Album of the Day

A hip-hop take on our Founding Fathers hardly sounds like a guaranteed hit, but Hamilton: An American Musical became the toast of Broadway upon its premiere in 2015, and the original cast recording proved just as revolutionary. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who originated the role of Alexander Hamilton onstage, penned all the songs on this double-disc set, couching historical insight in arrangements that mix rap, R&B and pop with more traditional show tunes. With Questlove and Black Thought of the Roots lending production assistance, the Grammy-winning set is as accessible as it is ambitious and its 6x platinum sales make it the most successful cast album ever. HAMILTON: ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING was released five years ago today, and it's already become a musical milestone of the new millennium.