Biographies about musicians and artists are becoming more popular in the modern age of film. Curiosity for knowledge and gossip still exists, but seeing history play out on the screen is more engaging to audiences nowadays versus reading material out of a book for the same information. The musical biopic genre is adaptable, and can combine darker and lighter tones to tell the story of the artist. Over the past 50 years, there have been a number of musical biopics that have set the standard for the genre. While not all of these particular films utilize music in traditional ways, it is still an integral piece of the artist’s story.

12 Judy

Renee Zellweger in Judy
20th Century Fox
Roadside Attractions

She truly was the talk of the town. The 2019 biopic Judy pulled the curtain behind the life of the legendary performer Judy Garland. Renee Zellweger’s Oscar-winning performance shows the world what is truly over the rainbow. In the case of Judy Garland, her life was all but magical. The film shows the darker side of Garland’s career and mismanagement, but it also uses music and songs from Garland to give new and young audience members a taste of why she was so magical to us. Garland is given life again through Zellweger’s incredible performance which included singing live on set.

11 Get On Up

Chadwick Boseman in Get On Up
Universal Pictures

The late Chadwick Boseman stars as the legendary musical icon James Brown in the 2014 musical biopic Get On Up. The film uses unique fourth wall breaks and rhythmic sequences of soul to chronicle the life of the musician. The story goes from Brown’s early impoverished days to superstardom. The film is directed by Tate Taylor, whose acclaimed credits include the Oscar-nominated film The Help.

10 Amadeus

Mozart conducting in Amadeus
The Saul Zaentz Company

It is commonly heard by classical music lovers that “music isn’t quite the same today.” An Oscar winner for Best Picture, Amadeus showcases on a grandiose scale the beauty of classical music, as told from the biographical perspective of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In addition to that Oscar, the film also garnered seven more, including Best Director, Actor, Writing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound, and Make-Up. The film is as beautiful and classical as one can get in the modern age of art and technology.

Related: How Marlon Brando Changed Acting and His Career's Legacy

While not a traditional musical, the movie's soundtrack won a Grammy Award and sold over six and a half million copies, and is an integral aspect of telling the musician's life. Director Milos Forman also helmed the famous Man on the Moon starring Jim Carrey, who entered a new level of method acting to portray comedian Andy Kaufman in yet another biographical masterpiece.

9 Walk the Line

June Carter and Johnny Cash in Walk The Line
20th Century Fox

The 2005 classic biopic Walk the Line tells the story of Johnny Cash, one of the most influential musicians of all time. Cash was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix who received an Oscar nomination alongside Reese Witherspoon who took home the trophy for her work in this film. Phoenix, who had already made a name for himself with films like Gladiator and Signs a few years prior, talked on Conan while promoting the film about meeting Johnny Cash in the flesh.

“Well, I was invited over to dinner at [Cash’s] friend’s house and went over and it was an amazing experience. [...] I had to leave, and John stopped me as I was walking out. And he was a real fan of this movie I did, Gladiator. And he said [...] ‘My favorite part is when you said, ‘Your son squealed like a girl when they nailed him to the cross and your wife moaned like a horse. They ravaged her again and again and again.’ I love that part.’ [...] I mean the most sadistic dialogue ever committed to celluloid.”

8 Bohemian Rhapsody

Rami Malek As Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody
20th Century Fox

We know the voice, we know the songs, but the film Bohemian Rhapsody gives audiences a side to the legendary Freddie Mercury that we have never seen before. Rami Malek’s Oscar-winning performance captures the energy, theatrics, and at times lonesomeness in Mercury’s personal life. Not only is this film perfectly cast where each member of Queen looks like their real life counterparts, it is also beautifully shot by Bryan Singer. The LiveAid sequence captures the massive scale of the Queen performance and why it is regarded as one of the best in history. Talks of a sequel to the successful biopic are causing speculation and intrigue amongst fans of the film and band.

7 Elvis

Austin Butler as Elvis "Elvie" Presley in 'Elvis'
Warner Bros. Pictures

The 2022 Baz Luhrmann film starring Tom Hanks and Austin Butler as the titular character is truly an electrifying experience. Elvis is more about the feeling and impact of the King of Rock and Roll than a more traditional biopic. Luhrmann captures the feeling and electricity in Presley’s career through breathtaking visuals and jaw dropping recreations of historical performances. While the film is told in a non-linear way, it is a vibrant exploration into Elvis’ life, the Black music and culture that he drew from, and the period in which he lived, and has earned massive box office success and critical acclaim.

Related: Elvis: Why These Are the Best Musical Moments

6 Rocketman

Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman
Paramount Pictures

Taron Egerton shines as Elton John in this musical biopic produced by Elton himself. Rocketman uses cinematic musical numbers and fantastical dreamlike sequences to tell the story of Elton John’s life and career. The film is unlike any other, as it is one of the few musical fantasy films out there that use music and astounding visuals in this way to get audiences into the mind of Elton and what it felt like to be as famous as he is to this day. Taron Egerton and Elton John are known to have a continued friendship and have performed songs together live on stage since this film’s release.

5 Ray

Kerry Washington as Della Bea Robinson with co-star Jamie Foxx in Ray
Universal Pictures

Jamie Foxx’s Oscar-winning performance truly encapsulates the essence and personality of Ray Charles. The 2004 film Ray, directed by Taylor Hackford, is one of the best in capturing the feel of the music and the feeling the musician had on their audience. However, the most jaw dropping factor to this film’s success is Foxx’s dedication to the role. It is reported he lost 30 pounds to play the role of the slender Ray Charles and he glued his eyes shut to fully realize the feeling of blindness and the awe-inspiring talent Charles had.

4 All That Jazz

All That Jazz
20th Century Fox

The 1979 film All That Jazz is an autobiography of director and Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse, who worked on such massive shows and films as Cabaret and Chicago. He writes and directs his own story in this hyper-stylized film through the avatar of a drug fueled womanizer named Joe Gideon, played by Roy Scheider. Scheider had starred in the massively successful blockbuster Jaws four years prior. However, his electrifying and troubled performance is utterly different here and, along with flashy dance pieces and various Broadway style musical numbers, help aid the film’s stylistic presentation.

3 The Doors

The Doors with Val Kilmer
Tri-Star Pictures

Val Kilmer lights a fire as the iconic musician in the classic biopic The Doors. The film is a psychedelic look into the world of Morrison and the legendary rock band. However, Morrison’s drug and sex-fueled career take a turn for the worst, as history proves. But director Oliver Stone uses disorienting angles and camera movements to put the viewer into the perspective of the intoxicated characters. The music is used in live performance sequences to capture what audience reactions to the band were like in their heyday, and incorporates nearly two dozen songs from The Doors.

2 La Vie en Rose

Marion Cotillard La Vie en Rose 2007-legende
Légende Films

Marion Cotillard delivers one of the best performances of all time in a biopic for the classic film La Vie en Rose. Despite being French and in a French film, Cotillard took home the Oscar for her work in this story of legendary performer Edith Piaf which chronicles her rise to fame from the poverty-stricken streets. The musical sequences are tender and beautiful, and Piaf’s story is heartbreaking. The film depicts most of Piaf’s life and jumps around various time periods. However, the sequences all blend perfectly together and create a beautiful threadline to the artist’s story.

1 tick, tick…BOOM!

Tick Tick Boom
Netflix

Being 30 in the 90s was quite hard for aspiring stars like Jonathan Larson. A 2021 film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the man, tick, tick…BOOM! is a masterpiece and the Oscar-nominated performance by Andrew Garfield is his absolute best. The film is a musical biopic of the theater writer and composer as he struggles to break through to stardom years before his success with the iconic musical Rent. His words are beautifully written and sung by Garfield along with the rest of the cast. tick, tick…BOOM! is also a film that uses music as a metaphor for time and love. While the story is interesting and compelling from a historical perspective, this Netflix original is a beautiful and perfect musical biopic that doesn’t skip a beat.