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Tag: i-wanna-dance-with-somebody

Best Rock and Roll Biopics of All Time Ranked

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur.

Rock and Roll musicians always make interesting subjects for biopics, and often win Oscars like in the case of ‘Ray‘ or Bohemian Rhapsody.’

In recent years, we’ve seen the release of biopics about Bob Marley (‘Bob Marley: One Love‘), Amy Winehouse (‘Back to Black‘), Bob Dylan (‘A Complete Unknown‘), and Bruce Springsteen (‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere‘), and now we have ‘Michael‘ opening in theaters on April 24th, which stars Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson.
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In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 Rock and Roll biopics of all time.

NOTE: Since the term “Rock and Roll” can cover several different genres of music, we are only including movies about musical artists who were known for performing popular music within the rock genre, including jazz, blues, country, rap, etc.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

Related Article: Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro Talk Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

20. ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere‘ (2025)

Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White), a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
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19. ‘Bob Marley: One Love‘ (2024)

Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
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18. ‘Control‘ (2007)

(Left) Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in ‘Control’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

The story of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis (Sam Riley), from his schoolboy days in 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band’s first American tour in 1980.
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17. ‘Miles Ahead‘ (2016)

Don Cheadle as Miles Davis in ‘Miles Ahead’. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.

An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis (Don Cheadle).
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16. ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side‘ (2014)

André 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side’. Photo: Darko Entertainment.

A drama based on Jimi Hendrix‘s (André 3000) life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
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15. ‘ Michael‘ (2026)

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson.

Discover the story of Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson), one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.
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14. ‘The Runaways‘ (2010)

(L to R) Alia Shawkat as Robin Robins, Riley Keough as Marie Currie, Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford, Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie in ‘The Runaways’. Photo: Summit Entertainment.

Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), two rebellious teenagers from Southern California, become the frontwomen for the Runaways — the now-legendary group that paved the way for future generations of female rockers. Under the Svengali-like influence of impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), the band becomes a huge success.
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13. ‘La Bamba‘ (1987)

Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens in ‘La Bamba’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) becomes an overnight rock ‘n’ roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called “Donna” that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob (Esai Morales), and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly (Marshall Crenshaw).
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12. ‘Get on Up‘ (2014)

Chadwick Boseman as James Brown in ‘Get On Up’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

A chronicle of James Brown‘s (Chadwick Boseman) rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
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11. ‘Ray‘ (2004)

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in ‘Ray’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.
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10. ‘Sid and Nancy‘ (1986)

(L to R) Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious and Chloe Webb as Nancy Spungen in ‘SId and Nancy’. Photo: Palace Pictures.

January 1978. After their success in England, the punk rock band Sex Pistols venture out on their tour of the southern United States. Temperamental bassist Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) is forced by his band mates to travel without his troubled girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb), who will meet him in New York. When the band breaks up and Sid begins his solo career in a hostile city, the turbulent couple definitely falls into the depths of drug addiction.
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9. ‘Love & Mercy‘ (2015)

Paul Dano as Brian Wilson in ‘Love & Mercy’. Photo: Lionsgate.

In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (Paul Dano and John Cusack) stops touring, produces “Pet Sounds” and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s, Wilson, under the sway of a controlling therapist, finds a savior in Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).
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8. ‘Rocketman‘ (2019)

Taron Egerton as Elton John in ‘Rocketman’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

The story of Elton John‘s (Taron Egerton) life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell).
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7. ‘Elvis‘ (2022)

Austin Butler as Elvis in Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama ‘Elvis,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The life story of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
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6. ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It‘ (1993)

Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.

Singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett) rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne).
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5. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

Cate Blanchett as Jude Quinn in ‘I’m Not There’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.
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4. ‘Walk the Line‘ (2005)

(L to R) Reese Witherspoon as June Carter and Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in ‘Walk the Line’.

A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash‘s (Joaquin Phoenix) 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.
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3. ‘The Doors‘ (1991)

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in ‘The Doors’. Photo: Tri-Star Pictures.

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer).
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2. ‘Straight Outta Compton‘ (2015)

O’Shea Jackson Jr. as O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr. in ‘Straight Outta Compton’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr. as O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Corey Hawkins as Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, and Jason Mitchell as Eric “Eazy-E” Wright.
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1. ‘A Complete Unknown‘ (2024)

Timothée Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unkown’. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, ‘A Complete Unknown’ follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan‘s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
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April 24, 2026
‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ Interview

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Opening in theaters on December 23rd is the new biopic about singer and actress Whitney Houston entitled ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,’ which was directed by Kasi Lemmons (‘Eve’s Bayou’).

Naomi Ackie (‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’) stars as Whitney Houston, as the film examines her life, career, and relationships with her parents Cissy (Tamara Tunie) and John (Clarke Peters), her mentor Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci), and her friend and assistant Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Naomi Ackie about her work on ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,’ playing the music icon, getting her moves right, and working with Nafessa Williams on Robyn and Whitney’s relationship.

Naomi Ackie stars in ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.’

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Ackie, Nafessa Williams, and director by Kasi Lemmons.

Moviefone: To begin with, What does it mean to you both personally and professionally, to have the opportunity to play Whitney Houston and to be a part of telling her story?

Naomi Ackie: It’s a huge deal. It’s been a really life-changing event in my life. It was a catalyst for a lot of lessons for me, at a really important turning point in my life. From a career aspect, but also on a personal level, the things that I learnt about how I like to work and the connections that I have made, have really changed the course of my life, and I am really grateful for that.

Naomi Ackie in Tristar Pictures ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.’

MF: I wanted to ask you about your approach to playing Whitney because you had all her moves down right, from every shoulder shrug, to every finger point and hand raise. Can you talk about really studying her as a performer?

NA: It took about eight months to really feel comfortable enough to begin to play, so it was a lot of technical stuff. In terms of movement, I worked with my friend and also my movement coach. We went through every single live performance we could find, and looked for patterns within those performances.

Then we actually ended up giving them names too. It was like a whole thing. We did it all over the summer, and there is a video of me where my friend shouts out the name of a move and I’d do the thing. So, by the time we came out and she was choreographing the bigger performances that I was doing, she would shout out the name of the thing and I was like, I know what that is, and then do it. So, it was really fun as well. We laughed a lot. There was a lot of exploration to be had.

(L to R) Nafessa Williams and Naomi Ackie in Tristar Pictures ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.’

MF: Finally, can you talk about Whitney’s relationship to Robyn Crawford, as it is depicted in the film, and working on that relationship with actress Nafessa Williams?

NA: I mean, for me and Nafessa, it was an instantaneous connection, and it was weird because it was on Zoom and it’s really hard to build up any kind of level of chemistry on that thing. But she was so amazing that it worked and we instantly were like, oh, this is it. Because really what you need for that relationship is two people who are really fond of each other and connected to each other, and have a great bond and a deep love for each other.

So, when we were discussing it, we were just so on the same page because that’s one of Whitney’s most important relationships in her life. I think it was one of her formative relationships when it came to friendship, when it came to love, and it changed over time in a beautiful way, and in a not so beautiful way. It’s complicated, and that’s the story that deserves to be told.

Naomi Ackie in Tristar Pictures ‘Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.’
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December 21, 2022
Trailer for Whitney Houston Biopic ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’

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Biopics are still big business in Hollywood, and it’s not tough to see why – there’s the built-in fanbase of audiences eager to see an icon from another industry brought to screens, and when it comes to music industry movies – assuming you can secure the rights to the singer’s library – there are superb, memorable tunes to sprinkle throughout the movie.

The latest example is headed our way this holiday season, and it’ll see Naomi Ackie playing music icon Whitney Houston. Ackie might be best known for movies such as ‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’, ‘Yardie’ and ‘Lady Macbeth’.

Directed by ‘Eve’s Bayou’ and ‘Talk To Me’s Kasi Lemmons, ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ is described as a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind “The Voice.” From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time.

And the script comes from Anthony McCarten, who has become a past master at writing biopics, having helped bring ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (Freddie Mercury), ‘The Theory of Everything’ (Stephen Hawking), and ‘Darkest Hour’ (Winston Churchill) to screens. McCarten has been nominated for several Oscars for his work, so it’s not surprising that he got this gig.

Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody.’

With McCarten and Lemmons guiding it, the film will hopefully prove to be more than just a greatest hits rundown of Houston’s life and career, though given the subject matter, those hits certainly are great. We’re promised her journey from the church choir to her massive breakthrough into the music industry and her knock-out (and record-setting) performances and songs, including her memorable 1991 Super Bowl rendition of the national anthem.

Along the way, she naturally faces challenges, including a pushy mother with her own history in performance and claims that her music style wasn’t “black enough”. “Look, I don’t know how to sing Black and I don’t know how to sing white either,” Ackie’s Houston says. “I know how to sing.”

Playing such an icon is no easy task, and even Ackie admits that she was intimidated. “She’s been elevated in my life for so long that it felt like an impossible thing to achieve at times,” Ackie told People. “But so many people told me the same thing: If I wasn’t scared and nervous, they’d think something was wrong with me… The biggest challenge was letting my fear of the magnitude of this task take a back seat. Nothing good comes from sitting in fear for too long.”

If there’s any concern, it’s the presence of Houston’s longtime collaborator and producer, Clive Davis (played here by Stanley Tucci) among those backing the movie, which makes us ponder how warts-and-all it might be. That said, ‘Rocketman’ featured full input from Elton John and he didn’t order the filmmakers to sidestep his faults.

The cast for this one also includes Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams and Clarke Peters, and ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ will be in theaters on December 21st.

Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody.’
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September 15, 2022