The Official GOAT List: Ranking the Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time
This isn’t a polite ranking. It’s a fight.
General Hospital brings the moments. The Young and the Restless brings power. Days of Our Lives brings chaos. And then you’ve got All My Children, One Life to Live, and The Bold and the Beautiful all claiming they did it better, just in completely different ways.
That’s the problem. There’s no clean answer.
Do you reward the show that dominated ratings for decades? The one that pushed boundaries? The one that people still quote and argue about? Or the one that just refuses to die in people’s memory?
Some of these are legends. Some are divisive. A few are here specifically to start arguments.
Every matchup forces a choice you won’t feel great about. That’s the point.
Vote through the battles, build your list, and see where your picks stack up against everyone else.
1. GENERAL HOSPITAL
General Hospital is currently the #1 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 68.0% head-to-head battles.
2. ALL MY CHILDREN
All My Children is currently the #2 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 62.6% head-to-head battles.
3. DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Days of Our Lives is currently the #3 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 58.6% head-to-head battles.
4. THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
The Young and the Restless is currently the #4 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 55.8% head-to-head battles.
5. AS THE WORLD TURNS
As the World Turns is currently the #5 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 54.7% head-to-head battles.
6. GUIDING LIGHT
Guiding Light is currently the #6 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 43.0% head-to-head battles.
7. ONE LIFE TO LIVE
One Life to Live is currently the #7 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 39.4% head-to-head battles.
8. THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
The Bold and the Beautiful is currently the #8 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 28.4% head-to-head battles.
9. SANTA BARBARA
Santa Barbara is currently the #9 Greatest Daytime Soap Operas of All Time winning 21.1% head-to-head battles.
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