Biopics based around the life of a musician (or group of musicians) have been consistently made for quite some time now, and there are so many well-known movies revolving around the subject that it’s become something of its own subgenre. Probably one of the most famous periods of the music biopic was in the mid-200s when movies like Ray and Walk the Line were released and were huge at the Academy Awards. This sparked a bit of a renewed interest that quickly waned once the parody film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was released in 2007, which lampooned many of the tropes seen in these sort of movies.
Since Dewey Cox, the popularity of music biopics had died down a bit, until the last couple of years or so. Last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody was a smash hit at the box office, going on to win four out of the five Academy Awards it was nominated for, while Netflix’s The Dirt - focusing on hair metal band Motley Crue - proved to be fairly popular for the streaming service. Even some more obscure biopics saw the light of day, with the black metal-focused Lords of Chaos getting a theatrical release earlier this year after debuting in the festival circuit last year.
The latest music biopic to see a major release is the Elton John biopic Rocketman, focusing mostly on the rock star’s early career, which has received critical acclaim and is being highly regarded as one of the better films in the genre. To coincide with Rocketman’s release, here are five other music biopics that are guaranteed to rock your socks off (in alphabetical order).
1) Amadeus
Usually hailed as not just one of the greatest music biopics of all-time, but one of the greatest movies of all-time, Amadeus chronicles the life of classic composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, - here played by Tom Hulce - and his rivalry with composer Antonio Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham. The film is an excellent look at a cat-and-mouse sort of rivalry, with Mozart and Salieri constantly looking for ways to one-up the other, that leads to some over-the-top entertaining moments. While it’s a period piece, it’s a slightly less serious and robotic venture than the average period film, as it has its fair share of comedic and larger-than-life moments, thanks to Hulce’s humorous antics and Abraham’s bombastic performance. Filled with vivid set pieces, engaging characters, and an exciting story, Amadeus is a classic.
2) Sid and Nancy
The antithesis of Romeo and Juliet, Sid and Nancy takes a look at the life of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) and his infamously destructive relationship with Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb), which culminated with her murder in 1978, which Vicious was convicted of. Much of the movie is driven by Oldman and Webb’s performances, with the two sharing some really fantastic chemistry. While the film was a box office bomb at the time, it quickly went on to become a cult classic and gained a huge following. Just like the punk rock genre itself, this has an incredibly wild energy to it, that perfectly embodies what happens when the “sex, drugs, and rock n' roll” stereotype gets taken to its absolute worst. If you take Shakespeare and mix it with Danny Boyle’s drug-fueled classic Trainspotting, this is the movie you get. Full of life and bursting with energy, Sid and Nancy is a totally chaotic and ultimately tragic experience, yet is one that you won’t want to miss.
3) The Sound of Music
Highly regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all-time, having gone on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and being preserved by the National Film Registry, it’s sometimes easy to forget that The Sound of Music is also a biopic, based on the memoirs of Maria von Trapp. The film focuses on von Trapp, famously played by Julie Andrews, as she gets sent to the villa of a retired naval officer, played by Christopher Plummer, and teaches his seven children the joys of music, as they then try to survive the loss of their homeland by the Nazis. Appropriately enough, the film’s soundtrack is easily its biggest strong point, with nearly all the songs going on to become much-beloved classics that still hold up to this day. The film also showcases one of Julie Andrews’ finest performances, taking the warmth and cheery disposition she displayed in Mary Poppins and taking it to a whole other level here. Grand in scale, with a wonderful story and some of the greatest songs to be featured in a musical, The Sound of Music is truly timeless.
4) Straight Outta Compton
A true underdog story. Produced by hip-hop legends Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, the film focuses on their highly influential group N.W.A. and the many controversies surrounding their infamous rise to fame in the late 1980’s, with Corey Hawkins portraying Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube being portrayed by his own son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. Out of all the movies on this list, this may share the closest similarities to a conventional music biopic, but it’s far from a generic experience. The film contains some explosive performances from Hawkins and Jackson, along with Jason Mitchell as fellow N.W.A. member Eazy-E and a fun supporting performance from Paul Giamatti as the group’s slimy manager Jerry Heller. While the film mainly showcased N.W.A.’s internal sturggles, it's also a gripping look at how an artist, or a group of artists, can have such a major influence on their listeners, showing the impact that Cube, Dre, and the rest all truly had on both their audience and the hip-hop genre itself. Well-acted, funny, engaging, and timely, Straight Outta Compton is turning straight into a modern classic.
5) Yankee Doodle Dandy
The oldest entry on this list is still also one of the most feel-good experiences you’ll have at the movies. The film follows the life of songwriter George M. Cohan, portrayed by James Cagney, showcasing his many talents as an actor, dancer, playwright, and vaudeville performer. While not a comedy, the movie is pure fun, filled with two hours of actors singing, dancing, and just having a good time. Though that doesn’t mean the story or acting falls by the wayside, and Cagney - known mostly for his roles as villainous gangsters - still turns in one of his most likable performances of all-time, and still allowing the audience to easily connect with him. Another music biopic that’s also a musical itself, nearly all the musical numbers are comprised of songs that already existed well before the movie, consisting of actual songs Cohan wrote in his lifetime. Though that doesn't take away from how entertaining they still are to watch, as they're all performed with such exuberant energy that they’re difficult to resist. Regarded as one of the greatest musicals of all-time that still holds up to this day, Yankee Doodle Dandy is a true crowd-pleaser.
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