Summary

• Non-Disney animated musicals are diverse classics, deserving recognition for their box office success, critical praise, and artistic legacy.
• All Dogs Go To Heaven, Corpse Bride, and South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut are standout non-Disney animated musicals with unique stories and impact.
• Films like FernGully, The Road To El Dorado, Anastasia, Sing, An American Tail, and The Prince Of Egypt prove Disney doesn't monopolize animated musical excellence.

When considering the best animated the best musicals, and are deserving of some appreciation.

The following non-Disney animated musicals are considered the best due to a variety of factors. First and foremost, their box office performance is taken into . Several of the films on this list were or are the highest-grossing non-Disney animated musical. Furthermore, critical response is important. If the film has gone down in history as one of the best animated musicals around, then it is here. And finally, there are artistic choices and legacy. Many of the movies here are groundbreaking and entirely unforgettable. Since being released, they have become a staple of their genre, and pillars of childhood.

11 All Dogs Go To Heaven - 1989

Sullivan Bluth Studios

A non-Disney animated musical that has remained in the hearts of everyone who has watched it is All Dogs Go To Heaven. This 1989 film tells the story of Charlie, a dog casino owner who is unexpectedly killed by an evil villain named Carface. With the help of a magical, rewindable watch, Charlie returns to Earth from Heaven, intent on getting his revenge with the help of a young orphan girl. Notably, All Dogs Go To Heaven wasn't all that successful. Its reviews were fairly mixed and its box office performance was lackluster compared to Bluth's previous two films. However, this movie's response at home is what makes it stand out. After being released on home video, All Dogs Go To Heaven found the success it deserved. It earned several sequels and a place as an iconic animated musical.

All Dogs Go To Heaven starred Hollywood gem Burt Reynolds as Charlie.

10 Corpse Bride - 2005

Warner Bros.

An animated musical that falls on the spookier side is Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. This Halloween movie is watched over and over again during October, and for good reason. The film follows Victor, a young man who becomes betrothed to a woman named Victoria, who he quickly falls in love with. However, right before their wedding, Victor is sucked into the underworld by a corpse bride who insists that Victor marry her instead. As any Tim Burton movie does, this film's cast is filled with greats like Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Furthermore, music by Danny Elfman makes this score unforgettable. But the real reason why Corpse Bride is so memorable is because of its tone. It tells a darker story, but also a very heartfelt one. It's the type of movie that easily be enjoyed by both children and adults. And its macabre ambiance means that it has lasted, and will continue to last, for countless Halloweens to come.

9 South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut - 1999

Paramount Pictures & Warner Bros.

A non-Disney animated musical that audiences may have forgotten about, but shouldn't have, is South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. On its own, South Park is a series that remains iconic due to its trailblazing of the adult animation genre, therefore, it's no surprise that the movie version has its place among the best non-Disney animated musicals. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut grossed $83 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing Rated R animated film for nearly twenty years until it was eventually beat out in 2016. The film has garnered an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The movie also broke a world record for "Most Swearing in an Animated Movie." Though a sequel never came to be, this potent and hilarious film remains one of the best of its genre.

South Park continues to air new episodes due to a deal with Paramount+ which promised 14 television specials and 6 more seasons.

8 Rio - 2011

20th Century Studios

One movie that has had a more recent impact on the animated musical scene is Rio. The 2011 family adventure film follows a Spix's macaw named Blu who has lived as a pet in Minnesota all his life. However, when he and his prospective mate are kidnapped in Brazil, he has to use his natural instincts to escape. Namely, he must learn to fly. This is yet another non-Disney animated musical with a fantastic cast. Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, and even more are featured in this film.

Upon its release, Rio made a whopping $484 million at the box office, making it the 107th highest-grossing movie ever and the 13th highest-grossing film in 2011.

It was quickly picked up for a sequel, and as of 2022, Rio 3 is apparently in the works. Overall, Rio proved that a non-Disney movie in the new era could still make an incredible amount of money.

7 FernGully: The Last Rainforest - 1992

20th Century Studios

FernGully: The Last Rainforest follows a young fairy named Crysta, who discovers humans are real when a logging company arrives in her Australian rainforest. Things get complicated when Crysta shrinks a human boy down to her size, and the two discover the damage the company intends to do. FernGully: The Last Rainforest boasts a spectacular cast including Robin Williams, Tim Curry, and Christian Slater. The soundtrack is also incredibly effective, with songs performed by Curry and Elton John. But above all, FernGully stands out due to its message. Where Disney movies of the 1990s often focused on tales of romance, FernGully takes on human destruction of nature and ecology. This movie is distinct from others of its time and genre because it sets out to teach its audience about something important and continuously relevant. For this reason, FernGully: The Last Rainforest remains a notable animated musical.

6 The Road To El Dorado - 2000

DreamWorks

A non-Disney animated musical with one of the most unique concepts on this list is The Road to El Dorado. The 2000 film follows con men Tulio and Miguel who stumble upon a map to the legendary City of Gold. The men stow away on a ship and eventually find the City, however, they get into more trouble than expected. This is yet another movie that remains a pillar of many audiences' childhoods. It is ed as very funny, visually appealing, and an all-around great watching experience.

Therefore, it is interesting to find out that The Road to El Dorado was a box office bomb, earning only $76 million to its $95 million budget, Furthermore, critics found the movie to be lacking in emotion and scale.

Yet, The Road to El Dorado remains a widely loved movie, therefore, it only makes sense that it should be one of the best animated musicals. Through sheer memory, this movie has remained a beloved classic.

The Road to El Dorado's soundtrack was written by Elton John and Tim Rice, while the score was done by Hans Zimmer and John Powell.

5

4 Anastasia - 1997

20th Century Studios

Considering the fact that Anastasia is often mislabeled as a Disney movie, it only makes sense that this would fall among the best non-Disney animated musicals. Anastasia is an alternate history story following the Princess Anastasia Romanov who escapes a brutal attack on her family, but after hitting her head, loses her memory. Decades later, Anastasia, now known as Anya, s up with a pair of conmen to pretend to be the lost princess, and they soon realize they may have a real gem on their hands. Anastasia was a box office smash, earning $140 million on a $53 million budget. Its Rotten Tomatoes score rests at a strong 84%, with critics praising the story and the charming characters. If that wasn't all great enough, Anastasia has since been adapted into a successful Broadway musical.

Overall, Anastasia is proof that Disney is not the absolute king of animated princess stories.

3 Sing - 2016

Universal Pictures

The most modern non-Disney animated musical on this list is 2016's Sing. Notably, it is also the highest-grossing non-Disney animated musical at this current time, with a box office of $634 million. For comparison's sake, the highest-grossing animated film is 2019's Frozen II, which grossed $1.4 billion at the box office. But don't let those numbers overshadow the fact that Sing is still an incredibly notable animated musical. With a completely original plot following an ensemble of animals entering a singing competition, Sing showed that an animated musical can offer a fresh, non-magical concept that audiences would still love. Unsurprisingly, this film also has an incredible cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, and more. Sing is a great example of animated musicals succeeding even without the Disney title.

2 An American Tail - 1986

Universal Pictures

Speaking of animated musicals that have gone toe-to-toe with Disney, An American Tail was once the highest-grossing non-Disney animated musical of all time. The 1986 movie follows Fievel Mousekewitz, a mouse who is emigrating to America with family but gets lost at sea. With the help of some local characters, Fievel tries to reunite with his family in New York City.

With an $84 million box office, An American Tail blew several Disney films of that time out of the water, including the very similar movie, The Great Mouse Detective.

While this list is full of highly successful animated musicals, An American Tail was the very first to truly compete with Disney in a notable way. Its box office performance and its strong reviews proved to audiences that Disney is not the only animation company that can make a good animated musical.