Musicals aren’t easy to watch. They’re old fashioned, not something you see every day. Music can at times feel like it impedes a story line. A song and dance number takes valuable time from the show. Which begs us to ask the question, can music be the storyteller in a film? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. We have seen music tell a visual story for decades. Musicals were the biggest blockbusters for years. Fred Astaire, Bill Crosby, Julie Andrews, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Beyoncé have all done magical musicals that tell beautiful stories. When we listen to music, it makes us confront our feelings. The same can be said of a good movie. It makes you feel the emotions of the characters but also gives you an emotional reaction based on how you perceive the story. When you put these two methods of storytelling together, it can truly be brilliant. So here are my top 10 musicals of all time. Happy watching.

1. Holiday Inn (1942)

Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale wow in this seasonal musical. Jim Hardy, played by Crosby, is a singer who’s friends with Ted Hanover, played by Astaire, a dancer. They decided that they’re sick of their nightly song and dance routine and come up with the crazy idea to open an inn. This inn is only going to be open on holidays. The Holiday Inn becomes wildly successful. The film is full of holiday themed song and dance numbers. With music by Irving Berlin, this film is full of musical gems. The thing that makes this film unique is not just the songs but the sets and the dances that go along with the music. Each themed dance number is enthralling and the storyline that runs through these musical numbers is still funny and engaging. It’s perfect to watch on any holiday, especially the less celebrated ones.

2. Meet me in St. Louis (194)

This film follows the Smith family as they make the difficult decision whether or not to move from their beloved St. Louis to New York. The movie starts Judy Garland. She wows as Esther Smith, a young girl looking for love. The film takes the "a year in the life" perspective. It's full of fun songs, beautiful sets and amazing storylines. It's the perfect feel-good musical. It has just the right mix of song and storyline, which is hard to come by. The movie embodies family, love and growing up. It's very rare to find a film that is enjoyable for every generation. Watch this film with your grandma, mom or little siblings and enjoy some family time.

3. White Christmas (1954)

This film stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kay, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. This film follows a successful song- and dance-team (Crosby and Kay) who fall for the girls in a sister act. It’s set in showbiz like many musicals of its time. However, what makes this film different is the modern notion of building your own family. This film was way before its time. It’s magical tap routines and classic songs will keep your spirits up. It’s the perfect film to watch with your family at Christmas.

4. Mary Poppins (1964)

Now if you haven’t seen this movie, what did you do as a child? It combines fantasy and song into the perfect childhood. Mary Poppins, played by Julie Andrews, is the odd nanny who comes to turn two spoiled little children’s lives around. Through her magical never-ending carpet bag and her fun cleaning routines, Mary Poppins turns the children’s attitudes around. She doesn’t do it alone though. She has her trusty chimney sweep, Bert, played by Dick Van Dyke. This is the ultimate childhood musical. It’s perfect to watch next time you babysit, especially since those kids should see it too.

5. My Fair Lady (1964)

"My Fair Lady" is the classic rags to riches story. It stars Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Hepburn plays a street girl who sells flowers to make ends meet. Harrison is a wealthy speech pathologist who makes the claim that he can turn Hepburn's character, Eliza Doolittle, into a society lady. Not only does he complete his mission, but he falls in love with Ms. Doolittle. The film has amazing fashion and sets. It really showcases the costumes and the high society luxury of the time. It's a must see film if you love Hepburn or fashion.

6. The Sound of Music (1965)

This film again stars the wonderful Julie Andrews. She plays Maria, a young girl whose debating whether or not to become a nun. She knows that becoming a nun doesn’t feel quite right. So the nuns find her an alternative, she becomes the nanny to a naval officer’s eight children. The film is set right before the Holocaust begins in Austria. While the children give their new governess a hard time at first, they eventually fall in love with her. This is a classic film that incorporates history into personal life. It shows how the Holocaust affected a real family. This is the perfect film to watch when you have some free time during the week. It’s a great way see how history affected individual families.

7. Hello Dolly (1969)

"Hello Dolly" was filmed right before the hippie days. It stars Barbara Streisand as Dolly, a crazy carefree matchmaker who falls for one of her clients. The film is set in the early 1900s. It’s funny and witty. It’s one of Streisand’s best movies. Her performance is incredible. She really carries the whole movie. The film is almost entirely comprised of song and a few dance scenes. I love crazy, obnoxious, outrageous characters and Dolly fits the bill perfectly. If you need something to perk up your day, "Hello Dolly" it is!

8. Grease (1978)

"Grease" is one of the most famous musicals of our generation. It's about modern high school love. Danny, played by John Travolta, and Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John, fall in love while they're both away for the summer. They don't think they'll ever see each other again, but then Sandy ends up attending Danny's high school. The film is filled with an amazing supporting cast. It also covers some controversial issues of the time, like getting pregnant in high school. It's a crazy fun film to watch with your girlfriends on a girls' night.

9. Mamma Mia! (2008)

This is such a great movie. It’s a true musical where the characters express themselves through song. More than half of the film is in song. The film reworks songs by ABBA. It stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth. Seyfried plays Sophie who's a young woman getting married to her boyfriend. Streep plays her mother who’s skeptical of the wedding. They sing and dance through their wedding weekend. I love this film because it’s truly a modern musical. The characters just break into song. Yet, it’s set in modern times. This is the perfect movie to watch if you want to sing along to some ABBA and enjoy a carefree movie.

10. Burlesque (2010)

I know what you may be thinking, this isn’t the original burlesque. However, I love this version of burlesque. In my opinion, it’s a new classic. I’m not always a fan of remakes, but this is one of my favorites. Cher and Christina Aguilera star as burlesque dancers. Aguilera plays Ali a young woman who just moved to LA and falls in love with the art of burlesque. Cher plays Tess the club owner who’s struggling to make ends meet. The film has an amazing storyline which is accompanied by amazing dance numbers. Aguilera and Cher are accompanied by Julianne Hough, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Dianna Agron, Eric Dane, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher and Cam Gigandet. It’s an all-star cast. I love this musical because it really focuses on the passion that it takes to be an amazing singer or dancer. This is the perfect musical to watch with a couple cocktails at your next girl’s night.

Now get to watching!