Groovy Tunes And Far Out Films: Music Movies From The 1960s

By WatchListHQSeptember 8, 2025
The 1960s was a transformative time for music, with the rise of rock and roll, folk, and other genres that continue to influence artists today. This era also saw the release of many iconic music movies that showcased the talents of legendary musicians and featured soundtracks that have become ingrained in popular culture.

From the charming musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein to the psychedelic animations of the late 1960s, these films not only reflected the musical tastes of the time but also helped shape the course of music history. Many of these movies have become beloved classics, with memorable songs, colorful characters, and stories that continue to captivate audiences of all ages.

The music movies of the 1960s were often more than just entertaining films - they were also cultural touchstones that captured the spirit of an era. Whether it was the irreverent humor of the Monkees, the charming romance of My Fair Lady, or the psychedelic fantasy of Yellow Submarine, these movies helped define the decade's musical landscape and continue to inspire new generations of music lovers.

In this curated list of music movies from the 1960s, we've gathered some of the most iconic, influential, and downright fun films of the era. So sit back, relax, and get ready to groove to the sounds of a bygone era. With their catchy tunes, colorful characters, and nostalgic charm, these movies are sure to delight both music fans and film enthusiasts alike.
The Sound of Music
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The Sound of Music

#1

In the years before the Second World War, a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey is hired as a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.

1965174 min
DramaFamilyMusic
7.7
3437 votes
The Music Man
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The Music Man

#2

Traveling con artist Harold Hill targets the naïve residents of a small town in 1910s Iowa by posing as a boys' bandleader to raise money before he can skip town.

1962151 min
ComedyFamilyMusic
7.1
184 votes
My Fair Lady
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My Fair Lady

#3

A snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society.

1964170 min
MusicComedyRomance
7.5
1367 votes
Blue Hawaii
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Blue Hawaii

#4

Chad Gates has just been discharged from the Army, and is happy to be back in Hawaii with his surf-board, his beach buddies and his girlfriend.

1961102 min
MusicComedyRomance
5.9
139 votes
Robin and the 7 Hoods
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Robin and the 7 Hoods

#5

Set in Prohibition era Chicago, bootlegger Robbo and his cronies refuse to pay the greedy Guy Gisborne a cut of their profits after Guy shoots mob boss Big Jim and takes over. When Big Jim's daughter, Marian, gives Robbo a large sum, believing he has avenged her father's death, the gangster donates to an orphanage, cementing his reputation as a softhearted hood.

1964123 min
MusicComedyCrime
6.1
71 votes
Doctor Dolittle
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Doctor Dolittle

#6

A veterinarian who can communicate with animals travels abroad to search for a giant sea snail.

1967151 min
MusicFamilyComedy
6.2
190 votes
Fun in Acapulco
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Fun in Acapulco

#7

Mike Windgren works on a boat in Acapulco, but when the bratty daughter of the boat owner gets him fired, Mike finds new work as a lifeguard and singer at a local hotel. Tensions increase when Mike runs into the rival lifeguard—who is also the champion diver of Mexico.

196397 min
MusicComedyRomance
5.9
82 votes
Gypsy
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Gypsy

#8

Gypsy's mother Rose dreams of a life in show business for her daughters, but Louise becomes a huge burlesque star. Stage musical loosely based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee.

1962143 min
ComedyDramaMusic
6.4
73 votes
Thoroughly Modern Millie
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Thoroughly Modern Millie

#9

Millie Dillmount, a fearless young lady fresh from Salina, Kansas, determined to experience Life, sets out to see the world in the rip-roaring Twenties. With high spirits and wearing one of those new high hemlines, she arrives in New York to test the "modern" ideas she had been reading about back in Kansas: "I've taken the girl out of Kansas. Now I have to take Kansas out of the girl!"

1967152 min
ComedyMusicRomance
6.9
90 votes
A Hard Day's Night
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A Hard Day's Night

#10

Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, 'A Hard Day's Night' is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.

196488 min
ComedyMusic
7.3
706 votes
Help!
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Help!

#11

An obscure Eastern cult that practices human sacrifice pursues Ringo after he unknowingly puts on a ceremonial ring (that, of course, won't come off). On top of that, a pair of mad scientists, members of Scotland Yard, and a beautiful but dead-eyed assassin all have their own plans for the Fab Four.

196592 min
ComedyMusicAdventure
6.8
335 votes
Yellow Submarine
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Yellow Submarine

#12

The wicked Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, eliminating all color and music. As the only survivor, the Lord Admiral escapes in the yellow submarine and journeys to Liverpool to enlist the help of the Beatles.

196889 min
MusicAnimationAdventure
7.1
526 votes
Head
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Head

#13

In this surrealistic and free-form follow-up to the Monkees' television show, the band frolic their way through a series of musical set pieces and vignettes containing humor and anti-establishment social commentary.

196886 min
ComedyMusic
6.2
93 votes
G.I. Blues
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G.I. Blues

#14

Stationed in West Germany, soldier Tulsa McLean hopes to open up a nightclub when he gets out of the army. Tulsa may lack the capital for such a venture, but a chance to raise the cash comes his way through a friendly wager. Local dancer Lili (Juliet Prowse) is a notorious ice queen, and Tulsa bets everything he has that a friend of his can earn her affections. But, when that friend is dispatched to Alaska, it's up to Tulsa to melt Lili's heart.

1960104 min
MusicComedyRomance
6.5
74 votes
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

#15

A hapless inventor finally finds success with a flying car, which a dictator from a foreign government sets out to take for himself.

1968144 min
FamilyMusicAdventure
6.8
702 votes
Camelot
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Camelot

#16

The plot of his illegitimate son Mordred to gain the throne, and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, threatens to topple King Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights.

1967180 min
AdventureMusicRomance
6.2
71 votes
Paint Your Wagon
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Paint Your Wagon

#17

A Michigan farmer and a prospector form a partnership in the California gold country. Their adventures include buying and sharing a wife, hijacking a stage, kidnapping six prostitutes, and turning their mining camp into a boom town. Along the way there is plenty of drinking, gambling, and singing. They even find time to do some creative gold mining.

1969164 min
ComedyWesternMusic
6.4
261 votes