For the last 20 years, the music biopic genre has remained a steady constant, frequently elevating young actors to Oscar-winning fame and reviving musical legends as cinematic gods. From 2004’s Ray to 2024’s Back to Black, music biopics have seen wildly different results at the box office, with half of the list eclipsing the $100 million mark. Creating the perfect rendition of this genre means marrying a star actor with a musical personality, but reaching box office success requires a bit of luck and a pinch of cosmic intervention.
Music biopics are a unique movie genre in that they crystallize contemporary culture’s mythology stories. Superstars like Freddy Mercury, Tupac, and Elvis sit atop the Pantheon of musical legends, and the event-style biopic blockbusters of today aim to capture their larger-than-life hero’s journey. These recent titles showcase the development of music biopics from star vehicles to bona fide mega-blockbuster hits with lofty budgets blossoming alongside big box office returns. Using worldwide grosses via Box Office Mojo, here are 15 music biopics ranked by box office success.
|
Film Name |
Year |
Budget |
Box Office (Worldwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Maestro |
2023 |
$80,000,000 |
$383,532 |
|
I’m Not There |
2007 |
$20,000,000 |
$11,792,542 |
|
Respect |
2021 |
$55,000,000 |
$32,882,823 |
|
Get On Up |
2014 |
$30,000,000 |
$33,448,971 |
|
Notorious |
2009 |
$20,000,000 |
$44,420,671 |
|
Back to Black |
2024 |
$30,000,000 |
$50,875,195 |
|
All Eyez on Me |
2017 |
$40,000,000 |
$55,668,698 |
|
Jersey Boys |
2014 |
$40,000,000 |
$67,647,013 |
|
Ray |
2004 |
$40,000,000 |
$123,971,376 |
|
Bob Marley: One Love |
2024 |
$70,000,000 |
$180,828,556 |
|
Walk the Line |
2005 |
$28,000,000 |
$186,797,986 |
|
Rocketman |
2019 |
$40,000,000 |
$195,320,400 |
|
Straight Outta Compton |
2015 |
$28,000,000 |
$201,634,991 |
|
Elvis |
2022 |
$85,000,000 |
$288,670,284 |
|
Bohemian Rhapsody |
2018 |
$52,000,000 |
$910,813,521 |
15 Maestro (2023)
$383,532
Close
With the lowest number by a large margin, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro earned just under $500,000 simply due to the film’s distributor. With Netflix at the helm of theatrical release, the Leonard Bernstein biopic was only available to theaters for a few weeks.
Maestro 
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R
Director Bradley Cooper Release Date December 20, 2023 Cast Bradley Cooper , Carey Mulligan , Maya Hawke , Sarah Silverman , Matt Bomer Runtime 129 Minutes
The popular streamer is known to disregard box office performance when determining a film’s success, instead relishing Maestro’s seven Oscar nominations, including acting nods for Cooper and Carey Mulligan.
14 I’m Not There (2007)
$11,792,542
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While most music biopics are derided as big studio money grabs, 2007’s I’m Not There aims to take a more ambitiously artistic approach with its equally ambitious music star. Featuring six versions of Bob Dylan portrayed by six different actors, including an Oscar-nominated performance from Cate Blanchett.
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Director Todd Haynes Release Date October 1, 2007 Cast Cate Blanchett , Ben Whishaw , Christian Bale , Richard Gere , Marcus Carl Franklin , Heath Ledger Runtime 135 minutes
This Todd Haynes-directed biopic is remembered fondly by the fans of the folk singer-turned-rock-star. While the film’s $11 million worldwide box office gross doesn’t reflect its artistic achievements, I’m Not There still remains an important music biopic from the last two decades.
13 Respect (2021)
$32,882,823
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Similar to Netflix’s Maestro, the Jennifer Hudson-starring Respect received predictably lower box office numbers because of greater industry pressures. Released in 2021, the Aretha Franklin biopic was hindered by the pandemic, including multiple delays and release date push-backs.
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PG-13
Director Liesl Tommy Release Date August 13, 2021 Cast Marlon Wayans , Heather headley , Tituss Burgess , Audra McDonald , Marc Maron , Hailey Kilgore , Jennifer Hudson , Kelvin Hair , Saycon Sengbloh , Mary J. Blige , Lodric D. Collins , Forest Whitaker , Skye Dakota Turner , Tate Donovan , Kimberly Scott Runtime 145 minutes Expand
espect probably performs reasonably better under normal circumstances, especially given its relatively larger budget, positive critical response, and strong acting performance from Hudson. Despite not receiving any Oscar nominations, the Franklin film remains one of the better entries from the recent music biopic boom.
12 Get On Up (2014)
$33,448,971
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Before his breakout into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, actor Chadwick Boseman was making a name for himself with a series of successful biopics. After debuting as Floyd Little in The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, Boseman would star as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up.
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PG-13
Director Tate Taylor Release Date August 1, 2014 Cast Chadwick Boseman , Nelsan Ellis , Dan Aykroyd , Viola Davis , Lennie James , Fred Melamed Runtime 138 minutes
The King of Soul biopic received understandably lower numbers, given it was released on the same day as the smash hit MCU movie Guardians of the Galaxy.
11 Notorious (2009)
$44,420,671
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Following the success of Eminem’s 8 Mile and 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 2009’s Notorious introduced the hip hop biopic with the life story of The Notorious B.I.G.
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Director Alfred Hitchcock Release Date August 15, 1946 Cast Cary Grant , Ingrid Bergman , Claude Rains , Louis Calhern , Leopoldine Konstantin Runtime 101 Minutes
Earning back two times its $20 million budget, the film was a relative success against Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Gran Torino. Despite criticism from Lil Kim and overall mixed reviews, Notorious helped pave the way for other hip hop biopics in the next decade.
10 Back to Black (2024)
$50,875,195
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As the most recent entry, 2024’s Back to Black was released during a period of music biopic exhaustion. With an oversaturation of the genre in recent years, the film’s drab box office performance is likely due to audience fatigue.
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Director Sam Taylor-Johnson Release Date May 10, 2024 Cast Marisa Abela , Jack O’Connell , Eddie Marsan , Lesley Manville , Juliet Cowan Runtime 122 Minutes
The Amy Winehouse biopic has also received considerably more negative reviews in comparison to other films on the list. Like many biopics before it, Back to Black sterilizes its music star by leaving out and changing Winehouse’s true story.
9 All Eyez on Me (2017)
$55,668,698
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Despite falling quite low on the list, 2017’s All Eyez on Me performed better than projected during its opening weekend run. Debuting at $26.7 million, the film also recorded a historic drop-off going into its second week.
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Director Benny Boom Release Date June 12, 2017 Cast Danai Gurira , Keith Robinson , Annie Ilonzeh , Grace Gibson , Rayan Lawrence , Kat Graham , Cory Hardrict , Jamal Woolard , Demetrius Shipp Jr. , Lauren Cohan , Dominic L. Santana Runtime 139minutes
As a result, the Tupac biopic barely recoups back its $40 million budget, probably due to its less than favorable reviews. With Notorious’ Jamal Woolard reprising his role as Biggie Smalls, All Eyez on Me fits firmly in the lineage of hip hop biopics.
8 Jersey Boys (2014)
$67,647,013
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As one of Clint Eastwood’s forgotten movies, 2014’s Jersey Boys hoped to piggyback on the success of the Tony-winning musical of the same name. With a cast composed of actors from the Broadway show, the musical biopic based on The Four Seasons leans more into being a musical adaptation rather than an accurate biopic and, as a result, derailed the film’s box office success.
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pg-13
Director Clint Eastwood Release Date June 19, 2014 Writers Rick Elice Cast Vincent Piazza , John Lloyd Young , Christopher Walken Runtime 134minutes
With many criticizing the film’s historical accuracy and general production process, Eastwood’s Jersey Boys earned just over $67 million against a budget of $40 million.
7 Ray (2004)
$123,971,376
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This recent music biopic boom was arguably initiated by the box office and Oscar success of 2004’s Ray. Following the life story of legendary musician Ray Charles, the Jamie Foxx-starring biopic created the formula for the star-studded music biopics of today by perfectly nailing the casting of this historical figure.
With Foxx winning Best Actor for his performance, Ray is the first on the list to pass the $100 million mark and the first to solidify the genre as a lucrative investment.
6 Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
$180,828,556
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To contradict the point made with Back to Black, 2024’s Bob Marley: One Love argues that the music biopic is not going away anytime soon. The Bob Marley movie had one of the best opening weekends for a music biopic, far surpassing its projected box office totals.
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PG-13
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Release Date February 14, 2024 Writers Zach Baylin , Frank E. Flowers , Terence Winter Cast Kingsley Ben-Adir , Lashana Lynch , James Norton , Tosin Cole , Anthony Welsh Runtime 107 Minutes
With Kingsley Ben-Adir starring in the titular role, Bob Marley: One Love has its critics as the film still relies on music biopic conventions rather than saying something new with the genre.
5 Walk the Line (2005)
$186,797,986
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As one of the best critically received films on the list, 2005’s Walk the Line accompanied Ray with $100+ million at the box office and Oscar attention for the film’s acting performances. Joaquin Phoenix received his first nomination for Best Actor, and Reese Witherspoon won Best Actress for her performance as June Carter.
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PG-13
Director James Mangold Release Date September 13, 2005 Cast Joaquin Phoenix , Reese Witherspoon , Ginnifer Goodwin , Robert Patrick , Dallas Roberts Runtime 136 Minutes
Together with Ray, the success of this Johnny Cash film helped establish the music biopic as a formidable genre within Hollywood.
4 Rocketman (2019)
$195,320,400
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While competing against the likes of an action blockbuster (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and a Disney remake (Aladdin), 2019’s Rocketman affirmed the music biopic’s status as a definitive Hollywood movie genre. The Elton John story fit perfectly for the over-the-top biopic genre style developed in the late 2010s.
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Director Dexter Fletcher Release Date May 31, 2019 Writers Lee Hall Cast Bryce Dallas Howard , Tate Donovan , Jamie Bell , Gemma Jones , Charlie Rowe , Stephen Graham , Jess Radomska , Taron Egerton , Richard Madden Budget $40 Million
The film’s $195 million box office gross exemplifies how much this resonated with audiences. As the only film on the list to win an Oscar for Best Original Song, Rocketman stands tall as one of the top earners.
3 Straight Outta Compton (2015)
$201,634,991
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With the first film on the list to eclipse $200 million, 2015’s Straight Outta Compton feels like a distinguishable jump from the music biopics that came before it.
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Director F. Gary Gray Release Date August 14, 2015 Writers Jonathan Herman , Andrea Berloff Cast Corey Hawkins , Neil Brown Jr. , O’Shea Jackson Jr. , Aldis Hodge , keith stanfield , Paul Giamatti , Jason Mitchell Runtime 147minutes
While other entries in the genre receive criticism for its sterilization of music stars, the NWA biopic is praised for its acting performances and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Straight Outta Compton certainly set a high bar for the new age of music biopics.
2 Elvis (2022)
$288,670,284
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As the music biopic developed into a more visually opulent style, director Baz Luhrmann definitely felt like a necessary addition to the genre. With 2022’s Elvis, Luhrmann applies his iconic frenetic decadence to the glitz and glamour synonymous with the King of Rock and Roll.
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PG-13
Director Baz Luhrmann Release Date June 24, 2022 Writers Jeremy Doner , Craig Pearce , Sam Bromell , Baz Luhrmann Cast Austin Butler , Helen Thomson , Richard Roxburgh , Kelvin Harrison Jr. , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Natasha Bassett , Tom Hanks , David Wenham , Luke Bracey , Olivia DeJonge , Xavier Samuel Runtime 159 minutes
This creative marriage between filmmaker and film came with fruitful results, boasting over $288 million at the box office and eight Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Austin Butler in the title role.
1 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
$910,813,521
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The apex of the music biopic genre begins and ends with 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The film’s $910 million worldwide box office gross is greater than the next four films combined. Despite relatively mixed reviews, the Queen biopic thwarted expectations by winning the most Academy Awards that year, including Best Actor for Rami Malek’s performance as band leader Freddie Mercury.
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PG-13DramaBiographyDocumentaryHistory Where to Watch
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Director Bryan Singer , Dexter Fletcher Release Date October 24, 2018 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Anthony McCarten , Peter Morgan Cast Ben Hardy , Aidan Gillen , Gwilym Lee , Mike Myers , Rami Malek , Lucy Boynton , Tom Hollander , Michelle Duncan , Joseph Mazzello , Allen Leech Runtime 2h 14m Expand
With its eye-popping special effects and the epic Live Aid concert, Bohemian Rhapsody defined the mega-blockbuster music biopic with all the accolades to back it up.
Source: Box Office Mojo