Music Biopics
by CorleoneWarrior88 | created - 23 Apr 2015 | updated - 4 weeks ago | PublicA list of biographical films about musicians, ranked.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The Pianist (2002)
R | 150 min | Biography, Drama, Music
During WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox
Votes: 912,654 | Gross: $32.57M
2. Amadeus (1984)
R | 160 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice
Votes: 428,194 | Gross: $51.97M
3. Control (2007)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to die by suicide at the age of 23.
Director: Anton Corbijn | Stars: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Alexandra Maria Lara
Votes: 68,566 | Gross: $0.87M
4. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,886 | Gross: $119.52M
5. Love & Mercy (2014)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
In the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.
Director: Bill Pohlad | Stars: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti
Votes: 42,620 | Gross: $12.55M
6. La Vie En Rose (2007)
PG-13 | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biopic of the iconic French singer Édith Piaf. Raised by her grandmother in a brothel, she was discovered while singing on a street corner at the age of 19. Despite her success, Piaf's life was filled with tragedy.
Director: Olivier Dahan | Stars: Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner
Votes: 90,758 | Gross: $10.30M
7. 24 Hour Party People (2002)
R | 117 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1976, Tony Wilson sets up Factory Records and brings Manchester's music to the world.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Steve Coogan, Lennie James, John Thomson, Paul Popplewell
Votes: 39,706 | Gross: $1.13M
8. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
R | 147 min | Biography, Drama, History
The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
Votes: 218,541 | Gross: $161.20M
9. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.
Director: François Girard | Stars: Colm Feore, Derek Keurvorst, Katya Ladan, Devon Anderson
Votes: 3,917 | Gross: $1.57M
10. Ray (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 152 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell
Votes: 157,429 | Gross: $75.33M
11. The Music Lovers (1971)
R | 123 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Piano teacher Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky struggles against his homosexuality by marrying, but unfortunately he chooses a nymphomaniac whom he cannot satisfy.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Richard Chamberlain, Glenda Jackson, Max Adrian, Christopher Gable
Votes: 3,023 | Gross: $0.20M
12. Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The fictionalized life of singer Loretta Lynn, a girl who rose from humble beginnings to become a country music star in the 1960s/70s.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm, Phyllis Boyens
Votes: 20,516 | Gross: $67.18M
13. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Music
Singer Dewey Cox overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.
Director: Jake Kasdan | Stars: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, David Krumholtz, Nat Faxon
Votes: 77,258 | Gross: $18.32M
Satire/Parody
14. Rocketman (I) (2019)
R | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John's breakthrough years.
Director: Dexter Fletcher | Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 194,805 | Gross: $96.37M
15. Shine (1996)
PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.
Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd
Votes: 56,712 | Gross: $35.81M
16. What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers
Votes: 24,589 | Gross: $39.10M
17. I'm Not There (2007)
R | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
Director: Todd Haynes | Stars: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw
Votes: 61,193 | Gross: $4.02M
18. Bound for Glory (1976)
PG | 147 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The early life of Woody Guthrie as a vagabond folk singer.
Director: Hal Ashby | Stars: David Carradine, Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillon, Gail Strickland
Votes: 5,592
19. Bird (1988)
R | 161 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The troubled life and career of jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Michael Zelniker, Samuel E. Wright
Votes: 13,492 | Gross: $2.18M
20. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
When it becomes clear that his solo album is a failure, a former boy band member does everything in his power to maintain his celebrity status.
Directors: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone | Stars: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman
Votes: 68,455 | Gross: $9.39M
Satire/Parody
21. Selena (1997)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The true story of Selena, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts.
Director: Gregory Nava | Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Jackie Guerra
Votes: 31,644 | Gross: $35.42M
22. 8 Mile (2002)
R | 110 min | Drama, Music
Follows a young rapper in the Detroit area, struggling with every aspect of his life; he wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer
Votes: 321,018 | Gross: $116.72M
23. Behind the Candelabra (2013)
TV-MA | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of the tempestuous six-year romance between megastar singer Liberace and his young lover Scott Thorson.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Eric Zuckerman
Votes: 45,407
24. La Bamba (1987)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
Director: Luis Valdez | Stars: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña
Votes: 36,449 | Gross: $54.22M
25. Immortal Beloved (1994)
R | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to ... See full summary »
Director: Bernard Rose | Stars: Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rossellini, Johanna ter Steege
Votes: 26,218 | Gross: $9.91M
26. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
TV-14 | 108 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Explores every facet of Yankovic's life, from his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like 'Eat It' and 'Like a Surgeon' to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.
Director: Eric Appel | Stars: Diedrich Bader, Daniel Radcliffe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Richard Aaron Anderson
Votes: 38,594
27. The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
PG | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.
Director: Steve Rash | Stars: Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, Conrad Janis
Votes: 9,987 | Gross: $14.36M
28. The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
Approved | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biography of bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944.
Director: Anthony Mann | Stars: James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, Charles Drake
Votes: 9,711
29. Sid and Nancy (1986)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
Director: Alex Cox | Stars: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Debby Bishop
Votes: 34,696 | Gross: $2.83M
30. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy
Votes: 593,081 | Gross: $216.43M
31. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,093 | Gross: $35.18M
32. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010)
TV-MA | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A biography of Ian Dury, who was stricken with polio at a young age and defied expectations by becoming one of the founders of the punk-rock scene in Britain in the 1970s.
Director: Mat Whitecross | Stars: Andy Serkis, Tom Hughes, Clifford Samuel, Joseph Kennedy
Votes: 4,422
33. Nowhere Boy (2009)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall
Votes: 38,886 | Gross: $1.45M
34. Elvis (2022)
PG-13 | 159 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson
Votes: 234,772 | Gross: $151.04M
35. Cadillac Records (2008)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
Director: Darnell Martin | Stars: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Beyoncé, Columbus Short
Votes: 23,132 | Gross: $8.20M
36. The Runaways (2010)
R | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
Director: Floria Sigismondi | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve
Votes: 50,955 | Gross: $3.57M
37. Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
R | 144 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday.
Director: Sidney J. Furie | Stars: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan
Votes: 4,848 | Gross: $6.03M
38. Get on Up (2014)
PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis
Votes: 26,146 | Gross: $30.51M
39. Sweet Dreams (1985)
PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of Patsy Cline, the velvet-voiced country music singer who died in a tragic plane crash at the height of her fame.
Director: Karel Reisz | Stars: Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon
Votes: 5,388 | Gross: $9.09M
40. Dalida (2016)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the Egyptian-Italian singer Dalida and her story against life and how she dealt with her problems while she was the most successful artist in the history of France.
Director: Lisa Azuelos | Stars: Sveva Alviti, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jean-Paul Rouve, Niels Schneider
Votes: 3,619
41. Backbeat (1994)
R | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of The Beatles' early history.
Director: Iain Softley | Stars: Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell
Votes: 6,583 | Gross: $2.39M
42. Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
R | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Three women each claim to be the widow of 1950s doo-wop singer Frankie Lymon, claiming legal rights to his estate.
Director: Gregory Nava | Stars: Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Larenz Tate
Votes: 4,548 | Gross: $12.41M
43. Jersey Boys (2014)
R | 134 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza
Votes: 36,574 | Gross: $47.03M
44. Miles Ahead (2015)
R | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Music
An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
Director: Don Cheadle | Stars: Don Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg
Votes: 10,561 | Gross: $2.61M
45. Last Days (2005)
R | 97 min | Drama, Music
A Seattle musician's life and career are reminiscent of those of Kurt Cobain.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Scott Patrick Green
Votes: 23,758 | Gross: $0.45M
46. Copying Beethoven (2006)
PG-13 | 104 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A fictionalized account of the last year of Beethoven's life.
Director: Agnieszka Holland | Stars: Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Matthew Goode, Ralph Riach
Votes: 14,120 | Gross: $0.35M
47. Respect (2021)
PG-13 | 145 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.
Director: Liesl Tommy | Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess
Votes: 17,849
48. Notorious (2009)
R | 122 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.
Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke, Momo Dione
Votes: 46,072 | Gross: $36.84M
49. The Dirt (2019)
TV-MA | 107 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Based on the bestselling autobiography from Mötley Crüe, the film is an unflinching tale of success and excess as four misfits rise from the streets of Hollywood to the heights of international fame.
Director: Jeff Tremaine | Stars: Douglas Booth, Iwan Rheon, Colson Baker, Daniel Webber
Votes: 55,334
50. Evita (1996)
PG | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The hit musical based on the life of Eva Perón (Evita Duarte), a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Domingo Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Madonna, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Banderas, Jimmy Nail
Votes: 37,580 | Gross: $50.05M
51. Beyond the Sea (2004)
PG-13 | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A swooning study of "Mack the Knife" singer Bobby Darin and specifically his relationship with wife Sandra Dee.
Director: Kevin Spacey | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins
Votes: 15,544 | Gross: $6.32M
52. What We Do Is Secret (2007)
R | 92 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The true-life story of Darby Crash, who became an L.A. punk icon after getting kicked out of high school and forming The Germs with a collection of friends who have little experience with their instruments or playing music.
Director: Rodger Grossman | Stars: Shane West, Rick Gonzalez, Bijou Phillips, Noah Segan
Votes: 2,050 | Gross: $0.06M
53. El cantante (2006)
R | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life story of Hector Lavoe who started the salsa movement in 1975 and brought it to the United States.
Director: Leon Ichaso | Stars: Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, John Ortiz, Manny Perez
Votes: 5,267 | Gross: $7.56M
54. Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.
Director: Jim McBride | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 18,893 | Gross: $13.74M
55. Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
R | 117 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from a life of crime to pursue his passion of rap music.
Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: 50 Cent, Joy Bryant, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Omar Benson Miller
Votes: 50,178 | Gross: $30.98M
56. Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
PG-13 | 107 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of how reggae icon Bob Marley overcame adversity, and the journey behind his revolutionary music.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green | Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton, Tosin Cole
Votes: 22,222
57. Stoned (2005)
R | 102 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of the sordid life and suspicious death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, who was found in the bottom of his swimming pool weeks after being let go from the band.
Director: Stephen Woolley | Stars: Leo Gregory, Paddy Considine, David Morrissey, Ben Whishaw
Votes: 4,164
58. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
PG-13 | 144 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical super stardom.
Director: Kasi Lemmons | Stars: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie
Votes: 22,818
59. The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
R | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Follows Holiday during her career as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she has a tumultuous affair.
Director: Lee Daniels | Stars: Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Natasha Lyonne
Votes: 14,679
60. I Saw the Light (2015)
R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.
Director: Marc Abraham | Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Maddie Hasson, Bradley Whitford
Votes: 8,267 | Gross: $1.65M
61. All Eyez on Me (2017)
R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
Director: Benny Boom | Stars: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Annie Ilonzeh
Votes: 24,733 | Gross: $44.92M
62. Stardust (II) (2020)
Unrated | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Chronicles the young David Bowie's first visit to the US in 1971 - a trip that inspired the invention of his iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust.
Director: Gabriel Range | Stars: Johnny Flynn, Marc Maron, Jena Malone, Derek Moran
Votes: 2,297
63. Back to Black (2024)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Marisa Abela, Eddie Marsan, Jack O'Connell, Lesley Manville
Votes: 5,183
Tell Your Friends