100 Greatest Film Musicals

Criteria: The 'Film Musical' is a feature length movie where the characters sing a number of songs throughout the film relating to the story and expressing their thoughts and feelings. Many are adaptations of 'Stage Musicals', the biggest hits being from 'Broadway' theater. These Greatest Musicals were ranked for their storyline, songs/music, acting, direction, & box-office success. This list does not include 'Animated' musical films.
 Title - (Year, Director) (Main Actors) (Significant Songs)
1. Singin' in the Rain
(1952, S. Donen, G. Kelly) (Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds)
("Singin' in the Rain", "Make Em Laugh", "Would You?", "You Were Meant For Me")
2. The Wizard of Oz
(1939, Victor Fleming) (Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr)
("Over The Rainbow", "We're Off to See The Wizard", "If I Only Had A Brain")
3. The Sound of Music
(1965, Robert Wise) (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer)
("Climb Ev'ry Mountain", "My Favorite Things", "The Sound Of Music", "Sixteen Going On Seventeen")
4. The Music Man
(1962, Morton DaCosta) (Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett)
("Till There Was You", "Goodnight My Someone", "Seventy Six Trombones")
5. West Side Story
(1961, Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise) (Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer)
("Maria", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "America", "I Feel Pretty")
6. My Fair Lady
(1964, George Cukor) (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Wilfrid Hyde-White)
("I Could Have Danced All Night", "On The Street Where You Live", "Wouldn't It Be Loverly")
7. Cabaret
(1972, Bob Fosse) (Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York)
("Cabaret", "Tomorrow Belongs To Me", "Money, Money")
8. Meet Me in St. Louis
(1944, Vincente Minnelli) (Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor)
("Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Meet Me In St. Louis", "The Trolley Song")
9. The King and I
(1956, Walter Lang) (Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno)
("Getting To Know You", "Whistle A Happy Tune", "Hello, Young Lovers")
10. An American in Paris
(1951, Vincente Minnelli) (Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant)
("I Got Rhythm", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "'S Wonderful")
11. Yankee Doodle Dandy
(1942, Michael Curtiz) (James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston)
("Give My Regards To Broadway", "Yankee Doodle Boy", "You're A Grand Old Flag")
12. On the Town
(1949, S. Donen, G. Kelly) (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller)
("New York, New York", "On the Town", "When You Walk Down Mainstreet With Me")
13. A Star Is Born
(1954, George Cukor) (Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson)
("The Man That Got Away", "Here's What I'm Here For")
14. Oklahoma!
(1955, Fred Zinnemann) (Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Gloria Grahame)
("Oh, What A Beautiful Morning", "Oklahoma!", "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top")
15. South Pacific
(1958, Joshua Logan) (Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gayno, Ray Walston)
("Some Enchanted Evening", "Younger Than Springtime", "I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy", "Bali H'ai")
16. Funny Girl
(1968, William Wyler) (Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford)
("People", "Funny Girl", "My Man")
17. Mary Poppins
(1964, Robert Stevenson) (Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns)
("Chim Chim Cher-ee", "A Spoonful Of Sugar", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious")
18. Top Hat
(1935, Mark Sandrich) (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton)
("Top Hat, White Tie And Tails", "Isn't It A Lovely Day (To Be Caught In The Rain)?", "Cheek To Cheek")
19. The Band Wagon
(1953, Vincente Minnelli) (Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Levant)
("That's Entertainment!", "Dancing In The Dark", "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan")
20. Grease
1978, Randal Kleiser) (John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing)
("You're The One That I Want", Grease", "Summer Nights", "Hopelessly Devoted To You")
21. Show Boat
(1936, James Whale) (Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Paul Robeson)
("Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "Make Believe")
22. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
(1954, Stanley Donen) (Howard Keel, Jane Powell, Jeff Richards)
("When You're In Love", "Wonderful, Wonderful Day", "Spring, Spring, Spring")
23. Porgy and Bess
(1959, Otto Preminger) (Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey)
("Summertime", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'", "It Ain't Necessarily So")
24. Gigi
(1958, Vincente Minnelli) (Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan)
("Thank Heaven For Little Girls", "I Remember It Well", "Say A Prayer For Me Tonight")
25. Guys and Dolls
(1955, Joseph L. Mankiewicz) (Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra)
("A Bushel And A Peck", "Luck Be A Lady", "If I Were A Bell")
26. All That Jazz
(1979, Bob Fosse) (Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ben Vereen)
("On Broadway", "Who's Sorry Now", "Everything Old Is New Again")
27. 42nd Street
(1933, Lloyd Bacon) (Ginger Rogers, Warner Baxter, Ruby Keeler)
("Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "You're Getting To Be A Habit with Me", "42nd Street")
28. Hello, Dolly!
(1969, Gene Kelly) (Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford)
("Hello Dolly", "Love Is Only Love", 'Before The Parade Passes By")
29. Chicago
(2002, Rob Marshall) (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere)
("All That Jazz", "I Can't Do It Alone", "Nowadays")
30. Carousel
(1956, Henry King) (Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell)
('If I Loved You", "June Is Bustin' Out All Over", "What's The Use Of Wond'rin'")
31. Oliver!
(1968, Carol Reed) (Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Jack Wild)
('I'd Do Anything", "Consider Yourself", "As Long As He Needs Me")
32. Gypsy
(1962, Mervyn LeRoy) (Natalie Wood, Rosalind Russell, Karl Malden)
("Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Let Me Entertain You", 'Together Wherever We Go")
33. Mame
(1974, Gene Saks) (Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Preston, Joyce Van Patten)
("Mame", "Open A New Window", "If He Walked Into My Life")
34. Holiday Inn
(1942, Mark Sandrich) (Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds)
("White Christmas", "The Song Of Freedom", "Be Careful It's My Heart")
35. Easter Parade
(1948,Charles Walters) (Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford, Ann Miller)
("Easter Parade", "Steppin' Out With My Baby", "A Couple Of Swells",)
36. Brigadoon
(1954, Vincente Minnelli) (Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Cyd Charisse)
("Almost Like Being In Love", '"Waitin' For My Dearie", "Heather On The Hill")
37. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(1975, Jim Sharman) (Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry)
("Time Warp", "Whatever Happened To Saturday Night?", "Science Fiction, Double Feature")
38. Alexander's Ragtime Band
(1938, Henry King) (Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche)
("Strike Up The Band", "A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody", "Blue Skies", "Pack Up Your Sins And Go to the Devil.")
39. Hair
(1979, Milos Forman) (Treat Williams, John Savage, Beverly D'Angelo)
("Aquarius", "Let The Sunshine In", "Easy To Be Hard", "Good Morning Starshine")
40. Annie Get Your Gun
(1950, George Sidney) (Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern)
("There's No Business Like Show Business", "I Got The Sun In The Morning", "Anything You Can Do")
41. Anchors Aweigh
(1945, George Sidney) (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Kathryn Grayson)
("I Fall In Love Too Easily", "The Charm Of You", "What Makes The Sunset")
42. Funny Face
(1957, Stanley Donen) (Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson)
("'S Wonderful", "Bonjour, Paris!", "Let's Kiss And Make Up", "How Long Has This Been Going On?")
43. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
(1971, Mel Stuart) (Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum)
("The Candy Man", "Pure Imagination", "Oompa Loompa")
44. Fiddler on the Roof
(1971, Norman Jewison) (Topol, Norma Crane, Michele Marsh)
("Sunrise, Sunset", "If I Were A Rich Man", "Matchmaker")
45. Kismet
(1955, Vincente Minnelli) (Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Dolores Gray)
("Stranger In Paradise", "And This Is My Beloved", "Fate", "Baubles, Bangles & Beads")
46. Flower Drum Song
(1961, Henry Koster) (Nancy Kwan, Jack Soo, James Shigeta)
("I Enjoy Being A Girl", "Love, Look Away", "You Are Beautiful")
47. Paint Your Wagon
(1969, Joshua Logan) (Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg, Ray Walston)
("They Call The Wind Maria", "Wand'rin' Star", "I Talk To The Trees")
48. Babes in Arms
(1939, Busby Berkeley) (Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton")
("The Lady Is A Tramp", "Where Or When", "My Funny Valentine")
49. Kiss Me Kate
(1953, George Sidney) (Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller)
("So In Love", "From This Moment On", "Why Can't You Behave")
50. The Gay Divorcee
(1934, Mark Sandrich) (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady)
("The Continental", "Night And Day")

51. La La Land - (2016, Damien Chazelle) (Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt)

(City of Stars, Audition (The Fools Who Dream), Another Day of Sun)
52. Finian's Rainbow
(1968, Francis Ford Coppola) (Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Keenan Wynn)
("When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love", "Look To The Rainbow", "How Are Things In Glocca Morra")
53. Naughty Marietta
(1935, Robert Z. Leonard) (Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald, Elsa Lanchester)
("Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life", "I'm Falling In Love With Someone", "'Neath The Southern Moon")
54. A Chorus Line
(1985) (Richard Attenborough) (Michael Douglas, Terrence Mann, Janet Jones)
("What I Did For Love", "One", "I Hope I Get It", "The Music And The Mirror")
55. For Me and My Gal
(1942, Busby Berkeley) (Judy Garland, George Murphy, Gene Kelly)
("How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm? (After They've Seen Paree)", "After You've Gone")
56. Damn Yankees!
(1958, George Abbott) (Gwen Verdon, Tab Hunter, Ray Walston)
("Heart", "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets", "Who's Got The Pain")
57. Funny Lady
(1975, Herbert Ross) (Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall)
("How Lucky Can You Get", "Am I Blue", "More Than You Know")
58. Little Shop of Horrors
(1986, Frank Oz) (Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin)
("Mean Green Mother From Outter Space", "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Suddenly Seymour")
59. Jesus Christ Superstar
(1973, Norman Jewison) (Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman)
("I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Everything's Alright", "Gethsemane", "Hosanna")
60. The Phantom of the Opera
(2004, Joel Schumacher) (Gerard Butler, Miranda Richardson)
("The Music Of The Night", "All I Ask Of You", "Learn To Be Lonely")
61. Camelot
(1967, Joshua Logan) (Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero)
("If Ever I Would Leave You", "How To Handle A Woman", "Camelot")
62. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
(1964, Jacques Demy) (Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo)
("I Will Wait For You", "Watch What Happens")
63. Tommy
(1975, Ken Russell) (Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed)
("Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free", "See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You")
64. Annie
(1982, John Huston) (Carol Burnett, Aileen Quinn, Tim Curry)
("Tomorrow", "Maybe", "I Don't Need Anything But You")
65. Fame
(1980, Alan Parker) (Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean)
("Fame", "Out Here On My Own", "I Sing The Body Electric")
66. Thoroughly Modern Millie
(1967, George Roy Hill) (Julie Andrews, James Fox, Mary Tyler Moore)
("Thoroughly Modern Millie", "Baby Face", "Poor Butterfly", "Jimmy")
67. The Harvey Girls
(1946, George Sidney) (Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger)
("On The Atchinson, Topeka and The Santa Fe", "Wait And See")
68. New York, New York
(1977, Martin Scorsese) (Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander)
("New York, New York", "You Are My Lucky Star", "Man I Love", "Blue Moon")
69. A Hard Day's Night
(1964, R. Lester) (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr)
("A Hard Day's Night", "If I Fell", "I Should Have Known Better", "And I Love Her")
70. High Society
(1956, Charles Walters) (Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong)
("True Love", "Mind If I Make Love To You?", "You're Sensational")
71. Swing Time
(1936, George Stevens) (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore)
("The Way You Look Tonight", "Pick Yourself Up", "A Fine Romance", "Never Gonna Dance")
72. Godspell
(1973, David Greene) (Victor Garber, David Haskell, Jerry Sroka)
("Day By Day", "Beautiful City", "By My Side", "On The Willows")
73. The Blues Brothers
(1980, John Landis) (Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Carrie Fisher)
("Jailhouse Rock", "Think", "Sweethome Chicago", "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love")
74. Moulin Rouge!
(2001, Baz Luhrmann) (Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo)
("Lady Marmalade", "Nature Boy", "Come What May", "One Day I'll Fly Away")
75. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
(1966, Richard Lester) (Zero Mostel, Michael Crawford)
("Comedy Tonight", "Lovely", "Love, I Hear")
76. The Unsinkable Molly Brown
(1964, Charles Walters) (Debbie Reynolds, Harve Presnell, Ed Begley)
("I Ain't Down Yet", "I'll Never Say No", "Belly Up To The Bar")
77. White Christmas
(1954, Michael Curtiz) (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney)
("White Christmas", "Blue Skies", "Sisters")
78. Ziegfeld Girl
(1941, Robert Z. Leonard) (Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, James Stewart)
("I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream")
79. Bye Bye Birdie
(1963, George Sidney) (Ann-Margret, Bobby Rydell, Janet Leigh)
("Kids", "Put On A Happy Face", "We Love You Conrad")
80. Doctor Dolittle
(1967, Richard Fleischer) (Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley)
("Talk To The Animals", "Beautiful Things", "When I Look In Your Eyes")
81. Ain't Misbehavin'
(1955, Edward Buzzell) (Rory Calhoun, Piper Laurie, Mamie Van Doren)
("I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter", "Black And Blue", "That Ain't Right")
82. Anything Goes
(1936, Lewis Milestone) (Bing Crosby, Ethel Merman, Ida Lupino)
("Anything Goes", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "You're The Top")
83. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
(1967, D. Swift) (Robert Morse, Michele Lee)
("I Believe In You", "Coffee Break", "Rosemary", "Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm")
84. Gold Diggers of 1933
(1933, Mervyn LeRoy) (Warren William, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler)
("We're In The Money", "Pettin' In The Park", "Shadow Waltz")
85. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
(1982, Colin Higgins) (Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds)
("I Will Always Love You", "Hard Candy Christmas", "Sneakin' Around")
86. Rose Marie
(1954, Mervyn LeRoy) (Ann Blyth, Howard Keel, Fernando Lamas)
("Indian Love Call", "The Mounties", "Rose Marie")
87. Dreamgirls
(2006, Bill Condon) (Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson)
("And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", "One Night Only", "I Want You Baby")
88. Strike Up the Band
(1940, Busby Berkeley) (Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, June Preisser)
("Strike Up The Band", "The Man I Love", "Soon")
89. The Broadway Melody
(1929, Harry Beaumont) (Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love)
("Give My Regards To Broadway", "You Were Ment For Me", "Love Boat")
90. Pal Joey
(1957, George Sidney) (Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak)
("The Lady Is a Tramp", "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered", "My Funny Valentine")
91. 1776
(1972, Peter H. Hunt) (William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard)
("Till Then", "Yours, Yours, Yours", "Molasses To Rum")
92. Call Me Madam
(1953, Walter Lang) (Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen)
("You're Just In Love", "The Hostess With The Mostest'", "It's A Lovely Day Today")
93. In The Good Old Summertime
(1949, R. Z. Leonard) (Judy Garland, Van Johnson, Buster Keaton)
("In The Good Old Summertime", "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey", "I Don't Care", "Merry Christmas")
94. Can-Can
(1960, Walter Lang) (Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Maurice Chevalier)
("Live and Let Live", "Just One of Those Things", "Come Along with Me", "I Love Paris")
95. Rent
(2005, Chris Columbus) (Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson)
("I'll Cover You", "La Vie Boheme", "Love Heals", "Your Eyes")
96. Evita
(1996, Alan Parker) (Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce)
("Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "You Must Love Me")
97. Purple Rain
(1984, Albert Magnoli) (Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day)
("When Doves Cry", "Let's Go Crazy," "Take Me With You")
98. Viva Las Vegas
(1964, George Sidney) (Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova)
("Viva Las Vegas", "What'd I Say", "I Need Somebody To Lean On", The Lady Loves Me")
99. Calamity Jane
(1953, David Butler) (Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn Ann McLerie)
("Secret Love", "The Black Hills Of Dakota", "My Heart Is Higher Than A Hawk")
100. The Wiz
(1978, Sidney Lumet) (Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor)
("Ease On Down The Road", "If You Believe", "Home")


Last Updated: 2017-08-18
Newly added names are in  Red