40 Best Musicals of All Time, Ranked

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.

40. 'On the Town' (1949)

Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

On the Town has a sort of sincerity and goofy charm that might make it feel exceptionally dated to some, but for others, the datedness of it all might well be more of a feature than a bug. It follows three sailors who aim to do as much as they can in New York City during a brief period of leave, and they go around having a good time, falling in love, and just generally hanging out.

Well, they hang out while also being very busy, because this is one of those movies that takes place over the course of just 24 hours, and sees its characters do more than any mere mortal could within one day. On the Town has little story to tell beyond its core premise, but that premise is a great excuse to stage memorable song-and-dance numbers and engage in some goofy, broad comedy.

39. 'Wicked' (2024)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

Without Wicked, 2024 might well have been remembered as the year of infamous/divisive musicals, seeing as both Joker: Folie à Deux and Emilia Pérez caused quite a stir. Wicked, on the other hand, proved to be more of a crowdpleaser and more of a critics-pleaser, too, telling the first half of the story told in the stage musical of the same name in an appropriately cinematic and moving manner.

It’s sort of a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, but isn't afraid to do its own thing either, expanding the world and some of the characters found within the original story. 2024’s Wicked is a touch overlong, considering it’s about as long as the stage musical and only tells half the story, but outside things being a little padded, it hits the high emotional notes it needs to and largely satisfies as a big-budget musical blockbuster.

38. '8 Mile' (2002)

Directed by Curtis Hanson

Sure, 8 Mile isn't a musical in the traditional sense, but it is a film about music, and there are long sequences devoted to artists performing hip-hop, usually on stage. It’s not a direct biopic, but Eminem does play a character whose life mirrors his own in some ways, with Jimmy being an underdog in the Detroit hip-hop scene, and someone who has big dreams they want fulfilled.

It’s expected stuff as far as music-focused dramas go, but 8 Mile is effectively gritty and generally well-acted enough that the formulaic parts are easier to digest. It’s also well-directed by the overall underrated Curtis Hanson, whose other well-regarded films besides 8 Mile included Wonder Boys (2000) and the excellent neo-noir/mystery/crime/thriller movie that was L.A. Confidential (1997).

37. 'Sing Street' (2016)

Directed by John Carney

One of the greatest and most close-to-perfect musical films of the 2010s, without a doubt, is Sing Street, which is romantic, funny, emotional, and unique. It takes place during the 1980s without being too in-your-face about it, in turn celebrating the era’s fashion and music while also gently poking fun at such things. It’s a film that strikes a wonderful balance between being heartfelt and genuinely funny.

Narratively, Sing Street is all about a young boy who starts a band with other kids his age, mostly because he’s in love with a girl and thinks becoming a musician is a surefire way of impressing her. It tackles the awkwardness of growing up specifically in the 1980s, and in Dublin, sure, but what it broadly has to say about fitting in, finding one’s identity, and overcoming emotional hurdles feels largely timeless.

36. 'The Band Wagon' (1953)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Few filmmakers succeeded within the musical genre as consistently as Vincente Minnelli, the father of Liza Minnelli, who herself is also frequently tied to the genre. One of the best (and most underrated) musicals Vincente Minnelli directed was The Band Wagon, which is an entertaining and reliably colorful look at showbiz; both the world of Broadway and film.

It’s reminiscent of some other bright and lightweight musicals of the decade in question, but it’s hard to complain about a sense of familiarity when a movie provides as much entertainment value as The Band Wagon does. Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse are a dynamite duo, the musical numbers pop visually and still feel dazzling, and the whole thing is breezy and generally good-humored. Those who like classic Hollywood musicals will find The Band Wagon nearly impossible to resist.

35. 'The Court Jester' (1955)

Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama

The Court Jester is more than just a musical, and can also count itself as one of the funniest movies of its era. Beyond being a musical comedy, it’s also got a sense of adventure, some romance, and a few sequences of swashbuckling action. It’s the full package, and also proves to be very silly in an endearing and potentially timeless way.

It’s all very farcical, revolving around a man effectively going undercover as a court jester to play a role in taking down a usurper who’s overthrown the king of England and taken his place. Its musical numbers might not be as frequent as some other musicals of its time, but that’s something that ultimately helps The Court Jester be a real genre-blender, which is inevitably for the best.

34. 'Victor/Victoria' (1982)

Directed by Blake Edwards

One of more than a dozen collaborations between Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews, Victor/Victoria is debatably the best film the husband/wife duo made together. It’s a comedic musical that plays out a little like a reverse Tootsie, which also came out in 1982. That Dustin Hoffman movie saw him playing a character pretending to be a woman, while Victor/Victoria has its main character pretending to be a man.

Victor/Victoria hits the kind of beats you'd expect an older movie with this kind of premise to hit, but it’s honestly aged better than you might anticipate. It’s a very silly film that also successfully explores some more serious themes in its own distinct way, and Andrews gives one of the best performances of her career here, being vital to the film’s overall success.

33. 'Phantom of the Paradise' (1974)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Phantom of the Paradise is a relatively early entry within Brian De Palma’s filmography, and potentially one of the director’s oddest movies, too. It’s a musical alongside being a fantasy film, a horror movie, a dark comedy, and a tragedy, following a composer who vows revenge against an evil music producer who stole his works and contributed to his life becoming a living hell.

It’s the sort of movie that probably couldn’t have been made in any other decade besides the 1970s, feeling excessive and out-there in many ways, almost like it could fall apart at any minute. Perhaps Phantom of the Paradise does start to go off the rails, in some ways, but does so in a way that’s rather absorbing to watch. At the very least, there’s really nothing else like it out there, either within the world of musicals or in cinema at large.

32. 'The Young Girls of Rochefort' (1967)

Directed by Jacques Demy

An amazingly vibrant and consistently fun musical romp about two sisters both looking for love, The Young Girls of Rochefort is easily up there as one of the greatest musicals in the history of French cinema. The plot is so simple that it’s more of a premise, or just an excuse, really, for lots of lavish musical numbers to happen, though even the non-song-and-dance parts still feel lively and filled with an energetic spirit.

The technical craft on offer will make The Young Girls of Rochefort probably bearable to even the harshest musical hater. It is old-fashioned in the way it approaches the sometimes-divisive genre, but the sense of style is so pronounced and the visuals exceedingly well-realized. It’s a good time and also Gene Kelly shows up at one point, so it’s hard to imagine someone getting too grumpy about a film like this.

31. 'Mary Poppins' (1964)

Directed by Robert Stevenson

As perhaps one of the most popular family-friendly musicals of all time (and one of the best movies of 1964), 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.

30. 'Fiddler on the Roof' (1971)

Directed by Norman Jewison

A mammoth-length musical film that runs for approximately three hours, Fiddler on the Roof could well be considered a true epic, and quite a good one at that. 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.

29. 'The Lion King' (1994)

Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

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 animated movies Disney ever produced, and is so great that not even an underwhelming (and oddly lifeless) 2019 remake can dampen the legacy of the 1994 original.

28. 'My Fair Lady' (1964)

Directed by George Cukor

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. My Fair Lady is 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.

27. 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

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.

26. 'A Star Is Born' (1954)

Directed by George Cukor

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, A Star Is Born's 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).

25. 'Chicago' (2002)

Directed by Rob Marshall

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.

24. 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964)

Directed by Richard Lester

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.

A Hard Day's Night 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.

23. 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' (2001)

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell

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 review (perhaps it was too out-there or uncompromising for some), it's now rightly heralded as a cult classic. Hedwig and the Angry Inch's 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.

22. 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' (2007)

Directed by Tim Burton

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.

Sweeney Todd is 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.

21. 'South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut' (1999)

Directed by Trey Parker

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 classic show began, and follows the show's characters getting wrapped up in a potentially world-ending conflict over a profanity-filled Canadian movie. The South Park movie is 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.

20. 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' (1971)

Directed by Mel Stuart

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, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory provides a musical ride that still feels overwhelming in the best ways possible over half a century on from release.

19. 'Top Hat' (1935)

Directed by Mark Sandrich

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, who made a series of remarkably fun musicals over a series of years, many of which hold up well. Top Hat's one of the duo's best, 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.

18. 'Purple Rain' (1984)

Directed by Albert Magnoli

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.

17. 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000)

Directed by Lars von Trier

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.

16. 'La La Land' (2016)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

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 an effective love story, and explores the passion two people can have for each other, and the tension that can be created when they also have intense passions for other things in their lives.

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.

15. 'West Side Story' (1961)

Directed by Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins

Whether or not the 2021 version is better might be up for debate, but what can be said about the 1961 version of West Side Story is that it’s pretty awesome, as far as bold, old-school Hollywood musicals go. It tells a timeless story about two groups of young people engaged in a dangerous street conflict, and two people from opposite sides of this conflict falling in love, with tragic results.

Just about every musical number in West Side Story is some level of memorable and/or iconic, and it’s a consistently beautiful, exciting, and emotional viewing experience from start to finish. There are some things that date 1961’s West Side Story, sure, but taking into account its age means being able to appreciate all the other things that it does do right; the stuff that still holds up and remains powerful.

14. 'Little Shop of Horrors' (1986)

Directed by Frank Oz

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)

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

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).

12. 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' (1964)

Directed by Jacques Demy

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 something of a surprise and/or stealth Christmas 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.

11. 'The Blues Brothers' (1980)

Directed by John Landis

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, given it's also something of a crime film, a comedy, and even an action movie. 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.

10. 'An American in Paris' (1951)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Gene Kelly's second-best musical (his best is further down) might have to be An American in Paris, which won Best Picture at the Oscars in 1951. It's fairly light overall, with a plot about more than one man collectively falling for the same woman while living in the capital city of France.

Kelly's always a blast to watch on-screen, with his charisma, dance moves, and super colorful visuals all making An American in Paris hugely entertaining to watch. It might be a little fluffy and silly for some, but as far as old-school Hollywood musicals go, they don't get much better than this. It might not be the very best musical that even won Best Picture at the Oscars, but it's also far from the worst, and much of it still holds up well 70+ years later.

9. 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975)

Directed by Jim Sharman

The reputation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show precedes it, and its status as one of the biggest cult movies of all time has made it somewhat legendary. It's a goofy, strange, and bombastic musical about a young couple who stumble upon a strange mansion and have their lives forever changed by the even stranger people inside.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a glam-rock musical that's unapologetically in your face, with that quality plus the very catchy songs being two big reasons for its fame. A third reason would have to be Tim Curry, of course, because while his performance is far from the only memorable one in the movie, it is one that demands (and deserves) the most attention. Everything adds up to make this one of the boldest and most memorable movies of the 1970s, musical or otherwise.

8. 'Grease' (1978)

Directed by Randal Kleiser

Say what you want about Grease (including that the film hasn't aged the best), but you can't deny it's the word. What that word is might differ from person to person, but many would say that the word is "iconic," or maybe "unforgettable," or "silly," or even "legendary."

It's a 1970s throwback to the 1950s, and features a memorable group of high school students (who don't exactly look school-age) singing and dancing their way through life while falling in love and taking part in car races. As long as you ignore the terrible message of the film's ultimate conclusion (or view it as satirical), Grease makes for a good time. People do love it for a reason, and even skeptical viewers may be won over if they're willing to give it a chance.

7. 'Moulin Rouge!' (2001)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Regardless of how you feel about the divisive Moulin Rouge! - which was directed by the divisive Baz Luhrmann - surely most can agree that the movie is a lot. Moulin Rouge! is big, flashy, uncompromisingly wild, and features wild tonal swings that are made even more disorientating by the movie's rapid editing, and it all runs the risk of the film feeling like it's doing too much stylistically, at some points.

Yet for those who can get on the same page as the film (and it takes a little while to adjust), Moulin Rouge! is very rewarding. It has some great musical numbers that reinterpret and remix popular songs from throughout the 20th century, and tells a tragic romantic story with a good deal of heart behind it. It's melodramatic and sometimes too much to handle, but it's hard to forget or deny its ability to gleefully assault the senses.

6. 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Directed by Victor Fleming

1939 was an important year for American movies, and The Wizard of Oz is a big reason for the year having the sort of legacy it has. It's a fantasy musical about a young girl who finds herself in the strange land of Oz, and sets out on a mission to find her way back to the real world, making all sorts of friends and enemies along the way.

This is another one of those musicals that most people have likely seen, which can have the effect of making it one that some may take for granted. Yet looking at what the movie did for cinema when it comes to special effects, world-building, the use of color, and the incorporation of once-unexpected genres (here, fantasy) with the musical genre makes it clear to see that across the board, The Wizard of Oz is an absolute classic and a landmark for American film.

5. 'West Side Story' (2021)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

West Side Story is another classic film based on a stage musical that was originally worked on by Stephen Sondheim. Because both the 2021 and 1961 versions of West Side Story adapt the stage musical for the big screen, it's not entirely accurate to call the 2021 version a remake; it's more of an update/alternative adaptation.

The musical itself loosely adapts (or is at least inspired by) Romeo & Juliet, telling a tragic story about two young people from opposing groups (here, both are affiliated with rival street gangs). Steven Spielberg breathed a ton of life into the way this version of the story looks and feels, and for featuring more authentic dialogue, more accurate casting, and a few subtle story tweaks, it arguably stands as an even stronger film than the 1961 version (itself a great movie for its decade).

4. 'The Sound of Music' (1965)

Directed by Robert Wise

The Sound of Music is The Sound of Music. That might be all the introduction it needs, really. It's beyond iconic at this stage, and is easily one of the most famous movie musicals of all time, and even the people who somehow haven't watched the whole thing will have likely seen snippets of it at some point in their lives and/or know the words to at least a couple of the songs. There are also lots of songs, too, considering The Sound of Music is quite a long musical.

It follows a young woman who's tasked with looking after the seven children of a widowed captain, with her instantly bonding with the children and eventually falling in love with the captain. Beyond being a musical, it also qualifies as an admittedly mild war film, given it's set shortly before the start of World War Two, and features a final act that surprisingly doesn't feel much like a musical anymore.

3. 'All That Jazz' (1979)

Directed by Bob Fosse

Bob Fosse was one of the greatest musical directors of all time, and had a relatively short yet incredibly impactful career directing for both the stage and the big screen. All That Jazz was one of his final films, and also his most personal, being a semi-autobiographical story about a talented yet reckless man who works too hard while womanizing and failing to take proper care of his health.

It's one of the darker musicals out there, so those looking for consistently upbeat songs paired with light, romantic stories might not love this one. But it's an impactful and brutally honest look at mortality and the sometimes self-destructive quest to achieve greatness, and stands as one of the greatest movies of the 1970s.

2. 'Cabaret' (1972)

Directed by Bob Fosse

Seven years before All That Jazz, Bob Fosse made another musical that's gone down as one of the greatest of all time. That film was Cabaret, and in all honesty, it's neck and neck between which one is better. All That Jazz might have more dazzling visuals and deliver more of a cinematic gut-punch, but Cabaret feels more like a classic musical, with more frequent musical numbers and a wider-reaching story.

It's set in Berlin during the early 1930s and follows several people who are all tied up with the goings-on at a nightclub, all the while being seemingly oblivious to the rise of pre-WW2 Fascism that is happening in the background. It's an entertaining movie that effectively gets darker and more intense as it goes along, and stars the daughter of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, in what's come to be regarded as the greatest performance of her career.

1. 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952)

Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

A vibrant, entertaining, and consistently funny movie about the end of the silent era, Singin' in the Rain feels truly timeless. It's noteworthy for being a film that wasn't super well-received upon release (though it wasn't a flop by any means), yet has built up a reputation in the decades since for being among the greatest films of all time.

It's the kind of musical that's so charming, it's bound to win over even the most stubborn of viewers who claim to not enjoy musicals. Gene Kelly starred in numerous iconic musicals, but this is his best, with a great deal of credit going to his supporting cast, too. Though the songs weren't written for the film, they're now intrinsically tied to it, and for being a 70-year-old musical that's still engaging and hilarious on every level, Singin' in the Rain deserves to be considered the musical genre's high point.

NEXT: The Best R-Rated Movie Musicals, Ranked