's take on the King of Pop. While many music-focused films of the sort have merit, there are ten titles that I think hold up as the best music biopics, ranked.
further opinion, here are my picks for the best musical biopics, ranked.
10. La Vie en Rose
). She winningly portrays legendary French singer Édith Piaf in a movie which ping-pongs between the artist's early life and adulthood.
such an effective and acclaimed project. For her performance, Coltillard received a bevy of nominations and awards, including the Best Actress Oscar. Although as you'll see from this list, she's not the only one who earned such accolades thanks to a musical biopic.
9. Bohemian Rhapsody
and (of course) that signature mustache.
, although agree that Mercury's queerness was somewhat glazed over, which is a big reason why it failed to slot higher on this list.
8. Get On Up
is another musical biopic that received massive acclaim upon its release, and then inevitably failed to secure major award Nominations, like many of the others on this list. Directed by Tate Taylor, the 2014 film followed the tumultuous life of the legendary singer James Brown.
has been getting a ton of re-watches, as generations of fan mourn the loss of his talents.
7. Behind the Candelabra
was actually produced and released as an HBO original. The made-for-TV movie focuses on the life of legendary pianist Liberace, who was a wildly popular celebrity and TV personality amidst the '50s through the '70s. Michael Douglas plays Liberace himself, joined by Matt Damon as love interest Scott Thorson, with other big names helping to bring the story together, including Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd, and Debbie Reynolds in one of her final film roles.
as well, so perhaps another musical biopic could be on the way.
6. What's Love Got To Do With It
. The 1993 hit movie was a biopic about the legendary Tina Turner, with Bassett bringing the lead icon's ups and downs to the screen. Her performance was so captivating that she earned her first Academy Award nomination.
has been cemented as one of the best musical biopics of all time. Of course, credit also goes to her primary scene partner Laurence Fishburne, who portrayed Ike Turner in the classic film.
5. Walk the Line
came out in 2005, and helped to create a new generation of Johnny Cash fans. Joaquin Phoenix portrays the legendary country singer-songwriter throughout decades of his life. Reese Witherspoon co-stars as June Carter, his love interest and eventual wife, and both members of this A-list pairing used their authentic singing voices, recording a full soundtrack of covers featuring beloved songs like "Ring Of Fire" and "Jackson."
, including his childhood and outlaw years, with an epilogue that reveals how he and June's life went down. The romance between these two country-western giants is a big reason why the film remains such a captivating audience experience, and when they finally get together, it comes only after years of tension, aching, and drama. And thanks to Witherspoon and Phoenix's endlessly watchable dynamic, it's a movie I can re-watch anytime it's available.
4. Straight Outta Compton
offers a more contemporary story, albeit still fully working as a period piece. The 2015 film's story focused on legendary hip hop group N.W.A, including icons like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and more.
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3. Rocketman
, a jukebox musical that brought Elton John's life story to audiences with as much glitz and pizzazz as the entertainer's career. Starring Taron Egerton in the lead role, the 2019 movie was a box office success, a critical darling, and an awards season success mainstay.
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2. Selena
, which was released just two years after the beloved Tejano singer was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar. Made with the Quintanilla family's blessing, director Gregory Nava's acclaimed biopic tells the story of Selena's life and career.
, helped along by co-stars such as Jackie Guerra and Edward James Olmos. And in the decades since the movie's release, it's remained a quotable part of pop culture that's consistently re-watched.
1. Ray
is a wildly moving jourey that peels back the layers on the life and career of the iconic Ray Charles.
's supporting cast is similarly stellar, thanks to performances by Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis, Terrance Howard, and Clifton Powell. The movie educates and entertains, and perfectly pays tribute to the late music legend who changed the industry forever.
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