Rock & Roll Epics and Musicals
by badscene | created - 16 Oct 2014 | updated - 10 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
R | 100 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.
Director: Jim Sharman | Stars: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien
Votes: 166,827 | Gross: $139.88M
2. Once (I) (2007)
R | 86 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick
Votes: 121,247 | Gross: $9.44M
3. Almost Famous (2000)
R | 122 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand
Votes: 293,235 | Gross: $32.53M
4. The Runaways (2010)
R | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
Director: Floria Sigismondi | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve
Votes: 50,931 | Gross: $3.57M
5. That Thing You Do! (1996)
PG | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A local Pennsylvania band scores a one-hit wonder in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as they can, with lots of help from their manager.
Director: Tom Hanks | Stars: Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler, Charlize Theron, Tom Everett Scott
Votes: 73,532 | Gross: $25.81M
6. Begin Again (II) (2013)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A chance encounter between a down-and-out music business executive, and a young singer songwriter new to Manhattan, turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld
Votes: 166,864 | Gross: $16.17M
7. Cry-Baby (1990)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Musical
In 1950s Baltimore, a bad boy with a heart of gold wins the love of a good girl, whose boyfriend sets out for revenge.
Director: John Waters | Stars: Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell
Votes: 64,787 | Gross: $8.27M
8. Empire Records (1995)
PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Twenty-four hours in the lives of the young employees at Empire Records when they all grow up and become young adults thanks to each other and the manager. They all face the store joining a chain store with strict rules.
Director: Allan Moyle | Stars: Anthony LaPaglia, Debi Mazar, Maxwell Caulfield, Rory Cochrane
Votes: 61,800 | Gross: $0.30M
9. Brothers of the Head (2005)
R | 93 min | Drama, Music
In the 1970s a music promoter plucks Siamese twins from obscurity and grooms them into a freakish rock'n'roll act. A dark tale of sex, strangeness and rock music.
Directors: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe | Stars: Luke Treadaway, Harry Treadaway, Jonathan Pryce, John Simm
Votes: 1,875 | Gross: $0.04M
10. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,497 | Gross: $12.73M
11. Bandslam (2009)
PG | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.
Director: Todd Graff | Stars: Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Scott Porter
Votes: 15,183 | Gross: $5.21M
12. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,744 | Gross: $119.52M
13. God Help the Girl (2014)
Unrated | 112 min | Drama, Music, Romance
As Eve begins writing songs as a way to sort through some emotional problems, she meets James and Cassie, two musicians each at crossroads of their own.
Director: Stuart Murdoch | Stars: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Pierre Boulanger
Votes: 9,230 | Gross: $0.10M
14. School of Rock (2003)
PG-13 | 109 min | Comedy, Music
After being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Adam Pascal
Votes: 330,643 | Gross: $81.26M
15. Grease (1978)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Good girl Sandy Olsson and greaser Danny Zuko fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway
Votes: 300,343 | Gross: $188.76M
16. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
R | 118 min | Drama, Music
In 1984, British journalist Arthur Stuart investigates the career of 1970s glam superstar Brian Slade, who was heavily influenced in his early years by hard-living and rebellious American singer Curt Wild.
Director: Todd Haynes | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Toni Collette
Votes: 38,290 | Gross: $1.05M
17. The Rocker (2008)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Music
In the 1980s, a drummer is abandoned by his band just before they become rock superstars. Twenty years later, the drummer sees his second chance at stardom arise when he is asked to perform with his teenage nephew's high school rock band.
Director: Peter Cattaneo | Stars: Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger
Votes: 40,199 | Gross: $6.41M
18. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Music
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Kimberly Stringer
Votes: 147,308 | Gross: $4.74M
19. Camp (2003)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Musical, Drama
After a series of Broadway flops, songwriter Bert Hanley (Dixon) goes to work at a musical camp for young performers. Inspired by the kids, he finds an opportunity to regain success by staging an altogether new production.
Director: Todd Graff | Stars: Don Dixon, Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Robin de Jesus
Votes: 6,166 | Gross: $1.63M
20. Sid and Nancy (1986)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
Director: Alex Cox | Stars: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Debby Bishop
Votes: 34,664 | Gross: $2.83M
21. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
The media and disaffected teens mistake the acerbic rants of an obnoxious teenage punk rocker as a rallying cry for the women of America, launching her and her talentless group to national stardom.
Director: Lou Adler | Stars: Peter Donat, Diane Lane, Marin Kanter, Laura Dern
Votes: 3,040
22. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,020 | Gross: $35.18M
23. Pitch Perfect (2012)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
Director: Jason Moore | Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp
Votes: 330,553 | Gross: $65.00M
24. The Punk Singer (2013)
Not Rated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A look at the life of activist, musician, and cultural icon Kathleen Hanna, who formed the punk band Bikini Kill and pioneered the "riot grrrl" movement of the 1990s.
Director: Sini Anderson | Stars: Kathleen Hanna, Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett
Votes: 3,084 | Gross: $0.12M
25. What We Do Is Secret (2007)
R | 92 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The true-life story of Darby Crash, who became an L.A. punk icon after getting kicked out of high school and forming The Germs with a collection of friends who have little experience with their instruments or playing music.
Director: Rodger Grossman | Stars: Shane West, Rick Gonzalez, Bijou Phillips, Noah Segan
Votes: 2,049 | Gross: $0.06M
26. Girl (1998)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A straight-A teen explores Portland's rock scene.
Director: Jonathan Kahn | Stars: Dominique Swain, Sean Patrick Flanery, Summer Phoenix, Tara Reid
Votes: 3,109
27. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick
Votes: 465,114 | Gross: $31.49M
28. Hairspray (1988)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A 'pleasantly plump' teenager teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.
Director: John Waters | Stars: Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine, Debbie Harry
Votes: 23,433 | Gross: $6.67M
29. High Fidelity (2000)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Rob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black
Votes: 189,681 | Gross: $27.29M
30. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama
A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.
Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
Votes: 153,169
31. SLC Punk! (1998)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
In the early 1980s Stevo, and Heroin Bob are the only two dedicated punks in conservative Salt Lake City.
Director: James Merendino | Stars: Matthew Lillard, Michael A. Goorjian, Annabeth Gish, Jennifer Lien
Votes: 32,767 | Gross: $0.30M
32. Detroit Rock City (1999)
R | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Music
In 1978, four rebellious teenagers try to scam their way into a KISS concert.
Director: Adam Rifkin | Stars: Edward Furlong, Giuseppe Andrews, James DeBello, Sam Huntington
Votes: 41,326 | Gross: $4.22M
33. Breaking Glass (1980)
PG | 104 min | Drama, Musical
A rock singer is determined to rise to the top of the profession, letting nothing stand in the way of that goal.
Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Phil Daniels, Hazel O'Connor, Jon Finch, Jonathan Pryce
Votes: 1,543
34. Dazed and Confused (1993)
R | 103 min | Comedy
The adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane
Votes: 199,288 | Gross: $7.99M
35. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
A confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, James Laurenson, Eleanor David
Votes: 85,350 | Gross: $22.24M
36. Punk: Attitude (2005)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.
Director: Don Letts | Stars: K.K. Barrett, Roberta Bayley, Jello Biafra, Glenn Branca
Votes: 1,668
37. Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Approved | 112 min | Comedy, Musical
A rock singer travels to a small Ohio town to make his "farewell" television performance and kiss his biggest fan before he is drafted.
Director: George Sidney | Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Maureen Stapleton
Votes: 9,325 | Gross: $13.13M
38. Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Music
Ramones fanatic and delinquent Riff Randell battles it out with the strict new principal of Vince Lombardi High School, Miss Togar, with help from the Ramones.
Directors: Allan Arkush, Joe Dante | Stars: P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young
Votes: 11,200
39. Nowhere Boy (2009)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall
Votes: 38,851 | Gross: $1.45M
40. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Music
Two rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine.
Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri
Votes: 141,583 | Gross: $40.49M
41. This Is 40 (2012)
R | 134 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Pete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
Director: Judd Apatow | Stars: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow
Votes: 150,371 | Gross: $67.54M
42. Rock Star (2001)
R | 105 min | Drama, Music
Lead singer of a tribute band becomes lead singer of the real band he idolizes.
Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Dominic West, Jason Bonham
Votes: 45,288 | Gross: $17.01M
43. Airheads (1994)
PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Music
Three band members hoping for a big break head to a radio station to play their demo tape and wind up holding everyone hostage with plastic guns when the head D.J. refuses to play them.
Director: Michael Lehmann | Stars: Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley
Votes: 56,355 | Gross: $5.37M
44. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals.
Director: Peter Hewitt | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, William Sadler, Joss Ackland
Votes: 81,012 | Gross: $38.04M
45. Wayne's World (1992)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Music
Two slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.
Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere
Votes: 170,752 | Gross: $121.70M
46. The Banger Sisters (2002)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama
Lavinia and Suzette, former rock groupies and best friends, reconnect after twenty years; one is still as wild as ever, while the other has adopted a more conservative lifestyle.
Director: Bob Dolman | Stars: Susan Sarandon, Goldie Hawn, Geoffrey Rush, Erika Christensen
Votes: 17,312 | Gross: $30.31M
47. Wayne's World 2 (1993)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Music
The inseparable duo try to organize a rock concert while Wayne must fend off a record producer who has an eye for his girlfriend.
Director: Stephen Surjik | Stars: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Christopher Walken, Tia Carrere
Votes: 88,074 | Gross: $48.20M
48. Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Music
A girl group find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages through popular music.
Directors: Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan | Stars: Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming
Votes: 24,927 | Gross: $14.25M
49. Jersey Boys (2014)
R | 134 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza
Votes: 36,548 | Gross: $47.03M
50. Rudderless (2014)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis.
Director: William H. Macy | Stars: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez
Votes: 19,479 | Gross: $0.04M
51. The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Drama
A Texas teenager cuts her hair short and becomes an outlaw martyr with her brother and friends.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Helen Slater, Christian Slater, Keith Gordon, Richard Bradford
Votes: 11,650 | Gross: $3.10M
52. Sing Street (2016)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jack Reynor
Votes: 100,879 | Gross: $3.24M
53. Green Room (2015)
R | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.
Director: Jeremy Saulnier | Stars: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Patrick Stewart
Votes: 139,147 | Gross: $3.22M
54. Patti Cake$ (2017)
R | 109 min | Drama, Music
PATTI CAKE$ is centered on aspiring rapper Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, who is fighting an unlikely quest for glory in her downtrodden hometown in New Jersey.
Director: Geremy Jasper | Stars: Danielle Macdonald, Sahr Ngaujah, Bridget Everett, Mamoudou Athie
Votes: 10,524 | Gross: $0.80M
55. Nico, 1988 (2017)
R | 93 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The last year of singer Nico's life, as she tours and grapples with addiction and personal demons.
Director: Susanna Nicchiarelli | Stars: Trine Dyrholm, John Gordon Sinclair, Anamaria Marinca, Sandor Funtek
Votes: 2,063 | Gross: $0.07M
56. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
R | 104 min | Drama, Music
A week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund
Votes: 163,392 | Gross: $13.24M
57. Yellow Submarine (1968)
G | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Beatles agree to accompany Captain Fred in his yellow submarine and go to Pepperland to free it from the music-hating Blue Meanies.
Director: George Dunning | Stars: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon
Votes: 28,019 | Gross: $0.99M
58. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy
Votes: 592,333 | Gross: $216.43M
59. Lords of Chaos (2018)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Horror
A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the early 1990s results in a very violent outcome.
Director: Jonas Åkerlund | Stars: Rory Culkin, Emory Cohen, Jack Kilmer, Sky Ferreira
Votes: 19,335 | Gross: $0.25M
60. Rocketman (I) (2019)
R | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John's breakthrough years.
Director: Dexter Fletcher | Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 194,451 | Gross: $96.37M
61. Jimi Hendrix (1973)
R | 98 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Made shortly after his death, this documentary explores the brief life and remarkable legacy of guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
Directors: Joe Boyd, John Head, Gary Weis | Stars: Arthur Allen, Albert Allen, Stella Benabon, Eric Barrett
Votes: 1,855 | Gross: $0.03M
62. Wild Rose (2018)
R | 101 min | Drama, Music
A troubled young Glaswegian woman dreams of becoming a Nashville country star.
Director: Tom Harper | Stars: Jessie Buckley, Matt Costello, Jane Patterson, Lesley Hart
Votes: 15,315 | Gross: $1.64M
63. The Dirt (2019)
TV-MA | 107 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Based on the bestselling autobiography from Mötley Crüe, the film is an unflinching tale of success and excess as four misfits rise from the streets of Hollywood to the heights of international fame.
Director: Jeff Tremaine | Stars: Douglas Booth, Iwan Rheon, Colson Baker, Daniel Webber
Votes: 55,268
64. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
TV-14 | 108 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Explores every facet of Yankovic's life, from his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like 'Eat It' and 'Like a Surgeon' to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle.
Director: Eric Appel | Stars: Diedrich Bader, Daniel Radcliffe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Richard Aaron Anderson
Votes: 38,487
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