West Side Story as the greatest movie musical of all time? It’s easy to make the case. The book, music and lyrics are all masterpieces, with Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim at the top of their games. The conflicts of ethnicity, family, and love resonate deeply for Americans watching the film more than half-a-century later, especially in the face of current political winds. The songs are all standards – and there’s not a mediocre one in the bunch. The lyrics are witty (and pretty). Oh, and the choreography, directed by Jerome Robbins, is among the most stunning work he did during his long career. And although Natalie Wood’s singing voice was dubbed by Marnie Nixon, it’s still her best — and most iconic — performance.

Immigrant Community In New York City Inspired By Romeo & Juliet Fire Escape Love Song Pretty And Witty And Bright

The pinnacle of the Disney Renaissance, and the most singable of all the films in the Disney canon. For my money, it’s the best work Elton John’s ever done. 25 years later after its release, children are as familiar with Simba, Mufasa, Timon & Pumbaa as I was. It’s a musical set on a grand, epic scale – the art director said he was inspired by Lawrence of Arabia. The plot is inspired by Shakespeare, making it the second of the two top films on this list with such source material.

Inspired By Hamlet Adventure, Romance, Politics, Comedy, Music – Something For The Entire Family Award-Winning, Critically-Acclaimed Songwriter Elton John

The image of Gene Kelly, dancing, twirling, floating, and (yes) singing in the rain — the sound of his voice, the look on his face — it may not be the “best” dance performance ever captured on film, but it’s certainly the greatest. It’s come to symbolize Hollywood itself. It can also sometimes overshadow memories of the rest of the masterful, enormously fun film. Kelly and Donald O’Connor were joined by 19-year-old actress Debbie Reynolds who, believe it or not, had zero dancing experience before she was cast.

Critics’ Favorite Musical Gene Kelly Is Magnificent A Movie About Making Movies Incredible Energy, Incredible Fun

The Sound of Music is one of the biggest hits in Hollywood history. Only Gone with the Wind and Star Wars have sold more tickets. The soundtrack was on Billboard’s Top Album charts for four years, and was #1 in the U.K. for more than a year. The story of the singing family that escapes the Nazis has become one of the most widely recognizable and beloved of the 20th Century world.

Singing Family Escapes The Nazis All-Time Blockbuster Enormous Number Of Recognizable Favorite Songs “The Hiiiiilllllssssss Are Alive”

The vibrantly colored, beautifully-scored French musical is the highest-ranked foreign language movie on the list. It’s also the one film from the top 10 that most Americans haven’t heard of. That needs to change. I promise, you don’t have to know a word of French to love the film. (And we have subtitles anyway!) Don’t let the bright pop palette and compositions fool you — no other film on this list will put you through the emotional ringer than Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Vibrant, Pop Palette French-Language Musical Inspired La La Land Guaranteed Tears

It was clear La La Land was a classic right from the opening number featuring a joyful song about being stuck in L.A. traffic. Inspired by many of the musicals on this list, especially The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Singin’ in the Rain, and An American in Paris, it is a love song to musicals and pays tribute and respect to the elite company it joins.

Joyful Homage To Classic Musicals Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone We All Thought It Had Won Best Picture Best Recent Movie On The List

Liza Minnelli stars in this melancholy musical whose story takes place during the rise of the fascist Nazi Party – one of two in the top ten of this list to share the setting. While the von Trapp family flees, Sally Bowles’ and the other performers at the Kit Kat Klub see the threat slowly rise around them and have more limited options. What can they do but live the life they’ve got?

Survival Under Impossible Circumstances Critically Acclaimed Liza Minnelli Set In Early Nazi Germany

Director Bob Fosse essentially created a musical autobiography in All That Jazz. The film seems to be an exercise in self-flagellation – the character is a cigarette-smoking, womanizing jerk – but isn’t it also an old-fashioned chauvinist humblebrag? “I’m a jerk but I still have more women than I can handle!”

Musical Autobiography Won The Palme D’Or At Cannes Protagonist Is A Jerk

S’ wonderful! Even if all you remember is the dreamlike extended ballet sequence, An American in Paris is a transformative work of art. Released as the West was recovering from World War II, production had to be scheduled around star Leslie Caron’s delicate health. She had suffered malnutrition during the war and was still getting back on her feet — a detail that makes her tremendous performance even more incredible.

Don’t Ever Pass Up A Chance To See Gene Kelly Dance Leslie Caron Was Recovering From World War II Starvation During Filming Won The Academy Award For Best Picture Ends With A Beautiful Dance Fantasy

John Wayne plays Ethan Edwards – a character who has been debated and analyzed for more than half a century. Monument Valley is as much a star as Wayne in the runaway #1 on this list.

John Wayne’s Character Searches For His Kidnapped Niece Complex Characters, Moral Ambiguity The Gorgeous Monument Valley

The ultimate Spaghetti Western, the epic was largely shot in Italy and Spain. Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Claudia Cardinale shine in Leone’s exciting, moving, beautiful opus.

Henry Fonda Is The Bad Guy Spaghetti Western Pioneer Woman

The graphic violence of The Wild Bunch shocked many audience members used to years of sanitized TV westerns like Bonanza. Paul W. Gleason wrote an excellent essay on this film in the LA Times, saying The Wild Bunch “killed the Western dream.”

Shocking Violence No Romantic Mythology Here Cowboys Meet Deadly Technology

The iconic film set during the Civil War is, for my money, Clint Eastwood’s best. The score and the “Mexican standoff” are instantly recognizable.

Clint Eastwood As “The Man With No Name” Spaghetti Western Best Western Score Of All Time The Ultimate “Mexican Standoff”

Eastwood was nominated for Best Director in Unforgiven, one of four Westerns to win Best Picture. The story of aging gunman “William Munny,” played by Eastwood, explores the nature of violence and the way we perceive it our stories about the West.

Clint Eastwood & Morgan Freeman As Aging Cowboys Explores The Nature Of Violence Won The Academy Award For Best Picture

Often interpreted as an allegory against McCarthyism, High Noon belongs to Grace Kelly as much as it does the hero, Gary Cooper. The film emphasizes dialogue and dramatic tension over action — in contrast to many of the films on this list.

Grace Kelly As A Quaker, Gary Cooper As a Lawman Perceived As Political Dramatic Tension Showdown In The Street

“Shane, come back!” Alan Ladd stars as the mysterious gunfighter who helps a Wyoming family. With violence that was shocking at the time, the film influenced many Westerns that followed.

Violent For Its Time Mysterious Gunfighter Settler Family Needs Help

The movie that made John Wayne a star. The journey of American archetypes on the Overland Stage Line was one of the best films of 1939 — a year that included Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.

John Wayne On A Road Trip A Story Of The American Aspiration For Equality Very Racist Depiction Of Apache

A father (John Wayne) and his son (Montgomery Clift) battle during a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas.

Father & Son Story John Wayne, Montgomery Clift Cattle Drive In Texas Shootouts & Romance

Rio Bravo was John Wayne’s response to High Noon, which he considered communist. In High Noon, the hero must stand alone. But in Rio Bravo, the community bands together to defeat the bad guys. Go figure.

Dean Martin & John Wayne Town Teams Up To Fight The Bad Guys Ricky Nelson Acts And Sings Set Near The Texas-Mexico Border