The Ultimate Guide to Musicians' Biopics

The history of musician biopics dates back to Hollywood's golden age (the late 1910s to the early 1960s), when studios first saw the potential for box office success in telling the stories of real artists on screen. They understood that nothing could boost an artist’s popularity more than a movie that tells their life story, evokes nostalgia, makes them relatable, and re-energizes their legacy.

Arguably, one of the earliest notable examples of a musical biopic film was Alfred E. Green’s The Jolson Story (1964), which depicted the life (though partly fictionalized) of Lithuanian-American singer and comedian Al Jolson. The film became a box-office sensation and won three Academy Awards for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, and Best Sound Recording. Along with other early examples, like The Glenn Miller Story (1954) and The Benny Goodman Story (1956), it established a proven template for a successful biopic: a rise-to-fame narrative – from challenging beginnings to ultimate success – highlighted by memorable musical performances. These films weren't just entertainment; they served as cultural preservation, capturing the essence of artists whose recordings could only partially tell their stories.

Over the decades, music biopics have shifted from sanitized, polished studio productions to more nuanced, sometimes even controversial portrayals that don’t shy away from exploring the darker sides of fame or depicting artists’ perhaps negative – yet deeply human – traits. Films like Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991) pushed boundaries, while more recent movies like Walk the Line (2005) and Ray (2004) balanced commercial success with artistic integrity. Today's biopics benefit from improved archival footage, more sophisticated storytelling techniques, and a willingness to tackle complex topics like addiction, mental health, and the music industry's exploitative practices.

What makes these films so compelling is their ability to reintroduce an artist to the broader public and potentially shape their perception of that artist—sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. A well-made biopic can introduce a classic artist to entirely new audiences, rekindle interest in their catalog, and even correct misunderstandings about their life and work. The genre serves as a bridge across generations, allowing younger viewers to discover the music their parents and grandparents loved while offering older fans fresh perspectives on familiar stories.

The enduring appeal of music biopics lies in their unique combination of elements that few other film genres can match. First, there's the music itself – audiences get to experience iconic songs within the context of when, how, and why they were created. Second, there's the behind-the-scenes “drama” that reveals the life journey and the human side of larger-than-life figures. We see the creative process, the talent, the genius minds, the personal struggles, and the relationships that inspired the art.

Third, there's the nostalgia factor – fundamentally, these films tell the stories of musicians who are either no longer with us or have lived through significant life experiences and substantial milestones in their careers, transporting us to different eras, from the jazz clubs of the 1950s to the punk scene of the 1970s to the hip-hop explosion of the 1990s.

The “why we love music biopics” question ultimately comes down to identification and aspiration. These stories of triumph over adversity and artistic vision prevailing against the odds resonate with universal human experiences. Whether it's Freddie Mercury confronting his sexuality and mortality, Ray Charles rising to success despite his blindness and tragic childhood, or Johnny Cash battling his addictions while finding redemption through love, these narratives humanize artists and tap into emotions that go beyond the specifics of the music industry.

Essentially, music biopics serve a crucial function in keeping classic artists relevant for younger audiences who might not otherwise discover their work. For instance, when Bohemian Rhapsody hit theaters in 2018, Queen's streaming numbers skyrocketed, with their songs being discovered by a generation that wasn't even born when Freddie Mercury passed away. The film introduced millions of young viewers to an artist they might have only known as “that band my parents like,” turning Queen into a cultural phenomenon all over again.

This pattern repeats with nearly every successful music biopic. Following the release of Rocketman in 2019, Elton John's catalog saw a significant boost in streams and sales. Straight Outta Compton (2015) not only revived interest in N.W.A, but also educated viewers about the origins of gangsta rap and its cultural significance. These films don't just remind people of artists they'd forgotten – they actively create new fans, expand an artist's audience, and build their legacy in ways that traditional marketing campaigns is just not able to.

A biopic’s impact goes beyond increasing notoriety; it also influences the artist's (or their descendants’) financial success. Streaming platforms report consistent spikes in artist plays following biopic releases, often lasting for months or even years. Physical album sales, which have generally declined in the digital age, frequently experience temporary resurgences. The Elvis estate, for example, saw renewed interest across multiple formats following Baz Luhrmann's 2022 film, including vinyl reissues, merchandise, and tourism at Graceland.

Despite their potential impact, the relationship between biopics and musical legacy isn't without controversy. Many films face criticism for prioritizing dramatic storytelling over factual accuracy, condensing complex lives into simplified narratives, glossing over uncomfortable truths, or even altering the story to create more hype. Family members and former bandmates often dispute portrayals, leading to public disagreements about what “really happened.” Some argue that biopics can actually distort an artist's legacy, reducing nuanced careers to a handful of dramatic moments and popular misconceptions.

The frequent strain between accuracy and dramatization remains a central debate in the genre. Films like Bohemian Rhapsody faced criticism for altering Queen's timeline, downplaying certain aspects of Freddie Mercury's life, and purposely over-villainizing Mercury’s manager to heighten the drama. On the other hand, too much reverence (and focus on the facts, if you will) can result in sanitized, uninteresting portrayals that fail to capture what made these artists compelling in the first place. The most successful biopics find a balance, maintaining emotional truth even when adjusting specific facts, honoring the artist's legacy while acknowledging their flaws and contradictions.

For musicians themselves, biopics represent both opportunity and risk. A successful film can cement their place in cultural history, introduce their work to new generations, and provide a definitive statement about their artistic vision. Many artists, like Elton John with Rocketman, take an active role in production, ensuring their story is told on their terms. Others, particularly estates managing deceased artists' legacies, see biopics as essential tools for keeping their loved ones' memories alive and relevant.

Yet there's also the fear of misrepresentation, of having one's life reduced to a two-hour narrative that emphasizes sensational elements at the expense of the art itself. This anxiety explains why some artists' estates have been hesitant to authorize biopics, or why certain projects remain in development limbo for years as stakeholders negotiate over creative control and approval rights.

One of the most notable artists who took a strong stand against biographical movies about musicians was David Bowie. Throughout his life, Bowie clearly stated he did not want a biopic about his life and career, even reportedly threatening to sue director Todd Haynes over the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, which he inspired. After his death, his family has upheld his wishes and made sure it won't happen – at least not with their support. In 2020, a biographical drama about Bowie and his alter ego Ziggy Stardust was released, but Bowie's estate did not approve the film and refused to grant rights to use his music.

Now that we’ve explored closely the history, impact, and public perception of musicians' biopics, let’s have a closer look at some of the most significant films in this category across various musical genres.

Artist: Queen/Freddie Mercury
Lead Actor: Rami Malek
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV

Portraying Queen's rise to fame and Freddie Mercury's personal struggles with his identity and health, Bohemian Rhapsody reignited mainstream interest in music biopics. Despite controversies over historical accuracy and the film's troubled production (original director Bryan Singer was replaced by Dexter Fletcher), Rami Malek's transformative performance earned him an Academy Award. The film became a global phenomenon, grossing over $903 million worldwide and introducing Queen to an entirely new generation. The concert sequences, particularly the climactic Live Aid finale, are considered among cinema’s most exhilarating musical moments.

Artist: Elton John
Lead Actor: Taron Egerton
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select countries), Prime Video, and Apple TV

Unlike many traditional biopics, Rocketman adopts a fantastical, musical-theater approach to telling Elton John's story. Director Dexter Fletcher and star Taron Egerton (who performed all his own singing) have created a lively, emotionally truthful portrait of the artist's journey from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight to global superstar to a man nearly destroyed by addiction and self-loathing. The film openly addresses John's sexuality and substance abuse, presenting both with raw honesty. Its inventive musical sequences and Egerton's committed performance earned critical acclaim and multiple awards.

Artist: Kurt Cobain/Nirvana
Director: Brett Morgen
Where to Watch: Available on Apple TV

This documentary-style film takes an unconventional approach to the biopic format by using Cobain's own artwork, journals, recordings, and home videos to create an intimate portrait of the Nirvana frontman. Authorized by Cobain's daughter Frances Bean, the film avoids traditional talking-head interviews in favor of letting Kurt tell his own story through his words and images. The result is a raw, often painful look at an artist whose brilliance was matched only by his struggles with addiction, depression, and the pressures of fame. Animated sequences bring Cobain's drawings to life, while previously unheard audio recordings give unprecedented access to his inner world.

Artist: Sid Vicious/Sex Pistols
Lead Actors: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb
Where to Watch: Available on Apple TV

Alex Cox's punk rock love story remains one of the most unflinching portrayals of drug addiction and codependency ever filmed. Gary Oldman delivers a career-launching performance as Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious (though he later dismissed the quality of his acting in the film), while Chloe Webb plays his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Rather than glorifying the punk lifestyle, the film presents the couple's relationship as a tragic descent into addiction, violence, and self-destruction. The grimy, unglamorous aesthetic perfectly captures the decay of late-1970s punk scenes in New York and London. While the Sex Pistols themselves have criticized the film's accuracy, it remains an important cultural document of punk's nihilistic edge.

Artist: Jim Morrison & The Doors
Lead Actor: Val Kilmer
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select countries), Prime Video, and Apple TV

Oliver Stone's controversial depiction of Jim Morrison and The Doors divided critics and audiences but showcased Val Kilmer in one of his finest performances. Kilmer's uncanny physical resemblance to Morrison and his commitment to the role (he performed all the songs himself) have created a truly immersive experience. Stone's psychedelic visual style matches Morrison's shamanistic stage presence, though the film has been criticized for historical inaccuracies and for portraying Morrison as a larger-than-life icon of 1960s rock and roll. Surviving Doors members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger have expressed mixed feelings about the film, appreciating Kilmer's performance while questioning Stone's interpretations of Morrison's motivations and the band’s behavior.

Artist: Ian Curtis/Joy Division
Lead Actor: Sam Riley
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

Anton Corbijn's stunning black-and-white debut feature chronicles the brief life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis with elegance and restraint. The film's stark cinematography reflects the bleak beauty of Joy Division's music, while Sam Riley's remarkable performance captures Curtis's intensity and vulnerability. Based on his widow Deborah Curtis's memoir “Touching from a Distance,” the film presents an honest portrait of a young man torn between his artistic ambitions, his responsibilities as a husband and father, and his struggles with epilepsy and depression. The concert scenes were shot with documentary-like authenticity, adding extra credibility to his portrayal. It’s also worth noting that Corbijn’s production, who, by the way, had worked with Joy Division as a photographer, was supported by the band (they provided music for the soundtrack), their label, and Curtis’s wife.

Artist: Elvis Presley
Lead Actor: Austin Butler
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Prime Video, and Apple TV

Baz Luhrmann's maximalist approach to Elvis Presley's life divides audiences between those who embrace its stylistic excess and those who find it overwhelming. Austin Butler's committed performance earned widespread acclaim and an Academy Award nomination, with the actor capturing Elvis's vocal style and physical presence with remarkable accuracy. The film frames Elvis's story through his complex relationship with manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), exploring themes of exploitation and artistic compromise. Although criticized for overlooking certain aspects of Elvis's life, especially his relationship with Priscilla, the film effectively captures the revolutionary influence of his music and performance style on American culture.

Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Lead Actor: Jeremy Allen White
Where to Watch: Released to theaters in October 2025

As one of the most anticipated music biopics in years, this film focuses specifically on the creation of Springsteen's 1982 studio album “Nebraska.” Rather than attempting to cover The Boss's entire career, director Scott Cooper narrows the scope to this crucial period, when Springsteen recorded stark, unaccompanied demos on a four-track recorder in the bedroom of his home in New Jersey, which became one of his most influential albums. Jeremy Allen White, known particularly for his acclaimed work on The Bear, portrays Springsteen, while Succession’s Jeremy Strong took on the role of Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau. Critics have given mixed reviews of the entire piece but praised the performances of both White and Strong.

Artist: Tina Turner
Lead Actor: Angela Bassett
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV

This powerful film chronicles Tina Turner's journey from an abusive relationship with Ike Turner to a triumphant solo career. Both Angela Bassett, capturing Turner’s vulnerability during the years of abuse and her strength in reclaiming her life and career, and Laurence Fishburne, portraying Turner’s abusive husband Ike, earned Academy Award nominations. Bassett also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. Notably, Laurence Fishburne's performance as Ike Turner presented him as a complex, talented, but distraught figure rather than a one-dimensional villain. While the Turner family disagreed with how some aspects of their lives were depicted (Ike said the film was “filled with lies,” while Tina expressed regret at being portrayed as a victim), the movie was critically and commercially successful.

Artist: Whitney Houston
Lead Actor: Naomi Ackie
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Prime Video, and Apple TV

A few years after the release of the documentary Whitney (2018) by Kevin McDonald, a traditional biopic starring Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston emerged, capturing the singer's charisma and vulnerability. The film traces Houston's journey from a church choir singer to a global superstar, touching on her relationship with Bobby Brown, her struggles with addiction, and the pressures of fame. Although some criticized it for spending too much time on familiar ground and not delving deeply enough into controversial aspects of Houston's life, Ackie's performance and the film's tribute to Houston's musical legacy received praise.

Artist: Aretha Franklin
Lead Actor: Jennifer Hudson
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

Approved by Aretha Franklin herself before her death, Respect follows the Queen of Soul from her childhood singing in her father's church through her emergence as a musical legend with a voice of a Goddess and a civil rights activist. Jennifer Hudson, picked by Franklin for the role, delivers a powerhouse performance that showcases her own formidable vocal talents while honoring Franklin's legacy. The film explores Franklin's complicated relationship with her father, her struggles in abusive relationships, and her significant role in the civil rights and women’s rights movements. Director Liesl Tommy balances the musical performances with intimate character moments, creating a portrait of a woman who demanded respect both professionally and personally.

Artist: James Brown
Lead Actor: Chadwick Boseman
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

Chadwick Boseman's electrifying performance as James Brown captures the intensity, showmanship, and complexity of the Godfather of Soul. Director Tate Taylor employs a non-linear narrative structure, jumping between different periods of Brown's life to create a mosaic portrait rather than a straightforward rise-and-fall story. Boseman performs Brown's signature dance moves with incredible precision, while the film openly depicts Brown's difficult personality, including his manipulative and violent behavior toward women and his band. The result is a complex portrait of a musical genius whose innovations in funk and soul changed popular music forever, yet whose personal life was marked by violence, controversy, and legal troubles.

Artist: Amy Winehouse
Lead Actor: Marisa Abela
Where to Watch: Available on Apple TV and digital platforms

This intimate portrayal of Amy Winehouse's turbulent life and tragic death focuses on her creative genius and the personal struggles that inspired her music. Marisa Abela takes on the challenging role of embodying Winehouse's distinctive style and voice, while the film explores her relationship with her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, and her battles with addiction and mental illness. The title refers to Winehouse's second and final album, which received widespread critical acclaim and made her a global phenomenon. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson approaches the material with sensitivity, presenting Winehouse as a complete person rather than just a cautionary tale about the dangers of fame.

Artist: Bob Marley
Lead Actor: Kingsley Ben-Adir
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions) and Apple TV

This authorized biopic celebrates Bob Marley's life, music, and lasting influence on global culture. Kingsley Ben-Adir portrays the reggae legend during a pivotal period in the mid-1970s when Marley's message of peace and unity resonated worldwide despite armed political turmoil in Jamaica. The film highlights Marley's spiritual beliefs, his dedication to social justice, and his role in bringing reggae music to international audiences. With the cooperation of the Marley family and access to the musician's complete catalog, the film aims to introduce new generations to Marley's revolutionary music and enduring message. The production was filmed in Jamaica, using real locations significant to Marley's life and career.

Artist: N.W.A (Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, DJ Yella)
Lead Actors: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions) and Apple TV

Perhaps the most culturally significant hip-hop biopic to date, Straight Outta Compton chronicles the rise and fall of N.W.A., a group that pioneered gangsta rap and forever changed hip-hop music. The casting of O'Shea Jackson Jr. – Ice Cube's actual son – as his father adds authenticity, while Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell deliver powerful performances as Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. The film contextualizes N.W.A's music within the social circumstances of late 1980s Los Angeles, including police brutality, gang violence, and systemic racism, demonstrating how their controversial lyrics reflected harsh realities of their world. While criticized for glossing over Dr. Dre's history of violence against women, the film succeeds in explaining why N.W.A's music mattered and continues to influence hip-hop today.

Artist: The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace)
Lead Actor: Jamal Woolard
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV

This biopic traces Biggie Smalls' journey from Brooklyn drug dealer to East Coast rap icon, culminating in his unsolved murder in 1997. Jamal Woolard's physical resemblance to Biggie adds credibility, while the film benefits from cooperation from Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, as well as his former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts. The movie explores Biggie's relationships with American singers Lil' Kim and Faith Evans, his friendship and eventual rivalry with Tupac Shakur, and his role in the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud. Although some critics felt the film omitted certain aspects of Biggie's life or relied too much on traditional biopic tropes, it remains a respectful tribute to one of hip-hop's greatest lyricists.

Artist: Tupac Shakur
Lead Actor: Demetrius Shipp Jr.
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions) and Prime Video

All Eyez on Me captures the complex life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, one of hip-hop's most multifaceted and influential figures. The film covers Tupac's childhood, his mother's involvement with the Black Panthers, his meteoric rise in hip-hop, legal issues, and, ultimately, his unsolved murder in Paradise, Las Vegas. What was an ambitious attempt to truthfully portray Tupac’s life and death has resulted in a movie with overall mixed reviews, with some praising its comprehensive scope and others criticizing historical inaccuracies and a rushed narrative. Several people close to Tupac, including Tupac’s close friend Jada Pinkett Smith, expressed disappointment with the final product.

Artist: Loretta Lynn
Lead Actor: Sissy Spacek
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

This classic biopic chronicles Loretta Lynn's journey from poverty in rural Kentucky to becoming a prominent figure in country music with a career spanning over six decades. The film doesn't romanticize Lynn's early life, depicting the harsh realities of Appalachian poverty and her marriage to Doolittle Lynn when she was just 15. Yet it's ultimately an uplifting story about talent, determination, and the power of authentic storytelling in music. Lynn's own involvement in the production ensured accuracy, and the film remains one of the most beloved music biopics ever made. Sissy Spacek won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal, while the movie itself received an Oscar for Best Motion Picture in Musical or Comedy.

Artist: Johnny Cash & June Carter
Lead Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon
Where to Watch: Available on Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV

Director James Mangold's portrait of Johnny Cash and June Carter's turbulent love story earned both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon Academy Award nominations, with Witherspoon winning for Best Actress. Both actors performed all their own singing, with Phoenix capturing Cash's distinctive baritone and stage presence. The film focuses on Cash's rise to fame in the country music scene, his struggles with drug addiction, his first marriage, and his romantic pursuit of June Carter, who went on to become his second wife and lifelong collaborator. While it condenses and simplifies some aspects of Cash's life, the film's depiction of Cash's famous prison concerts and his salvation through love resonated with audiences, making it one of the most commercially successful music biopics of its era.

Artist: Bob Dylan
Lead Actors: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

In 2007, Todd Haynes was the first one to take on the challenge of depicting Bob Dylan's life. Taking an experimental approach, the film remains one of the most audacious music biopics ever made. Instead of following a traditional narrative style, the film features six actors (including Cate Blanchett in an outstanding performance), each playing different elements of Dylan's persona and career. Every segment employs different visual styles and storytelling approaches, reflecting various periods and phases of Dylan's artistry. Consequently, the film captures something essential about Dylan that a more traditional narrative might miss (though we’ll explore in the following section if that’s really true) – his elusiveness, constant reinvention, and resistance to being put in a box or labelled.

Artist: Bob Dylan
Lead Actor: Timothée Chalamet
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Apple TV

James Mangold is the second director to tackle a Dylan biopic (though he prefers to call it an ensemble piece). His film centres on the musician’s formative years in New York City and his profound influence on folk music. Starring Timothée Chalamet, who had trained extensively to capture Dylan's distinctive vocal style and guitar playing, the movie details Dylan's arrival in New York in 1961, his relationships with Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, and his controversial use of electric instruments at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Notably, while the movie is a fictionalized account of Dylan’s life, with certain timelines, events, and even characters altered or compressed, Dylan himself has endorsed and collaborated with the filmmakers, granting access to his music catalog.

Artist: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Lead Actor: Tom Hulce
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video and Apple TV

It’s important to note right away that, while a masterpiece, Miloš Forman's Amadeus is a fictional story, inspired by Alexander Pushkin's 1830 play Mozart and Salieri. It uses the storyline of Mozart's alleged – yet likely non-existent – rivalry with composer Antonio Salieri to explore themes of genius, mediocrity, and divine inspiration. Mozart, played by Tom Hulce, is deliberately obscene, childish, but undeniably brilliant, while Salieri, portrayed by F. Murray Abraham, serves as the film's tortured and rejected narrator. The film won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is regarded as culturally and historically significant despite its fictionalized and therefore historically inaccurate narrative.

Artist: Ludwig van Beethoven
Lead Actor: Gary Oldman
Where to Watch: Available on Prime Video

While in Sid and Nancy, Gary Oldman plays a punk rock bassist; in Immortal Beloved, he becomes a genius composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. The film centres around the mystery of his “Immortal Beloved,” the unknown woman to whom Beethoven addressed passionate love letters, and uses this romantic mystery as a framework to explore Beethoven's difficult personality, his progressive deafness, and his musical genius. Oldman captures both Beethoven's volcanic temperament and his vulnerability, making the composer's personal struggles as compelling as his musical achievements. The movie offers a romanticized but emotionally engaging introduction to one of classical music's towering figures.

Artist: Ray Charles
Lead Actor: Jamie Foxx
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Prime Video, and Apple TV

Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, and rightfully so. Foxx fully embodies the role, replicating Charles's physical gestures, piano style, and most notably, lip-syncing to Charles's actual recordings with such accuracy that it's hard to tell where Charles ends and Foxx begins. The film traces Charles's rise from poverty and blindness to becoming one of America's most influential musicians, pioneering a fusion of gospel, blues, and jazz that came to be known as soul music. While it discusses Charles's heroin addiction and womanizing tendencies, the film essentially honors his artistry and his contribution to breaking down racial barriers in American music.

Artist: Édith Piaf
Lead Actor: Marion Cotillard
Where to Watch: Available on Netflix (in select regions), Disney+, Prime Video, and digital platforms

La Vie en Rose follows French chanson singer Édith Piaf's journey from singing on Paris streets as a child, through her discovery and rise to fame, and explores her love affairs as well as her decline caused by illness and morphine addiction. The film adopts a non-linear narrative structure, jumping between different periods of her life. Marion Cotillard won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Piaf, performing all of Piaf's songs herself and capturing not only the singer's vocal style but also her physical mannerisms and emotional intensity.

Artist: Miles Davis
Lead Actor: Don Cheadle
Where to Watch: Available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV

Don Cheadle directed and starred in an unconventional biopic about the renowned jazz trumpeter Miles Davis that deliberately rejects the traditional rise-and-fall structure. Instead, the film focuses on a specific period in the late 1970s when Davis was in creative exile, battling drug addiction and record company pressure to record new material. The film's jazz-like structure – improvised, fragmented, and resistant to easy interpretation – is meant to mirror Davis's own approach to music. While not a comprehensive biography, Miles Ahead effectively captures Davis's fierce independence and his insistence on constant reinvention.

In recent years, the biopic craze shows no signs of slowing down, with several more high-profile projects in various stages of development that aim to bring the lives of prominent musicians and artists to the big screen. One of the most anticipated releases in 2026 is undoubtedly Michael, which portrays Michael Jackson’s career and stars Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role.

Perhaps even more ambitious is Sam Mendes's four-film Beatles project, scheduled for release in April 2028. Each film will tell the band's story from the perspective of a different member, giving audiences multiple viewpoints on one of music's most legendary bands. The movie is being developed in collaboration with the surviving members and has access to the complete Beatles catalog.

Beyond these confirmed productions, several other major artists have biopics in development, including Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's rock-and-roll love story, a Britney Spears film based on her memoir “The Woman in Me,” a Snoop Dogg biopic, and a Madonna limited series exploring her four-decade career.

Over the years, music biopics have become essential bridges between cinema and music culture, introducing classic artists to new generations while offering fresh perspectives on familiar stories. For the industry and artists alike, these films preserve musical history and bring nostalgia and inspiration through new mediums and new audiences.

While this list doesn’t cover every musician biopic ever made, it highlights how deeply the genre has shaped both filmmaking and music — and why these stories continue to resonate across generations.