Musician biography films

Over 900 music fans have voted to shape these rankings of the best music biopics of all time. With its unique blend of documentary and skådespel, a great music biopic can transport you into the world of your favorite artist - their struggles, successes, and everything in between.

From the Ray Charles's Ray to Johnny Cash's Walk The Line, some of cinema's most memorable films have been based on real-life musicians. It takes real skill for filmmakers to capture an artist’s essence while keeping them grounded in reality, but when they succeed it results in cinematic magic - moments that stay with us long after the credits roll.

For those who want a more accurate portrait than fiction can provide, there are plenty of documentaries about famous musicians available too. Whether it's Queen or Elton John that you're interested in learning more about, this list has something for everyone. So why not take a look at our ranking and see which music biopics come out on top? Then be sure to vote up

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11 Best Movies About Musicians

As Orsino expresses apathetically in the opening line of Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on.” Filmmakers have echoed this sentiment through the art of cinema, with music and musicians being an especially popular subject of late. Whether they be biopics, documentaries, musicals, or fiction, the musical medium is one that ignites the interest of bio and music lovers alike. The fascination with a musician’s rise, the various and perhaps peculiar processes behind their work, and in-depth insights into their private lives is what makes these movies such intriguing viewing.

They have been an ever-present feature during awards season in recent years; since 2005, there have been six musically-based movies nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as several others nominated for awards in other categories. As with any genre of film, the entrants are diverse in quality, style, and

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30 Best Music Biopics of All Time

Many musicians secretly want to be actors — and most actors (not-so-secretly) want to be musicians. And for those thespians who don’t start their own bands with words like 30 Odd Foot of Grunts or Bacon Brothers in their names, the next best thing is to play a real-life musical genius in a movie. If the subject’s story happens to have a great rags-to-riches arc, or include a dive into drug-fueled, near-death depths with redemptive rise, phoenix-like, included in the third act, great; if such dramatic recreations attract the attention of Oscar voters, hey, all the better. But the chance to belt out a greatest-hits collection of songs from rock stars, hip-hop legends and country-and-western crooners is too tempting to pass up for most folks. You may never be Elvis — but you can play him on TV. (If you’re Eminem, however, you do get to play a barely fictionalized version of yourself. It’s complicated.)

Music biopics are