Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
This might just be the biggest weekend for theaters this year. With Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II and Jon M. Chu’s Wicked hitting screens, Hollywood is hoping this one-two punch can replicate even a fraction of what Barbenheimer achieved last year.
While there have been several great films about gladiators, today we’re tackling the broader and more beloved genre of movie musicals. From the advent of sound in cinema with The Jazz Singer in 1927, the musical has been a cornerstone of Hollywood filmmaking.
In total, ten musicals have won the Academy Award for Best Picture from The Broadway Melody (1929) to the most recent winner, Chicago (2002). Four of those Oscar winners made it onto my list below.
Though the musical genre has had its ups and downs, the rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, 2024 is proving to be a banner year for the genre, with Wicked leading the charge alongside Emilia Pérez, Joker: Folie à Deux, The End, Mufasa: The Lion King, Better Man, and Moana 2. Two of these films are already in my Best Picture predictions for the year.
Will one of them end up the 11th winner? We shall see. For now, let’s dive into my ten best musicals of all time:
10. Mary Poppins (1964)
9. Chicago (2002)
8. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
7. Cabaret (1972)
6. La La Land (2016)
5. An American in Paris (1951)
4. West Side Story (1961)
3. The Sound of Music (1965)
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
1. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Lovely choices BUT I OBJECT to absence of a certain film:
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) which isn't just the best musical of Mr Busby Berkeley stack but a devastating pre-code anti-war miracle of visuals and songs.
I love hearing about films from that era that I am unaware of. Thanks for the recommendation!
La la land over Cabaret is the kind of fight in the parking lot I'm up to
Late to this party, but in alpha order:
Cabaret
Hair
Meet Me in St. Louis
New York, New York
On the Town
Singin’ in the Rain
Top Hat
Les parapluies de Cherbourg
West Side Story
The Wizard of Oz