not dumb.
05:32Shape the stories how you want.
05:34Hate trade, they're not slow.
05:35Rabbit hole is still deep.
05:36I can go further, I promise.
05:37Number 3. Would Make a Great Show
05:40Fleetwood Mac.
05:41Help me ride
05:42Everything turned around
05:46Even if you ignored their musical output entirely,
05:49their inter-band drama is so intense
05:51that it could span across a whole series of shows.
05:54Both Fleetwood Mac's work and personal lives were made for the stage,
05:57and the two intertwined would be otherworldly.
06:00And if you won't love me now,
06:03you will never love me again
06:06Angry tracks like The Chain and Go Your Own Way
06:09would make for the perfect accompaniment
06:10to the decay of their romantic relationships
06:12and the band as a whole.
06:14While ballads like Landslide
06:15would have the audience weeping in their seats.
06:17Well, the landslide will bring you down, down.
06:24They aren't the only ones
06:25whose tumultuous times would adapt well to the stage.
06:28The onstage threats between members of Eagles
06:30leads us to believe that their musical
06:32would be just as juicy.
06:33And still those voices are calling from far away.
06:39They're the very definition of co-worker music.
06:46And while there's nothing inherently wrong with that,
06:48it wouldn't create a very fun show either.
06:50Imagine Dragons' repetitive sound and lyricism
06:59has earned them plenty of criticism
07:00from listeners and critics alike.
07:02As such, it goes without saying
07:04that their work is too generic
07:05and their come-up too easy
07:07to be made into even the simplest of stories.
07:15Even their most intense songs
07:16are lacking any real grit,
07:18making them come across as inauthentic and corny.
07:21Two traits no one wants to see
07:23in their jukebox musical.
07:24While their work certainly has a place
07:26within the music industry as a whole,
07:27it doesn't have one in theater.
07:29Number two would make a great show,
07:39Madonna.
07:40The queen of pop's reign
07:41would translate perfectly to the stage.
07:46While the show spanning her decades-long career
07:52would be interesting enough on its own,
07:54one that peppered her work into a fictional story
07:56would be just as enthralling,
07:58Separating her discography from her larger-than-life persona
08:00would allow the emotional and political themes to shine.
08:03What I need, I know, it's included mine.
08:10Songs like Papa Don't Preach and American Life would make for excellent angry moments,
08:14akin to Don't Rain on My Parade or Could I Leave You,
08:17whereas celebratory, joyful tracks like Holiday or Material Girl
08:21would be perfect for ensemble numbers.
08:23Any combination of Madonna's discography would create a compelling story,
08:27making her the perfect choice for a jukebox musical.
08:36Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable and dishonorable mentions.
08:42Would make a great show, Lady Gaga.
08:45From the fame to mayhem, her catalog is full of theatrical power hitters.
08:53Should Stay Away, Bon Jovi.
08:58Great music, but their show would be too similar to shows like Rock of Ages.
09:09Would make a great show, Mumford & Sons.
09:12Their folk sound and existential themes would make an understated show akin to once.
09:17Should Stay Away, Pitbull.
09:25While fun, his party-themed tunes could never be adapted into an actual story.
09:29Two, plus two, I'm gonna undress you.
09:33Then we gonna go three, and three, you gonna undress me.
09:36Would make a great show, Panic at the Disco.
09:39Both the band's history and discography were destined for the stage.
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10:04Number one, Should Stay Away, Limp Bizkit.
10:07It's just one of those days when you don't wanna wake up.
10:10Everything is...
10:11Everybody sucks.
10:13A new metal-inspired jukebox musical could be interesting,
10:16as long as the soundtrack was provided by practically any other band.
10:20Limp Bizkit's music is so aggressive that a two-act musical centered around them
10:24would just become exhausting to listen to and watch.
10:27Back up, back up.
10:28Tell me what you gonna do now.
10:29Free me now, free me now.
10:31Hands up, my hands down.
10:32Back up, back up.
10:33Tell me what you gonna do now.
10:34We're not even sure what a story inspired by them or their music would even look like,
10:39but we can only imagine it would end in the front rows being converted into a mosh pit.
10:43Though it would be interesting to see such a specific sub-genre adapted into a more theatrical tone,
10:48there are other groups whose discographies would make for a much better selection
10:51than the guys behind Nookie and Break Stuff.
10:53Come on, so you can take that cookie and stick it up your head, stick it up your head, stick it up your head, stick it up your head.
10:59Number one, Would Make A Great Show, Taylor Swift.
11:02There's no modern artist whose work is better suited to the stage.
11:06Her catalog is intensely personal and autobiographical, with plenty of lore infused into it.
11:12Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too bad.
11:21Her rapid rise in fame, combined with her tumultuous private and public life,
11:25would make for a gripping autobiographical tale, with plenty of bops to accompany it.
11:30However, her work is also perfect for a fictional show.
11:33But I can see it's lost in the memory, August left away to a moment in time.
11:40The same is never mine.
11:42The characters introduced on Folklore are already fleshed out and layered,
11:46with fully realized arcs that any devoted Swifty or casual listener would be enthralled by.
11:51No matter which iteration would be made, the crowd would be in for a perfect collection of quill, fountain pen, and, of course, glitter gel pen lyrics.
11:59Diamonds in my eyes, a polish up real, a polish up real, nice.
12:06Which star would you love to see adapted into a jukebox musical?
12:09Let us know in the comments below.
12:11They love it or they hate it, you dance upon them haters like you.
12:15Do you agree with our picks?
12:17Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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12:24We'll see you next time.
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