Music is a universal language. Listeners rejoice when the airwaves play their favorite song on the radio. The disc jockey holds a catalog of one-hit wonders, party anthems, and slow jams to choose from. From earworms to ear candy, music is the sometimes speechless sound of the soul.
Music breaks down barriers and brings people from different backgrounds together. The right song can speak volumes and enter the collective consciousness. Music has the power to identify and demystify the culture anyone belongs to.
1024 Hour Party People (2002)
24 Hour Party Peopleis a biopic of the music scene in Manchester, England. Tony Wilson and his record label, Factory Records, produced high-profile English bands like Joy Division and The Smiths. Nearly three decades of music were celebrated in Manchester, beginning in the 1960s with such artists as the Bee Gees and Herman’s Hermits.
Their influence led to punk rock, with the Sex Pistols starting the movement in the 1970s. Rave or dance music from 808 State and the Stone Roses followed in the 1980s and 1990s, which was coined Madchester music by Wilson. New English bands rose to prominence by the turn of the century, including the Verve and Oasis.
9Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famousis a semi-autobiographical account of director Cameron Crowe. He wrote forRolling Stoneas a teenager during the 1970s rock scene. William Miller is a subject-matter expert on the genre, freelance writing in San Diego. The young rock journalist catches the attention ofRolling Stoneeditor Ben Fong-Torres who has him write an article on the new band Stillwater while on tour.
8Blinded by the Light (2019)
Blinded by the Lightis a coming-of-age story about British-Pakistani Muslim teen Javed Khan. He discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen, much to the chagrin of his father. Javed listens to Springsteen as his outlet from the cultural bias and racism he experiences. He is inspired to write his own poems and songs. Javed earns critical attention for his political writings and visits New Jersey to share the difference Springsteen has made in his life.
7Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsodyfollows the stardom of English rock band Queen through the life of their lead singer, Freddie Mercury. The band gets their big break on the BBC weekly music programTop of the Popswith their hit song “Killer Queen.” A few albums later, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” makes them a worldwide sensation.
Meanwhile, Freddie struggles with his sexuality and fame. Freddie uses his spirituality to redeem himself and perform at Live Aid in the midst ofhis AIDS diagnosis.
6CB4 (1993)
Universal Pictures
CB4is a satire about the rise of the rap group CB4. They are named after the cell block number where they were imprisoned. CB4 satirizes 1980s hip hop culture and gangsta rap, most notably N.W.A. With his friends Euripides (Dead Mike) and Otis (Stab Master Arson), frontman Albert (MC Gusto) steals the identity of the criminal who gave them their first gig at his nightclub.
The police arrest Gusto at the rappers' debut performance. Gusto ruins CB4’s reputation by believing they tipped off the police. Albert later reforms the group after another sting operation to arrest Gusto.
5Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingis a mockumentaryfollowing popstar Connor Friel and his pop rap group, The Style Boyz. After a breakup due to a lack of writing credit for lyrics, Connor starts his solo career as Connor4Real. He writes his own songs with mediocre results.
The song “Equal Rights” advocates for gay rights when gay rights are already protected while leaving the heavy-handed subliminal message that he’s not gay. The bad publicity and backstabbing from the music industry gives Connor a change of heart. He reunites with The Style Boyz to perform a reunion concert.
4Singles (1992)
Singlesis the anthologized coming-of-age story of young apartment dwellers in 1990s Seattle. Grunge rock, or Seattle sound, is at its height as the singles navigate their romantic lives. Grunge musicians are featured throughout, including Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Cliff Poncier also visits the grave of Jimi Hendrix, whose guitar solos influenced the grunge movement.
3Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Straight Outta Comptonis the biopic of the hip-hop group N.W.A. The members are DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren.Their gangsta rapdepicted the crime, racism, and police brutality African Americans experienced in the late 1980s. N.W.A. founded their own independent record label called Ruthless Records in Compton, California, to record their debut album,Straight Outta Compton.
2This is Spinal Tap (1984)
This is Spinal Tapis the father of the mockumentary genre, portraying one of England’s loudest bands,Spinal Tap. The heavy metal bandis known for their volume due to their singer’s custom amp that goes up to eleven. They had to change their name and replace the drummer several times since every drummer they had died of unnatural causes. The heavy metal band is satirized with a glorified and romanticized lens that plays with the lore behind rock bands.
1Yesterday (2019)
Yesterdayfollows a memory-loss and alternate-timeline plot through singer-songwriter Jack Malik. He recovers from a car accident during a global power outage, but learns that the Beatles don’t exist and no one remembers the British band except for him. Jack performs their songs, passing them off as his own, to reach worldwide acclaim. When people begin to remember, Jack trades his fame to become a music teacher.
