 In 2002 , Beauty and the Beast was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed " culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant . " In June 2008 , the American Film Institute revealed its " Ten Top Ten " lists of the best ten films in ten " classic " American film genres based on polls of over 1 @,@ 500 people from the creative community . Beauty and the Beast was acknowledged as the 7th best film in the animation genre . In previous lists , it ranked number 22 on the Institutes 's list of best musicals and number 34 on its list of the best romantic American films . On the list of the greatest songs from American films , Beauty and the Beast ranked number 62 . 
