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

The Dark Knight changed the expectations for comic book films forever. Few movie villains have ever become instant icons to the extent that Heath Ledger’s Joker did, before the film was even released. The Dark Knight’s sinister tone is emulated by nearly every superhero blockbuster and blockbuster-wannabe. Its failure to be nominated for Best Picture prompted the Oscars to change the way nominations are conducted.

Oscar Win For Heath Ledger As The Joker Sinister Tone Christopher Nolan’s Pop Philosophy Aaron Eckhart As Two-Face

Nowadays we take the Marvel Cinematic Universe for granted, but less than a decade ago ago it was still an untested concept. The Avengers was cinema’s most ambitious attempt at serialization and world-building, and it paid off handsomely.

The Team Assembles Alien Invasion The Hulk Shines Iron Man & Captain America Have Chemistry

Spider-Man 2 has a tight, personal story that stands alone – a rarity among superhero sequels. The action is tremendous, Peter’s relationships with his girlfriend, his best friend, and the villain hits at what people have always loved most about this character.

Powerful Heel Turn Doc Oc Played By Alfred Molina It’s Hard To Be A Spider Man Awesome Subway Battle

Upon release, Logan was instantly acclaimed as a landmark in the superhero genre. Critics hope it will help usher in a new, mature stage of the genre’s lifestyle. No longer a kiddie action flick, the R-rated X-Men spinoff emulates two other genres that vacillate between pop fluff and very adult themes- Westerns and noirs. It’s wonderful to see Wolverine become one of the first on-screen superheros to truly wrestle with what he is.

Superhero Movies Grow Up Wolverine As An Old Man Feels Like A Western Noir

Gal Gadot IS Wonder Woman. She and director Patty Jenkins create a new take character from a source that was already beloved – not an easy task, as we’ve learned from the numerous tries as Superman. The World War I setting is unique and well-crafted.

Unique World War I Setting About A Woman, Directed By A Woman Amazon Warriors Just The Right Amount Of Fish-Out-Of-Water Humor

The Pixar classic came just as the century’s superhero boom was beginning. The studio’s masterful storytelling created a powerful family film and superhero landmark.

Fun Family Movie Which Incredible Are You In Your Family? Well-Crafted Story

Tom Holland was the third Spider-Man to don the mask in just 15 years — but the movie’s unique teenage tone made the character feel fresh again.

A Spider-Man Reboot That Works Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe Teenage Superhero

Chris Hemsworth is the most charismatic of the actors in the Avengers, and he’s put on full display in Ragnarok. Cate Blanchett likewise makes perhaps Marvel’s most compelling supervillain in the series yet.

Fun, Fresh Story Interesting Supervillain Charismatic Chris Hemsworth

The conspiracy thriller proved that original movies could still exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe brand.

Hydra Baddies Large Ensemble Case About More Than The Special Effects