People who “hate musicals” must be out of their minds, because, IMO, there’s one for everybody. You've got flashy musicals with jaw-dropping dance numbers, sappy musicals that'll have you tearing up, and yes, even funny musicals for when you want a good laugh. And sure, not every musical is a must-watch hit (lol, remember Cats?) there are so many amazing ones out there and even more coming out every year.
I love musicals so much that I'm just as happy to throw on a professionally recorded stage musical. But let's get into the art, the finesse, the craft if you will of making a truly excellent movie musical. Ready for the recommendations? Five, six, seven, eight!
60. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Show this to anyone who says musicals are too corny and cheerful for them.
59. The Last Five Years
If you had a friend who took voice lessons in the 2000s, you’ve probably heard at least one of these songs. Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan play a couple who meet, marry, and divorce within the span of five years. Kendrick’s songs start at the end and go back, Jordan’s start from the beginning, and they meet for one duet in the middle. Heartbreaking.
58. A Star Is Born
There’s, like, a million versions of A Star Is Born but, like, AS IF I was gonna not choose the one with “Shallow.”
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57. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
This underrated Stephen Sondheim musical is such a good farce.
56. Purple Rain
It's Prince. What more do you need to know? It's only low on this list because it's sometimes more of a rock movie than a musical. Splitting hairs, I know!
55. Were the World Mine
An underrated indie, this one is inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s about a gay teenage boy who gets revenge on his bullies (and his crush) by turning them gay, too, which is so 2008.
54. Beauty and the Beast
One of the best Disney animated musicals, thanks to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and I honestly don't even mind the live-action remake that much.
53. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
A cult classic whose rock songs are on another level entirely.
52. That Thing You Do
Only ’90s kids remember this super cute musical about another teenage band that shoots to fame.
51. Hello Dolly!
Barbra Streisand may be more known for movie musicals like Funny Girl or even Yentl, making this low-key a hidden gem. Bonus: It’s Wall-E’s favorite musical. Remember how that Pixar movie opens with “Put on Your Sunday Clothes”?
50. My Sister Eileen
Janet Leigh and Jack Lemmon (as well as a baby Bob Fosse) starred in this hidden gem of a '50s movie musical.
49. Funny Face
Find me something more dreamy than Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire starring in a musical together... I'll wait. Hepburn plays a fashion magazine editor and Astaire plays a photographer, and the two team up to come up with the next big fashion trend.
48. Sunshine on Leith
Did you know there's a jukebox musical starring George MacKay from 1917 and Antonia Thomas from The Good Doctor (or Lovesick or Misfits, if you’re a British television lover)? There is!
47. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
If you don’t immediately follow “Cinderella” with “the one with Brandy,” we cannot be friends.
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46. Annie
No disrespect to the original movie, but the 1999 TV remake is way less problematic.
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47. The Music Man
There's also a great TV remake of this musical too, but Robert Preston and Shirley Jones really nail the swoon-worthy romance in the original.
44. A Little Night Music
This musical has Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Rigg (Olenna “Tell Cersei It Was Me” Tyrell from Game of Thrones). This has been a PSA.
43. Dreamgirls
It was already a good musical, but then the movie cast Beyoncé? And we started thinking about how the plot mirrors Bey’s own career? And also Jennifer Hudson is going off? Game changer.
42. A Chorus Line
The stage musical won a Pulitzer, NBD, and the movie adaptation is...totally wild in a ’70s way. Weirdly perfect for anyone who likes So You Think You Can Dance or The Masked Singer, since the whole thing is about a competitive audition.
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41. The Muppet Movie
You deserve to watch The Muppet Movie in all its wacky musical glory.
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40. Across the Universe
Might be a little jarring to revisit this one after watching Evan Rachel Wood on Westworld, but Julie Taymor’s film is nothing short of magical.
39. Inside Llewyn Davis
Yep, 10/10 would let Oscar Isaac sing me sad folk songs at any time. Also, huge kudos to whatever Adam Driver is doing in this movie—I am obsessed with it.
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38. The Lion King
Sometimes you just wanna watch a colorful, happy musical and The Lion King is it (you know, minus that whole scene where Mufasa gets murdered by his uncle). You can't hear Hakuna Matata without smiling.
37. London Road
This off-beat musical is part of a newer tradition called "verbatim theatre," meaning that the script and lyrics are taken word for word from interview transcripts. Isn't that interesting? It's perfect for this dark, creepy subject matter: a true crime mystery.
36. Carousel
Fair warning, this musical deals with domestic violence in ways that are sometimes complex and interesting, and other times problematic. Take care of yourself, and check it out if and when you're ready! It's one of Rogers and Hammerstein's best scores, and you're obviously free to interpret the characters and judge them however you like.
35. Bye Bye Birdie
All these Elvis movies of late have me thinking about the best movie musical not starring, or about, but inspired by the teen heartthrob. What happens when a small-town girl wins a contest and the biggest star comes to kiss her on television? A lot.
34. Oliver!
Please sir, can I have some more... of this movie!? It's a lengthy watch at two and a half hours, but you're left wanting more every time after watching Fagin and his orphaned boys pick every pocket in London.
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33. Once
While we’re across the pond, this indie Irish romance will break your heart and sooth you with all of the beautiful Glen Hansard songs.
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32. Newsies
A.K.A. the movie that taught a bunch of us about the importance of labor strikes as kids.
31. The Color Purple
While it was weird that the trailers for this Oscar-nominated musical hid the fact that it was a musical (what's with that, anyway>) it is kind of top-tier.
30. An American in Paris
Perfect for literally any time, you can sing along and pretend you're in Paris. It stars Gene Kelley (who also choreographed all the dance scenes) as a WWII vet trying to make a name for himself as a painter in Paris.
29. Sweet Charity
Historically regarded as a flop, I think this is an underrated weirdo musical. Every dance number takes you to a new world. It's the kind of musical that has you on the edge of your seat. It's also a romantic comedy!
28. Pitch Perfect
The first movie is so good, and when Ben Platt starts singing at the end...reader, I cried. Aca-ouldn’t believe it either.
27. Fiddler on the Roof
If nothing else, watch this for the "Matchmaker" song, because you won't be able to stop singing it for days. And also because it's one of the best musicals of all time.
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26. In The Heights
Did we all forget how good this is? I feel like we all forgot how good this is. That pool choreo! I gasped.
25. Mary Poppins
Come for Dick Van Dyke‘s hilariously bad Cockney accent, and stay for a musical that’s heartwarming even when it’s sad and silly when it’s serious. Mary Poppins Returns ain’t so bad, either!
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24. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Literally do not ever talk to me about the Tim Burton reboot. It does not exist. Wonka, you're not ready to make this list yet... but you're cool.
23. Stormy Weather
Another old musical that’s off the beaten path, Stormy Weather stars Lena Horne and an almost entirely African American cast—which was super rare for 1943.
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22. Rocketman
Technically, this is a biopic...but it so desperately wants to be a musical, don’t you think? I’m totally counting it.
21. High School Musical
I am also obviously a huge fan of High School Musical 2 and Senior Year, but it’s hard to beat the OG that reinvented the Disney Channel Original Movie and made singing teens cool again, way before Glee.
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20. Enchanted
Why isn’t Amy Adams in more musicals?! I bet you forgot how good this movie is. While I’m still mad that Idina Menzel doesn’t have a song in this pre-Frozen world, “How Does She Know” is maybe one of the best musical numbers ever put to film.
19. Matilda
Netflix is kind of just quietly producing banger movie musicals. Maybe if *cough* they released them in theaters *cough* people wouldn't think musicals were dying. Anyway, Tim Minchin's adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic didn't need to go this hard and the movie is the perfect blend of wistful and whimsical.
18. The Young Girls of Rochefort
Jacques Demy's French New Wave musicals with their breezy, quirky, conversational lyrics are an acquired taste. (If you're a fan of La La Land, definitely check them out. The inspo is suuuuuper clear.) This is my personal favorite!
17. My Fair Lady
Currently seeking one (1) phonetics professor to “fix” my accent and be a little rude to me.
16. Sing Street
Try to find a musical more charming than this Irish coming-of-age film about boys who rebel against their teachers and start a band that copies every ridiculous ’80s trope you’ve ever heard of.
15. The Wiz
Tired: The Wizard of Oz. (JK JK JK) But Wired and inspired? The iconic Motown adaptation.
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14. Moulin Rouge!
Shout-out to everyone who awkwardly sang “Come What May” at their middle school talent show.
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13. All That Jazz
Bob Fosse's not-really-but-also-really autobiographical musical pushes the boundaries of what movie musicals can look like and challenged the whole "insufferable genius trope" way before most of us were questioning it.
12. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
This funny, creepy, and super horny musical is a cult classic for a reason.
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11. The Sound of Music
You didn’t really think I was going to skip the Von Trapps, did you? Movies in general don’t get much better than The Sound of Music and this one just happens to be a musical.
10. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
Twist! The original Mamma Mia is great, obviously, but somehow the sequel is better?? Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
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9. Grease
This has to be the catchiest movie musical of all time, right? We wouldn't have High School Musical, or contemporary teen musicals like Spring Awakening and Dear Evan Hansen for that matter, without Grease. Just remember, kids, that this is meant to be a satire!
8. Little Shop of Horrors
I recently referred to this musical as “the one that taught straight boys in drama club how to riff,” and I stand by it.
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7. The Wizard of Oz
Hop on down the yellow brick road with Dorothy and her pals on their way to the Emerald City. You won't be able to get the songs out of your head all day, but they're all amazing so really, who cares?
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6. Singin’ in the Rain
I mean, it’s a classic that understands Hollywood as much as it understands musicals. But I won’t tell anybody if you skip that dream ballet within a dream ballet.
5. Chicago
“Cell Block Tango” for life! Plus, if you’re the kind of person who’s all “Why are they always breaking into song?” about musicals...well, first of all, you’re boring, but second of all, Chicago justifies that by making every musical number a dream sequence.
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4. tick, tick...BOOM
Allowing a recent film to crack the Top 5 is risky, but Lin Manuel-Miranda's adaptation of Jonathan Larson's unfinished autobiographical musical is an astonishing feat and everything that I love about movie musicals.
3. Hairspray
Am I nuts to say that I genuinely think this adaptation is underrated? You know how every time a Broadway musical gets adapted into a movie, there’s always one annoying new song? Hairspray is the one movie where I actually f*ck with the new songs.
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2. Cabaret
This one is fighting West Side Story for the GOAT movie musical, IMO. The dance numbers are *fire* and the songs are super catchy while being dark and disarming. Never fall for the lie that a story is going to be happy just because it's a musical.
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1. West Side Story
The recent remake is a masterpiece in its own right (Rachel Zegler! Mike Faist! Ariana DeBose! Tony Kusher!) and would make the list if I didn't feel weird about being redundant. The original star-crossed romance, on the other hand, is near perfect.
