The following listing (in multiple parts) was an attempt to compile a collection of many of the greatest song and dance moments in film history. Any of the great musical moment were often accompanied by a well-staged production number, a lavish set, or a great memorable tune. Though the list appears to be dominated by musicals, other genres were examined and included.

Those that are exceptional examples of the development of song/dance are marked with this symbol:

AFI's 25 Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time are marked with an icon and their ranking number (#)

Eligibility: One of the list's criteria was that songs had to be sung by the characters. Therefore, these well-known songs were considered ineligible, among many others: High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin) in High Noon (1952), Born to Be Wild in Easy Rider (1969), Goldfinger in Goldfinger (1964), Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel in The Graduate (1967), Gonna Fly Now in Rocky (1976), Everybody's Talkin' in Midnight Cowboy (1969), Up Where We Belong in An Officer And A Gentleman (1982), Born Free from Born Free (1966), Wind Beneath My Wings in Beaches (1988), Unchained Melody in Ghost (1990), In Your Eyes in Say Anything... (1989), The Power of Love in Back to the Future (1985), and My Heart Will Go On in Titanic (1997). Soundtrack or score songs were also not eligible (i.e., 9 to 5, performed by Dolly Parton in 9 to 5 (1980), even though Parton was a character in the film). Also, film themes were not eligible (i.e., Jaws, Tara's Theme, Arthur's Theme, The Theme from Shaft, etc.).

Animated films (or puppet films, such as the Muppets) with songs/dances, and dance sequences with memorable music, such as the iconic Bee Gee's songs in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Flashdance - What A Feeling in Flashdance (1983) were exceptions to the general rule.

Another point of reference for this kind of material may be found in the AFI's selections of 100 Years...100 Songs and in this site's genre writeup of "Musical Films".