150 Greatest Musical Films of All Time

  1. The Greatest Showman – 2017
  2. West Side Story – 2021
  3. Beauty & the Beast – 1991
  4. Funny Face – 1957
  5. Love Me Tonight – 1932
  6. The Jungle Book – 1967
  7. Mama Mia! – 2008
  8. Fame – 1980
  9. Bye Bye Birdie – 1963
  10. On the Town – 1949
  11. Pennies from Heaven – 1981
  12. The Bandwagon – 1953
  13. In the Heights – 2021
  14. Rocketman – 2019
  15. The King and I – 1956
  16. Dreamgirls – 2006
  17. The Blues Brothers – 1980
  18. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – 1954
  19. Oliver! – 1968
  20. Funny Girl – 1968
  21. Chicago – 2002
  22. Dancer in the Dark – 2000
  23. Tick, Tick… Tick… Boom! – 2021
  24. Hedwig and the Angry Inch – 2001
  25. A Hard Day’s Night – 1964
  26. Guys and Dolls – 1955
  27. Meet Me in St. Louis – 1944
  28. Fiddler on the Roof – 1971
  29. My Fair Lady – 1964
  30. Top Hat – 1935
  31. A Star is Born – 1954
  32. An American in Paris – 1951
  33. Oklahoma! – 1955
  34. Mary Poppins – 1964
  35. Grease – 1978
  36. All That Jazz – 1979
  37. The Wizard of Oz – 1939
  38. Cabaret – 1972
  39. Singin’ in the Rain – 1952
  40. The Sound of Music – 1965
  41. La La Land – 2016
  42. A Star is Born – 2018
  43. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg – 1964
  44. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – 1971
  45. West Side Story – 1961
  46. 42nd Street – 1933
  47. Yankee Doodle Dandy – 1942
  48. Show Boat – 1936
  49. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – 1953
  50. The Young Girls of Rochefort – 1967
  51. A Night at the Opera – 1935
  52. Sing Street – 2016
  53. Enchanted – 2007
  54. The Sapphires 2012
  55. Topsy-Turvy – 1999
  56. Sunshine on Leith – 2013
  57. Cyrano – 2021
  58. Hair – 1979
  59. Mary Poppins Returns – 2018
  60. 8 Women – 2002
  61. White Christmas – 1954
  62. French Cancan – 1955
  63. Swing Time – 1936
  64. The Music Man – 1962
  65. Royal Wedding 1951
  66. Help! – 1965
  67. Phantom of the Paradise – 1974
  68. Going My Way – 1944
  69. The Jazz Singer – 1927
  70. Carmen Jones – 1954
  71. Annette – 2021
  72. Cry Baby – 1990
  73. The Wayward Cloud – 2005
  74. Bugsy Malone – 1976
  75. Viva Las Vegas – 1964
  76. King Creole 1958
  77. Easter Parade 1948
  78. The Cocoanuts – 1929
  79. Victor/Victoria – 1982
  80. The Court Jester – 1955
  81. Everyone Says I Love You – 1996
  82. The Saddest Music in the World – 2003
  83. Hairspray – 1988
  84. Alexander’s Ragtime Band – 1938
  85. Annie Get Your Gun – 1950
  86. Hello, Dolly! – 1969
  87. 1776 – 1972
  88. Take Me Out to the Ball Game – 1949
  89. Brigadoon – 1954
  90. Carousel – 1956
  91. The Great Ziegfeld – 1936
  92. Kiss Me Kate – 1953
  93. Porgy and Bess – 1959
  94. Thoroughly Modern Millie – 1967
  95. State Fair – 1945
  96. The Lion King – 1994
  97. The Gang’s All Here – 1943
  98. Damn Yankees! – 1958
  99. Bells Are Ringing – 1960
  100. March of the Wooden Soldiers – 1934
  101. The Harvey Girls – 1943
  102. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 1968
  103. Cover GIrl – 1944
  104. Footlight Parade – 1933
  105. Sweet Charity – 1969
  106. The Girl Can’t Help It – 1956
  107. High Society – 1956
  108. Jailhouse Rock – 1957
  109. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 1967
  110. It’s Always Fair Weather – 1955
  111. The Jolson Story – 1946
  112. Lady and the Tramp – 1955
  113. Neptune’s Daughter – 1949
  114. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever – 1970
  115. On Moonlight Bay – 1951
  116. The Pajama Game – 1957
  117. Pal Joey – 1967
  118. Purple Rain – 1984
  119. Royal Wedding – 1951
  120. Shall We Dance – 1937
  121. Silk Stockings – 1957
  122. South Pacific – 1958
  123. Summer Stock – 1950
  124. There’s No Business Like Show Business – 1954
  125. Till the Clouds Roll By – 1946
  126. The Unsinkable Mollie Brown – 1964
  127. Holiday Inn – 1942
  128. Whoopee! – 1930
  129. Yentl – 1983
  130. You Were Never Lovelier – 1942
  131. Ziegfeld Follies – 1945
  132. Les Girls – 1957
  133. Girl Crazy – 1943
  134. Cabin in the Sky – 1943
  135. Once – 2007
  136. Elvis – 2022
  137. The Producers – 1967
  138. Nashville – 1975
  139. Coco – 2017
  140. The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993
  141. Jersey Boys – 2014
  142. Rent – 2005
  143. Les Miserables – 2012
  144. Little Shop of Horrors – 1986
  145. The Broadway Melody of 1938 – 1937
  146. The Broadway Melody of 1936 – 1935
  147. The Broadway Melody of 1940 – 1940
  148. For Me and My Gal – 1942
  149. Anna and the Apocalypse – 2017
  150. School of Rock – 2003

tick…tick…Boom! (2021)

Tick…Tick…Boom! is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is written by Steven Levenson, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, it is a semi-autobiographical film story about Larson writing a musical to try to enter into the theater industry. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Larson, alongside Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry and Judith Light. 

In 1992, Jonathan Larson performs his rock monologue Tick…Tick…Boom! at New Theater Workshop with his friends Roger and Karessa. He describes an annoying ticking sound he hears in his head and begins to tell his story. An unseen narrator explains the films is the true story of Larson, “except the parts Jonathan made up.” 

In early 1990, Jonathan balances work at the Moondance Diner in SoHo with getting ready for a workshop for his musical Superbia. He feels pressure to be successful before he turns 30: with his birthday just over a week away, he sees the workshop as his last chance. He has a party at his apartment with his friends, including his former roommate Michael and his girlfriend Susan. Susan tells Jonathan about a teaching job at Jacob’s Pillow and asks him to come. Michael, who recently left theater for a mediocre advertising career, sees Susan’s offer as a chance for Jonathan to consider a serious future and invites him to join an advertising focus group at his company. Jonathan’s producer asks him to write a new song for Superbia because the story needs it. This depresses him, as his idol Stephen Sondheim told him the same thing at a composong workshop several years prior, but can’t come up with anything and he only has a week. 

Jonathan finds himself unable to concentrate on getting ready for the workshop as he thinks about Michael and Susan’s offers. His worries grow when he learns from Carolyn (friend from the diner) that Freddy (also works at the diner), is HIV-positive, has been hospitalized. Susan angry at Jonathan’s hesitance to make a decision and obsession with his career, breaks up with him. 

To get money for a full band for the workshop, Jonathan attends the advertising focus group. However, he purposefully ruins it, making Michael mad, who feels Jonathan is wasting the chance to have a life with the person he loves on an unstable theater career, something Michael can’t do as a homosexual man in the AIDS crisis. After getting a promising call from his agent Rosa, Jonathan tries to write the new song, but his power get cut off. He goes to a swimming pool to rant his frustrations over his personal life and the workshop, before coming up with the new song at last. At the workshop are friends, family, industry professionals, including Sondheim. Jonathan recieves praise but no offers to produce Superbia. Discouraged, Jonathan begs Michael for a job in his company, but Michael changes his mind after seeing the workshop and urges Jonathan to continue with his theater career, revealing that he is HIV-positive. 

Though I haven’t seen Tick…Tick..Boom! on stage, I did enjoy Larson’s Rent on stage and the film version, though it was not as good as the stage production. Rent is a wonderful story filled with wonderful music. I thought it was terribly cheesy and depressing at first, but once I saw both the movie one and the stage one, I fell in love with it and I now wish this musical could continue on stages forever just like other greats like Chicago and Fiddler on the Roof. 

Andrew Garfield does an outstanding job as Jonathan Larson, giving him a perfect New York accent, as well as acting, singing and playing the piano and keyboard himself. Most of the songs are super cheesy, but that’s musical theater for you and Garfield performs the songs with the perfect cheese factor with song and in several scenes with dancing too. Most of the songs, besides being corny, don’t sound like a mature adult wrote them and since the movie is filled with those kind of songs, it does get a bit annoying and makes the film almost unenjoyable at times. 

Alexandra Shipp is great as Susan Wilson, based on the real life Janet Charleston, Jonathan’s girlfriend, a former dancer. Robin de Jesus does a fine job as Michael, Jonathan’s best friend, based on the real life Matt O’ Grady, who left theater to work in advertising. Vanessa Hudgens is also great as Karessa Johnson, although she has very little dialogue and mostly sings and dances. Joshua Henry is very good as Roger Bart, Jonathan’s friend and performer in Superbia and Tick…Tick…Boom! Bradley Whitford is superb as Stephen Sondheim. 

This film does a splendid job telling of Larson’s journey to become the next great musical theater sensation, even though it is a bit of a cheeseball at times. The songs, choreography, and acting are all eqaully fantastic. This is drama filled, song filled movie that will have you tapping your feet at times, getting angry at moments and also crying at times too. It teaches you to never give up on your dreams and that the great things you do will live on forever after you die. 

There is song and dance, drama, heart and passion in this film that make it such an entertaining watch. There is fighting, sex, rejection, drinking, smoking, disease, cursing and selfishness that make this movie inappropriate for really young viewers. Teenagers and adults will enjoy this one much more. Tremendous film!  13+ 4/5 

Best Dance Scenes in Films

  1. Jumpin’ Jive – Stormy Weather (1943)
  2. Final Ballet – An American in Paris (1951)
  3. Begin the Beguine – Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
  4. America – West Side Story (1961)
  5. Take Off With Us – All That Jazz (1979)
  6. Dancing in the Dark – The Bandwagon (1953)
  7. Ballet Sequence – The Red Shoes (1948)
  8. Whatever Lola Wants – Damn Yankees (1958)
  9. Opening Sequence – La La Land (2016)
  10. Dance Battle – You Got Served (2004)
  11. The Way You Make Me Feel – Center Stage (2000)
  12. Dance Scene – House Party (1990)
  13. Crazy Rhythm – The Cotton Club (1984)
  14. Let’s Face the Music and Dance – Pennies From Heaven (1981)
  15. Got a Lotta Livin to Do – Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
  16. The Duet – White Nights (1985)
  17. Closing Scene – All of Me – (1984)
  18. Rich Man’s Frug – Sweet Charity (1969)
  19. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
  20. More Than a Woman – Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  21. I’ve Gotta Hear That Beat – Small Town Girl (1953)
  22. I’ll Take Tallulah – Ship Ahoy (1942)
  23. Title Number – Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  24. Never Gonna Dance – Swing Time (1936)
  25. Barn Dance – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
  26. Final Dance – Dirty Dancing (1987)
  27. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Stepmom (1998)
  28. Dance Rehearsal and Competition – Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
  29. Twist Contest – Pulp Fiction (1994)
  30. Next – A Chorus Line (1985)
  31. Pick Yourself Up – Swing Time (1936)
  32. Jai Ho – Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
  33. Final Dance Scene – Flashdance (1983)
  34. Step in Time – Mary Poppins (1964)
  35. Cheek to Cheek – Top hat (1935)
  36. Cool – West Side Story (1961)
  37. Super Freak – Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
  38. The Big Audition – Save the Last Dance (2001)
  39. Ballroom Scene – Enchanted (2007)
  40. Dance Scene – Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
  41. The Inconceivable Sight – Strictly Ballroom (1992)
  42. Sixteen Going on Seventeen – The Sound of Music (1965)
  43. Final Scene – Billy Elliot (2000)
  44. Tango Scene – Take the Lead (2006)
  45. Shall We Dance? – The King and I (1956)
  46. The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing – White Christmas (1954)
  47. Brand New Girl – Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)
  48. Someone in the Crowd – La La Land (2016)
  49. Born to Hand Jive – Grease (1978)
  50. Nightmare Dance – Black Swan (2010)
  51. Cell Block Tango – Chicago (2001)
  52. You Should Be Dancing – Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  53. The Final Dance – The Artist (2011)
  54. Too Darn Hot – Kiss Me Kate (1953)
  55. A Lovely Night – La La Land (2016)
  56. Girl Ballet Hunt – The Bandwagon (1953)
  57. Human Waterfall – Footlight Parade (1933)
  58. The Time Warp – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
  59. I Got Rhythm – An American in Paris (1951)
  60. Prologue – West Side Story (1961)
  61. Make ‘Em Laugh – Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  62. Opening Credits – Do the Right Thing (1989)
  63. Thriller Dance – 13 Going on 30 (2004)
  64. Rain on the Roof – Paddington 2 (2018)
  65. Bohemian Dance – Funny Face (1957)
  66. The Lady in the Tutti-Fruitti Hat – The Gang’s All Here (1943)
  67. Line Dance – Footloose (1984)
  68. Mein Herr – Cabaret (1972)
  69. Street Dance Scene – Fame (1980)
  70. The Swan – Funny Girl (1968)
  71. The Laendler – The Sound of Music (1965)
  72. Good Morning – Sinin’ in the Rain (1952)
  73. Stepping Out With My Baby – Easter Parade (1948)
  74. Every Dance Scene from 42nd Street (1933)
  75. Dance Scene – For Me and My Gal (1942)
  76. There’s No Business Like Show Business – Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
  77. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Mary Poppins (1964)
  78. All That Jazz – Chicago (2002)
  79. Hard Knock Life – Annie (1982)
  80. Big Spender – Sweet Charity (1969)
  81. Aquarius – Hair (1979)
  82. Put On Your Sunday Clothes – Hello, Dolly! (1969)
  83. What a Swell Party – High Society (1956)
  84. I’ll Capture Her Heart Dancing – Holiday Inn (1942)
  85. Dancing on the Ceiling – Royal Wedding (1951)
  86. The Binge Trash Can Dance – It’s Always Fair Weather (1955)
  87. The Prison Dance – Jailhouse Rock (1957)
  88. Gamble Dance – Guys and Dolls (1955)
  89. You Gotta Have a Gimmick – Gypsy (1962)
  90. Can Can Dance Scene – Can Can (1960)
  91. Beat Out Dat Rhthym on a Drum – Carmen Jones (1954)
  92. Day-O (Banana Boat Song) – Beetlejuice (1988)
  93. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Big Chill (1983)
  94. That’s Entertainment – The Bandwagon (1953)
  95. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – Shall We Dance (1937)
  96. Slap That Bass – Shall We Dance (1937)
  97. Dancing in the Stars – La La Land (2016)
  98. The Club – In the Heights (2021)
  99. Christmas Dance – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
  100. Every Dance Scene from And Then We Danced (2019)