Top 10 Memorable Musical Numbers from Classic Hollywood Movies

“Casablanca” (1942)
This wartime classic finds Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and an uneasy mix of European refugees and German Nazi officers holed up in Rick Blaine’s Casablanca nightclub. When the Germans begin singing a classic folk tune from their home country, the nightclub’s other patrons, mostly European refugees displaced by Nazi occupation, openly defy them by launching into the French national anthem. The Germans are soon outnumbered. Their song is completely drowned out by the crowd. It’s not just patriotism. It’s a stirring and triumphant stand against tyranny and fascism that’s as profound and meaningful now as it was when it was released in 1942.

“Summer Stock” (1950)
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly starred in this fairly routine 1950 musical about a farmer who ends up joining a theater troupe which uses her barn as a rehearsal space. The highlight of the movie is undoubtedly “Get Happy,” which finds Garland in a tuxedo jacket and fedora singing and dancing along with a set of similarly dressed and very limber male dancers. Despite its surprisingly dark judgment day imagery, the song and its accompanying number are so joyous that it’s kind of impossible not to… well, get happy. Although Garland delivered a great performance, making “Summer Stock” was troublesome for her, and due to her mounting personal problems, it would become her last movie for MGM.

“Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944)
The original lyrics to this now-classic holiday song were apparently too morbid for Judy Garland’s taste, so they were changed to be a little more upbeat. Even as it exists in the final movie, it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Garland plays a teenager facing her family’s relocation from their hometown. This number finds her trying to comfort her young sister, and herself, as they spend their last Christmas in their childhood home in St. Louis. With just the two of them sitting at a window and looking out over their backyard, there’s an intimacy to this scene that deepens its emotional heft. It’s a simple number, but it hits you right in the nostalgia.

“Funny Girl” (1968)
It’s an anthem of tenacity and optimism that’s become a staple of musical theater. But it’s also an example of great adaptation. Translating musicals from the stage to the screen often involves a lot of opening up from the stagebound choreography. “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” the movie’s signature tune, finds Barbra Streisand in her movie debut, using multiple modes of transportation as she races across the country to catch up to the man she loves. If Streisand’s soaring vocals weren’t enough, the number is bolstered by two amazing helicopter shots that must have been incredibly difficult to pull off in 1968. The final image of Fanny on the bow of the tugboat is one of the most indelible of Streisand’s impressive career.

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953)
While Marilyn Monroe is often considered a beautiful airhead, she was in on the joke. That’s never truer than in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” where she plays the rational, husband-hunting Lorelei Lee. Although she’s accused of caring more about money than love, she has a clever rationale for her ways. This number comes at a pivotal moment in the movie as her ex-fiancé sits in the audience. She dances and coos through the song in her shocking pink dress, playfully slapping her troupe of dancers with a fan, and pokes fun at all the men who see her as a dumb gold-digger. Even without this context, though, the performance is still relevant. It’s been copied by everyone from Madonna to Megan Thee Stallion and Normani.

“Mary Poppins” (1964)
Disney’s revolutionary mixture of animation and live action footage was never cleaner or more memorable than it was in “Mary Poppins.” As the unconventional nanny, Julie Andrews is asked to sing alongside an animatronic bird and a mirror image of herself, which is no small feat. It’s amazing to think that the original score didn’t include this song, which, along with “Step In Time,” might be its most famous. It was only at the request of Andrews, who probably asked very, very politely, that the song in its place was scrapped. Never was there a catchier song to fool kids into cleaning up after themselves.

“West Side Story” (1961)
Between its dance numbers and stirring romantic duets, “West Side Story” has no shortage of iconic moments. However, the song “America,” led by Oscar winners Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, is one of its funniest, most spirited, and actually one of its most political. As the Puerto Rican characters argue over the pros and cons of living in America, with all its opportunity and racism, they do it with more humor than you might expect. Awash with purples and red captured in Technicolor photography, this rooftop number is a feast for the eyes and the ears.

“The Sound of Music” (1965)
Few musicals have the sweep and staying power of “The Sound of Music.” Although its mountainside title song and the catchy and often-remixed “My Favorite Things” are contenders for this list, “Do-Re-Mi” has everything that makes the movie so remarkable. It’s a simple, yet well-crafted song, shepherded by the luminous presence of star Julie Andrews as Maria, and featuring the most incredible images of Salzburg and the Austrian countryside. Maria’s song is meant to teach the von Trapp children to sing, and the result is entirely infectious. It feels like it’s inviting us to sing along, too.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
It’s impossible not to feel for doe-eyed country girl Dorothy Gale as she wonders what lies beyond the dull, sepia-toned repression of her Kansas farm. “Over the Rainbow” is the anthem of dreamers and social outcasts everywhere. It features no dancing and no distractions. It’s just Judy Garland doing what she does best. Not only did “The Wizard of Oz” earn a place in the hearts of moviegoers all over the world, it also cemented Garland as a Hollywood great. She was able to deliver powerhouse performances well into the latter half of career, with songs like “The Man That Got Away” showcasing her voice and talents as they matured. Still, nothing beats the child-like wonder and magic of her most famous song.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Director Busby Berkeley’s Geometric Patterns Wowed Depression-Era Audiences

Elvis’s Cell Block Number Is One of His Most Memorable On-Screen Moments

Fred Astaire’s Legendary Dance Abilities Are on Full Display

Gwen Verdon Reprises Her Broadway Role as the Seductive Lola

Audrey Hepburn’s Breathy & Captivating Rendition

“Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
MGM’s quintessential movie musical had what is probably one of the most difficult shoots of all-time. Donald O’Connor was hospitalized for several days after completing the physically-punishing number, “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Legendary song-and-dance man Gene Kelly was reportedly sick with a 103-degree fever as he filmed the title number. To make matters worse, he was constantly pelted with raindrops during filming. But you couldn’t tell from the absolute joy that radiates from the screen. He makes it all look effortless. If his eyes do look a little bleary, we can just chalk it up to how in love he is with Debbie Reynolds. Gene Kelly and his twirling umbrella have since become an everlasting symbol of the golden age of Hollywood musicals.