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.
Lft8D7heZ1vUsG1f3vG1E1In 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)
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.
V9HsJQZE19. ‘Bob Marley: One Love‘ (2024)
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
aa9Ip60x84Rd0gBStF2hi418. ‘Control‘ (2007)
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.
3032517. ‘Miles Ahead‘ (2016)
An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis (Don Cheadle).
2007351916. ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side‘ (2014)
A drama based on Jimi Hendrix‘s (André 3000) life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
1008410815. ‘ Michael‘ (2026)
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.
Lft8D7heZ1vUsG1f3vG1E1 cJkkTUA614. ‘The Runaways‘ (2010)
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.
3810513. ‘La Bamba‘ (1987)
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).
2000519812. ‘Get on Up‘ (2014)
A chronicle of James Brown‘s (Chadwick Boseman) rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
1012944311. ‘Ray‘ (2004)
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.
1852110. ‘Sid and Nancy‘ (1986)
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.
200046919. ‘Love & Mercy‘ (2015)
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).
200580788. ‘Rocketman‘ (2019)
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).
6PUaf62vLzopEUSdX5a9747. ‘Elvis‘ (2022)
The life story of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
zOfEoqeaiXz0EfQpVRSyB76. ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It‘ (1993)
Singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett) rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne).
82235. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)
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.
236994. ‘Walk the Line‘ (2005)
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.
188483. ‘The Doors‘ (1991)
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer).
42402. ‘Straight Outta Compton‘ (2015)
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.
200666911. ‘A Complete Unknown‘ (2024)
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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