Musical Biopics You Must Watch

A collection of biographical flicks about musicians and the legendary music they made.

By Brenden Cordonero Last updated

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The greatest stories ever told follow an underdog who, against all odds, achieves what they set out to do. Childhood abandonment, poverty, addiction, partners and lovers, social inequality, and death are among the many problems that troubled these musical giants. These legends were once young men and women who knew they had more to offer the world, a call from their deeper consciousness begging them to be greater. Some of the greatest musical acts of all time come from humble beginnings, and lucky for us, their stories get translated into film. Biopics allow us to experience stories about real historical, political, and artistic figures that have leaped to success. While the greater number of us get to enjoy albums and live performances, many musical artists have dark secrets and troubled pasts. Here are a few biopics that discuss the lives of music’s greatest icons.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

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Naomi Ackie

Naomi Ackie

Ashton Sanders

Ashton Sanders

Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci

Nafessa Williams

Nafessa Williams

Lance A. Williams

Lance A. Williams

Tamara Tunie

Tamara Tunie

Clarke Peters

Clarke Peters

Daniel Washington

Daniel Washington

JaQuan Malik Jones

JaQuan Malik Jones

Kris Sidberry

Kris Sidberry

Tanner Beard

Bailee Lopes

Directed by Kasi Lemmons

Whitney Houston was one of the many “It-Girls” of the 1980s. Trained in gospel by her iron-fisted mother, Cissy, Whitney Houston had been performing from a very young age. Directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Naomi Ackie, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022) takes a deep dive into Houston’s quickly growing career and its ups and downs. Through her complex relationship with another 80s icon, Bobby Brown, and her drug addiction that eventually takes her life, on the outside, Houston solidified herself as one of the most powerful voices to ever perform with such ballads as “Saving All My Love For You” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Check out the full I Wanna Dance With Somebody soundtrack here.

Elvis

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Austin Butler

Austin Butler

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

Olivia DeJonge

Olivia DeJonge

Helen Thomson

Helen Thomson

Richard Roxburgh

Richard Roxburgh

Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Kelvin Harrison Jr.

David Wenham

David Wenham

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Luke Bracey

Luke Bracey

Dacre Montgomery

Dacre Montgomery

Leon Ford

Leon Ford

Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Few names in history have lasted as long and turned as many heads as Elvis Presley. A giant of rock ‘n roll, film, and live shows in Las Vegas. The Elvis (2022) film directed by Baz Luhrmann stars Austin Butler as Presley, Tom Hanks as manager, Col. Tom Parker, and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley. See how Presley navigates stardom with Black American music with hits like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” in the racially segregated South. Being one of the first megastars in American entertainment, Elvis was launched into a bustling music and film career, which led to his eventual battle and loss with drug addiction.

Check out the full Elvis soundtrack here.

Straight Outta Compton

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O'Shea Jackson Jr.

O'Shea Jackson Jr.

Corey Hawkins

Corey Hawkins

Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell

Neil Brown Jr.

Neil Brown Jr.

Aldis Hodge

Aldis Hodge

Marlon Yates Jr.

Marlon Yates Jr.

R. Marcos Taylor

R. Marcos Taylor

Carra Patterson

Carra Patterson

Alexandra Shipp

Alexandra Shipp

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti

Elena Goode

Elena Goode

Keith Powers

Keith Powers

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Rap is the most controversial musical genre. Few groups have constantly been contested by the status quo, fought to stay on the air, and dealt with blatant racism as the rap pioneers N.W.A. From their first hit, “Boyz-n-the-Hood,” to the eventual diss war with Ice Cube’s separation from the group with “No Vaseline,” watch how Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella (O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge, Neil Brown Jr.) beat all the odds in gangland Compton and emerged as one of the genre’s most influential groups in Straight Outta Compton (2015) directed by F. Gary Gray.

Check out the full Straight Outta Compton soundtrack here.

Selena

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Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jackie Guerra

Jackie Guerra

Constance Marie

Constance Marie

Alex Meneses

Alex Meneses

Jon Seda

Jon Seda

Edward James Olmos

Edward James Olmos

Jacob Vargas

Jacob Vargas

Pete Astudillo

Rueben Gonzáles

Ricky Vela

Don Shelton

Richard Emanuelle

Directed by Gregory Nava

Latin pop stars have long been underrepresented in Hollywood, but none have broken the mold as gracefully as Selena Quintanilla. Her gentle, elegant voice was perfect for the romantic songs she would sing about love and her culture. Jennifer Lopez plays the Queen of Tejano Music in Selena (1997), directed by Gregory Nava. Her American takes on Latin music resonated with Hispanics and Hispanic Americans alike with such hits as “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “Como La Flor.” Still, unfortunately, her career was cut way too short by her tragic murder by Yolanda Saldivar (Lupe Ontiveros).

Bohemian Rhapsody

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Rami Malek

Rami Malek

Gwilym Lee

Gwilym Lee

Ben Hardy

Ben Hardy

Joseph Mazzello

Joseph Mazzello

Lucy Boynton

Lucy Boynton

Aidan Gillen

Aidan Gillen

Allen Leech

Allen Leech

Tom Hollander

Tom Hollander

Mike Myers

Mike Myers

Aaron McCusker

Aaron McCusker

Ace Bhatti

Ace Bhatti

Directed by Bryan Singer

You’ve probably heard this band get included on most people’s “Most overrated songs of all time” list, but it’s a shame because they have many incredible tracks. Led by one of history’s greatest frontmen, Queen is a highly regarded group with intense vocal and musical ability. From one of their earliest songs, “Doing Alright,” to one of the biggest tracks of all time, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” it should not surprise that the movie is titled just that. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), directed by Bryan Singer, stars Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, and Joe Mazello as Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, respectively. The film covers the formation of the band, their qualms with each other and their record label, and Mercury’s swinger lifestyle, which led to his battle with AIDS amidst the epidemic and to his eventual death.

Check out the full Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack here.

Get on Up

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Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman

Nelsan Ellis

Nelsan Ellis

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd

Viola Davis

Viola Davis

Lennie James

Lennie James

Fred Melamed

Fred Melamed

Jill Scott

Jill Scott

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer

Nick Eversman

Nick Eversman

Tika Sumpter

Tika Sumpter

James DuMont

James DuMont

Billy Slaughter

Billy Slaughter

Directed by Tate Taylor

The Godfather of Soul. The most sampled artist in hip-hop. The Hardest-Working man in show business. No other artist has come near the status of the legendary James Brown. Get On Up (2014), directed by Tate Taylor, stars the late great Chadwick Boseman as Mr. Dynamite himself and Nelsan Ellis as his right-hand man Bobby Byrd. The film adopts an exciting storytelling style, having Brown address the audience directly in some instances. It goes into gritty detail about James’ complex childhood, his relationship with his band, women, drugs, and fame. With tracks like “Please Please Please” to “Say It Loud–I’m Black and I’m Proud,” Brown used his music to invoke excitement and navigate the rising racial tension during the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All Eyez on Me

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Demetrius Shipp Jr.

Demetrius Shipp Jr.

Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira

Kat Graham

Kat Graham

Jamal Woolard

Jamal Woolard

Dominic L. Santana

Dominic L. Santana

Annie Ilonzeh

Annie Ilonzeh

Lauren Cohan

Lauren Cohan

Cory Hardrict

Cory Hardrict

Grace Gibson

DeSean Jackson

DeSean Jackson

Brandon Sauve

Brandon Sauve

Josh Ventura

Josh Ventura

Directed by Benny Boom

An artist for the people and an activist at heart. Tupac Shakur was born to Black Panthers, grew to love performance art and poetry, and had one of the most incredible careers a rapper could have in a very short time. All Eyez On Me (2017), directed by Benny Boom, stars Demetrius Shipp Jr. as the rapper and shows Tupac as the artist, not the thug persona he adopted deep into his career. He began with the rap crew Digital Underground with his first big hit, “Same Song,” and came to have one of the most significant rap records ever with “California Love.” The film shows how Shakur rose to fame as a musical artist, actor, and advocate until he was murdered in a drive-by shooting as a result of a gang confrontation.

Rocketman

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Taron Egerton

Taron Egerton

Jamie Bell

Jamie Bell

Richard Madden

Richard Madden

Bryce Dallas Howard

Bryce Dallas Howard

Gemma Jones

Gemma Jones

Steven Mackintosh

Steven Mackintosh

Tom Bennett

Tom Bennett

Matthew Illesley

Matthew Illesley

Kit Connor

Kit Connor

Charlie Rowe

Charlie Rowe

Peter O'Hanlon

Ross Farrelly

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Elton John is an iconic rock act with fashionable flare and a knack for pianos. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, Rocketman (2019) helps audiences see the not-so-glamorous side of Elton John’s come-up and career. Starring Taron Egerton as Elton John and Jamie Bell as writing partner Bernie Taupin, the film explores his battle for his parents’ affection, his relationship with his sexuality and Partner/Manager John Reid (Richard Madden), and his struggle with drug addiction. “Bennie and the Jets” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” are just a couple of the biggest rock hits of the 1970s and solidified Elton John as an icon of the genre.

Check out the full Rocketman soundtrack here.

Respect

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Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker

Marlon Wayans

Marlon Wayans

Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald

Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

Marc Maron

Marc Maron

Tituss Burgess

Tituss Burgess

Saycon Sengbloh

Saycon Sengbloh

Hailey Kilgore

Hailey Kilgore

Tate Donovan

Tate Donovan

Skye Dakota Turner

Skye Dakota Turner

Heather Headley

Heather Headley

Directed by Liesl Tommy

Aretha Franklin is labeled “The Queen of Soul” to no one’s surprise. Franklin exudes soul music and defines her era. Respect (2021), directed by Leisl Tommy, stars Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin. Even from a young age, Franklin was a gifted singer, loving to perform whenever an occasion called for it. She was raised as a gospel singer and toured with the church in which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was involved. In her rise to stardom with her iconic track “Respect” and others like “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” she would leave her violent ex-husband/manager, Ted White (Marlon Wayans), while her relationship with her father began to decline which caused her to push herself deep into her music, using alcohol to cope. After the death of her mother, she picked herself back up and overcame the forces that tried to bring her down.

Check out the full Respect soundtrack here.

Ray

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Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington

Regina King

Regina King

Harry Lennix

Harry Lennix

Clifton Powell

Clifton Powell

Bokeem Woodbine

Bokeem Woodbine

Sharon Warren

C.J. Sanders

Curtis Armstrong

Curtis Armstrong

Richard Schiff

Richard Schiff

Larenz Tate

Larenz Tate

Terrence Howard

Terrence Howard

Directed by Taylor Hackford

Jamie Foxx stars as Charles in Ray (2004), directed by Taylor Hackford, and it shows how multiple facets of adversity can’t stir even the greatest artists. To prove himself as an incredible act, he had to let his musical abilities do all the talking or singing instead. His blindness, unethical relationship with women, long-time drug addiction, and Southern racial tension continually strained his ability to record and perform music. Charles eventually overcomes his self-destructive behavior and creates hits like “Hit The Road Jack” and “I Got a Woman,” which are recognizable classics even after decades of evolution in the Soul and R&B genres.

Check out the full Ray soundtrack here.

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