Music & Musicals

Some of the best pieces of cinema are all down to music, whether they be movies featuring musicians, documentaries starring musical stars or just a seriously awesome soundtrack. Music can really distinguish a killer from a filler film. Here, we’ve pulled together a list of musical films, from way, way back right up to 2020 - so you can celebrate them in all their glory. Remotes at the ready…

The Best Musical Films

Who doesn’t love a good musical movie, full of show-stopping, foot-tapping, high-kicking, shoulder-shimmying and bottom-jiggling? One thing’s for sure, musical movies have been big hits with film buffs since the launch of cinema sound itself. From classic musical movies like West Side Story (1961) and The Wizard of Oz (1939) to the more modern Frozen (2013), musical films have been waltzing their way into movie lovers’ hearts for years.

Films like The Wizard of Oz (1939) reminded us we’re not in Kansas anymore, transporting us to the land of Oz, where monkeys flew and scary witches roamed the land. Then there was Singin’ in the Rain (1952), famous for its iconic dance scenes with umbrellas. Gene Kelly’s film depicted the turmoil in the entertainment industry as the shift from silent films to “talkies” took place – where two silent movie stars join the cast of a musical.

History of Musical Movies

Musical films have long been part of cinema, dating all the way back to the 1930s, when musical soundtracks were played in conjunction with otherwise silent motion pictures. After the 1950s and 60s, popular movie musicals such as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music (1965) have been firm favourites with little ones and adults alike.

What Are the Best Musical Movies of 2019?

Some of the top musical movies of 2019 include Rocketman, Aladdin, The Lion King, UglyDolls and Yesterday, all of which feature characters who pulled at our heartstrings, made us cry and laugh —without bordering on cliché. There was something hugely enchanting about the music films of 2019.

List of 2020 Musical Films

While rom-coms are a Friday night essential for a spot of light-hearted fun, not a lot beats the friendliness and charm of a feel-good musical movie, chock-full of sing-a-longs and dance numbers. A few of the best singing movies released in 2020 and some coming soon include Frozen II, In the Heights, Cats, Trolls World Tour and Charming – and all these movies have helped maintain the proud genre through an amalgamation of song-and-dance numbers, dutiful storytelling and cheerful wit.