#1 of 428 Best musical movie
2020 Documentary Music 1h 45m English
92 Echo Score $248.6K worldwide
Directed by Spike Lee
About David Byrne’s American Utopia Top 100 · Musical
The 100 Best Musical Movies, Ranked
We rank 428 of the 536 musical films on the site; these are the top 100. David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020) is #1 with an Echo Score of 92, ahead of Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938). Ranked by Echo Score; 60 of these 100 films have none (released before 2017, when Echo Scores start) and are ranked by a blend of their Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings. A ranked watchlist for song-and-dance stage and screen musicals. For new releases and box office hits, see the musical movies guide.
- ranked musical films
- 428
- musical films on the site
- 536
- release years in the top 100
- 1930–2026
- award winners in the top 100
- 33
#1 of 428 Top 10
What Are the Best Musical Movies?
David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020) leads with an Echo Score of 92, ahead of Beauty and the Beast (1991); 3 of the top 10 are from the 2020s. 4 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score; the other 6, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
- 1. David Byrne’s American Utopia 92 Echo (Echo Score 92 out of 100)
2020 · Documentary, Music · 1h 45m
Dir. Spike Lee
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2. Beauty and the Beast 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1991 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 24m
Dir. Gary Trousdale No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences · 3 award wins · $451.3M worldwide
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3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100)1938 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 23m
Dir. Ben Sharpsteen No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win
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4. Singin' in the Rain 99 Metascore (Metascore 99 out of 100)1952 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 43m
Dir. Stanley Donen No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences · 1 award win
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5. A Star Is Born 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)2018 · Drama, Romance · 2h 16m
5 award wins · $436.4M worldwide
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5. Spring Awakening: Those You've Known 90 Echo (Echo Score 90 out of 100)2022 · Musical, Documentary · 1h 30m
Dir. Michael John Warren
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7. The Wizard of Oz 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100)1939 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 42m
Dir. George Cukor No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences · 2 award wins
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8. The Lion King 88 Metascore (Metascore 88 out of 100)1994 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 29m
Dir. Rob Minkoff No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences · 8 award wins · $979.2M worldwide
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9. Wicked 88 Echo (Echo Score 88 out of 100)2024 · Fantasy, Musical · 2h 40m
Dir. Jon M. Chu 11 award wins · $764M worldwide
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9. Show Boat 88 Metascore (Metascore 88 out of 100)1936 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 53m
Dir. James Whale No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
#11 to #100
Musical Movies Ranked #11 to #100
Places 11 to 100: The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022) opens the list and The Gay Divorcee (1934) closes it. 14 of these 90 films are not in English; 9 languages appear in all. Filter by decade or language, or sort by year or box office.
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Decade
Language
Places 11 to 100; films with the same score share a rank. Use a filter or another sort to include the top 10.
Echo Score, our 0–100 rating (films from 2017 on) Blend: Metascore with IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings, for films without an Echo Score
- 1 1. David Byrne’s American Utopia
2020 · Documentary, Music · 1h 45m
92 Echo $248.6K - 2 2. Beauty and the Beast
1991 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 24m
91 Blend $451.3M - 3 3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1938 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 23m
91 Blend - 4 4. Singin' in the Rain
1952 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 43m
90 Blend - 5 5. A Star Is Born
2018 · Drama, Romance · 2h 16m
90 Echo $436.4M - 5 5. Spring Awakening: Those You've Known
2022 · Musical, Documentary · 1h 30m
90 Echo - 7 7. The Wizard of Oz
1939 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 42m
89 Blend - 8 8. The Lion King
1994 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 29m
88 Blend $979.2M - 9 9. Wicked
2024 · Fantasy, Musical · 2h 40m
88 Echo $764M - 9 9. Show Boat
1936 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 53m
88 Blend - 11
11. The Bob's Burgers Movie2022 · Adventure, Comedy · 1h 42m
87 Echo $34.1M - 11
11. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe2020 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 26m
87 Echo $5.7M - 11
11. The Band Wagon1953 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 52m
87 Blend - 11
11. Duck Soup1933 · Comedy, War · 1h 8m
87 Blend - 15
15. La La Land2016 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 8m
86 Blend $509.2M - 16
16. A Star Is Born1954 · Drama, Romance · 2h 34m
86 Blend - 16
16. Sita Sings the Blues2009 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 22m
86 Blend $12.6K - 18
18. Pinocchio1940 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 28m
86 Blend - 18
18. Hamilton2020 · Biography, Drama · 2h 40m
86 Echo - 20
20. Chicken for Linda!2024 · Animation, Comedy · 1h 13m
85 Echo $705.6K - 20
20. tick, tick...Boom!2021 · Biography, Drama · 1h 55m
85 Echo $112.8K - 22
22. My Fair Lady1964 · Drama, Romance · 2h 50m
84 Blend - 23
23. Better Man2024 · Biography, Fantasy · 2h 11m
84 Echo $22.5M - 23
23. In the Heights2021 · Drama, Romance · 2h 23m
84 Echo $45.2M - 23
23. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio2022 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 57m
84 Echo $109.8K - 23
23. Girl Crazy1943 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 39m
84 Blend - 23
23. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (re-released)2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 31m
84 Blend - 28
28. Swing Time1936 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 43m
83 Blend - 28
28. Stadium Anthems2018 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 39m
83 Echo - 30
30. Top Hat1935 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 41m
83 Blend - 31
31. Cinderella1950 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 14m
83 Blend - 31
31. Sleeping Beauty1959 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 15m
83 Blend - 31
31. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India2002 · Drama, Sport · 3h 44m
83 Blend $1.7M - 34
34. Mary Poppins1964 · Fantasy, Comedy · 2h 19m
83 Blend - 35
35. Dumbo1941 · Animation, Adventure · 1h 4m
82 Blend - 36
36. West Side Story2021 · Drama, Romance · 2h 36m
82 Echo $76M - 36
36. Song Sung Blue2025 · Biography, Drama · 2h 11m
82 Echo $58.7M - 36
36. Queens of Drama2025 · Comedy, Musical · 1h 54m
82 Echo $71.5K - 36
36. On-Gaku: Our Sound2021 · Drama, Animation · 1h 11m
82 Echo - 40
40. The Blue Angel1930 · Drama, Musical · 2h 4m
82 Blend - 41
41. The Nightmare Before Christmas1993 · Fantasy, Animation · 1h 16m
81 Blend $107.8M - 42
42. Come from Away2021 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 46m
81 Echo $1.7M - 42
42. Dead Pigs2021 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 2m
81 Echo - 44
44. Yankee Doodle Dandy1942 · Biography, Drama · 2h 6m
81 Blend - 45
45. Sing Street2016 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 46m
80 Blend $13.6M - 46
46. Rocketman2019 · Biography, Drama · 2h 1m
80 Echo $195.3M - 46
46. Funny Girl1968 · Biography, Drama · 2h 31m
80 Blend - 46
46. Kiss of the Spider Woman2025 · Drama, Musical · 2h 8m
80 Echo $1.8M - 46
46. Yellow Submarine1968 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 30m
80 Blend - 46
46. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs2018 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 13m
80 Echo - 46
46. Becks2018 · Drama, Romance · 1h 30m
80 Echo - 46
46. The Three Caballeros1945 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 11m
80 Blend - 46
46. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey2020 · Fantasy, Family · 2h 2m
80 Echo - 54
54. Cabaret1972 · Drama, Romance · 2h 4m
79 Blend $83.3K - 54
54. Neptune Frost2022 · Sci-Fi, Musical · 1h 45m
79 Echo $209.9K - 54
54. My Love Affair with Marriage2023 · Animation, Comedy · 1h 47m
79 Echo - 57
57. Victor Victoria1982 · Comedy, Romance · 2h 14m
79 Blend $28.2M - 58
58. Pina2011 · Musical, Documentary · 1h 46m
78 Blend $18.7M - 59
59. The Color Purple2023 · Drama, Musical · 2h 20m
78 Echo $68.9M - 59
59. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street2007 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 56m
78 Blend $153.4M - 59
59. Annette2021 · Drama, Romance · 2h 21m
78 Echo $3.7M - 59
59. Waitress: The Musical2023 · Comedy, Drama · 2h 24m
78 Echo $6.1M - 59
59. Inu-oh2022 · Fantasy, Music · 1h 38m
78 Echo $484.1K - 59
59. The Saddest Music in the World2004 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 40m
78 Blend $855K - 59
59. That's Entertainment! III1994 · Family, Musical · 1h 53m
78 Blend $280.2K - 66
66. Footlight Parade1933 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 44m
78 Blend - 67
67. Wonka2023 · Adventure, Comedy · 1h 56m
77 Echo $634.5M - 67
67. Good Manners2018 · Fantasy, Horror · 2h 15m
77 Echo $35.7K - 67
67. Better Nate Than Ever2022 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 31m
77 Echo - 67
67. Good News1947 · Sport, Comedy · 1h 33m
77 Blend - 67
67. Road to Zanzibar1941 · Adventure, Comedy · 1h 31m
77 Blend - 72
72. The Muppet Movie1979 · Adventure, Comedy · 1h 35m
77 Blend $66.5M - 73
73. The Music Man1962 · Comedy, Romance · 2h 31m
77 Blend - 74
74. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut1999 · Comedy, Animation · 1h 21m
76 Blend $83.1M - 75
75. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies2018 · Action, Sci-Fi · 1h 24m
76 Echo $52.4M - 75
75. Don't Say Good Luck2026 · Drama, Musical
76 Blend - 77
77. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers1954 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 42m
76 Blend - 77
77. Horse Feathers1932 · Sport, Comedy · 1h 8m
76 Blend - 79
79. Tangled2010 · Comedy, Animation · 1h 40m
76 Blend $591.8M - 79
79. Little Shop of Horrors1986 · Sci-Fi, Horror · 1h 34m
76 Blend $39.1M - 79
79. Passing Strange2009 · Musical · 2h 15m
76 Blend - 82
82. That's Entertainment!1974 · Family, Musical · 2h 15m
76 Blend $26.9M - 83
83. The Hunchback of Notre Dame1996 · Drama, Romance · 1h 31m
75 Blend $325.3M - 83
83. All That Jazz1979 · Drama, Fantasy · 2h 3m
75 Blend $37.8M - 83
83. 42nd Street1933 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 29m
75 Blend - 86
86. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again2018 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 54m
75 Echo $395.6M - 86
86. Judy2019 · Biography, Drama · 1h 58m
75 Echo $46M - 86
86. Blinded by the Light2019 · Biography, Drama · 1h 58m
75 Echo $18.6M - 86
86. Office2015 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 59m
75 Blend $8.3M - 86
86. Veer-Zaara2004 · Drama, Romance · 3h 12m
75 Blend $6.7M - 86
86. The Meaning of Life1983 · Comedy, Musical · 1h 47m
75 Blend $14.9M - 86
86. Been So Long2018 · Drama, Romance · 1h 40m
75 Echo - 86
86. Saturday Church2018 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 22m
75 Echo - 86
86. Blue's Big City Adventure2022 · Comedy, Family · 1h 22m
75 Echo - 86
86. Chunhyangdyun2000 · Drama, Romance · 2h
75 Blend - 86
86. Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott2012 · Animation, Musical · 1h 40m
75 Blend - 97
97. The Jungle Book2016 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 46m
75 Blend $967.7M - 98
98. Enchanted2007 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 47m
75 Blend $340.5M - 99
99. The Sound of Music1965 · Biography, Drama · 2h 52m
75 Blend - 100
100. The Gay Divorcee1934 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 47m
74 Blend
No film in this list matches both filters. Choose "All" in one of them.
Decade by decade
The Best Musical Movie of Every Decade
From The Cocoanuts (1929) in the 1920s to David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020) in the 2020s: the highest-ranked musical movie of each of 11 decades. The 2020s place the most films in the top 100 (29).
- 1920s
69 Metascore The Cocoanuts 1929 - 1930s 96 Metascore Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1938
- 1940s 99 Metascore Pinocchio 1940
- 1950s 99 Metascore Singin' in the Rain 1952
- 1960s 95 Metascore My Fair Lady 1964
- 1970s 80 Metascore Cabaret 1972
- 1980s 84 Metascore Victor Victoria 1982
- 1990s 95 Metascore Beauty and the Beast 1991
- 2000s 93 Metascore Sita Sings the Blues 2009
- 2010s 90 Echo A Star Is Born 2018
- 2020s 92 Echo David Byrne’s American Utopia 2020
Awards
Which Musical Movies Won the Most Awards?
La La Land (2016) has the strongest record with 25 wins from 45 nominations, including wins at Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTA. Wins and nominations are counted across every ceremony on our awards pages.
- La La Land 25 wins / 45 nom.2016 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 94 Metascore
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Emilia Pérez 18 wins / 62 nom.2024 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 42 Echo - Cabaret 18 wins / 30 nom.1972 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 80 Metascore
- My Fair Lady 13 wins / 20 nom.1964 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 95 Metascore
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Gigi 13 wins / 17 nom.1958 · Oscars, Golden Globes, DGA Awards · 82 Metascore -
Les Miserables 12 wins / 39 nom.2012 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 63 Metascore - Wicked 11 wins / 47 nom.2024 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 88 Echo
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Dreamgirls 11 wins / 24 nom.2006 · Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA · 76 Metascore
Keep exploring
More Ways to Explore Musical Movies
The top 100 are the best 23% of 428 ranked musical films. The musical guide, the full list of 536 films and the musical box office chart cover the rest of the genre.
FAQ
Musical Movies: Questions & Answers
Answers from the musical ranking above: the best musical film, how many musical movies there are, the strongest decade and the most awarded musical film.
What is the best musical movie?
David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020) is the best-ranked musical movie on What's After the Movie, with an Echo Score of 92. Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) follow. 4 of the top 10 are ranked by Echo Score; the other 6, all released before 2017, are ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings.
About David Byrne’s American Utopia How many musical movies are there?
The site lists 536 musical films. 428 of them are ranked: features of 60+ minutes with a real audience, critic, award or box office signal and a score. This page shows the top 100.
All musical movies Which decade has the best musical movies?
The 2020s place 29 films in the top 100, more than any other decade. The oldest film in the list is The Blue Angel (1930), the newest Don't Say Good Luck (2026).
What is the most awarded musical movie?
La La Land (2016) won 25 awards from 45 nominations, ahead of Emilia Pérez (2024) (18 wins), counted across the Oscars, festivals and guild awards on our awards pages.
Movie awards How is this list different from the musical genre page?
This page is only the ranking of the 100 best musical films. The musical genre page covers the whole genre: new releases, the biggest box office hits, its directors and how it changed over the decades.
Musical movies guide