How Television is Bringing the Musical Back

Music has always been incorporated into TV. On variety shows, music videos, playing in the background. But recently, it seems that making music a central part of television programs has become a new trend, and maybe a secret ingredient of success. 

January 2006 - High School Musical.  This Disney Channel Movie took the world by storm and quickly became not just a movie, but an international franchise producing everything from t-shirts to pencils to lunch boxes. It's soundtrack was the number 1 selling album of 2006 and in addition a national live musical tour was produced starring the original cast. Two sequels to the movie were produced; the final movie being a feature film. 

The movie followed two high school students, one a jock, and one a straight-A student, who try out for a school musical despite pressure from their peers telling them it's uncool. High School Musical is about breaking stereotypes and following your dreams and got millions of kids singing and dancing along to the music. 

March 2006 - Hannah Montana. Disney Channel's most successful show to date. Hannah Montana follows the life of teenager living a double life as a pop star and a regular kid. Similar to the explosion of High School Musical, this show broke many records, sold millions of albums and turned Miley Cyrus into an international superstar. Yet an other show making music easily accessible to kids. 

June 2008 - Camp Rock. Yet another Disney Channel super success. This movie is about kids attending musical summer camp. The movie also produced a soundtrack and was the second most watched Disney Channel Movie premiere after High School Musical 2.

September 2009 - Glee. Musical television shows have never really worked in the past, so no one expected Glee to become as big of a sensation as it did. The show follows a high school Glee club and its struggle to move up from the bottom of the high school social ladder. The show releases the singles from each episode as it airs, and frequently tops the billboard charts. To quote creator Ryan Murphy, Glee is about "why the arts matter." It is exposing younger kids to music they may not have heard before and even encouraging people to get into music and performing.  

Promoting music and the arts seems to be becoming a recent trend. Maybe it's the industry's way of keeping the arts alive when so many schools making budgets cuts in that area and putting more "practical" subjects like math and science ahead. Or maybe it's just a guaranteed money maker for the networks. Either way, it's an interesting phenomenon, and I hope it's here to stay for a long while.