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
Naomi Ackie
Ashton Sanders
Stanley Tucci
Nafessa Williams
Lance A. Williams
Tamara Tunie
Clarke Peters
Daniel Washington
JaQuan Malik Jones
Kris Sidberry
Tanner Beard
Bailee Lopes
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
Austin Butler
Tom Hanks
Olivia DeJonge
Helen Thomson
Richard Roxburgh
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
David Wenham
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Luke Bracey
Dacre Montgomery
Leon Ford
Gary Clark Jr.
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
O'Shea Jackson Jr.
Corey Hawkins
Jason Mitchell
Neil Brown Jr.
Aldis Hodge
Marlon Yates Jr.
R. Marcos Taylor
Carra Patterson
Alexandra Shipp
Paul Giamatti
Elena Goode
Keith Powers
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
Jennifer Lopez
Jackie Guerra
Constance Marie
Alex Meneses
Jon Seda
Edward James Olmos
Jacob Vargas
Pete Astudillo
Rueben Gonzáles
Ricky Vela
Don Shelton
Richard Emanuelle
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
Rami Malek
Gwilym Lee
Ben Hardy
Joseph Mazzello
Lucy Boynton
Aidan Gillen
Allen Leech
Tom Hollander
Mike Myers
Aaron McCusker
Ace Bhatti
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
Chadwick Boseman
Nelsan Ellis
Dan Aykroyd
Viola Davis
Lennie James
Fred Melamed
Jill Scott
Octavia Spencer
Nick Eversman
Tika Sumpter
James DuMont
Billy Slaughter
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
Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Danai Gurira
Kat Graham
Jamal Woolard
Dominic L. Santana
Annie Ilonzeh
Lauren Cohan
Cory Hardrict
Grace Gibson
DeSean Jackson
Brandon Sauve
Josh Ventura
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
Taron Egerton
Jamie Bell
Richard Madden
Bryce Dallas Howard
Gemma Jones
Steven Mackintosh
Tom Bennett
Matthew Illesley
Kit Connor
Charlie Rowe
Peter O'Hanlon
Ross Farrelly
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
Jennifer Hudson
Forest Whitaker
Marlon Wayans
Audra McDonald
Mary J. Blige
Marc Maron
Tituss Burgess
Saycon Sengbloh
Hailey Kilgore
Tate Donovan
Skye Dakota Turner
Heather Headley
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
Jamie Foxx
Kerry Washington
Regina King
Harry Lennix
Clifton Powell
Bokeem Woodbine
Sharon Warren
C.J. Sanders
Curtis Armstrong
Richard Schiff
Larenz Tate
Terrence Howard
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.