Rock Musicals/Opera
Rock musicals and operas combine theatrical storytelling with rock music, often featuring sung-through narratives.
- The Who - Tommy (1969): Often considered the first true rock opera, focusing on a "deaf, dumb, and blind" boy.
- The Who - Quadrophenia (1973): Explores youth culture and psychological turmoil.
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1970): A musical work detailing the final weeks of Jesus' life.
- Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979): Tells the story of a rock star's descent into isolation and madness.
- David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972): Follows the story of an alien rock star.
- Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977): A theatrical, high-energy rock story.
- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988): A conceptual, progressive metal story about a political assassin.
- Green Day - American Idiot (2004): A modern rock opera focusing on youth in a post-9/11 world.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): A cult classic musical bridging rock and theater.
- Tommy (1975): Ken Russell's film adaptation of The Who's album.
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001): A punk rock musical focusing on a genderqueer singer.
- Heathers: The Musical