Best Hollywood romances of every decade

WTOP's Jason Fraley salutes movie romances (Part 1)

Valentine’s Day during a pandemic is the perfect time to cozy up on the couch.

Although, with so many romantic movies to choose from, where do you even start?

Behold, your guide to the Best Hollywood Romances of Every Decade.

Many are happy endings, others are tragic breakups, but it’s all matters of the heart.

To condense the list, I was forced to limit the scope to American films, but please make a point to watch international romances like “Brief Encounter” (1945), “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (1959), “Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964), “Wings of Desire” (1987), “In the Mood for Love” (2000) and “Amelie” (2001).

Let the countdown begin!

1930s

10. “My Man Godfrey” (1936)

9. “Ninotchka” (1939)

8. “Wuthering Heights” (1939)

7. “The Awful Truth” (1937)

6. “The Thin Man” (1934)

5. “Top Hat” (1935)

4. “City Lights” (1931)

3. “Bringing Up Baby” (1938)

2. “Gone with the Wind” (1939)

1. “It Happened One Night” (1934)

1940s

10. “Letter from an Unknown Woman” (1948)

9. “Now, Voyager” (1942)

8. “The Lady Eve” (1941)

7. “Adam’s Rib” (1949)

6. “The Palm Beach Story” (1942)

5. “To Have and Have Not” (1944)

4. “The Shop Around the Corner” (1940)

3. “The Philadelphia Story” (1940)

2. “His Girl Friday” (1940)

1. “Casablanca” (1942)

1950s

10. “The Quiet Man” (1952)

9. “Carmen Jones” (1954)

8. “The King and I” (1956)

7. “An Affair to Remember” (1957)

6. “A Place in the Sun” (1951

5. “From Here to Eternity” (1953)

4. “An American in Paris” (1951)

3. “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955)

2. “Roman Holiday” (1953)

1. “Marty” (1955)

1960s

10. “My Fair Lady” (1964)

9. “Charade” (1963)

8. “Funny Girl” (1968)

7. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” (1967)

6. “Bonnie & Clyde” (1967)

5. “Doctor Zhivago” (1965)

4. “The Sound of Music” (1965)

3. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961)

2. “The Apartment” (1960)

1. “West Side Story” (1961)

1970s

10. “The Great Gatsby” (1974)

9. “What’s Up, Doc?” (1972)

8. “Days of Heaven” (1978)

7. “Coming Home” (1978)

6. “Claudine” (1974)

5. “Rocky” (1976)

4. “The Way We Were” (1974)

3. “Love Story” (1970)

2. “Annie Hall” (1977)

1. “Grease” (1978)

1980s

10. “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982)

9. “Out of Africa” (1985)

8. “Pretty In Pink” (1986)

7. “Moonstruck” (1987)

6. “Witness” (1985)

5. “Tootsie” (1982)

4. “Say Anything” (1989)

3. “Dirty Dancing” (1987)

2. “The Princess Bride” (1987)

1. “When Harry Met Sally” (1989)

1990s

10. “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999)

9. “There’s Something About Mary” (1998)

8. “Love Jones” (1997)

7. “As Good As It Gets” (1997)

6. “Before Sunrise” (1995)

5. “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993)

4. “Pretty Woman” (1990) / “Notting Hill” (1999)

3. “Jerry Maguire” (1996)

2. “Ghost” (1990)

1. “Titanic” (1997)

2000s

10. “500 Days of Summer” (2009)

9. “Love Actually” (2003)

8. “Hitch” (2005)

7. “50 First Dates” (2004)

6. “WALL-E” (2008)

5. “Love & Basketball” (2000)

4. “Moulin Rouge!” (2001)

3. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)

2. “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)

1. “The Notebook” (2004)

2010s

10. “Always Be My Maybe” (2019)

9. “The Shape of Water” (2017)

8. “Crazy Stupid Love” (2011)

7. “Loving” (2016)

6. “Carol” (2015)

5. “The Big Sick” (2017)

4. “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012)

3. “A Star is Born” (2018)

2. “La La Land” (2016)

1. “Moonlight” (2016)

WTOP's Jason Fraley salutes movie romances (Part 2)
Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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