As has become an annual tradition, the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film has compiled its list of the top 50 Movie Musicals of all time. Members weighed in with their individual picks of their Top 20 musicals, then the lists were merged to create this list of song and dance.
At the head of the list is THE WIZARD OF OZ, starring Judy Garland. The 1939 classic was also one of the oldest films included in the top 50, being one of 3 1930s era films to make the cut. Almost half of the films listed were made in one of two decades; either during the 1950’s or the present decade. Not only did the list skew between these two periods, it also reflected the wide range of opinion concerning the age old philosophical question ‘what makes a musical a musical’, prompting much conversation among members. Rounding out the top five slots are WEST SIDE STORY, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and ONCE,
We hope you enjoy our list of the 50 Best Movie Musicals of all time!
| 01 | The Wizard of Oz | Victor Fleming; King Vidor | 1939 |
| 02 | West Side Story | Jerome Robbins; Robert Wise | 1961 |
| 03 | Singing’ in the Rain | Stanley Donen; Gene Kelly | 1952 |
| 04 | The Sound of Music | Robert Wise | 1965 |
| 05 | Once | John Carney | 2006 |
| 06 | The Umbrellas of Cherbourg | Jacques Demy | 1964 |
| 07 | Rocky Horror Picture Show | Jim Sharman | 1975 |
| 08 | Hedwig & the Angry Inch | John Cameron Mitchell | 2001 |
| 09 | My Fair Lady | George Cukor | 1964 |
| 10 | Grease | Randal Kleiser | 1978 |
| 11 | Mary Poppins | Robert Stevenson | 1964 |
| 12 | South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut | Trey Parker | 1999 |
| 13 | An American in Paris | Vincente Minnelli | 1951 |
| 14 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | Mel Stuart | 1971 |
| 15 | Chicago | Rob Marshall | 2002 |
| 16 | Cabaret | Bob Fosse | 1972 |
| 17 | Dancer in the Dark | Lars von Trier | 2000 |
| 18 | Oklahoma! | Fred Zinnermann | 1955 |
| 19 | Moulin Rouge! | Baz Luhrmann | 2001 |
| 20 | The Blues Brothers | John Landis | 1980 |
| 21 | The King and I | Walter Lang | 1956 |
| 22 | The Muppet Movie | James Frawley | 1979 |
| 23 | Beauty and the Beast | Gary Trousdale; Kirk Wise | 1991 |
| 24 | Hairspray | Adam Shankman | 2007 |
| 25 | Mamma Mia! | Phyllida Lloyd | 2008 |
| 26 | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Howard Hawks | 1953 |
| 27 | Hair | Milos Forman | 1979 |
| 28 | O Brother Where Art Thou? | Joel Coen; Ethan Coen | 2000 |
| 29 | South Pacific | Joshua Logan | 1958 |
| 30 | The Happiness of the Katakuris | Takashi Miike | 2002 |
| 31 | Camelot | Joshua Logan | 1967 |
| 32 | Funny Girl | William Wyler | 1968 |
| 33 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Tim Burton | 2007 |
| 34 | Bye Bye Birdie | George Sidney | 1963 |
| 35 | A Star is Born | George Cukor | 1954 |
| 36 | A Hard Day’s Night | Richard Lester | 1964 |
| 37 | All That Jazz | Bob Fosse | 1979 |
| 38 | 42nd Street | Lloyd Bacon | 1933 |
| 39 | Thoroughly Modern Millie | George Roy Hill | 1967 |
| 40 | Tommy | Ken Russell | 1975 |
| 41 | Victor Victoria | Blake Edwards | 1982 |
| 42 | The Music Man | Morton DaCosta | 1962 |
| 43 | Zero Patience | John Greyson | 1994 |
| 44 | Rent | Chris Columbus | 2005 |
| 45 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Stanley Donen | 1954 |
| 46 | Brigadoon | Vincente Minnelli | 1954 |
| 47 | Gold Diggers of 1933 | Mervyn LeRoy | 1933 |
| 48 | On the Town | Stanely Donen; Gene Kelly | 1949 |
| 49 | Phantom of the Paradise | Brian De Palma | 1974 |
| 50 | Li’l Abner | Melvin Frank | 1959 |