Top 10 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas

Top 10 Daytime Soap Operas

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It's time to get dramatic. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Daytime Soap Operas. For this list, we'll be ranking the most popular, long-running or influential American soap operas. This means that soap operas from other countries, or those which aired during primetime hours, will be saved for later. We're also focusing on straight soap operas only for this list, meaning that "Dark Shadows," with its gothic atmosphere and supernatural creatures, doesn’t qualify.

The world of daytime soap operas is known for its occasionally wacky storylines, but we're here to tell you they've got NOTHING on "Passions." Creator James E. Reilly made it a point to stretch not only the boundaries of content on the daytime drama circuit, but also test the level of lunacy audiences would be able to accept in their plotlines. You want portals to Hell? "Passions" has portals to hell. You want occult themes and magic? Oh, "Passions" has GOT you covered! Sure, it also had the usual daytime soap stuff like love triangles and backstabbing, but it was that "go for broke" spirit which ensured “Passions” would always be remembered by fans.

#9: "Another World" (1964-99)

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Our next daytime soap was co-created by Irna Phillips, a name we're going to be mentioning a lot on this list. Phillips was affectionately known as the "Queen of the Soaps," thanks to her proclivity behind the scenes as a creative powerhouse. "Another World" was just one of her creations, and stood out from the daytime pack thanks to its willingness to get metaphysical and controversial within its narrative. The series didn't shy away from sensitive topics like abortion, and tended to focus on class and culture as opposed to simple black-and-white melodrama. For these reasons, "Another World" deserves its reputation as a soap which did things just a little differently.

#8: "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987-)

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Today, crossovers are commonplace within the daytime soap opera world, but "The Bold and the Beautiful" was developing these sorts of complex storylines way back in the late ‘80s. The show was a companion piece of sorts to "The Young and the Restless," with both being creations of the husband-and-wife team of William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. Characters from both shows would intersect, while "The Bold and the Beautiful" would take things even further by crossing over with daytime GAME shows, including "The Price is Right" and "Let's Make a Deal". The show is still a popular draw as well, thanks to that seemingly boundless curiosity to watch rich people and their inevitably dramatic problems.

#7: "One Life to Live" (1968-2012, 2013)

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If there was ever any valid criticism about the daytime soap opera world, it's that there’s never truly been enough inclusion or diversity amongst its cast of characters. "One Life to Live" sought to change all that, and has been credited over the years with expanding its storytelling ability by including characters from different economic and racial backgrounds. This not only made the show appealing to a wider demographic, but made it easier for audiences to relate and become invested into what stories were being told. "One Life to Live" also made it cool for more comedic moments to be included, further balancing the often-dour daytime soap landscape.

#6: "As the World Turns" (1956-2010)

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Irna Phillips appears once again on our list, with "As the World Turns" being yet another one of the Queen's soap opera classics. The show debuted with the intention of running parallel to another Phillips creation, "Guiding Light," but quickly earned a rabid fan following of its own. In fact, "As the World Turns" stayed on the air for an amazing 54-year run from 1956 to 2010, effectively creating generations of fans in its wake. Irna had no problem letting her stories take their time in developing characters and personalities, essentially building a world around "As the World Turns'" professional doctors and lawyers.

Speaking of "Guiding Light," this classic daytime soap arrives at the halfway point on our list – and is probably a familiar name even to those who aren't fans of the genre. The show was one of the longest-running programs of all time, airing from 1952 all the way to 2009, and actually started its life as a radio serial before being developed for television. As a result of this lengthy run, "Guiding Light" did its best to try and evolve with tastes and the times. It even adopted a realistic, up-front-and-personal shooting style to differentiate itself from other daytime entertainment. And hey, in our opinion, it worked!

#4: "The Young and The Restless" (1973-)

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The world of television and cinema have always been a treasure trove of original score music, but when was the last time you heard of a soap opera having a hit theme? Well, "The Young and The Restless" bucked that trend when music from its score, particularly the track "Nadia's Theme", exploded in popularity. The song was originally composed by Perry Botkin, Jr. and Barry De Vorzon – the latter of "Warriors" soundtrack fame – for the 1971 film "Bless the Beasts and Children," before a re-arranged version hit the small screen two years later. Meanwhile, "The Young and The Restless'" tales of wealthy rivalries and discord is still going strong today, 45 years after its debut.

#3: "All My Children" (1970-2011, 2013)

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Agnes Nixon was another soap opera heavyweight, known primarily for her work creating "One Life to Live," "Loving," and the next series on our list, the massively popular "All My Children." Much of this popularity has to be laid at the feet of the show’s undeniably iconic star, Susan Lucci, whose character Erica Kane is one of the best-known soap personalities of all time. "All My Children" was also notable for its popularity amongst male audiences – perhaps another symptom of The Lucci Effect – and ran for over 40 years before saying its final farewell to fans.

With more than 50 years on the air and still going strong, "Days of Our Lives" has endured as one of television's longest running institutions, thanks largely to its dedicated, multi-generational fan base. "Days of Our Lives" earned critical praise early on for its risk-taking storylines, and grounded realism, touching on then-taboo subjects concerning sex, family, and politics. The show didn't take itself too seriously, though, and had no problems being parodied or even crossing over into the sitcom world – some of its characters even appeared on its network neighbor "Friends." It's this easy-going vibe that has probably helped "Days of Our Lives" remain on the air for so long, which is definitely impressive! Before we name our number one daytime guilty pleasure, here are a few honorable mentions! "The Edge of Night" (1956-84) "Santa Barbara" (1984-93) "Ryan's Hope" (1975-89)

#1: "General Hospital" (1963-)

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You don't have to be remotely familiar with daytime soap operas to be aware of the fictional Port Charles, New York and its most famous landmark, "General Hospital." The show is basically synonymous with the genre and has continued to captivate fans since debuting way back in 1963. "General Hospital" is also known for its troubled yet undeniably iconic "supercouple," Luke and Laura, whose 1981 wedding kept over 30 million viewers glued to their television screens. The show has survived cast changes, spin-offs ("General Hospital: Night Shift" and "Port Charles”), and ratings dips to remain as the daytime soap world's finest show.