The most popular American-made music biopics

The most popular American-made music biopics - Biographical films are so beloved because they unearth the deeply complex, violent, exciting, and inspiring worlds that lie beneath artists' songs. Check out this gallery to see which American-made biopics people love the most, based on a list compiled by voters on Ranker.

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31. 'Born to be Blue' (2015) - Ethan Hawke plays jazz legend Chet Baker, the expertly skilled trumpeter and vocalist in Robert Budreau's biographical film.

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30. 'Round Midnight' (1986) - Bertrand Tavernier's film follows the incredibly talented musician Dale Turner (Dexter Gordon) as he flees America and finds refuge from his problems in Paris.

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29. 'CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story' (2013) - Keke Palmer, Niatia "Lil' Mama" Kirkland, and Drew Sidora star as the R&B trio in this television biographical film.

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28. 'Beyond the Sea' (2004) - Kevin Spacey cowrote, directed, and starred in this biopic about Bobby Darin, the famous 'Mack the Knife' singer.

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27. 'I'm Not There' (2007) - Todd Haynes' fragmented but intensely intriguing biopic about Bob Dylan casts six characters—played by Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, and Heath Ledger—to each take a turn playing the legendary singer-songwriter.

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26. 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love' (1998) - Frankie Lymon was a famous rock 'n' roll singer in the '50s and '60s, but he died at the age of 25 from a heroin overdose, leaving behind three women who each claimed to be his widow. The film stars Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, and Lela Rochon.

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25. 'Sweet Dreams' (1985) - Jessica Lange plays the famous country music singer Patsy Cline, who died at the height of her fame in a terrible plane crash.

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24. 'The Glenn Miller Story' (1954) - This very early biopic, directed by Anthony Mann, tells the story of the eponymous bandleader (played by James Stewart) from his early career to his tragic death in 1944.

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23. 'The Runaways' (2010) - Kristen Stewart plays Joan Jett in Floria Sigismondi's coming-of-age film about the 1970s all-girl rock band. The film is based on Cherie Currie's book, and Dakota Fanning takes on Currie's role alongside Stewart.

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22. 'The Pianist' (2002) - Roman Polanski's highly acclaimed film follows Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jewish musician played by Adrien Brody, as he struggles to survive in the wake of World War II.

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21. 'Notorious' (2009) - George Tillman Jr.'s film tells the story of The Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard), who burst out of Brooklyn and conquered the rap world.

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20. 'Love & Mercy' (2014) - John Cusack stars as Brian Wilson in this musical biopic about the psychological struggles of the Beach Boys front man.

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19. 'Bird' (1988) - Clint Eastwood directed this biopic revealing the troubled life of jazz saxophonist and composer Charlie "Bird" Parker.

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18. 'The Five Heartbeats' (1991) - Robert Townsend co-wrote, directed, and starred in this film about the three decade rise and fall of the rhythm and blues vocal group The Five Heartbeats.

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17. 'Jersey Boys' (2014) - Clint Eastwood also directed this film about the iconic journey of Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) and the Four Seasons.

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16. 'Get On Up' (2014) - Before he was T'Challa in 'Black Panther,' Chadwick Boseman was James Brown in Tate Taylor's biopic about the rise of one of the most influential musicians in history.

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15. 'The Sound of Music' (1965) - Based on the memoir 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers' by Maria von Trapp, this musical biographical film is America's ninth-highest grossing biopic (across all genres), with a total domestic gross of $163.21 million.

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14. 'Lady Sings the Blues' (1972) - Diana Ross takes on the role of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in this film about her tumultuous life.

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13. 'Cadillac Records' (2008) - Darnell Martin's biographical musical drama follows Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) and his Chess Records label in the '50s and '60s, which boasted artists like Etta James (Beyoncé), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), and Howlin' Wolf (Eamonn Walker).

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12. 'Great Balls of Fire!' (1989) - Jim McBride's biographical film follows the life of controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis, starring Dennis Quaid and Winona Ryder.

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11. 'The Temptations' (1998) - This four-hour miniseries was broadcasted in two halves on NBC and tells the story of the Motown group comprised of Otis Williams, Melvin "Blue" Franklin, Eddie "Cornbread" Kendricks, Paul Williams, and David Ruffin.

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10. 'Selena' (1997) - The film follows the story of Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez who made history on Latin music charts and was tragically murdered. The biopic stars a young Jennifer Lopez in her first big acting gig.

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9. 'The Buddy Holly Story' (1978) - Steve Rash's film recounts the story of the rock 'n' roll legend from his early beginnings to his death on February 3, 1959, otherwise known as "The Day the Music Died."

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8. 'The Doors' (1991) - Oliver Stone took on this biographical film about the famous 1960s rock band and their lead singer Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer), from his days in school to his early death in 1971.

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7. 'Straight Outta Compton' (2015) - F. Gary Gray's film about the emergence of the rap group NWA—Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella—in the 1980s is America's 10th-highest grossing biopic, earning $161.20 million in the US, according to IMDB.

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6. 'Coal Miner's Daughter' (1980) - This biopic follows the rags-to-riches tale of country music superstar Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek). The film is also the 48th-highest grossing biopic in America (at $67.18 million).

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5. 'La Bamba' (1987) - The 66th-highest grossing biopic in America (at $54.22 million) follows the too-short life of the early rock 'n' roll singer Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips), who died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.

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4. '8 Mile' (2002) - The famous Eminem biopic, directed by Curtis Hanson, starred the rapper himself, depicting his struggles to stay alive and make it in the rap industry.

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3. 'What's Love Got to Do with It' (1993) - Brian Gibson's film stars Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, and it follows the story of Turner's rise to stardom and struggle with her abusive husband, Ike Turner. This music biopic grossed $39.10 million, just making it into the top 100 highest grossing biopics in America.

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2. 'Walk the Line' (2005) - James Mangold's biographical film chronicles the life of country music icon Johnny Cash. The biopic stars Joaquin Phoenix alongside Reese Witherspoon, who plays June Carter.

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1. 'Ray' (2004) - The highest-grossing music biopic in America (at $75.33 million) is not coincidentally a common favorite. Taylor Hackford's film about legendary blues musician Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx, follows the artist from when he first went blind to his immense stardom.

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