Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics
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Even if you’re only a casual music fan, you can probably name a few artists who fascinate you – whether because you sadly weren’t around to see them in their prime, or simply because they seem interesting and you’d like to know a little bit more about their lives. That’s where cinema becomes a truly magical storytelling medium. A recent spate of successful, big-ticket music biopics has been taking audiences on a melodic journey, offering a front-row seat to the inner lives and big breaks of some of the most famous faces in pop, rock, reggae and beyond. With 2024 having already seen the arrival of a new Bob Marley biopic, and with films focussing on Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson coming down the pipeline, we offer our selection of the greatest music legends ever to be portrayed on film…

By Victoria Luxford

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Elvis (2022) – The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll depicted by the king of cinematic glamour: this unique journey through the life of Elvis Presley sees Austin Butler on point in the title role, with director Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge) lending Elvis’s fairy-tale rise and tragic fall that extra sense of wonder. It may not have the gritty realism of many music biopics, but the quality entertainment on display reminds us why so many music lovers still consider Elvis to be one of the original stars of popular music.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) – Rami Malek won an Oscar for his portrayal of Queen singer Freddie Mercury, while the story of the band’s rise is worth watching for the stunning recreation of the 1985 Live Aid concept that proved the band’s high point. A huge success worldwide, it became the benchmark for the biopics that came after. The film also sparked a revival in the band’s back catalogue, reminding audiences of the band’s many hits and starting a trend of singalong screenings, particularly in Japan, where fancy dress was encouraged!

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) – Whitney Houston has been portrayed on film many times since her untimely death in 2012, but generally through documentaries like Whitney: Can I Be Me? or the officially endorsed 2018 film Whitney. I Wanna Dance with Somebody follows Houston from her early days as a pop sensation all the way to her final night. Star Wars actor Naomi Ackie immerses herself in this polished biopic that doesn’t quite get under the skin of the star, but nonetheless reminds us what made her so special.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Rocketman (2019) – Some biopics are careful to give a generous portrayal of their star. However, Elton John was happy to take a ‘warts-and-all’ approach through this musical drama, from the co-director of Bohemian Rhapsody. Taron Egerton gives his all as we see the highs, the lows and the indomitable passion that would turn an awkward boy from the UK into a global icon. Seeing the flaws made him all the more endearing, and served as a reminder of the difficult issues, like addiction and relationship turmoil, that he wrestled with for much of his life.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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La Vie En Rose (2007) – Edith Piaf was perhaps the most famous French singer of the 20th century, and any film about her life would have to do justice to that legacy. Marion Cotillard was propelled to stardom after being cast in this project, even though the director had to fight to get the then-little-known actor approved by the studio. The choice was clearly the right one, as Cotillard became the first French-language performer to win Best Actress at the Oscars.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Walk the Line (2005) – While some actors are content to lip sync the classic songs of the artist they’re playing, method actor Joaquin Phoenix and co-star Reese Witherspoon went the extra mile. Despite not being recording artists, the pair learned to sing and play the instruments of their characters – particularly tricky given they were playing country legends Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter. Both won Oscars for their efforts, and to this day Walk the Line is upheld as a prime example of how to put a music star’s life on the big screen.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Backbeat (1994) – With no fewer than four biopics of The Beatles on the way, it’s a good time to look back at one of the films that showed their rise to fame. An overlooked gem, Backbeat tells the tale of the early days of The Beatles, particularly the romance that would see the band’s original bass guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff), leave before they made it big. A revealing glimpse into the beginnings of a music legend, it’s one of the few films about the Fab Four to capture the excitement of their performances without relying on archive footage.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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I’m Not There (2007) – Bob Dylan is no ordinary musician, and no ordinary biopic would suit him. Instead, respected actors like Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Christian Bale, Richard Gere and the late Heath Ledger play various images the public have of him, all with a mix of truth and fiction, in several short stories. Blanchett in particular is transformational, looking and sounding exactly like a 1960s-era Dylan, while Ledger’s segment was one of the last performances we got of the Australian star before his death in 2008.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Respect (2021) – It only took three years after the death of the great Aretha Franklin for a film about her life to reach the screen, but it had already been in development for some time, as the legend insisted on having a say in who played her. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson was Franklin’s personal pick, and she gives a stunning performance as we see Franklin’s journey from gospel singer to the Queen of Soul. Sometimes a performer seems born to play a part, and we imagine Franklin would say that Hudson did her proud with a performance that captures her spirit and her brilliance.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Ray (2004) – Another actor who seemed destined for the part, Jamie Foxx won an Oscar in the 2000s for telling the story of Ray Charles, who overcame prejudice and sight loss to influence a generation with his music. Foxx, a classically trained pianist, performed a couple of songs singing in Charles’ style and was so convincing, you’d be forgiven for thinking Charles himself (who died months before the film’s release) had come back for one last show.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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What’s Love Got to Do with It? (1993) – Years before she would enter the world of Marvel as Black Panther’s Queen of Wakanda, Angela Bassett would play the Queen of Rock in the story of Tina Turner’s rise from an abusive relationship to world stardom. A painful but inspiring story, the project was overseen by the artist herself, and Bassett’s stunning performance as Turner, alongside Laurence Fishburne as her husband and music partner, Ike Turner, would make the film a worldwide hit and an inspiration to female artists for generations to come.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Straight Outta Compton (2015) – Controversy, violence, defiance… and that’s just the music! The controversial rise of the rap group NWA makes for staggering viewing, as the sensation that launched the careers of Dr Dre and Ice Cube (played here by his own son) takes in the energy and social strife that would inspire their music. Biopics from the same period, like 2008’s Notorious or Tupac film All Eyez on Me, never caught the public’s imagination in the way. A must-watch for fans, it is still the most complete rap biopic to come out of Hollywood, perhaps because it was overseen by the surviving members themselves.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Selena (1997) – In the film that launched Jennifer Lopez to worldwide recognition, she played a music sensation years before she became one herself. Lopez captured the wonder of Selena Perez, a Latin American superstar who rose to fame rapidly and became an icon to millions of fans before her life was cut short. Despite receiving initial backlash, Lopez proved perfect casting as she beat out over 21,000 auditionees for the part, which required her to sing, dance and, of course, deliver an award-winning performance. Filled with energy and drama, the film celebrated a former star and heralded the arrival of a new one.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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8 Mile (2002) – Eminem might be considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, but he also proved himself a solid actor. 8 Mile isn’t strictly a biopic, but this story of an aspiring rapper from Detroit is, as you would imagine, so heavily inspired by Eminem’s experiences that it is often considered one. The intensity of his performances, and the incredible Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself”, made the film an instant classic, capturing the essence of the artist who inspired and carried the film.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics.
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Bob Marley: One Love (2024) – More than a successful singer, Bob Marley is considered an important figure musically, culturally and even religiously, particularly to the millions of fans who followed his message of love and understanding. Almost 43 years after his death, recent release One Love shows that he is as popular as ever: the story of Marley’s battle to overcome threats to his life in order to unify his people has become one of the big box office hits of 2024 so far. To this day, the man and the music still resonate with audiences the world over.

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Genius On Screen: The Best Music Biopics

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