It’s easy to sing the praises of a great musical. Musicals are frequently high in emotion and energy, with the genre usually being definable as one that incorporates music in with its storytelling. Sometimes, this is done with characters breaking into song. Sometimes, musical sequences will only exist in dreams or fantasy sequences. Other times, a musical might center on characters who sing and dance as part of their profession, making the music feel more believably in-universe.
Not all musicals will necessarily be to everyone’s tastes, and the genre is perhaps one of the more divisive ones out there, at least broadly speaking (the same can arguably be said about Westerns and horror movies). Yet for those who love the genre, or for those who want to discover what it has to offer, the following titles are among the greatest musicals of all time. They showcase how varied and exciting the genre can be at its best, and are ranked below from great to greatest.
Updated August 27th, 2023, by Jeremy Urquhart:
Some might want to dismiss the musical as a genre, but those people probably haven’t experienced the best musicals of all time. The best musicals resonate in a way that can appeal to viewers who aren’t generally fans of seeing characters break into song. Some of the top musicals are ranked below, with the following musicals all serving as good entry points for those wanting to understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to this sometimes divisive movie genre.
30 ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964)
As perhaps one of the most popular family-friendly musicals of all time, Mary Poppins is one title that’s likely familiar to many. It’s a Disney classic in many ways, telling the unusual yet interesting story of a magical nanny caring for two children, with the trio going on all sorts of strange adventures, learning about the world around them.
Get past the weirdly dark scenes and some annoying accents and there’s a great deal to appreciate in Mary Poppins. From a technical perspective, it’s remarkable by the standards of 1964, especially when it comes to combining live-action and animated elements. And the songs on offer are undeniably catchy and basically impossible to ever forget, for better or worse.
Watch on Disney+
29 ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ (1971)
A mammoth-length musical film that runs for approximately three hours, Fiddler on the Roof could well be considered a true epic. It’s a film adaptation of the beloved stage musical of the same name, and centers on a family dealing with love, loss, and the struggles of getting by in Czarist Russia during the early years of the 20th century.
It’s the rare time when what’s put on screen does justice to what was already widely celebrated on stage, and as such, it’s a continually popular film deserving of its legacy. Even if the length might put some people off, it’s got a good deal to offer, and will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who has a fondness for movie musicals.
Watch on Tubi
28 ‘The Lion King’ (1994)
Released in 1994, which was one of cinema’s best-ever years, The Lion King is a phenomenal animated movie that manages to be a comedy, family film, drama, and musical all at once. It tells the story of a young lion prince who’s banished by his evil uncle, Scar, and returns to his homeland as a young adult, looking to right the wrongs Scar’s done during that time.
The Lion King has so much going on at the same time, yet still feels coherent and equally satisfying to watch as both a kid and an adult. It’s one of the greatest movies Disney every produced, and is so great that not even an underwhelming (and oddly lifeless) 2019 remake can dampen the legacy of the 1994 original.
Watch on Disney+
27 ‘My Fair Lady’ (1964)
1964 was a big year for big, ambitious musicals, as not only did it see the release of the aforementioned Mary Poppins, but so too was 1964 the year that My Fair Lady came out. It was also a monumentally successful movie, winning a total of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
It runs for almost three hours, and its narrative is centered around the unlikely romance that develops between an upper-class man who takes a working-class girl and attempts to transform her into a member of high society. It’s all knowingly old-fashioned and sometimes quite silly, but there’s a certain charm to it, and from a technical perspective, it is quite a dazzling film to look at and listen to.
26 ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ (1944)
A breezy movie that nonetheless has some subtly dark aspects to it, Meet Me in St. Louis is one of the most well-known musicals of the 1940s. It begins shortly before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, and follows several daughters who all learn about life and love, singing their hearts out all the while.
It’s a very colorful movie, and is well-presented overall thanks to the direction of Vincente Minnelli, who was one of the most acclaimed musical directors of his time. It certainly feels like a product of its time, but not in a way that detracts tremendously from the film overall, and those who don’t mind an older musical movie every now and then should find themselves able to have a good time with it.
25 ‘A Star Is Born’ (1954)
Modern-day viewers might be most familiar with the 2018 version that stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, but the 1954 version of A Star Is Born remains the best. That being said, it’s not the original. Aside from the two aforementioned versions, the story has also been told in 1937 and 1976 versions.
The tragic romantic story about a young female singer experiencing a rise to power while her older partner endures a fall from grace seems to be a generation-crossing one that audiences can’t get enough of. This 1954 version is notable for its length (it’s almost three hours) and for featuring what might be Judy Garland’s greatest performance (though Meet Me in St. Louis and a certain fantasy film from 1939 do offer decent competition).
24 ‘Chicago’ (2002)
Not only is Chicago a great musical, but it’s also a surprisingly great darkly comedic crime movie, too. It’s a satirical look at the similarities between infamy and fame, following two women who find themselves on death row in the titular city during the 1920s and will stop at nothing to avoid execution.
To some extent, traditional musicals went out of fashion in the 1980s and 1990s, with unabashedly bold and music-heavy films like Chicago ultimately helping the genre become trendy once more. More than 20 years on from its release, the music, style, and performances of Chicago remain entertaining, with it being a deserving Best Picture winner at the 2002 Oscars.
Watch on Max
23 ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964)
Of all the movies featuring the members of The Beatles during their short-lived but tremendously influential time together as a band, A Hard Day’s Night stands as their best. Narratively, it’s exceedingly simple: it simply follows the band members around a comedically heightened version of England in the 1960s as they get into trouble and try to avoid crowds of obsessive fans.
It succeeds thanks to its uniquely offbeat sense of humor, the natural chemistry of the band back when the Fab Four were young and still seemed to like each other’s company, and, of course, the music. The album of the same name (their third overall) features the songs used throughout the film, and is often regarded as the first truly great Beatles album.
Watch on Max
22 ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ (2001)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is an explosive musical that blends comedy and drama, and focuses on a gender-queer punk/rock singer named Hedwig. She’s a fictional character, but the film unfolds sort of like a biographical rock musical, with the story covering her turbulent life story that begins in East Berlin around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
It’s an iconic LGBTQ movie, and though it failed to find an audience upon release in 2001 (despite strong reviews), it’s now rightly heralded as a cult classic. The songs are all extremely catchy, the narrative balances humor and heavier content well, and it looks at topics surrounding queer identity and being transgender at a time when even fewer theatrically released movies tackled such subject matter.
21 ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007)
There aren’t too many musicals that combine crime and horror elements with a story that’s told entirely through music, which makes Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street stand out from the crowd. The title character is a serial killer who murders his customers and gives the bodies to his partner-in-crime, Mrs. Lovett, who bakes their body parts into pies.
It’s incredibly morbid, but might prove to have a very dark sense of humor for those who like their comedy pitch-black. The dark, moody look of the film pairs extremely well with all the memorable songs, and of the many collaborations between director Tim Burton and star Johnny Depp, this is easily one of their best.
Watch on Paramount+
20 ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’ (1999)
Yes, the South Park movie is one of the best musicals of all time. You read that right. Anyone who doubts Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s ability to craft an excellent movie musical should know that the great Stephen Sondheim (who was behind the original stage version of the aforementioned Sweeney Todd) was a huge fan of their work.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut came out just a couple of years after the show began, and follows the show’s characters getting wrapped up in a potentially world-ending conflict over a profanity-filled Canadian movie. It’s hilarious and surprisingly well-scored from beginning to end, and its prophetic nature around the conflict 2014’s The Interview nearly started arguably makes it even funnier and more biting.
Watch on Paramount+
19 ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of those movies that a good many people probably have memories of watching when they were younger. Whether young kids should watch it, however, is up for debate, seeing as even though it’s labeled as a family-friendly movie, much of it is surprisingly traumatic and kind of scary.
Its story is, by now, an iconic one, following a group of young children who win a competition to see the inside of a top-secret and highly fantastical chocolate factory. From the memorably bratty side characters to the iconic performance by Gene Wilder as the title character to the Oompa-Loompas and their earworm songs, it provides a musical ride that still feels overwhelming in the best ways possible over half a century on from release.
18 ‘Top Hat’ (1935)
The advent of sound in 1927 was obviously instrumental in letting the musical genre thrive, and it’s no coincidence that one of the first big talkies – The Jazz Singer – had music numbers. Yet of all the musical films released during the genre’s early years, few are quite as good as 1935’s Top Hat.
It starred legendary duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and has a romantic comedy-style plot mixed in with plenty of song and dance numbers. For anyone wanting to discover how the musical genre developed in its early years, Top Hat is a great place to start, and is funny and charming enough to hold up as an engaging watch all these decades later.
17 ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
What A Hard Day’s Night did for The Beatles, Purple Rain essentially did for Prince. It features the legendary musician playing a character similar to himself, being an inspiring artist who only goes by “The Kid,” and has dreams of one day becoming a huge star, even if the path there has numerous obstacles to navigate and overcome.
While the narrative isn’t the strongest – and Prince is nowhere near as good an actor as he was a musician – Purple Rain soars thanks to its music. The soundtrack album of the same name is arguably Prince’s greatest work, and one of the very best studio albums of its decade. It can be watched and enjoyed for the music alone, with the stylish visuals and distinctively 1980s aesthetics also giving it some additional entertainment value.
16 ‘Dancer in the Dark’ (2000)
An exceptionally bleak film about injustice and the unexpected tragedies that life can throw one’s way, Dancer in the Dark is not an easy watch. It follows Selma (played by Bjork) who’s a single mother struggling to support herself and her only child, all the while trying to save money for an operation that will ensure her son doesn’t end up progressively going blind the same way she has.
Director Lars von Trier is known for making heavy, depressing, and sometimes disturbing films, with Dancer in the Dark being no exception to this trend. Still, it’s a rewarding and powerful watch for those able to handle some of its more intense scenes, with Bjork excelling both when it comes to her lead performance and for all the songs she wrote and sang for the movie.
15 ‘La La Land’ (2016)
While the same can’t be said for his 2022 movie, Babylon, in 2016, Damien Chazelle made a movie that almost everyone seemed to like with La La Land. It’s a romance/dramedy/musical about two passionate creative people living in Los Angeles who enter a relationship, only to find their differing careers gradually start pulling them apart.
It’s really, really simple, at its core, but also really, really effective. It works as a modern update/homage to classic Hollywood musicals that were popular in the 1950s without ever feeling derivative or mocking, and Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles both give great performances that are up there with the best of their respective careers.
Watch on Netflix
14 ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (1986)
Little Shop of Horrors is an example of how to correctly adapt a musical from stage to the big screen. It’s a darkly funny horror musical about an unusual and particularly animated plant that has a thirst for human blood and, after growing rapidly, begins demanding it gets fed entire human beings.
It’s among 1986’s best movies, as the songs are all exceptionally well-written, and in classic musical style, are all essential for the narrative at hand. The way characters express their innermost feelings through song while the story around them gets increasingly more bizarre and violent makes for a very enjoyable contrast, and it’s just an all-around fantastically executed movie with some surprisingly great special effects to boot.
13 ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
There are numerous iconic animated musicals released by Disney (particularly during their Renaissance period), but few are as classic as 1991’s Beauty and the Beast. It combines fantasy, romance, and memorable songs to great effect, making for a movie that feels timeless, and will undoubtedly continue to feel that way into the future.
For as great as other Disney musicals like The Lion King and The Little Mermaid are, Beauty and the Beast is perhaps the studio’s most outstanding achievement. It’s bittersweet that it was one of the final projects of Howard Ashman before his tragically early death, but his legacy lives on through a movie like Beauty and the Beast (impressively, three songs he wrote for the film were nominated for Best Original Song at that year’s Oscars).
Watch on Disney+
12 ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ (1964)
A French musical that achieved international popularity, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the rare film musicals that has all of its dialogue sung, rather than spoken. It’s a romantic drama about a young couple who fall in love but are then separated by war, and find themselves naturally drifting apart before an encounter some years later complicates things further.
Because of the film feeling like one long song, it doesn’t exactly feature the catchiest melodies or hooks, but the ambition is admirable (for extra points, it’s also a surprisingly Christmasy movie). Those who like the film but want a few more distinct songs should also check out The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), which was directed by the same filmmaker, Jacques Demy.
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11 ‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)
The Blues Brothers is an early 1980s classic, and surely one of the most over-the-top and thrillingly eclectic movie musicals of all time. It centers on a pair of brothers who learn the orphanage they grew up at is scheduled for destruction, unless they can raise $5000. And so that is exactly what Jake and Elwood set out to do, primarily through getting their old band back together and putting on a charity concert.
Along the way, they seem incapable of not making enemies, and by the end of the film are being pursued by police, ex-girlfriends, other musicians, and even a group of Illinois Nazis. This leads to plenty of action alongside all the comedy and music numbers, with the latter often being performed by some of the greatest R&B artists of all time, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles.
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