10 Underrated Movie Musical Numbers That Will Bring You Joy

Movie musicals forever!

I love a movie musical.

The singing and dancing, the fantastical and the realistic.

But sometimes the numbers that you love are the ones not everyone knows about.

So here are my favorite movie musical numbers that deserve attention:

1. "We Both Reached for the Gun," Chicago (2002)

Miramax

When everyone thinks of Chicago, they think "Cell Block Tango," but this is such a cool number. The dancing "puppets" in the back are incredible, but watching all those little character bits throughout the number and how they develop makes it stand above others.

2. "Love," Ziegfeld Follies (1945)

MGM

Lena Horne is transcendent in her number in this anthology musical film. The song is great, and she glides through this club as she sings it. It makes you want to download this song and listen to it over and over.

3. "Gee, Officer Krupke," West Side Story (2021)

20th Century Studios

Your perception of a number really can change based on how it's staged. In the 1961 film, it's out on the street, but seeing the Jets inside the precinct where they will be predestined to be spending lots of their time in is awesome.

4. "Fascinatin' Rhythm," Lady Be Good (1941)

MGM / Via makeagif.com

Oh my god, Eleanor Powell. There has not been a tap dancer on screen like her since. And you should definitely find as many of her routines as you can, especially "Begin the Beguine" with Fred Astaire.

5. Roller Skate Tap Dance, It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

MGM / Via tcm.tumblr.com

Gene Kelly tap dancing on roller skates. What else needs to be said? This was one of his last MGM musicals as the legendary unit was winding down and becoming less popular with audiences.

6. Dancing on the Ceiling, Royal Wedding (1951)

MGM / Via tenor.com

I talked about Gene, so now I gotta talk about Fred. When we think of Fred Astaire, we think of his partnership with Ginger Rogers where she did everything backwards and in heels. And they were great, but the numbers of his that always fascinated me were from his work in the '50s.

7. "Edgar's Prayer," Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

Lionsgate / Via tenor.com

I did not expect to ever see anything like this from Jamie Dornan, but here we are and it is fantastic. Barb and Star is such a fantastic comedy, so of course it's gonna have a musical number at some point.

8. "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," Sweet Charity (1969)

Universal Pictures / Via tumblr.com

Bob Fosse's directorial debut was this adaptation of the Broadway hit musical. And the song everyone knows from Sweet Charity is "Big Spender" but this one is killer. I want nothing more than to dance on a rooftop in New York alongside Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera, and Paula Kelly.

9. "The Boy Next Door," Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

MGM / Via tumblr.com

There are so many Judy Garland numbers that are iconic or underrated. I could have also chosen "The Trolley Song" from this same film, but this song sticks out to me because it's a simple love song, and sometimes those are the ones that command your attention.

10. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," This Is The End (2013)

Sony Pictures Releasing / Via gifer.com

I remember being in the theater and hitting the arm of whatever friend was sitting next to me when this song started the Backstreet Boys emerged from the crowd. Now this is how you end a movie.

11. "Jumpin' Jive," Stormy Weather (1943)

MGM / Via gfycat.com

Fred Astaire told the Nicholas Brothers that this was the greatest movie musical sequence he had ever seen. No one dances like the Nicholas Brothers, before or since. Just watch it and be amazed humans can do this because I don't think we'll see dancers do stuff like this again.

What underrated musical numbers do you love?