The MoFo Top 100 Musicals Countdown

I did not vote for Moana, but I certainly considered it. The songs are great and I found I appreciated them more with repeat viewings/listening.

A Star is Born is a film I watched as part of preparation for this countdown and I thought it was very good. Judy Garland is really great.

I have only seen the Judy Garland version of A Star is Born and it is amazing. James Mason also makes that film and is genuinely believable as the washed up alcoholic and I think it's one of film's all time great performances. Also very few directors can do interplay and drama between strong willed and conflicted characters as well as George Cukor, who along with William Wyler might be one of the least appreciated great filmmakers who is not a "household" name among the likes of a John Ford, Orson Welles, or Alfred Hitchcock. I've heard stories that Cukor had a reputation as a "woman's director," and I believe he directed parts of Gone With the Wind too and had some run ins with Clark Gable, if memory holds. But A Star is Born is great and Garland and Mason play so well of each other that I can't imagine any other version of the story being anything but a lesser rendition of the gold standard.

For those reasons, A Star is Born, made my list at number 19.

So far... unless I forgot or missed one, my picks that made the countdown:

19. A Star is Born
21. Easter Parade
22. 42nd Street
25. The Smiling Lieutenant

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Epic tale with a good balance of Drama, Mystery, Adventure, Comedy, song, dance and breathtaking animation. Moana was my #17.
A Star Is Born is super classic, expected it to place a bit higher. Haven't seen it since I was a kid though so no vote.

SEEN 13/34
BALLOT 3/25



25. Anastasia (1997)
19. Purple Rain (1984)
17. Moana (2016)

Yep, and I have zero interest in getting in a fight over what constitutes a musical and what doesn't... I think the MoFo rules said three musical numbers. Help me if I'm wrong on that, so if that's the case, I accept it for the countdown and think it should be on the list as it's a great great film. But for my list I didn't include it as I generally don't categorize as a musical despite having some great musical moments... just like I wouldn't consider Rio Bravo to be a musical, despite having one of the most iconic musical interludes in film history.

Seen 15/34. Maybe 16. Can't remember if I ever saw O Brother in its entirety.


7. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - #96
8. Into the Woods (2014) - #86
12. West Side Story (2021) - #90
16. Rocketman (2019) - #91
20. Funny Girl (1968) - #77
22. A Star Is Born (1954) - #67
25. Commentary! The Musical (2008) - One-pointer


I would've rather voted for the original A Star Is Born but there was some issue about "not having any songs in it."

Moana was my 12! It's the best post 2000s Disney flick for me.

I'm shocked that A Star is Born didn't crack the top 50 although I have not seen it.

I go back and forth on Moana. Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't, but I've never loved it. If I had stuck with my original intention of not doing any preparation for this countdown, I probably would've voted for it. But I did prepare and it eventually got cut.

I don't think I've seen A Star is Born and I don't particularly want to see it.

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Moana is fine and has some really good scenes and songs, but overall I’m not a fan. There’s a lot I don’t like about it and it feels quite uneven and tonally weird and wobbly structured.

I have seen A Star is Born although not that version… if it’s anything like the newest version I don’t really see it as a musical so even if I saw and liked this I wouldn’t vote for it.

I voted for A Star is Born, and I must like the story because I threw other votes at it, including the 1937 version which I forgot wasn't a musical and therefore didn't count.

I don't believe I've seen Moana although it looks familiar.

5. Charlotte's Web (#79)
17. Calamity Jane (#84)
21. A Star is Born 1954 (#67)
25. 42nd Street (#76)

The 1954 has the most musical genre vibe. The lead character is an actress that stars in musicals so you get actual "numbers".

A Star is Born (1954) was #22 on my ballot. I guess I didn't right anything about it, but I was impressed with it.

Moana, I don't care about Disney or their movies, so no votes.

I haven't seen Moana. A Star is Born is very good, but it didn't make my ballot.

Lol, this made me laugh. Also, only one animated film made my list and it's not a Disney film.

I have one Disney movie on my ballot (and Miss Vicky gave a legitimate Disney movie that I would have probably put on my list if it had crossed my mind), but outside of those two films and some vague childhood nostalgia for The Black Cauldron (never revisited as an adult and for this countdown. not a musical), I don't recall having any interest in Disney animated films. Partly due to the era I grew up, I guess.


Never have had much desire to see any version of A Star is Born.

That makes sense and the remakes don't interest me much as the 1954 version is so good and I can't see a film version of this without Judy Garland as just a lesser copy. I don't know why the story has become such an institution.

Moana was my #13. I love the film, not only because of the musical numbers, but they do factor into that highly. From the beautiful tunes of "How Far I'll Go" or the earworm of "You're Welcome" to the funky catchiness of "Shiny" or the more Polynesian flavor from the tunes written by Opetaia Foa'i (who I already knew because I was a fan of his band, Te Vaka, before this came up), it's all banger after banger. I know Frozen's "Let It Go" is the one that really hit big, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the soundtrack I just can't let go.

I haven't seen any version of A Star Is Born, but I've heard this one is probably the best or second best.


SEEN: 7/34
MY BALLOT: 2/25

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I know "You're Welcome" will probably get the most thumbs up, but this is the one that always sticks with me the most.



As usual, Jermaine Clement is killing it.

I saw Moana in the theater one snowy day when I arrived for massage school only to find that they'd done a half-day delay. It was such a pleasant surprise. I think that the songs are all really strong, as are the vocal performances. I like the look of it. All around just a really solid film.

Two things about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers:

1) The man who directed it had five wives! FIVE!

2) I had literally just finished a unit with my students about slavery. In the middle of class, some high schoolers come in and ask if they can talk to the class about the musical they're putting on. They describe the plot of the play. EVERY CHILD TURNS AND LOOKS AT ME. One student raises her hand and goes, "BUT---" and I was like "Thank you so much for coming to share, I'm sure there could be some interesting discussions about that play".

Anyway, I support your decision to avoid. It's a fantasy about a group of men kidnapping women because they read a myth literally about rape and thought "That's a good idea!". The dancing/production is great. I hated every character and the whole concept. It was played all the time on TV when I was a kid. A few years ago I decided to give it a fair shake and watch it beginning to end and it just confirmed the poor impression it had made all the times I caught it on TV.

“You’re Welcome “ is the only thing I remember about Moana