The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time
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What is it that makes Tinseltown so good at musicals? Perhaps it’s the dreamy quality of weaving music into reality, which sits well with our perception of Hollywood as a place where dreams are made. Or maybe it’s the toe-tapping, heel-clacking and sometimes tear-jerking tunes that etch themselves into our hearts. Whatever the reason, for as long as movies have had sound, there have been big-scale musicals to take our breath away. Here, we list the greatest to ever grace the silver screen.

By Victoria Luxford

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Blues Brothers (1980) – John Belushi would only star in five movies before his untimely death aged 33, but this would be his masterpiece. Belushi and Dan Aykroyd play musicians putting together a benefit gig for the orphanage they grew up in, and even though their ‘Mission From God’ gets them in all manner of trouble, the hits keep coming. At its heart, The Blues Brothers is a tribute to the blues and soul legends who appear throughout the film and have their own numbers, such as Aretha Franklin’s unforgettable rendition of “Think” in the middle of a diner. An unforgettable comedic and musical misadventure.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Dreamgirls (2006) – If you’re going to make a movie about singing, then a good place to start is casting global megastar Beyoncé. Queen Bey hasn’t made too many appearances in film, so when she does show up on screen, you know it’s something special. This, coupled with an Oscar-winning performance from Jennifer Hudson and a rare dramatic turn from Eddie Murphy, made the movie – loosely based on the rise of Diana Ross and The Supremes – a hit and an awards magnet in the mid-2000s. Hudson’s rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” can still give us goosebumps!

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Lion King (1994) – We could have a whole separate list of animated musicals worthy of a place in anyone’s all-time favourites, but we’ve gone with this classic from the peak of Disney’s Renaissance era. A hand-drawn spectacular loosely based on Hamlet, the film is populated with incredible songs such as “The Circle of Life”, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and, of course, “Hakuna Matata”. Showered in awards, it became an influential movie spawning many spin-offs and remakes, proving that family-friendly entertainment can still have the grandeur of an award-winning epic.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Greatest Showman (2017) – The Greatest Showman has its issues; as a biography of circus originator P.T. Barnum, it takes liberties with almost every aspect of his life, so much so that it can be considered a work of pure fiction. However, as a movie musical, this Hugh Jackman passion project has won over the world. Opening with his heart-pounding “The Greatest Show”, the string of hits written by La La Land composers Pasek and Paul ensured that singalong screenings would pop up all over the globe. A musical that gets the whole world to burst out in song must be included in our countdown!

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Hairspray (2007) – Many were sceptical when John Waters’ subversive film Hairspray was remade into a Broadway production, but it became a hit and was adapted into an equally popular movie that celebrates stars of all different backgrounds. Nikki Blonsky takes over from Ricki Lake as plus-sized dancer Tracy as she vies for her place on a TV dance show, as well as joining the fight against racial segregation. Poppy and cheerful, John Travolta may not quite emulate the great Divine as he dons drag to play Tracy’s mother, but the big numbers and star quality mean this film has endured for over a decade.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Hamilton (2020) – Hamilton would be close to the top of this list if we were talking about musical theatre alone. However, the Disney+ release this summer was a live recording rather than a dramatic film, so we have it lower down the list here. Nonetheless, if you want to talk about stage productions, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s retelling of early American history is something that needs to be seen to be believed. A tale of ambition, love and jealousy, it has brought a different kind of voice to Broadway and made an icon of its creator. For those who didn’t get to a theatre before Miranda left the lead role, seeing the original cast at their peak is an absolute pleasure.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Carousel (1956) – This rousing Hollywood version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical plucks at heart-strings with some of the most powerful songs in the history of cinema. The film’s central love story, between a rough carousel barker (Gordon MacRae) and a gentle mill worker (Shirley Jones) immediately pulls you in, with lyrics that grow the story to its tear-jerking conclusion. While it wasn’t a huge success upon its original release, in time it has drawn in millions of admirers and become an all-time classic.

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La La Land (2016) – If we were talking purely in terms of movies, this would be higher up the list, as La La Land is an exceptional piece of cinema. However, it’s perhaps more a drama with musical elements than a full-blooded music spectacular, the likes of which come later in this list. Inspired by the works of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play star-crossed lovers trying to make their way in Tinseltown. (Incredibly, both were replacements for the leads after Miles Teller and Emma Watson pulled out.) The musical segments are unforgettable, with songs like the dreamy “City of Stars”, or Emma Stone’s grandstanding “The Fools Who Dream” stealing your heart. One of the best films of the last decade, it deserves to be remembered as more than the film that mistakenly won Best Picture.

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Chicago (2002) – The film that sparked a revival of big, glittering musicals in the 2000s, Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the Broadway hit swept awards season and became a staple for anyone who loves a bit of razzle-dazzle. Renée Zellweger is superb as a young woman with dreams of stardom, who uses her upcoming trial for murder as a means to court publicity in 1920s Chicago. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah stand out as a prison inmate and warden respectively. Pop star Michael Jackson was considered for the role of Billy Flynn, the charming celebrity lawyer eventually played by Richard Gere after it was deemed the singer would draw too much attention from the film’s release.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Les Misérables (2012) – One of the longest-running musicals of all time took more than 30 years to find its way to the big screen, but it was worth the wait. An all-star cast told the story of Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), a former prisoner trying to find redemption in the time of the French revolution. The film won three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of the tragic Fantine. Combining the grit of the setting with the grandeur of the musical numbers, a star-studded cast including Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Russell Crowe deliver the timeless magic of the stage production to a new medium, and a new generation.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Oliver! (1968) – Still the seminal version of Charles Dickens’ story of a young boy’s struggles in Victorian London, Carol Reed’s film is considered one of the great works of British cinema. Ron Moody’s Fagin and Oliver Reed’s Bill Sykes are still the images most associated with those characters, and indeed many prefer the film over the stage production of the novel. Just try not to well up with tears when young Oliver (Mark Lester) asks for “more”!

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Cabaret (1972) – From Dickensian innocence to perhaps the darkest film on this list, Cabaret is not for the faint-hearted. Liza Minelli stepped out from her mother, Judy Garland’s, shadow as Sally Bowles, the beguiling star performer at the Kit Kat Club in 1930s Berlin. She captures the heart of British academic Brian (Michael York), but the growing presence of the Nazi party threatens everyone’s future. A story of elegant tragedy, which broaches sexuality years before other films would dare, the musical was the cinematic pinnacle of director Bob Fosse’s career. While numbers like “Willkommen” will have you tapping your feet, the rendition of “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” will freeze your soul.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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An American in Paris (1951) – La La Land director Damien Chazelle admits he “pillaged” this Gene Kelly classic for the style of his film, and he isn’t the only one. The beautiful story, set to George Gershwin’s 1928 composition, features sequences such as a 17-minute ballet sequence through sets inspired by French painters, a sequence that racked up a huge cost but was insisted upon by Kelly, who choreographed the dance sequences and is rumoured to have stood in for Vincente Minelli at times. Kelly’s inhuman ability to entertain is on display in all its glory here, and despite having starred in the number one film on this list, it was his favourite among his own movies.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) – The quirky misfit of the musical scene, Rocky Horror has become as beloved as any musical in history thanks to repeated late-night showings and special engagements. Based on the New Zealand musical, Tim Curry would become a hero in LGBTQ+ history as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a charismatic, gender-fluid mad scientist who ensnares newly married couple Janet and Brad (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick). Still a Halloween staple around the world, this rocking spoof of 1950s sci-fi is a celebration of sexual liberation that still holds the record as the longest cinema release of all time.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Sound of Music (1965) – Another Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation, but one with an altogether brighter outlook than Carousel. In this fictionalised account of a real-life memoir, the very British Julie Andrews plays an Austrian nun-turned-governess who brings light and music to the von Trapp family just as their country is invaded by the Nazis. Featuring what’s arguably one of the most famous title songs in history, the film was a huge hit and has remained so for decades. The infectious positivity of songs such as “My Favourite Things” cemented Andrews as a star, beating out icons like Grace Kelly after her performance as Mary Poppins was seen by producers.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Moulin Rouge! (2001) – The peak of filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain trilogy, modern music fuses with classic style as we’re whisked back to a heightened version of Paris in 1900. Within the decadent walls of the Moulin Rouge, an idealistic writer (Ewan McGregor) falls for a performer named Satine (Nicole Kidman) in a romance that seems foreshadowed by doom. Featuring reworked songs by everyone from Labelle to Nirvana, it’s a trip to bohemian heaven that established Luhrmann as one of the great visual directors, and spawned a classic pop hit with the all-star cover of “Lady Marmalade”.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Somewhere over the rainbow… came a movie that would define an era. Judy Garland became a bright-eyed icon as Dorothy Gale, a young girl who, along with her dog Toto, is whisked away to the kingdom of Oz. There, her new-found friends try to help her find her way home – all while evading the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton). Over the years the themes of hope, innocence and belonging have been embraced by millions, particularly the LGBTQ+ community (the term ‘Friend of Dorothy’ became a code for gay people when homosexuality was still banned in some Western countries). Full of technical innovation, humour and heart, it’s a film worth revisiting just to see how much lies beneath the surface.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Grease (1978) – For a movie made in the 1970s, which celebrates the culture of the 1950s, it’s funny how Grease has continued to feel relevant to so many generations that weren’t even around for its release. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John became legends as Danny and Sandy, teens who had a holiday romance and seem destined to be together when Sandy transfers to Danny’s school. Best remembered for the hits “Summer Nights”, “Greased Lightning” and “You’re The One That I Want”, it’s a nostalgic dream that has audiences singing along to this day.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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West Side Story (1961) – Winner of 10 Oscars, this mid-20th-century adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has become the gold standard for stage musicals adapted to film. Combining the best of Broadway showmanship with Hollywood’s Golden Era production values, Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) play the star-crossed lovers kept apart by racial prejudice and gang loyalty. It remains a startling work of American cinema – and the great Steven Spielberg has his work cut out for him when he brings his remake to cinemas next year, starring Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time.
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Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – Quite simply 100 minutes of joy. Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds play Hollywood movie stars at the dawn of the ‘talkies’, in a film that celebrates show business in all of its forms. Donald O’Connor splits your side with comedy number “Make ‘Em Laugh”, and Kelly’s signature song remains one of the greatest moments in Hollywood history. What draws so many people to Hollywood musicals is their ability to make you forget your troubles and slip into a world that’s a little bit more colourful. Singin’ In The Rain is one of the best examples of this, wrapping you in a blanket of melodies that can soothe any bad mood.

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The Greatest Movie Musicals Of All Time

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