MRQE Ranks: Cinema's 60 Best Movies About Music

1

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Cast: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Wilfrid Brambell

Director: Richard Lester

Synopsis: During the first worldwide flush of Beatlemania in 1964, United Artists wanted to ship out a movie with The Beatles before their vogue was over. Wo... [MORE]

2

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Cast: Austin Pendleton, Dom DeLuise, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Edgar Bergen

Director: James Frawley

Synopsis: Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear, from of the large crew of loveably fuzzy characters created by puppetmaster Jim Henson, have embarked on a quest f... [MORE]

3

Amadeus (1984)

Cast: Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice

Director: Milos Forman

Synopsis: For this film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Broadway hit, director Milos Forman returned to the city of Prague that he'd left behind during the Cze... [MORE]

4

The Sound of Music (1965)

Cast: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn, Charmian Carr

Director: Robert Wise

Synopsis: One of the most popular movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews stars ... [MORE]

5

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Cast: Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Tony Hendra

Director: Rob Reiner

Synopsis: Largely improvised by director Rob Reiner and his cast, This Is Spinal Tap looks and sounds like a "real" documentary, with Michael McKean, Harry S... [MORE]

6

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Director: David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, Albert Maysles

Synopsis: This musical documentary concerns the Rolling Stones and their tragic free concert at Altamont Speedway near San Francisco in early December 1969. ... [MORE]

7

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)

Director: Daniel Calparsoro

8

Nashville (1975)

Cast: Henry Gibson, Lily Tomlin, Ned Beatty, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine

Director: Robert Altman

Synopsis: Following 24 characters through 5 days in the country music capital, Robert Altman's 1975 epic presents a complexly textured portrayal (and critiqu... [MORE]

9

Trainspotting (1996)

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle

Director: Danny Boyle

Synopsis: Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), a young man with few prospects and fewer ambitions, lives in economically depressed Edinburgh. Like most of his friend... [MORE]

10

Woodstock (1970)

Director: Michael Wadleigh

11

Almost Famous (2000)

Cast: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit

Director: Cameron Crowe

Synopsis: Writer and director Cameron Crowe's experiences as a teenage rock journalist -- he was a regular contributor to Rolling Stone while still in high s... [MORE]

12

Pink Floyd The Wall (1982)

Cast: Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, James Laurenson, Eleanor David

Director: Alan Parker

Synopsis: Inspired by Pink Floyd's album of the same name, Pink Floyd: The Wall is a dark, expressionistic musical, told from the point of view of Pink, a de... [MORE]

13

Fantasia (1940)

Cast: Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra

Director: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Walt Disney, Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield

Synopsis: Fantasia, Walt Disney's animated masterpiece of the 1940s, grew from a short-subject cartoon picturization of the Paul Dukas musical piece The Sorc... [MORE]

15

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Carrie Fisher

Director: John Landis

Synopsis: Expanding on their Saturday Night Live characters, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd star as Jake and Elwood Blues, two white boys with black soul. Spor... [MORE]

16

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Cast: Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Larry Fishburne, Nia Long

Director: John Singleton

Synopsis: Director John Singleton's debut chronicles the trials and tribulations of three young African-American males growing up in South Central Los Angele... [MORE]

17

Dig! (2004)

Director: Ondi Timoner

Synopsis: Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols provides the narration for Ondi Timoner's DIG!, which documents the divergent paths of two rock bands with sim... [MORE]

18

The Last Waltz (1978)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Synopsis: Martin Scorsese's documentary of the 1976 final performance of the legendary Sixties rock group The Band is at once a show featuring some of the gr... [MORE]

19

Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Synopsis: In the fall of 2005, Neil Young returned to the sound and style of his iconic 1972 album Harvest with Prairie Wind, a set of ten songs which look t... [MORE]

20

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Synopsis: The third film from pop-music-obsessed director Baz Luhrmann tweaks the conventions of the musical genre by mixing a period romance with anachronis... [MORE]

21

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)

Director: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Synopsis: Award-winning filmmakers Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger (of the Paradise Lost films on HBO) direct Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, a documentary... [MORE]

22

High Fidelity (2000)

Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet

Director: Stephen Frears

Synopsis: A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obses... [MORE]

23

Shine (1996)

Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Lynn Redgrave, John Gielgud

Director: Scott Hicks

Synopsis: The true story of a gifted Australian piano prodigy, this biographical drama was nominated for seven Oscars, with actor Geoffrey Rush winning for B... [MORE]

24

U2 3D (2007)

Director: Catherine Owens, Mark Pellington

Synopsis: Hollywood A-list director Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies, Arlington Road) and newcomer Catherine Owens team up to break new cinematic grou... [MORE]

25

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)

Director: Jeff Feuerzeig

Synopsis: A decade after wowing critics with his debut feature Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King, director Jeff Feuerzeig finally delivered his soph... [MORE]

26

Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2007)

Director: Julien Temple

Synopsis: Filmmaker Julien Temple takes a look beyond the guise of the late, anti-establishment icon Joe Strummer to offer a warm portrait of the self-descri... [MORE]

27

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Cast: Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Sasha Jenson, Wiley Wiggins, Milla Jovovich

Director: Richard Linklater

Synopsis: Like George Lucas' American Graffiti, Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is an affectionate look at the youth culture of a bygone era. While L... [MORE]

28

Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

Director: Paul Justman

Synopsis: Based on the book of the same name by Allan Slutsky, Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a historical tribute to the unsung heroes responsible for... [MORE]

29

The Commitments (1991)

Cast: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle, Dave Finnegan

Director: Alan Parker

Synopsis: "The Irish are the blacks of Europe, Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland, and the North Siders are the blacks of Dublin ... so say it loud -- I'm b... [MORE]

30

End of the Century (2003)

Director: Jim Fields, Michael Gramaglia

Synopsis: Filmmaker Michael Gramaglia's years-in-the-making biography of the legendary punk band the Ramones entitled End of the Century traces nearly all th... [MORE]

31

24 Hour Party People (2002)

Cast: Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, Paddy Considine, Sean Harris, Danny Cunningham

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Synopsis: This digital-video biopic uses the life of journalist, record mogul and club owner Tony Wilson to frame the story of the Manchester, England, music... [MORE]

32

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Cast: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow, Barry Miller, Joseph Cali

Director: John Badham

Synopsis: John Travolta graduated from minor celebrity to superstar with Saturday Night Fever. Travolta plays Tony Manero, a Brooklyn paint-store clerk who'd... [MORE]

33

The School of Rock (2003)

Cast: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, Joey Gaydos Jr.

Director: Richard Linklater

Synopsis: The world's least-employable heavy metal guitarist is entrusted with the minds of upstate New York's best and brightest in this fish-out-of-water c... [MORE]

34

The Filth and the Fury (2000)

Director: Julien Temple

Synopsis: Although their career lasted a bit less than two years, few rock bands have made a more dramatic impact than the Sex Pistols, who quickly rose to i... [MORE]

35

Sid and Nancy (1986)

Cast: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, Drew Schofield, David Hayman, Debbie Bishop

Director: Alex Cox

Synopsis: Punk rock's first great embodiment of the motto "live fast and die young," Sid Vicious joined The Sex Pistols when they were already established as... [MORE]

36

Dreamgirls (2006)

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson

Director: Bill Condon

Synopsis: Director Bill Condon brings Tom Eyen's Tony award-winning Broadway musical to the big screen in a tale of dreams, stardom, and the high cost of suc... [MORE]

37

Walk the Line (2005)

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts

Director: James Mangold

Synopsis: James Mangold's Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), focusing primarily on the long courtship ... [MORE]

38

Crazy Heart (2009)

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Beth Grant, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell

Director: Scott Cooper

Synopsis: A worn-down country singer and a burgeoning journalist form an unusual bond in this drama adapted from the novel by Thomas Cobb. His spirit broken ... [MORE]

39

Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009)

Director: Kenny Ortega

Synopsis: Legendary musical superstar Michael Jackson takes the stage one last time in this theatrical concert film compiled from over 100 hours of rehearsal... [MORE]

40

Ray (2004/I)

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix

Director: Taylor Hackford

Synopsis: Directed by Taylor Hackford, this biopic profiles the life of legendary musician Ray Charles. Despite humble beginnings and the loss of his eyesigh... [MORE]

41

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

Cast: John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Pitt, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore Liscinski

Director: John Cameron Mitchell

Synopsis: Adapted from the hit off-Broadway musical of the same name, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the tale of an "internationally ignored" rock & roll singe... [MORE]

42

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Cast: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry

Director: Tom Hanks

Synopsis: Tom Hanks made his directorial debut in this bright comedy set in the mid-1960's about a rock group and their brief fling with fame. Guy Patterson ... [MORE]

43

Shine a Light (2008)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Synopsis: After exploring the careers of the Band and Bob Dylan in The Last Waltz and No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, respectively, acclaimed director Martin S... [MORE]

44

Festival Express (2003)

Director: Bob Smeaton

Synopsis: In 1970, with seemingly every North American city of any size holding a rock festival after the success of Woodstock, Ken Walker and Thor Eaton, a ... [MORE]

45

A Mighty Wind (2003)

Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Eugene Levy, Harry Shearer, Bob Balaban

Director: Christopher Guest

Writer: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy

Synopsis: The writing and directing team who created Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show turn their satiric eye toward the world of folk music in this sly m... [MORE]

46

What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)

Cast: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jenifer Lewis, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

Director: Brian Gibson

Synopsis: What's Love Got to Do With It? is the filmed biography of R&B/pop singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett), documenting her efforts to break away from h... [MORE]

47

Singles (1992)

Cast: Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Sheila Kelley, Jim True

Director: Cameron Crowe

Synopsis: Set amidst the burgeoning Seattle alternative music scene of the early '90s, Singles follows a group of twentysomethings as they try to find love a... [MORE]

48

Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Cast: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Anthony LaPaglia, Uma Thurman, James Urbaniak

Director: Woody Allen

Writer: Woody Allen

Synopsis: Woody Allen immerses himself in the world of vintage jazz in this period mock-biography of a musician gifted in his art but a sad student in life. ... [MORE]

49

Across the Universe (2007)

Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy

Director: Julie Taymor

Synopsis: Set against the anti-war protests, rock & roll revolution, and mind-expanding psychedelia of the 1960s, Julie Taymor's hallucinogenic musical follo... [MORE]

50

Hustle & Flow (2005)

Cast: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, D.J. Qualls

Director: Craig Brewer

Synopsis: One man's struggle to rise above his circumstances prompts him to try a career in music in this acclaimed drama from writer and director Craig Brew... [MORE]

51

It Might Get Loud (2008)

Director: Davis Guggenheim

Synopsis: Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim focuses his probing lens on a subject that's decidedly less urgent but no les... [MORE]

52

I'm Not There. (2007)

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin

Director: Todd Haynes

Synopsis: Director Todd Haynes' unconventional biopic of the legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan features different actors playing the part of the Minnesot... [MORE]

53

Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)

Cast: P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young, Loren Lester

Director: Allan Arkush

Synopsis: Rock 'n' Roll High School is a prime example of a 1970s movie phenomenon: a cult film that was deliberately designed to be a cult film. High-school... [MORE]

54

8 Mile (2002)

Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Evan Jones

Director: Curtis Hanson

Synopsis: Controversial rap star Eminem makes his acting debut in this hard-edged urban drama, inspired in part by incidents from the musician's own life. Ji... [MORE]

55

Selena (1997)

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, Jacob Vargas

Director: Gregory Nava

Writer: Gregory Nava

Synopsis: Selena Quintanilla was a major figure in Tejano music, a Grammy-winning recording artist, a beloved star in the American Southwest and Mexico, and ... [MORE]

56

The Doors (1991)

Cast: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley

Director: Oliver Stone

Synopsis: Val Kilmer delivers what was considered one of 1991's best performances as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's hallucinatory bio-pic of the seminal 1960... [MORE]

57

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Cast: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Raymond J. Barry, Margo Martindale, Kristen Wiig

Director: Jake Kasdan

Synopsis: Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan team up to take the swagger out of the traditional music biopic with this look at the troubled life of fictional music ... [MORE]

58

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Cast: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack Weston

Director: Emile Ardolino

Synopsis: A teenage girl learns about love, adult responsibility, and how to do The Dirty Boogie in this romantic drama. In 1963, "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer G... [MORE]

59

Cadillac Records (2008)

Cast: Adrien Brody, Beyoncé Knowles, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Gabrielle Union, Mos Def

Director: Darnell Martin

Synopsis: Directed by TV veteran Darnell Martin, the musical drama Cadillac Records documents the compelling true-life story of the Chicago record label that... [MORE]

60

Tommy (1975)

Cast: Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Elton John, Tina Turner

Director: Ken Russell

Synopsis: Tommy (Roger Daltrey) is a "deaf, dumb and blind kid" who retreats into himself after the death of his father. His mother, Nora (Ann-Margret), and ... [MORE]