here it is! the last indisputably good movie musical*. and i will PROVE IT!
the greatest showman (2017) was too concerned with visuals resulting in bad CGI. hairspray gives us campy yet authentic 1960s!
les miserables (2012) takes itself way too seriously. hairspray features lines like “i want that chubby communist girl off the show!” and has a whole song where tracy imagines her future with Link after two seconds of physical interaction
la la land (2016) has a disappointing ending! hairspray gives us YOU CANT STOP THE BEAT, which is not only the most exuberant piece of music ever composed, but also a GROUP NUMBER!
into the woods (2014) is overstuffed with a weird variety of actors, not including zac efron. hairspray is correctly stuffed with an EXCELLENT variety of actors, INCLUDING zac efron
a star is born (2018): sure it features Shangela, but where is john travolta?
*im not counting mamma mia or its sequel because they transcend the movie musical genre