Anyone who has been to my house knows that I absolutely love The Muppets and I also love vinyl records. In one office, I have several trinkets, plush, and other memorabilia of The Muppets prominently on Display. In my main office, I have more. In every office I have ever had in recent years, I have had a framed copy of The Muppet Movie soundtrack on vinyl on display.
I am a big believer in symbols and this record is a good reminder to me of several things. It reminds me not to take myself too seriously, to pursue dreams, to celebrate diversity and individuality, to the importance of friendship, to cherish humor/laughter, to believe in myself, and also to stay true to myself… among other things. However, that isn’t what this post is about. It is about my love of vinyl records and The Muppets! As could probably be guessed, I have quite a few vinyl records with The Muppets, including the original cast album for The Muppet Show (it’s a classic and totally should be listened to on a regular basis). Many of these are not in regular circulation, but they do occasionally get re-released.
Today, I thought I would share my top five favorite vinyl records from The Muppets that are in my collection with the hope that it helps you start a collection of The Muppets on vinyl in a solid way as well. I also hope this will help you get the most bang for your buck so you can get vinyl you will listen to regularly and then extend your collection from there! So without further adieu, let’s get to the list.
5. The Electric Mayhem
I will admit, if you had asked me a couple of years ago I never would have imagined that this album would be on a top five list of favorite vinyl records with The Muppets. In fact, I wouldn’t have even guessed that it would exist. Nevertheless, now this album does exist and it is so much fun! After over 40 years, The Electric Mayhem have recorded their first album and it of course has Can You Picture That? on it along with some other fantastic songs that highlight different members of the band throughout. Also, look closely at the record lining to see some of the musicians who helped record this album (there is a former member of The Beatles!). This is a fun album that effectively captures the feel and personality of The Electric Mayhem and also has a great tracklist.
The Electric Mayhem on vinyl can be ordered on Amazon here.
Tracklist For The Electric Mayhem:
Side 1:
- Rock On
- Gotta Be
- True Colors
- The Sound of Us
- Have a Little Faith in Me
- Join Together
- We Are One
Side 2:
- Can You Picture That?
- God Only Knows
- On Our Way
- Bridge Over Troubled Water
- Rock and Roll All Nite
- Gonna Get There
- Believe in Us
4. The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper soundtrack on vinyl is so much fun! It brings the music from one of my favorite movies by The Muppets to life in a happy and vibrant way. I love how listening to this one really is almost like experiencing the movie in a way. It captures the personalities and humor of The Muppets as one listens and also has a fantastic collection of songs. Some of my favorite songs on this album are Hey A Movie!, Steppin’ Out With a Star, and Happiness Hotel. Really, these are some of the best songs ever made for The Muppets I think. This, as with all the albums on this list, is put on my machine and listened to on a regular basis.
The Great Muppet Caper on vinyl can be ordered on Amazon.
Tracklist for The Great Muppet Caper
Side 1:
- The Main Title
- Hey A Movie!
- The Big Red Bus
- Happiness Hotel
- Lady Holiday
- Steppin’ Out With a Star
- The Apartment
- Night Life
Side 2:
- The First Time It Happens
- Couldn’t We Ride
- Piggy’s Fantasy
- The Great Muppet Caper
- Homeward Bound
- Finale: Hey A Movie!
- Reprise: The First Time It Happens
3. The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show cast album is another one of my favorites. This brings some of the best songs/moments from the original show and puts them on the front and back of a vinyl record. Obviously, it has the main theme for The Muppet Show but also some others like Mahna Mahna, Halfway Down The Stairs, Cottleston Pie, Simon Smith, and His Amazing Dancing Bear, and of course, It’s Not Easy Being Green. There are several others that are absolutely delightful as well along with some commentary by Waldorf and Statler. There is also a second album for The Muppet Show that is also a lot of fun, but I don’t have that one on vinyl (just digitally).
The Muppet Show cast album can be ordered on Amazon.
The Muppet Show Tracklist:
Side 1:
- The Muppet Show Theme
- Mississippi Mud
- Mahna Mahna
- The Great Gonzo Eats a Rubber Tire to “The Flight of the Bumble Bee”
- Mr. Bassman
- Cottleston Pie
- The Amazing Marvin Suggs and His Muppaphone Play “Lady of Spain”
- Lydia the Tattooed Lady
- Halfway Down the Stairs
Side 2:
- Tenderly
- I’m In Love With a Big Blue Frog
- Tittwillow
- Veterinarian’s Hospital
- Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear
- What Now My Love?
- A Monologue by Fozzie Bear
- Trees
- Sax and Violence
- Bein’ Green
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol
One of the greatest Christmas albums of all time, The Muppet Christmas Carol is also one of my favorite vinyl records in my collection. I’m very thankful that they re-released it a couple of years ago or I can imagine it would be incredibly hard to find (like some of the earlier-mentioned records). This has some beautiful songs, fun songs, and a good score as well. It captures the sound and spirit of The Muppets and also the spirit of the season. It gets a LOT of play in my house during the holidays. My favorite songs on it include
The Muppet Christmas Carol can be ordered on Amazon here.
The Muppet Christmas Carol Tracklist
Side 1:
- Overture (Instrumental)
- Scrooge
- Room In Your Heart
- Good King Wenceslas (Traditional)
- One More Sleep ’til Christmas
- Marley And Marley
- Christmas Past (Instrumental)
- Chairman Of The Board
- Fozziwig’s Party
Side 2:
- When Love Is Gone
- It Feels Like Christmas
- Christmas Scat
- Bless Us All
- Christmas Morning (Instrumental)
- Thankful Heart
- Finale – When Love Is Found / It Feels Like Christmas
- When Love Is Gone
1. The Muppet Movie
The number one vinyl by The Muppets that is in my collection is easily The Muppet Movie. While it wasn’t the first record ever released by The Muppets, it was by far the best. Decades later it still stands out with iconic songs like Rainbow Connection, Movin’ Right Along, Can You Picture That?, I’m Going to Go Back There Someday, and of course the beautiful Finale: The Magic Store. I love this album so much that I have two releases of it. I have the original one with the blue sky and rainbow on the cover along with Kermit and Miss Piggy in a rowboat. I also have the recently released version with Kermit in the swamp that has a rainbow shining down on him as he plays his banjo. If you are only going to get one record with The Muppets, this is the one to get.
The Muppet Movie can be purchased on Amazon here.
The Muppet Movie Tracklist
Side 1:
- Rainbow Connection
- Movin’ Right Along
- Never Before, Never Again
- Never Before, Never Again (Instrumental)
- I Hope That Somethin’ Better Comes Along
Side 2:
- Can You Picture That?
- I Hope That Somethin’ Better Comes Along (Instrumental)
- I’m Going to Go Back There Someday
- America
- Animal… Come Back Animal
- Finale: The Magic Store
These are my top five favorite records in my collection of The Muppets on vinyl. I do have others in the collection that I enjoy quite a bit too, but these are the five that get the most playtime. Eventually, I would love to get the rest of the movie soundtracks from The Muppets, assuming they become available and can be found. These five albums are available in one way or another, either new or used, and aren’t super hard to find. I think these also create a very solid foundation of Muppet music to be enjoyed as well.
What do you think of my top five? What would you put on your top five list? Would you like more Top Fives of my favorite records, LEGO sets, movies, whatever? Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
