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The Best Movies About Music

Updated January 22, 2021 39.7k votes 4.8k voters 294.1k views192 items

List RulesVote up your favorite movies on this list that are about music, not just have good music in them.

The films on this list of the best music movies have been ranked by fans like you. This list features the best movies about music and is compiled from the most popular titles on the subject of music, including both feature films about bands and musicians as well as music documentaries. What are the best films about music? Which music films are the greatest? These films are about the greatest rock bands, singers, and musicians, whether fictional or real, and surely have some of the best film soundtracks as well.

This list includes titles that have been top box office hits and many of the films featured on this list are award winners as well. Some of the these films about musicians and music feature (or are based on) true events, while others are completely fictional in nature. A variety of genres are also covered, including drama, comedy, documentary, and romance.

The top music movies on this list feature many famous film stars and include films like A Star Is Born and The Blues Brothers. Vote up the best movies about music below and see which one makes it to the top of the list.

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Walk the Line
Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2005
Directed by: James Mangold
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2
490
163
Whiplash
J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist
Released: 2014
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
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#5 of 75 The Best Blumhouse Productions Movies#16 of 17 17 Oscar-Winning Movies That Got Away With Not Explaining Major Things
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1,030
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Almost Famous
Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson
Released: 2000
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
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#104 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies#282 of 1,137 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time
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The Blues Brothers
Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin
Released: 1980
Directed by: John Landis
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508
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Bohemian Rhapsody
Rami Malek, Ben Hardy
Released: 2018
Directed by: Bryan Singer
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Behind The Scenes Of The Movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody'#292 of 356 The Best Musical Movies Of All Time
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Amadeus
Jeffrey Jones, Cynthia Nixon
Released: 1984
Directed by: Miloš Forman
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613
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Pink Floyd – The Wall
Bob Hoskins, Bob Geldof
Released: 1982
Directed by: Alan Parker
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Behind The Scenes Details From Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ Movie#379 of 542 The Best Animated Films Ever
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1,056
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A Star Is Born
Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga
Released: 2018
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
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The Best Songs on the 'A Star Is Born' Soundtrack#6 of 53 The Saddest Romance Movies That Will Make You Cry
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620
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This Is Spinal Tap
Billy Crystal, Fran Drescher
Released: 1984
Directed by: Rob Reiner
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La Bamba
Lou Diamond Phillips, Joe Pantoliano
Released: 1987
Directed by: Luis Valdez
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#5 of 15 The Best Movies That Capture The Mexican-American Experience#7 of 52 The Best Movies About Real Bands & Musicians
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Ray
Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx
Released: 2004
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
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School of Rock
Sarah Silverman, Jack Black
Released: 2003
Directed by: Richard Linklater
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What Happened To All The Kids From School Of Rock#110 of 206 Musical Movies With the Best Songs
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527
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The Doors
Meg Ryan, Val Kilmer
Released: 1991
Directed by: Oliver Stone
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The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Released: 1965
Directed by: Robert Wise
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Purple Rain
Prince, Apollonia Kotero
Released: 1984
Directed by: Albert Magnoli
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557
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8 Mile
Eminem, Kim Basinger
Released: 2002
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
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Green Book
Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
Released: 2018
Directed by: Peter Farrelly
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High Fidelity
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Springsteen
Released: 2000
Directed by: Stephen Frears
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#175 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books#880 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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The Buddy Holly Story
Gary Busey, Buddy Miles
Released: 1978
Directed by: Steve Rash
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#63 of 124 The Most Rewatchable Movie Musicals#77 of 127 The Best Oscar-Winning Scores
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Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta, Fran Drescher
Released: 1977
Directed by: John Badham
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439
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Mr. Holland's Opus
Alicia Witt, William H. Macy
Released: 1995
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Footloose
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Bacon
Released: 1984
Directed by: Herbert Ross
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#31 of 200 The Best Teen Romance Movies#59 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made
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Flashdance
Jennifer Beals, Lee Ving
Released: 1983
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
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A Hard Day's Night
Paul McCartney, John Lennon
Released: 1964
Directed by: Richard Lester
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#20 of 175 The Best Movies Of The '60s#354 of 913 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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That Thing You Do!
Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks
Released: 1996
Directed by: Tom Hanks
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