Top 20 Catchiest Songs from Classic Movie Musicals

let's start at the very beginning a very good place to start welcome to ms mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 catchiest songs from classic movie musicals [Music] stands for [Music] for this list we'll be looking at those classic ear worms that you just can't get out of your head we'll be leaving out songs from animated musicals since those could have their own list [Music] if we missed any of your favorite tunes let us know in the comments below number 20 stepping out with my baby easter parade if i seem too scented late it's because i've got a date a date with a package of the good things that come with love picture it fred astaire the white suit top hat dancing on the stairs it's an iconic image and an even more iconic song i'm stepping out with my baby can't go wrong cause i'm in right it's for sure not for maybe that i'm all dressed up tonight stepping out with my baby is a song from the 1948 musical easter parade starring astaire and judy garland with music by irving berlin not only was it the highest grossing musical movie of that year but it also gave us some of the catchiest tunes berlin has ever written including this one [Music] the song was later made re-famous by tony bennett but we love a stairs version with its big band orchestration electric tap number and that signature rhythmic astaire flare he makes it look like smooth sailing [Music] indeed number 19 i could have danced all night my fair lady bed bed i couldn't go to bed my head's too light to try to set it down has there ever been a catchier more joyful declaration of happiness if you ask us learner and low really know how to write about having a crush when professor henry higgins takes in ragamuffin eliza doolittle he's determined to teach her how to speak properly ridding her of her cockney accent as she learns more the two get closer sharing an impromptu dance one night and well you know the rest [Music] this is a tune you can't help but sing along to the jubilance of the moment radiates out of the melody rising and falling as eliza proclaims her weightlessness and happiness sung by marnie nixon who dubbed audrey hepburn's singing voice it's joy personified and there's nothing catchier than that [Music] [Music] number 18 chitty chitty bang bang chitty chitty bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang boom who would have thought a song about a flying car could be so darn catchy the movie chitty chitty bang bang stars dick van dyke a man who buys an old car for his kids and fixes it up all the while making up fantastical stories about it the car affectionately named chitty chitty bang bang is so beloved by the family they create a song about it part of the reason this tune is so catchy is due to its utter simplicity the lyrics the melody it's all easy to sing easy to remember and easy to love oh you pretty chitty bang bang bang bang we love you apparently the academy thought so too and the song was even nominated for an oscar chitty chitty bang bang we love you indeed [Music] new york new york on the town in what might be the catchiest opening number of all time in 1949's on the town three sailors played by gene kelly frank sinatra and jules munchen head to the big apple for 24-hour leave not to be mistaken for sinatra's other famous tune about the city new york new york was written by betty comden adolph green and the great leonard bernstein gotta see the whole town right from yonkers on down to the bay in just one day new york new york the wonderful town as the three sailors galavant around the city riding horses bikes and seeing the sights their glee is palpable the swinging feel of the music only lends to that glee and by the time they hit the last it's a wonderful town you'll be singing right along with them it's a wonderful time number 16 diamonds are a girl's best friend gentlemen prefer blondes the french [Music] talk to us harry winston tell us all about it when you think marilyn monroe you think diamonds are a girl's best friend a kiss on the hand [Music] in this 1953 movie musical monroe plays lorelei an engaged woman whose fiance and fiance's father are suspicious of her behavior and they hire a pi to follow her on a trip to paris when she arrives she finds her credit has been cancelled so she and her friend dorothy become showgirls at a club to get by but squid [Music] she sings this high energy sensual number at the club and nearly everything about it is remarkable from monroe's inimitable breathy tone to the easily hummable tune this one will get your foot tapping best friend [Music] number 15 don't rain on my parade funny girl don't tell me not to live just sitting butter life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade [Music] we've talked a lot about joyful songs on this list so far but does it get sunnier than don't rain on my parade based on the life of broadway star fanny bryce funny girl stars barbara streisand as the titular character and became an iconic role for the actress of course an iconic role needs an iconic song and that's where don't rain on my parade comes in fanny sings the song when she decides to marry nikki ornstein and the song is a strong and brash declaration of love and intent [Music] you can't help but scream this one to the rafters and when streisand sings it you get the impression that nothing is gonna stop her not even a spot of rain number 14 sit down you're rocking the boat guys and dolls i dreamed last night i got on the boat to heaven and by some chance i had brought my dice along 1955's guys and dolls is filled with plenty of snappy tunes how could we forget marlon brando's rendition of luck be a lady lucky if you've ever been a lady to begin with luck be a lady tonight but for this entry we have to go with the unforgettable sit down you're rocking the boat this particular tune brings a special brand of lightheartedness and humor to an already delightful film when the gamblers are asked to repent for their sins one gambler nicely retells a wild dream he had the night before where he was convinced to give up his gambling ways and the devil will drag you under for the fancy tie round your wicked throat sit down sit down sit down sit down sit down thus the number begins pairing sweet and plaintive verses from nicely with jumpy upbeat choruses with the entirety of the gambling chorus seriously if you don't sing along you're the one rocking the boat sit down [Music] number 13 the trolley song meet me in saint louis [Applause] [Music] it's an easy enough tune to remember just make the sounds a trolley makes meet me in st louis stars judy garland and follows the smith family over the course of a year many as standard originated in this film all of them sung beautifully by garland and her signature voice but nothing is quite as toe tappingly catchy as the trolley song with my high starch collar and my high top shoes and my hair piled high up on my head i went to lose a jolly hour on the trolley and lost my heart instead what makes this tune so memorable isn't just the chug chug or clang clang of the trolley but garland's gorgeous voice as she warbles about being in love the song was even nominated for an academy award but unfortunately lost out no worries it's a winner in our hearts [Music] [Applause] number 12. do-ray me the sound of music let's start at the very beginning a very good place to start when you read you begin with abc when you sing you begin with do re me it would be pretty difficult not to include the song that makes up all the songs on this list of course we love julie andrews rendition of my favorite things who doesn't love schnitzel with noodles brown paper package is tied up with strings these are a few of my favorite things but don't raymie is the most memorable song from this musical classic [Music] in the film maria played by andrews uses do remy to teach the von trapp children how to sing and in doing so she also taught all of us [Music] in addition to the song being an absolute ear worm it's hard to forget the amazingly gorgeous backdrop that accompanies the von trapp family as they prance around singing at the top of their lungs the hills are alive indeed number eleven ease on down the road the whiz [Music] we'll get to the movie that came before the 70s cult classic later on but for now let's focus on this groovy hit the wiz is a musical based on lfrank baum's the wonderful wizard of oz featuring an all-black cast and starring the diana ross as dorothy a teacher from new york who somehow transported to oz this incredibly catchy tune comes after she meets the scarecrow played by michael jackson and they find themselves traveling down the famed yellow brick road they proceed to do just what the song says he's on down the road the beat the orchestrations it's all so fun and snappy it's impossible not to dance right down that road alongside him [Laughter] [Applause] number 10 we're off to see the wizard the wizard of oz the wonderful wizard of oz moving right along to another great song for the road the wizard of oz is famous for many reasons whether it be the amazing songs or the stunning use of technicolor but our favorite moment has to be each and every time this jaunty tune plays whenever a new friend joins dorothy on her journey they burst into this gleeful song and skip down the road to their destination [Music] it's become such a standard and has been covered by everyone from mitch miller to alvin and the chipmunks and it's easy to see why the words have become so ingrained into our heads and many a family has probably been annoyed by someone whipping this one out on a road trip [Music] [Applause] number nine if i were a rich man fiddler on the roof if i were a rich man [Music] all day long i betty pitted them if i were a wealthy man you know you've made it into the catchy song canon when you inspire a gwen stefani hit fiddler on the roof follows the life of tevye a jewish man living in imperial russia in the early 1900s and his daughter's marriage prospects this song comes rather early in the story and features tevye reflecting on his life and what he might be able to do if he just had a little more dough i see my wife my golden looking like a rich man's wife with a proper double chin the song has long sequences of lilting chants which you can hear on gwen stefani's rich girl as well and funnily enough those moments without words are the most memorable and catchy of all [Music] seriously who among us hasn't daydreamed about being rich and let out a little bibby divvy dumb [Music] willy wonka and the chocolate factory i've got a perfect puzzle for you if you are wise you'll listen to me while far from the best song in this 1971 classic you can't deny the oompa loompa theme song get stuck in your head like no other starring gene wilder as the candy man himself willy wonka and the chocolate factory is filled with many strange fantastical sometimes horrifying sights who could forget the sight of violet blowing up into a blueberry gum chewing skin when it's once in a while it stops you from smoking and brightens your smile but the most memorable image of all has to be wonka's small workmen the oompa loompas with orange skin and green hair they work hard and warn you of the perils of the factory through song if those kids were smart they would have listened to the oompa loompas and gotten out you will live in happiness too [Music] like seven consider yourself oliver consider yourself at home consider yourself one of the family we'll get to more singing orphans later on this list but for now let's start with the breads we'd be remiss not to mention this musical's opening number food glorious food is an ode to eating for the ages [Music] but the catchiest number in oliver comes from none other than the artful dodger himself when oliver finds himself out on the street and arrives in london he meets dodger another orphan who takes poor oliver in there [Music] to teach him the ropes and welcome him with open arms he sings consider yourself a brassy showy number sung in that signature accent with dirt on his nose and a top hat on his head dodger is an unforgettable mentor and this is an unforgettable song number six it's the hard knock life annie [Music] and now on to more singing orphans but this time girls and this time in new york when we think of this movie we no doubt think partly of carol burnett tim curry and bernadette peters squawking out easy street in their signature brassy tones [Applause] [Music] but we've got to give it to the little girls themselves for this one [Music] taking place while the girls clean up the orphanage it's the hard knock life has such an indelible tune and for its angry harsh lyrics has a sort of joy to it there's something to be said for how much fun you can have while screaming at the top of your of the lungs building number five i got rhythm an american in paris [Music] i got music i got my gal who could ask for anything more it's hard to imagine a more fun time than tap dancing with gene kelly and during the scene in an american in paris these cute kids are definitely having the time of their lives [Music] in this 1951 musical classic kelly plays a world war ii vet trying to become a painter in the city of lights this song doesn't have much to do with the plot kelly's character just sings with some french kids on his way home but for such a simple idea it sure has remained in our consciousness for all these years the song was so popular it went on to serve as the foundation for numerous other famous songs as kelly says who could ask for anything [Applause] [Music] more who could ask for anything more number four you're the one that i want grease i got juice they're multiplying greece is filled with so many catchy tunes it was hard to pick just one we could have gone with the rocking grease lightning [Music] or the reminiscing fun of summer nights [Music] but you're the one that i want is definitely the one that we want towards the end of greece sandy played by olivia newton john decides she's going to take matters into her own hands and impress danny played by john travolta and boy does she from that classic black ensemble to that iconic opening line to the fun and jazzy everything about this song makes it impossible not to sing along number three supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mary poppins it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious be honest how many times have you tried to spell this if you're anything like us it was always stuck in your head so probably a lot mary poppins was an instant classic and certified julie andrews as a star and an oscar winner there were plenty of songs we could have gone with the lovely and healing spoonful of sugar comes to mind a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down the medicine go down medicine go down but there was no other choice than this mouthful of a tuner and even though the sound of it does sound something quite atrocious the wackiness of the number made it an instant hit for kids and adults alike it's so fun and so ridiculous it makes us forget about dick van dyke's cockney accent well almost number two singing in the rain singing in the rain you're singing what a glorious [Music] we've got another gene kelly entry ladies and gents singing in the rain came out in 1952 and while it was only mildly successful then it's since become a classic and much of that success is due to the three talents at its helm kelly debbie reynolds and donald o'connor while o'connor's make him laugh never fails to get us laughing make him laugh make him laugh don't you know everyone wants to laugh and good morning is a spectacular dancing achievement for all three actors nothing beats kelly's sublime titular [Music] number i'm happy again [Music] as he swings himself around the street getting soaking wet in the process the pleasure and delight in his voice and his movements are infectious what a glorious feeling indeed [Applause] before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one america west side story puerto rico my heart's devotion let it sink back in the ocean leonard bernstein and stephen sondheim's masterpiece musical west side story was made into a film and released in 1961 two amazing results it's hard to pick a single most memorable moment from the film the dancing is sublime and natalie wood's exuberance during i feel pretty will never be forgotten i feel pretty oh so pretty i feel pretty and witty and gay but we had to pick a song that captured it all the dancing the singing and the iconography the only choice is america a number where rita moreno's anita and george shakira's bernardo argue about the pros and cons of being an immigrant in the states everywhere crime in america organized crime in america terrible time in america you forget i'm in america moreno is unforgettable and electric in this scene and the latin inspired music and humorous though cutting lyrics make this song one for the ages do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from msmojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos you

Channel: MsMojo

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Keywords: catchiest songs from classic film musicals, movie musical songs, film musical songs, songs from movie musicals, songs from movies, movie musical showtunes, west side story, singin in the rain, mary poppins, grease, an american in paris, annie, oliver, willy wonka and the chocolate factory, fiddler on the roof, the wizard of oz, music, film, musical, watchMojo, watch mojo, mojo, top 10, list, msmojo

Id: 97iWhv3Iw_Q

Length: 28min 24sec (1704 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 20 2021