Channel 4 viewers love Grease

Channel 4 viewers have voted feelgood rock’n’roll love story Grease as their favourite musical.

The 1978 movie, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, topped a Channel 4 poll to find the 100 Greatest Musicals.

It pipped Christmas classics such The Sound Of Music and The Wizard Of Oz to the title as the station counted down the favourites in a TV special tonight.

Grease was the movie of the summer in the year of its release and its songs became ingrained in the minds of music fans by spawning a string of hit singles.

Two songs, Summer Nights and You’re The One That I Want, went to number one and spent a combined total of 16 weeks at the top of the charts.

Other hits included Hopelessly Devoted To You, Greased Lightnin’ and the title track, sung by Frankie Valli.

The film was based on the hugely successful Broadway musical set in Rydell High School in the 1950s with Sandy (Newton-John) having to ditch her strait-laced image to win her man Danny (Travolta).

Along the way the T-Birds and Pink Ladies are involved in spectacular scenes of dancing, car races and the climactic performance of You’re The One That I Want, with Travolta mesmerised by Newton-John’s transformation into a wild chick.

Grease is one of only three films from the past quarter century that makes it into the top 10.

Julie Andrews is clearly the queen of the musicals, with two of her films in the top five.

Her enduring The Sound Of Music is runner-up in the list, while Mary Poppins comes in at number five.

Another of her major musicals, Thoroughly Modern Millie, is at number 51.

The most recent film in the top ten is Chicago, made in 2002, which proved to be an Oscar hit earlier this year, winning six awards including best film.

It made eighth place.

Unusual entries in the list include an all-singing edition of Buffy The Vampire Slayer at number 13.

And rapper Eminem – hardly the first name to be conjured up with the thought of a musical – is at number 40 with his autobiographical movie 8 Mile.

The two-part 100 Greatest Musicals countdown was broadcast on St Stephen's Day and wound up tonight and featured interviews with many of the stars.

Jonathon Holmes, the programme’s senior producer, said: “I think everyone will be surprised at the musicals that the public have chosen as their top ten of all time and in particular that Grease, a modern-day classic, got the number one spot and not an old favourite like Singin’ In The Rain.

“But then again who doesn’t know all the words to hits like You’re The One That I Want and Summer Lovin’?

“The real thrill for me, however, was meeting all the Hollywood legends from the golden age of musicals – Jane Russell, Ann Miller, Esther Williams – to name just a few.

“It is fantastic to see that their work has stood the test of time and still appeals to audiences of all ages up to 50 years after the originals were made.”

Nominees were posted on the Channel 4 website (at www.channel4.com/musicals) and the final order was decided with a month of voting by the public.

The 100 greatest musicals (first 20 with dates):

1. Grease (1978)

2. The Sound Of Music (1965)

3. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

4. West Side Story (1961)

5. Mary Poppins (1964)

6. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

8. Chicago (2002)

9. Oliver (1968)

10. Moulin Rouge (2001)

11. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

12. My Fair Lady (1964)

13. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (2002)

14. The Lion King (1994)

15. Les Miserables (1985)

16. Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

17. Cabaret (1972)

18. Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1997)

19. Bugsy Malone (1976)

20. Phantom Of The Opera (1986)

21. Little Shop Of Horrors

22. Evita

23. The King And I

24. The Blues Brothers

25. Calamity Jane

26. Annie

27. Jungle Book

28. Jesus Christ Super Star

29. Fame

30. Cats

31. Blood Brothers

32. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

33. Fiddler On The Roof

34. High Society

35. Oklahoma

36. Guys And Dolls

37. White Christmas

38. Nightmare Before Christmas

39. South Pacific.

40. 8 Mile

41. Carousel

42. Starlight Express

43. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

44. Tommy

45. A Star Is Born (Judy Garland)

46. Chorus Line

47. Summer Holiday

48. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

49. Muppets Take Manhattan

50. Hello Dolly

51. Thoroughly Modern Millie

52. Carmen Jones

53. Cinderella

54. On The Town

55. Hair

56. Meet Me In St Louis

57. Paint Your Wagon

58. American In Paris

59. Funny Girl

60. Top Hat

61. Scrooge

62. Sweet Charity

63. Jailhouse Rock

64. Easter Parade

65. The Jazz Singer

66. Gypsy

67. Doctor Dolittle

68. Kiss Me Kate

69. The Producers

70. Gigi

71. Show Boat

72. Godspell

73. Half A Sixpence

74. Shall We Dance?

75. Dil Se

76. Dancer In The Dark

77. Porgy And Bess

78. Hedwig And The Angry Inch

79. All That Jazz

80. Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

81. Yankee Doodle Dandy

82. Anything Goes

83. A Star Is Born (Barbra Streisand)

84. Ziegfeld Follies

85. Funny Face

86. There’s No Business Like Show Business

87. Million Dollar Mermaid

88. For Me And My Gal

89. A Little Night Music

90. Cry Baby

91. Everyone Says I Love You

92. Umbrellas Of Cherbourg

93. How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

94. Sholay

95. Breaking Glass

96. Lullaby Of Broadway

97. Cotton Club

98. Bright Eyes

99. Miss Saigon

100. Let’s Make Love