7 most famous musical movies of all times

Are you a fan of music and cinematography? If yes, you must also love musical movies. There’s just so much to love about musical films, including epic duets, dance sequences, and inspiring acting performances. 

The first ever-made musical short-films were produced as early as 1923-24. And, the legend of this movie genre is the first musical movie produced in 1927, called The Jazz Singer. Since then, Hollywood produced a series of many other musicals that brought even more popularity to this film genre. 

Although musical movies have seen both great popularity and a slow decline in some periods, it seems like they always come back in trend. But music and videos are a winning combination, no matter the film genre. 

In movies, sound effects and music are essential as they engage audiences by evoking emotional responses, and they are used to indicate mood in specific scenes. Thus, choosing the right sound effects and background music, such as those from Melody Loops Music, seriously matters. 

Here are seven most famous musical movies which nailed combining cinematography with music and released true masterpieces. 

Singin’ In the Rain (1952)

Presenting the story of a silent film company and cast that made a challenging transition to sound, Singin’ in the Rain was a major hit at that time. 

The American musical romantic comedy presents a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 20s. It portraits performers of that time that were struggling to switch from silent films to sound movies, also known as “talkies. 

Today, critics gave the movie a legendary status, and it is often named as the greatest musical film ever made.

The Sound Of Music (1965)

Perhaps the most popular musical movie from Hollywood is The Sound Of Music, released in 1965. The story of the aspiring nun Maria, sent to care for the seven children of a Naval officer widower, took the world by storm and has earned five Oscars.

The movie was a unique combination of a moving and intense story, great music, and breathtaking views of Salzburg. What brought so much success to The Sound of Music isn’t just the fantastic cast and the mentioned rare combination but also the fact that it tells a true story. 

Grease (1978)

There’s probably no one around the world who knows the famous song “The one that I want” from the movie Grease. The movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is another more modern musical movie considered a legend of Hollywood. 

The movie tells the story of the greaser Danny Zuko and a transferred Australian student, Sandy Olsson, who fall in love. The movie had a major commercial and critical success, succeeding in becoming the highest-grossing musical film ever at that time. 

The film had such a great success that a sequel, Grease 2, was released in 1982, starring other two very famous actors, Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield, who were portraying the newer class of greasers. 

The Phantom of the Opera (1986)

Based on the 1910 French novel “The Phantom of the Opera,” written by Gaston Leroux, the musical movie with the same name is another film which critics consider to be classical. The movie was an absolute success having total estimated worldwide gross receipts of over $6 billion and a total Broadway gross of over $1 billion. 

The movie tells the story of a bitter man who was born with his face deformed and lived in the sewers underneath the Opera House in Paris. The man falls in love with Christine, a chorus singer, whom he tutors and helps get leading roles. The book and the movie are based on a true story, the story of a man named Eric, who lived in the 1800s.

Les Miserables (2012)

Les Miserables is another very famous musical movie that took the world by storm and grosses over $441 million worldwide. 

The movie is starring some very popular Hollywood modern-days movie stars, including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. 

It tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man who was hunted by the policeman named Javert after he broke parole. When Jean Valjean agrees to take care of a factory worker’s daughter, the lives of the two characters are changed forever. The story of the movie takes place in 19th century France, reaching resolution against the background of the June Rebellion, which took place in 1832. 

Into The Woods (2014)

The Disney production Into the Woods, released in 2014, represents a modern adaption of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales. It is an American musical fantasy movie directed by the famous director Rob Marshall. The film starts many very famous modern-day actors such as Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Deep, and many others. 

It movie starts with the story of a childless bakes and his wife, who are tasked by a vengeful witch to procure some specific magical items to help them reverse the curse put on their family tree. 

The Disney production was a major commercial success, being named one of the top 11 best movies of 2014, and received many positive reviews from the audience and many critics. Moreover, the film received praise for its acting performances, visual style, and musical numbers. 

La La Land (2016)

Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, La La Land is an American romantic musical movie that enjoyed significant commercial success, grossing nearly $446 million worldwide.

The movie tells the story of a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who eventually fall in love while they are both struggling to make their dreams come true in LA. 

The movie was praised for a number of things, including Ryan’s and Emma’s acting performances, the musical numbers, and cinematography. It also won a record-breaking seven awards and was included on the list of top ten best movies of 2016.