Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "musician-as-protagonist"
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1. Elvis (2022)
PG-13 | 159 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson
Votes: 234,970 | Gross: $151.04M
2. 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: 593,387 | Gross: $216.43M
3. 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: 194,927 | Gross: $96.37M
4. 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: 38,641
5. Tár (2022)
R | 158 min | Drama, Music
Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra.
Director: Todd Field | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer
Votes: 93,939
6. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Passed | 121 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft
Votes: 283,700 | Gross: $25.00M
7. 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: 141,738 | Gross: $40.49M
8. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
PG-13 | 123 min | Comedy, Music
When aspiring musicians Lars and Sigrit are given the opportunity to represent their country at the world's biggest song competition, they finally have a chance to prove that any dream worth having is a dream worth fighting for.
Director: David Dobkin | Stars: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Mikael Persbrandt
Votes: 102,446
9. If I Stay (2014)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
Life changes in an instant for young Mia Hall after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined. The choice is hers if she can go on.
Director: R.J. Cutler | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Jamie Blackley, Joshua Leonard
Votes: 128,295 | Gross: $50.47M
10. Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt
Votes: 108,209 | Gross: $1.88M
11. Beau-père (1981)
13+ | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After her mother dies, fourteen-year-old Marion falls in love with her stepfather, Remy.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Patrick Dewaere, Ariel Besse, Maurice Ronet, Geneviève Mnich
Votes: 3,712
12. Blue Hawaii (1961)
Approved | 102 min | Comedy, Musical
After arriving back in Hawaii from the Army, Chad Gates (Elvis Presley) defies his parents' wishes for him to work at the family business and instead goes to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend's agency.
Director: Norman Taurog | Stars: Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury, Nancy Walters
Votes: 7,506 | Gross: $10.44M
13. 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: 81,099 | Gross: $38.04M
14. We Are Your Friends (2015)
R | 96 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Caught between a forbidden romance and the expectations of his friends, aspiring DJ Cole Carter attempts to find the path in life that leads to fame and fortune.
Director: Max Joseph | Stars: Zac Efron, Wes Bentley, Emily Ratajkowski, Jonny Weston
Votes: 40,579 | Gross: $3.59M
15. The Night Eats the World (2018)
TV-14 | 93 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
The morning after a party, a young man wakes up to find Paris invaded by zombies.
Director: Dominique Rocher | Stars: Anders Danielsen Lie, Golshifteh Farahani, Denis Lavant, Sigrid Bouaziz
Votes: 15,920
16. Light of Day (1987)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Music
A pair of siblings must choose whether to pursue their dream of touring with their rock band or support their family and stay in Cleveland, Ohio.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Gena Rowlands, Joan Jett, Michael McKean
Votes: 3,220 | Gross: $10.49M
17. Limbo (VI) (2020)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
Omar is a promising young musician. Separated from his Syrian family, he is stuck on a remote Scottish island awaiting the fate of his asylum request.
Director: Ben Sharrock | Stars: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Kenneth Collard, Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai
Votes: 5,292
18. Mo' Better Blues (1990)
R | 130 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito
Votes: 13,672 | Gross: $16.15M
19. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
PG | 104 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A musician is stalked by an unknown homicidal maniac, who blackmails him for the accidental killing of another stalker.
Director: Dario Argento | Stars: Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Aldo Bufi Landi
Votes: 9,887
20. Get on Up (2014)
PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis
Votes: 26,149 | Gross: $30.51M
21. I'll Find You (2019)
Unrated | 116 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A Catholic opera singer and Jewish violin virtuoso dream of performing together at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City, but the German invasion of Poland tears them apart.
Director: Martha Coolidge | Stars: Adelaide Clemens, Leo Suter, Stephen Dorff, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 1,384
22. Heavy Trip (2018)
92 min | Comedy, Music
After years of playing songs by other artists, the opportunity of a concert in Norway encourages a metal band to compose their own material, but not before overcoming some unexpected difficulties.
Directors: Juuso Laatio, Jukka Vidgren | Stars: Johannes Holopainen, Samuli Jaskio, Antti Tuomas Heikkinen, Max Ovaska
Votes: 10,646 | Gross: $0.01M
23. The Shout (1978)
86 min | Drama, Horror
A traveller by the name of Crossley forces himself upon a musician and his wife in a lonely part of Devon, and uses the aboriginal magic he has learned to displace his host.
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski | Stars: Alan Bates, Susannah York, John Hurt, Robert Stephens
Votes: 5,220
24. Paris Blues (1961)
Approved | 98 min | Drama, Music, Romance
During the 1960s, two American expatriate jazz musicians living in Paris meet and fall in love with two American tourist girls.
Director: Martin Ritt | Stars: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier, Louis Armstrong
Votes: 3,961 | Gross: $1.30M
25. Johnny Suede (1991)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A struggling young musician and devoted fan of Ricky Nelson wants to be just like his idol and become a rock star.
Director: Tom DiCillo | Stars: Brad Pitt, Richard Boes, Cheryl Costa, Michael Luciano
Votes: 4,449 | Gross: $0.09M
26. Miles Ahead (2015)
R | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Music
An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
Director: Don Cheadle | Stars: Don Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg
Votes: 10,566 | Gross: $2.61M
27. Born to Be Blue (2015)
R | 97 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A re-imagining of jazz legend Chet Baker's musical comeback in the late '60s.
Director: Robert Budreau | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Carmen Ejogo, Callum Keith Rennie, Tony Nappo
Votes: 9,276 | Gross: $0.83M
28. The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (2005)
TV-MA | 96 min | Crime, Drama
Robert Carmichael, is a talented cello player in the town of Newhaven. He becomes associated with several other unsavory teenagers and he is soon tempted into the use of hard drugs like cocaine and ecstasy.
Director: Thomas Clay | Stars: Nikki Albon, Zoey Campbell, Stephanie de Whalley, Phil Deguara
Votes: 1,392
29. Golden Boy (1939)
Approved | 99 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A poor young Italian man who is a virtuoso on the violin wishes to become a champion boxer to make a fortune for his family. But what is the road to success and happiness, and what is the price?
Director: Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, William Holden, Lee J. Cobb
Votes: 2,182
30. Kolya (1996)
PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A confirmed bachelor is in for the surprise of his life when a get-rich-quick scheme backfires and leaves him with a pint-sized new roommate.
Director: Jan Sverák | Stars: Zdenek Sverák, Andrey Khalimon, Libuse Safránková, Ondrej Vetchý
Votes: 16,228 | Gross: $5.73M
31. The Song (I) (2014)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Music, Romance
An aspiring singer-songwriter's life and marriage suffer when the song he writes for his wife propels him to stardom.
Director: Richard L. Ramsey | Stars: Alan Powell, Ali Faulkner, Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, Danny Vinson
Votes: 2,324 | Gross: $1.01M
32. One-Trick Pony (1980)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Jonah (Paul Simon) is a once-popular folk-rock musician trying to put together a new album in the face of an indifferent record-company executive and a talentless producer. At the same time, he's struggling to save his failing marriage.
Director: Robert M. Young | Stars: Paul Simon, Blair Brown, Rip Torn, Joan Hackett
Votes: 764
33. Hard to Hold (1984)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A famous rock star falls in love with a child psychologist who has ears only for the classics, and has never heard of him.
Director: Larry Peerce | Stars: Rick Springfield, Janet Eilber, Patti Hansen, Albert Salmi
Votes: 798
34. Interlude in Prague (2017)
103 min | Drama, History, Music
The incredible tale of Mozart's Prague years.
Director: John Stephenson | Stars: Aneurin Barnard, James Purefoy, Samantha Barks, Morfydd Clark
Votes: 791
35. Ordinary World (I) (2016)
Not Rated | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
An aging punk rocker copes with life after rock.
Director: Lee Kirk | Stars: Billie Joe Armstrong, Fred Armisen, Judy Greer, Selma Blair
Votes: 3,316
36. Just the Way You Are (1984)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
A disabled musician thinks people treat her differently because of her disability, so she goes to a ski resort with her leg in a cast to test this theory.
Director: Édouard Molinaro | Stars: Kristy McNichol, Michael Ontkean, Kaki Hunter, André Dussollier
Votes: 1,059 | Gross: $7.89M
37. The Bohemian (2022)
130 min | Biography, Drama, History
Looking for work as a violinist, Josef comes into the orbit of a rich young woman. She introduces him to a hedonistic existence free from religious intolerance. Josef gets an incredible commission: to write an opera for the San Carlo.
Director: Petr Václav | Stars: Vojtech Dyk, Elena Radonicich, Barbara Ronchi, Lana Vlady
Votes: 565
38. Point of Terror (1971)
R | 88 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A nightclub singer has nightmares about being involved in adultery and murder, only to wake up and find that they may not be nightmares.
Director: Alex Nicol | Stars: Peter Carpenter, Dyanne Thorne, Lory Hansen, Leslie Simms
Votes: 616
39. Terezín (2023)
110 min | Drama
The story of Antonio, an Italian clarinetist, and Martina, a Czech violinist, who fall in love with each other during the World War II, in Prague.
Director: Gabriele Guidi | Stars: Mauro Conte, Dominika Moravkova, Antonia Liskova, Alessio Boni
Votes: 41
40. The Idol (2015)
Not Rated | 100 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Mohammed Assaf, an aspiring musician living in Gaza, sets a seemingly impossible goal: to compete on the program "Arab Idol."
Director: Hany Abu-Assad | Stars: Tawfeek Barhom, Qais Attaallah, Hiba Attalah, Ahmad Qasem
Votes: 1,995
41. Bolden (2019)
R | 108 min | Drama
A mythical account of the life of Buddy Bolden, the first Cornet King of New Orleans.
Director: Dan Pritzker | Stars: Gary Carr, Erik LaRay Harvey, Ian McShane, Michael Rooker
Votes: 620
42. The Optimists (1973)
PG | 110 min | Drama
A retired entertainer makes his living as a street musician on the streets of London. Two young children befriend the old musician, brightening his otherwise colorless life.
Director: Anthony Simmons | Stars: Peter Sellers, Donna Mullane, John Chaffey, David Daker
Votes: 563
43. The Breakup Playlist (2015)
117 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A story about an aspiring professional singer and a rock singer who collaborates in a song. As they work on their song, they start to develop feelings for each other.
Director: Dan Villegas | Stars: Piolo Pascual, Sarah Geronimo, Rio Locsin, Dennis Padilla
Votes: 344
44. The One Note Man (2023)
20 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
A musical man lives a careful life. Each day is like the next, just how he likes it. One day, however, misfortune and fate collide, breaking his routine and rocking his world forever.
Director: George Siougas | Stars: Jason Watkins, Louisa Clein, Crystal Yu, Paul Barber
Votes: 316
45. Die Laughing (1980)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
A San Francisco cab driver finds himself in possession of a monkey that is carrying a formula for turning atomic waste into a plutonium bomb. He finds himself framed for a murder and chased all over town by people trying to get the formula.
Director: Jeff Werner | Stars: Robby Benson, Linda Grovenor, Charles Durning, Elsa Lanchester
Votes: 328
46. Painkillers (2014)
98 min | Drama, Romance
Caspar goes searching for his father, when he learns that his mother is very ill.
Director: Tessa Schram | Stars: Gijs Blom, Birgit Schuurman, Raymond Thiry, Massimo Pesik
Votes: 726
47. The Legend of the Stardust Brothers (1985)
100 min | Music, Comedy
In 1985, Makoto Tezuka, the son of manga genius Osamu Tezuka, was still a film student with a few experimental shorts to his credit and who was entrusted with the mission to turn an album by Haruo Chikada into a musical film.
Director: Macoto Tezuka | Stars: Shingo Kubota, Kan Takagi, Kyôko Togawa, Issay
Votes: 626
48. Rat Fink (1965)
80 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A sadistic rock singer will do whatever it takes to become a star.
Director: James Landis | Stars: Schuyler Hayden, Hal Bokar, Judy Hughes, Warrene Ott
Votes: 127
49. Herzblatt oder Wie sag' ich's meiner Tochter? (1969)
79 min | Comedy
Widower Paul always delayed talking to his daughter about sex. But when workers on a nearby construction site are falling down their scaffold because 16 years old "Herzblatt" is tanning ... See full summary »
Director: Alfred Vohrer | Stars: Georg Thomalla, Mascha Gonska, Siegfried Schürenberg, Günther Lüders
Votes: 75
50. Lítost (1970 TV Movie)
64 min | Drama
The popular folk singer Jaro Zárubecký, a former waiter, follows the motto "A man is not what he is, but what people think of him", and that is how he is raising his son Pavel. He lives ... See full summary »
Director: Evald Schorm | Stars: Rudolf Hrusínský, Jan Hrusínský, Vlasta Chramostová, Miroslav Homola
Votes: 17