Cameron Crowe Offers Update on Joni Mitchell Biopic

In 2023, Cameron Crowe announced he would direct a Joni Mitchell biopic. Over a year later, he's offered an update on the film:

"I'm super-excited. We're going to start in by the end of this year and hopefully have it done for Christmas next year," he recently told UCR. "You know, similarly to Heartbreakers Beach Party [the recently re-released Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers film, originally directed by Crowe in 1983], it's Joni's life, not through anybody else's prism. It's through her prism. It's the characters who impacted her life that you know and a lot that you don't know. And the music is so cinematic."

Crowe explained that he and his production team have been working diligently to get the details right before filming.

READ MORE: Underrated Joni Mitchell: The Most Overlooked Track From Each LP

"I found a lot of the people from her early life, a lot of them are still alive," he explained. "We've talked to them and what it was like to know Joni back then, as opposed to now. She's the same girl from Saskatoon, you know? She's got a lot of will and grit. It's a life with a tale worth telling, filled with great music — and I get out of the way, just like Heartbreakers Beach Party. [Laughs]."

Who Will Play Joni Mitchell?

Details on casting remain to be seen. In July of 2023, it was rumored that Meryl Streep was being eyed to play the older version of Mitchell. Streep recently appeared on stage at one of Mitchell's concerts in Los Angeles, singing alongside Elton John.

"I don't know how you do what you do, I just know I need it like food," Streep said in a 2022 video message, played at the MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony where Mitchell was the recipient. "Ever since we were both young girls. We didn't know each other, but you sang me into being. You sang my life."

'Blackboard Jungle' (1955)

Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" was released the year before, as a B-side to "Thirteen Women (And Only One Man in Town)." But a year later, director Richard Brooks used it prominently and repeatedly in 'Blackboard Jungle,' a drama about a teacher in a violent, inner-city school starring Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow. The success of the movie – it was nominated for four Oscars -- propelled the song to No.1. Honorable Mention: Even though 'Rebel Without a Cause' didn't include any rock music, it became synonymous with the rise of teenage culture of the '50s, with James Dean's sullen brood as influential as Elvis Presley's.

‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ (1956)

Jayne Mansfield became a national sex symbol after her first starring role in 1956's 'The Girl Can't Help It.' But the comedy is less remembered for its plot -- a mobster (Edmond O'Brien) hires a publicist (Tom Ewell) to turn his talentless girlfriend (Mansfield) into a singing star -- than for its soundtrack. Performing in the movie are Fats Domino, Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, Eddie Cochran, the Platters and, with three songs including the title track, Little Richard. Honorable Mention: Also of note in 1956 was 'Rock Around the Clock,' which was rushed into production once 'Blackboard Jungle' became a hit. Haley, Alan Freed and, again, the Platters appear in a fictionalized account of how Haley and "Rock Around the Clock" kicked off a national craze.

‘Jailhouse Rock’ (1957)

Like countless singers before him, Elvis Presley made the jump to the movies shortly after achieving national stardom. His third film, 'Jailhouse Rock,' is widely considered to be his best. Presley starred as Vince Everett, a prisoner whose cellmate, an ex-country singer, mentors him as a singer, and he becomes famous thanks to a televised talent show. In addition to the iconic title track, featuring a production number choreographed by Presley, the movie also includes "Treat Me Nice" and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care."

'High School Confidential!’ (1958)

Once again, the ties between rock 'n' roll and juvenile delinquency were depicted on film, with 'High School Confidential!' adding the evils of drugs. Russ Tamblyn starred as Tony Baker, a transfer student who gets involved with a local gang and the drug scene. But the reality is that he's an undercover cop sent to infiltrate the town's biggest dealer. Its opening scene features Jerry Lee Lewis performing the title song from the bed of a truck. Honorable Mention: 'King Creole,' Presley's acclaimed follow-up to 'Jailhouse Rock,' was an adaptation of Harold Robbins' novel 'A Stone for Danny Fisher,' with the main character becoming a singer instead of a boxer and included the hit 'Hard Headed Woman."

‘Go, Johnny, Go!’ (1959)

In 'Go, Johnny, Go!' Jimmy Clanton starred as Johnny, an orphan who gets discovered by Alan Freed and Chuck Berry (as themselves). In addition to "Johnny B. Goode," released the year before, two other Berry songs -- "Memphis, Tennessee" and "Little Queenie" -- are featured, with Eddie Cochran, Jackie Wilson, the Flamingos and, in his only film role, Ritchie Valens, making cameos. Valens was killed in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper prior to the movie's release.

‘G.I. Blues’ (1960)

Despite the promising start before his Army stint, Elvis Presley's movies went gradually downhill after his discharge. A large part of this, as detailed in Peter Guralnick's 'Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley,' was the result of manager Col. Tom Parker's belief that neutering his client's image would help him win over a more mainstream audience. The plot of 'G.I. Blues,' his first film after returning to the U.S., capitalized on his two years of service. So for fans who waited to get a glimpse of Presley, it didn't really matter that it wasn't particularly good.

‘Blue Hawaii’ (1961)

With 'Blue Hawaii,' Parker got what he wanted, essentially a Bing Crosby movie starring Presley. The title song was even a hit for Crosby in 1937. A lighthearted romantic comedy about a rich kid preferring to hang out on the beach rather than join the family business, 'Blue Hawaii' is best remembered for introducing the world to "Can't Help Falling in Love," which gives it the edge over Dion, Jackie Wilson, Chubby Checker and others singing their hits in 'Teenage Millionaire.' The movie also features a great bit of dialogue when Abigail Prentice (Nancy Walters) tries to hire Presley as a tour guide by asking him, "Do you think you can satisfy a schoolteacher and four teenage girls?"

‘Follow That Dream’ (1962)

In possibly the weakest year for rock films at the time, Elvis made three bad movies -- 'Follow That Dream,' 'Kid Galahad' and 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' -- and the others consisted of forgettable, period-typical attempts to either cash in on a craze ('Don't Knock the Twist') or provide another variation on the search for the next Elvis (Dion in 'Ten Girls Ago'). So we're giving the nod to 'Follow That Dream,' not just because of the underrated title song, but also because Tom Petty often said that the opportunity to meet Presley -- Petty's uncle had worked on the film and brought him to the set -- inspired him to become a music fan and, ultimately, a musician.

‘Bye Bye Birdie’ (1963)

Presley's three-year reign on our list ends with a much better movie that was inspired by a moment in his life. An adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, 'Bye Bye Birdie' centered on a rock star named Conrad Birdie (played by Jesse Pearson) who is scheduled to go into the Army after one last performance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' which he will sing to a teenage girl (Ann-Margret). The film also starred Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Maureen Stapleton and Paul Lynde, with Sullivan appearing as himself. Even though the music wasn't necessarily rock, the overall depiction of high-school culture, big-budget production and star power on display put it light years ahead of 'Beach Party,' the first in Roger Corman's series of beach movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, and Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday.'

‘A Hard Day's Night’ (1964)

The Beatles were offered movies almost as soon as they hit it big in England, but they rejected every script because they were no different from those that came before. Then they hired director Dick Lester, who brought in screenwriter Alun Owen to concoct a story based on how the Beatles were trying to retain their sanity as they were trapped by their newfound stardom. With a still-funny script, a standout supporting cast and a bunch of great songs, 'A Hard Day's Night' set a new standard for rock films.

Honorable Mention: A shout-out must go to 'The T.A.M.I. Show,' a concert made specifically for the big screen, with stellar performances by some of the biggest rock and soul names of the day, including the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. But the highlight was the set by James Brown, who commanded the stage from the second he entered until a man with a cape finally led him away.

‘Help!’ (1965)

'A Hard Day's Night' was a tough act to follow, but the Beatles came close with 'Help!' Centered on an Eastern cult's attempt to retrieve a ring from Ringo Starr, the movie included trips to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas, as well as George Harrison's introduction to the sitar. Even though it has seven new Beatles songs and plenty of funny moments, it lacks the focus of its predecessor, possibly because, as John Lennon later said, "We were smoking marijuana for breakfast during that period."

‘The Big T.N.T. Show’ (1966)

The sequel to 'The T.A.M.I. Show' lacked the firepower of the Rolling Stones and James Brown, but 'The Big T.N.T. Show' still had a good mixture of rock and R&B acts, with Ray Charles, the Byrds, the Ronettes and the Ike & Tina Turner Revue as the standout performers. Still, by reflecting the popularity of folk-rock (the Lovin' Spoonful, Joan Baez and Donovan) and country (Roger Miller), it may have provided a better cross-section of the pop chart than its predecessor.

‘The Graduate’ (1967)

The integration of rock music into a soundtrack arguably reached its zenith to date when Mike Nichols used a handful of Simon & Garfunkel songs in 'The Graduate' in addition to Dave Grusin's jazzy score. Simon had been commissioned by the producer to pen several songs, but after writing only one, "Punky's Dilemma," that was rejected, Nichols went with the existing tunes he was using as temp tracks, including "The Sound of Silence" and "April Come She Will." They perfectly mirrored Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman) sense of alienation as he launched into an affair with the wife of his father's business partner. But it's a snippet of another song Simon didn't finish in time, "Mrs. Robinson," that helped usher in its climax.

Honorable Mention: Two other movies released in 1967 deserve recognition. D.A. Pennebaker's cinema verite documentary about Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, 'Don't Look Back,' brought us closer to Dylan than he's allowed since. And while the Beatles' third film, 'Magical Mystery Tour,' lacked cohesion due to its flimsy plot, some of its musical sequences, namely "I Am the Walrus" and "The Fool on the Hill" were quite striking, particularly when eventually shown in color.

‘Yellow Submarine’ (1968)

The Beatles barely cooperated in the making of the animated 'Yellow Submarine' -- their appearance at the end was contractually mandated, and they contributed only four new songs, one of which, John Lennon's "Hey Bulldog," was cut to keep it short. But its whimsical sense of humor, dazzling psychedelic visuals and integration of 12 other songs, has multi-generational appeal and continues to be a perfect way to introduce youngsters to the band.

Honorable Mention: Part-documentary, part art-film, 'Sympathy for the Devil' (originally titled 'One Plus One') showed the Rolling Stones making the classic title track. Director Jean-Luc Godard interspersed footage of the band in the studio with a narrative depicting the chaos of 1968. Another film, Pennebaker's 'Monterey Pop,' documents the 1967 festival that showcased the burgeoning counter-culture. The weekend made stars out of Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, the Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, whose guitar-burning performance of "Wild Thing" has been written into rock history.

'Midnight Cowboy' (1969)

The only X-rated film to win a Best Picture Oscar, 'Midnight Cowboy' featured only a few rock songs in addition to John Barry's score. While most of them are period curios (though Leslie Miller's "He Quit Me" was written by an unknown Los Angeles songwriter named Warren Zevon), the use of Harry Nilsson's rendition of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" fit the mood perfectly.

Honorable Mention: The year was a toss-up between 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'Easy Rider,' so scroll to the end for more on the Peter Fonda-Dennis Hopper classic.

'Woodstock' (1970)

Michael Wadleigh assembled the three-hour 'Woodstock' out of the festival's "Three Days of Peace & Music," as it had been billed. From Richie Havens' improvised opener, "Freedom," to Jimi Hendrix's closing set, the film captured the music, drugs, rain, mud, politics and free love that defined the hippie era. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was nominated for two others.

Honorable Mention: Read below for more information on 'Gimme Shelter,' in which the Rolling Stones tried to create their own version of Woodstock with disastrous results. Also released in 1970: 'Let It Be,' which shows the Beatles' struggle to make the album of the same name.

‘Harold and Maude’ (1971)

What Mike Nichols did four years earlier for Simon & Garfunkel, Hal Ashby did for Cat Stevens in 'Harold and Maude.' A bleakly funny movie about a death-obsessed 18-year-old and the elderly lady who teaches him how to enjoy life, 'Harold and Maude' had its spirit reflected in Stevens' soundtrack, which included "On the Road to Find Out," "Tea for the Tillerman" and, as its de facto theme, "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out." Stevens got the job at the suggestion of Elton John, who turned it down because he felt it would have affected his career momentum.

Honorable Mention: Frank Zappa's surreal '200 Motels' was his take on the rockers-on-the-road genre, with Ringo Starr (in costume as Zappa) and Keith Moon (as a nun) in roles.

'The Harder They Come' (1972)

Reggae had barely been known outside of Jamaica until 'The Harder They Come.' In addition to starring as Ivanhoe Martin, a real-life criminal from the '40s, Jimmy Cliff sang four songs on the soundtrack -- the title track, "You Can Get It If You Really Want," Sitting in Limbo," and the beautiful "Many Rivers to Cross" -- with the Maytals ("Pressure Drop," "Sweet and Dandy") and others also contributing.

Honorable Mention: 'Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii' also received several votes. Read more about it below.

‘American Graffiti’ (1973)

George Lucas' second full-length film as director was based on his teenage years. 'American Graffiti' takes place on the last night of summer 1962, with kids out cruising for fun before school starts up again. It featured more than 40 classics of the pre-Beatles era, including Del Shannon's "Runaway," the Crickets' "That'll Be the Day" and the Del-Vikings' "Come Go With Me."

Honorable Mention: Also released in 1973, Martin Scorsese's 'Mean Streets' took a similar approach with '60s vocal pop and classic rock, providing memorable scenes that were scored with the Rolling Stones ("Jumpin' Jack Flash"), Cream ("Steppin' Out") and the Ronettes ("Be My Baby").

‘Son of Dracula’ (1974)

With so many great rock movies throughout the '70s, it's surprising that the best we could find for 1974 was the widely panned Harry Nilsson-Ringo Starr vehicle 'Son of Dracula.' That said, it contains a bunch of classics by Nilsson, who was riding high on the successes of 'Nilsson Schmilsson' and 'Son of Schmilsson,' including the new track "Daybreak."

‘Tommy’ (1975)

In adapting the Who's rock opera for the big screen, director Ken Russell created a tighter plot than the one found on the album -- through some new songs by Pete Townshend and re-ordering of the existing ones. Although Russell's approach to the visuals turned it into overblown camp, it's nonetheless a spectacle to watch, with strong performances from Roger Daltrey in the title role, Ann-Margret (who won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar), Elton John and Tina Turner negating the use of non-singers Oliver Reed and Jack Nicholson.

Honorable Mention: The year also saw the release of 'The Rocky Horror Picture,' a filmed version of the hit London musical 'The Rocky Horror Show.' An homage to low-budget science-fiction and horror films set to a glam score, it's become a cult classic, known as much for midnight showings where the audience yells back at the screen as for teaching us all how to do the Time Warp.

‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ (1976)

After a few bit parts from 1967-70, David Bowie made the jump from rock star to movie star with 'The Man Who Fell to Earth,' a movie about an alien in search of water to bring to his drought-stricken planet. His acclaimed performance led to a lengthy side career in front of the camera, most notably 1983's 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' and 'Labyrinth.'

Honorable Mention: A trio of Led Zeppelin concerts from 1973 at Madison Square Garden formed the bulk of 'The Song Remains the Same.' Additional footage, which included re-staging the concerts at Shepperton Studios to fix continuity errors and the addition of fantasy sequences, filled out the rest of the movie.

‘Saturday Night Fever’ (1977)

The disco movement reached its peak thanks to 'Saturday Night Fever.' John Travolta successfully made the jump from television to the movies through his portrayal of Tony Manero, a blue-collar Brooklynite who shines on the dance floor. Thanks to its expertly choreographed dance sequences and pulsating Bee Gees-led soundtrack that has sold 16 million copies, the movie turned disco into an international phenomenon, though it quickly led to a backlash against it.

Honorable Mention: Second place goes to 'The Grateful Dead Movie,' a document of the band's five-night stand at the Winterland in San Francisco in 1974. The film bucked the trend of concert movies by devoting significant time to Deadheads.

‘The Last Waltz’ (1978)

One of rock's most famous single-night concerts, 'The Last Waltz' was the final performance of the original lineup of the Band, and they were aided by about a dozen of their friends, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters and Van Morrison. Martin Scorsese filmed the concert, as well as interviews with the Band about their history and songs shot on a soundstage with Emmylou Harris and the Staple Singers.

Honorable Mention: It was quite a year for the rock movie, with the continuing nostalgia in the form of 'The Buddy Holly Story,' 'Grease,' 'National Lampoon's Animal House' and 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand.' 'FM' was set at a rock radio station and features cameos by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, REO Speedwagon and Jimmy Buffett. 'The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash' was a made-for-TV mockumentary by Eric Idle (Monty Python) and Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) about a rock band whose career paralleled the Beatles'. But the less said about the flop 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,' the better.

‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)

Joseph Conrad's novel 'Heart of Darkness' was adapted into 'Apocalypse Now,' Francis Coppola's gripping tale of the horrors of the Vietnam War. While its most famous use of music saw Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" underpinning a napalm attack, the opening and closing credits were memorably set to the Doors' "The End." The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and the Beach Boys' "Surfin' Surfari" are also featured.

Honorable Mention: Also released that year was a second movie based on a Who concept album ('Quadrophenia'), a documentary about them ('The Kids Are Alright'), the Ramones-centered 'Rock 'n' Roll High School' as well as a concert film by Neil Young ('Rust Never Sleeps').

‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd were on a mission from God when they took their 'Saturday Night Live' characters to the screen. 'The Blues Brothers' was a loving tribute to the blues and soul of the '50s and '60s, and featured cameos by legends Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway, in addition to their own performances, with a band that included Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn from Booker T. and the M.G.'s.

Honorable Mention: 'AC/DC: Let There Be Rock' caught the band at the Pavillon de Paris in December 1979. Less than two months after it was filmed, singer Bon Scott died after a night of heavy drinking.

‘Heavy Metal’ (1981)

The popular science-fiction and fantasy comics magazine made it to the silver screen in 1981, animating 10 stories it had published over the years. In addition to getting voice-over help from many of the stars of 'SCTV,' the movie's soundtrack was provided by Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, Stevie Nicks, Journey, Devo and Blue Oyster Cult.

Honorable Mention: Penelope Spheeris' 'The Decline of Western Civilization' chronicled the rise of the Los Angeles hardcore punk scene, with performances by Black Flag, X, Circle Jerks and the Germs, among others.

‘Pink Floyd: The Wall’ (1982)

Alan Parker was charged with the task of bringing Pink Floyd's masterpiece 'The Wall' to life, with Gerald Scarfe animating his artwork from the album. Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats starred as Pink, the rock star who becomes increasingly alienated from his audience, and slightly different versions of many of the record's songs were used. The film opened with a new track, "When the Tigers Broke Free" and another cut, "5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)," was taken from Roger Waters' upcoming 'The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking.'

Honorable Mention: The soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was filled with mainstays of the Los Angeles scene of the '70s (including Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, Graham Nash, Poco and four ex-Eagles) as well as contributions from Sammy Hagar, Jimmy Buffett, the Go-Go's and Quarterflash. Punk and New Wave were spotlighted in both a documentary ('Urgh! A Music War') and a fictional story ('Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains'), and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" became a massive hit thanks to 'Rocky III.'

‘The Big Chill’ (1983)

The death of hippie idealism was at the heart of Lawrence Kasdan's 'The Big Chill,' where a group of Baby Boomers who went to college together reunite after one of their friends takes his own life. Its soundtrack consisted of 18 rock and soul songs from the mid-to-late '60s, including the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," the Young Rascals' "Good Lovin'," Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." The success of the movie helped usher in a wave of '60s nostalgia, much like 'American Graffiti' had done for the '50s.

Honorable Mention: Another movie from 1983 that drew upon the '60s was 'Eddie and the Cruisers,' in which a reporter tries to figure out what happened to a rocker who disappeared in 1964. It gave John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band a Top 10 hit with the Bruce Springsteen-esque "On the Dark Side."

‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)

Few movies -- rock-themed or otherwise -- have ever been so quotable: "These go to 11," "You can't dust for vomit," "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever," "Hello Cleveland!," "What's wrong with being sexy?," "We've got armadillos in our trousers," "Shit sandwich." Rob Reiner's improvised movie about an aging British metal band on the decline succeeded because it felt so real -- over the years, many musicians have said that they didn't realize it was a comedy. And their songs -- "Hell Hole," "Sex Farm," "Big Bottom," "Stonehenge" -- didn't sound too out of place from what their real-life counterparts were releasing.

Honorable Mention: We've written about the second-place finisher, Talking Heads' concert film 'Stop Making Sense,' below, and there were two other massively popular films from 1984 that deserve recognition. In any other year, Prince's monolithic 'Purple Rain' would have taken the top spot, but for all the great music on display, aspects of it haven't held up well by modern standards. 'Footloose' included a storyline set in a religious, conservative town where rock music and dancing were banned and a soundtrack that landed six Top 40 hits, all collaborations with scriptwriter Dean Pitchford,

‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985)

After the success of 'Sixteen Candles' the year before, John Hughes' knack for understanding the problems facing suburban teenagers reached full bloom with 'The Breakfast Club.' He also recognized the importance of music in their lives, opening the film with a quote from David Bowie's "Changes" before making way for its theme, Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)." The track, which was reprised over the closing credits, was the only memorable song on the soundtrack, but it was so anthemic that it became synonymous with the inroads synth-heavy pop had made toward the mainstream.

Honorable Mention: Huey Lewis continued his 'Sports'-fueled hot streak by placing two cuts, including the No. 1 "Power of Love,' on the soundtrack to Robert Zemeckis' 'Back to the Future.' It also earned points on our list for that great joke about Michael J. Fox unknowingly playing "Johnny B. Goode" in front of Chuck Berry's cousin.

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (1986)

John Hughes created three famous scenes out of diverse music in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' The first was when Cameron's (Alan Ruck) father's Ferrari appears to the strains of Yello's "Oh Yeah," a song that was so ubiquitous that it quickly became parody. The second was when Ferris (Matthew Broderick) lip-synced Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen" and the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" at a parade. But the most evocative was when Hughes placed the Dream Academy's instrumental cover of the Smiths' "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" as the three principles stared at Georges Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Honorable Mention: Where to begin with the others for 1986? Let's start with another Hughes classic, 'Pretty in Pink,' with a soundtrack filled with synth-pop (OMD's "If You Leave" becoming the breakout hit). 'Top Gun' followed the 'Footloose' formula of mixing AOR (Cheap Trick), anthemic ballads (Berlin) and Kenny Loggins. 'Sid and Nancy' told the story of punk's doomed couple, "Stand by Me" featured a collection of classic oldies including Ben E. King's titular song, "Blue Velvet" contained a definitive scene where Dean Stockwell lip-synced Roy Orbison's "In Dreams." And we can't leave out the 17-minute 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot,' a documentary filmed before a Judas Priest concert outside Washington, D.C.

‘La Bamba’ (1987)

Nearly 30 years after his death in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens' brief life and career were depicted onscreen in 'La Bamba,' with breakout performances by Lou Diamond Phillips as the rocker and Esai Morales as his brother. The soundtrack featured Los Lobos covering seven of Valens' songs (including the title track, which reached No. 1), Brian Setzer performing Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" and Marshall Crenshaw's rendition of Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting Hoping."

Honorable Mention: In 'Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll,' Keith Richards threw Chuck Berry a 60th birthday party and invited friends like Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Linda Ronstadt and Etta James along for the ride. 'Dirty Dancing' brought a slew of pre-Beatles rock and soul oldies back onto the airwaves, and Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett -- in her acting debut -- starred as brother and sister in 'Light of Day,' a tale of a Cleveland bar band with a title song written by Bruce Springsteen.

'The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years' (1988)

After chronicling L.A. punk early in the decade, Penelope Spheeris set her sights on the city's glam metal scene in the sequel. 'The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years' featured big names like Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley, Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne and Aerosmith, as well as bands that never broke big, like Odin and Seduce.

Honorable Mention: A pair of concert movies from 1988 also deserve recognition. 'Rattle and Hum' was filmed during U2's 'Joshua Tree' tour and included several new songs, including the hits "Desire," "Angel of Harlem" and "When Love Comes to Town." Originally released on Cinemax and a staple of public television pledge drives ever since, 'Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night' is a star-studded (Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello) tribute to the rock legend that helped reintroduce his music to the mainstream a year before his death.

‘Say Anything’ (1989)

As he had done with 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High,' director Cameron Crowe showed off his knack for finding music that his characters would be listening to that also reflect their moods. Set in Seattle a few years before the alternative boom of the '90s, the defining scene of 'Say Anything' showed Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) holding a boombox playing Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" outside Diane Court's (Ione Skye') house. The film also featured effective use of Joe Satriani's "One Big Rush," the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Taste the Pain" and the Replacements' "Within Your Reach."

Honorable Mention: 'Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure' centered on a pair of metal-loving suburban Los Angeles teenagers (Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter) who go back in time in order to pass a history class. The movie gets bonus points for having E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Martha Davis of the Motels and Fee Waybill of the Tubes at the Three Supreme Beings of the Future.

‘Goodfellas’ (1990)

If it only contained the "Layla" and "Then He Kissed Me" scenes, Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' would still qualify as the top rock movie of 1990. But it's packed wall-to-wall with rock, soul and oldies, from the film-opening strains of Tony Bennett's "Rags to Riches" through to Sid Vicious' "My Way" over the closing credits, with Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," the Rolling Stones' "Monkey Man," Donovan's "Atlantis" and Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire" commenting on the story of Henry Hill's tenure in the Mafia.

Honorable Mention: Another classic oldie, the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," punctuated a steamy scene in 'Ghost' and wound up back in the Top 20. The soundtrack to 'Pretty Woman' included Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman,' used over a montage of Julia Roberts trying on fancy clothes, and a remix of David Bowie's "Fame" in addition to songs by Peter Cetera, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Roxette's No. 1 ballad, "It Must Have Been Love."

'The Commitments' (1991)

Based on Roddy Doyle's novel of the same name, 'The Commitments' told the tale of a group of Dubliners forming a soul band under the tutelage of a local music geek. With the exception of the character of the older trumpet player, director Alan Parker cast unknown Irish musicians instead of actors, with future star Glen Hansard playing one of the guitarists. While their cover versions didn't measure up to the quality of the originals -- little could compare to Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" or Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" -- they were nonetheless solid, and the soundtrack sold enough copies to justify a second volume featuring seven tracks not used in the film.

Honorable Mention: Oliver Stone continued his fascination with the '60s in 'The Doors.' The biopic told the story of the band, from Jim Morrison's (Val Kilmer) arrival in California through their rise to stardom, and Morrison's obscenity trial and 1971 death at the age of 27.

‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)

Quentin Tarantino's first movie showed just how much he learned from Martin Scorsese in terms of casting (Harvey Keitel), portrayal of violence and use of music. The soundtrack was provided in the form of a disc jockey (comedian Steven Wright) in the midst of a "Super Sounds of the '70s Weekend," with Joe Tex's "I Gotcha," The George Baker Selection's "Little Green Bag" and, in a scene where a policeman gets his ear sliced off, Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You." Nilsson's "Coconut" played over the end credits.

Honorable Mention: Three other films notably used music in 1992. 'Wayne's World' put Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" back in the Top 5 and also featured Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver," "Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" and a scene with Alice Cooper. Another Cameron Crowe movie, 'Singles,' served as a primer for grunge, with tracks by Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and the first material from Paul Westerberg since the breakup of the Replacements, including its incidental score. 'Bob Roberts' was a fake documentary about a senatorial candidate (Tim Robbins) who wrote folk songs that espoused right-wing viewpoints. Jack Black made his movie debut as a fan, in a scene that mirrored one from Dylan's 'Don't Look Back.'

‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993)

What 'American Graffiti' did for the '50s, Richard Linklater's 'Dazed and Confused' did for the '70s. Set in suburban Texas on the last day of school in 1976, the coming-of-age comedy was filled with hard rock hits of the day -- including tracks by Kiss, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Edgar Winter Group, War, Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nazareth and ZZ Top -- and lots of marijuana.

Honorable Mention: Bruce Springsteen won a Best Original Song Oscar for "Streets of Philadelphia," the opening song from Jonathan Demme's 'Philadelphia.' Neil Young also contributed a moving title song, and the soundtrack contained recordings by Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls and Sade.

'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

'Pulp Fiction,' Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to 'Reservoir Dogs,' broadened its scope, both in the ambition of its plot and the music used. The '70s influences remained (Al Green, Kool & the Gang) but it also reached back as far as 1958 (Link Wray's "Rumble" and Ricky Nelson's "Lonesome Town"), incorporated surf rock (Dick Dale's "Misirlou") and country ("Flowers on the Wall" by the Statler Brothers) and gave Urge Overkill an alternative-radio hit with their cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon."

Honorable Mention: The film that beat out 'Pulp Fiction' for the Best Picture Oscar, 'Forest Gump,' contained more than 30 well-known rock and pop tracks released between 1956-80. 'Backbeat' told the story of the Beatles' days in Hamburg, focusing on John Lennon's friendship with then-bassist Stu Sutcliffe and included an alt-rock supergroup performing revved-up versions of the Beatles' repertoire in those days. Trent Reznor curated the score for Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers, using artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Patsy Cline, Dr. Dre, Leonard Cohen and his own Nine Inch Nails. 'Airheads' starred Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler and Brendan Fraser as members of a metal band who take over a radio station with the intention of playing their demo tape over the air.

'Casino' (1995)

Martin Scorsese repeated his 'Goodfellas' formula in 'Casino,' basing the movie on real-life Las Vegas mobsters Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal (Robert De Niro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein) and Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro (Joe Pesci as Nicky Santoro). Again, Scorsese got inside the characters' heads through classic rock (Fleetwood Mac, the Animals), art rock (Roxy Music, Devo), Italian American ballads (Dean Martin, Louis Prima), jazz (Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Dinah Washington) and soul (Lee Dorsey, the Staple Singers).

Honorable Mention: Scroll to the bottom for information about 'The Beatles: Anthology,' a documentary that featured the group telling its amazing story.

'The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus' (1996)

Shelved for more than 28 years, 'The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus' finally saw release in 1996. The filmed-for-TV 1968 concert was conceived as a way for them to promote the newly released 'Beggars Banquet,' with sets by the Who, Marianne Faithfull, Jethro Tull (with Tony Iommi on guitar), bluesman Taj Mahal and a supergroup called the Dirty Mac, which was comprised of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Yoko Ono and Mitch Mitchell. The special was kept in the vault because the Stones were unhappy with their performance, though the Who's rendition of their mini-opera "A Quick One, While He's Away' was featured in 'The Kids Are Alright.'

Honorable Mention: Tom Hanks paid tribute to '60s pop in 'That Thing You Do!' He wrote, directed and co-starred in the fictional tale of the Wonders, who came out of Erie, Penn., to take over the pop chart with the incredibly catchy, jangly title tune, and sink just as quickly.

'Boogie Nights' (1997)

Paul Thomas Anderson set his second film as writer-director, 'Boogie Nights,' in the world of pornography between 1977 and 1984. Its soundtrack consisted of more than 30 pop, rock and disco tracks from the era, with prominent placement given to Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell In Love" and Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" and, in a climactic scene where Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and friends try to scam a drug dealer (Alfred Molina), Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl." It concluded with the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and ELO's "Livin' Thing" playing over the end credits.

Honorable Mention: A slew of punk and New Wave classics underpinned 'Grosse Pointe Blank,' where a professional killer (John Cusack) returned to his suburban Detroit hometown to attend his high-school reunion. 'Jerry Maguire' continued Cameron Crowe's hot streak, with a soundtrack featuring the Who, Neil Young and Elvis Presley. A version of Bruce Springsteen's "Secret Garden" with the movie's dialogue interspersed, became a radio hit.

'Rushmore' (1998)

Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo composed a Baroque-influenced score for 'Rushmore,' but Wes Anderson's use of classic rock dominates the movie about a prep-school student in an awkward love triangle. Anderson had intended to use only Kinks songs, but eventually expanded it to other British acts including the Who ("A Quick One, While He's Away"), the Creation ("Making Time"), John Lennon ("Oh Yoko") and Cat Stevens ("Here Come My Baby"). The Faces' "Ooh La La" punctuates the film.

Honorable Mention: The Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski' gave us a soundtrack featuring Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Elvis Costello songs, and a memorable line about hating the Eagles. A bunch of period-specific hits tunes underscored the '80s-set comedy 'The Wedding Singer,' and included a cameo by Billy Idol. The film version of Hunter S. Thompson's 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' contains a lot of psychedelic and classic rock tunes from the late '60s and early '70s, and 'Velvet Goldmine' dealt with the search for a '70s glam rocker who had retreated from the public, with a soundtrack to match.

'Detroit Rock City' (1999)

Gene Simmons served as the producer of 'Detroit Rock City,' in which members of a Kiss tribute band try to get from Cleveland to Detroit to see the real thing. Set in 1978, the soundtrack features several Kiss songs, including the titular tune, as well other hard rock classics, both in the original versions ("Runnin' With the Devil," "Iron Man") and as covers (The Donnas' take on "Strutter," Marilyn Manson's "Highway to Hell").

Honorable Mention: The soundtrack to Sofia Coppola's full-length debut, 'The Virgin Suicides,' consisted of '70s hits by Heart, Todd Rundgren, Styx, the Hollies and Al Green.

'Almost Famous' (2000)

Cameron Crowe's Oscar-winning screenplay for 'Almost Famous' was based on his days as a teenage writer covering bands on the road for 'Rolling Stone.' William Miller (Patrick Fugit) gets mentored by Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), follows the fictional Stillwater on their breakout tour, witnesses the internal squabbles, loses his innocence and falls for a groupie (Kate Hudson). It's soundtrack is a veritable who's who of classic rock, with tracks by Yes, Elton John, Neil Young, the Allman Brothers Band and five songs by Led Zeppelin.

Honorable Mention: The film version of Nick Hornby's novel 'High Fidelity' moved its setting from London to Chicago and changed the musical tastes of its lead characters while retaining the book's truths about obsessed music fans and relationships. Bob Dylan won a Best Original Song Oscar for "Things Have Changed," which was featured in Curtis Hanson's 'The Wonder Boys.' The film used several other Dylan tunes and songs by Neil Young, John Lennon and Leonard Cohen.

'The Royal Tenenbaums' (2001)

'The Royal Tenenbaums,' Wes Anderson's follow-up to 'Rushmore,' again combined a score by Mark Mothersbaugh with existing songs. Its story of a dysfunctional family of overachieving children as they struggled with adulthood was heightened through its soundtrack, including Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," the Rolling Stones' "She Smiled Sweetly," Nico's "These Days' and, most chillingly, Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay."

Honorable Mention: Adapted from a play of the same name, 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' was about a transgender East German singer who relocates to Kansas and forms a band. 'Rock Star' saw Mark Wahlberg as the singer of a tribute band who winds up fronting the actual group. It was inspired by the story of Tim "Ripper" Owens, who spent seven years fronting Judas Priest after they discovered him singing their material with British Steel.

'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' (2002)

Paul Justman's documentary 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' spotlighted the Funk Brothers, the brilliant but often uncredited musicians who, as Motown's house band, performed on hundreds of soul classics. In addition to telling the stories behind the artists and the songs, the movie featured scenes of them performing many well-known Motown songs, with vocals provided by Chaka Khan, Joan Osbourne, Gerald Levert, Ben Harper and others.

Honorable Mention: 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco' was Sam Jones' inside look at the problems incurred by Wilco during the sessions for 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,' including the record being rejected by their label and a rift between frontman Jeff Tweedy and multi-instrumentalist and engineer Jay Bennett.

'School of Rock' (2003)

Fresh off his work in Tenacious D and his star-making performance in 'High Fidelity,' Jack Black continued blending comedy and music in Richard Linklater's 'School of Rock.' He starred as Dewey Finn, a guitarist who tuns a bunch of students into a rock band, culminating with their performance of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)." The soundtrack includes such names as Led Zeppelin ("Immigrant Song"), Cream ("Sunshine of Your Love"), Stevie Nicks ("Edge of Seventeen") and the Doors ("Touch Me").

Honorable Mention: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer again played musicians in 'A Mighty Wind,' which lampooned the folk world in the same way that they satirized metal in 'This Is Spinal Tap.' Quentin Tarantino went even more eclectic with the soundtrack to 'Kill Bill: Volume 1,' which contained contributions from Neu!, Isaac Hayes, Nancy Sinatra and several tunes by rapper RZA.

'Ray' (2004)

Jamie Foxx won a Best Actor Oscar for playing Ray Charles in Taylor Hackford's biopic. 'Ray' finds its protagonist overcoming witnessing the death of his brother, going blind, institutional racism and falling deep into heroin addiction to become one of the most-loved and influential icons of 20th century American music. The movie's soundtrack contains some of Charles' best-known songs.

Honorable Mention: See below for more on another rock movie released in 2004, 'Shaun of the Dead.'

'The Devil's Rejects' (2005)

For the follow-up to his successful low-budget horror debut 'House of 1000 Corpses,' Rob Zombie had cops drive the same villains out of their nightmarish home and into the daylight of the real world. Even as their wanton murder spree remains unchecked, this turn of the tables makes the on-the-run bad guys into more rounded characters, and at least somewhat sympathetic figures. The film's Southern rock-heavy soundtrack plays a big role in this transformation, with "Midnight Rider" by the Allman Brothers Band pulling us into their point of view right at the start of the movie, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" both mourning and celebrating their inevitable, gruesome final stand.

Honorable Mention: Also released in 2005 was Martin Scorsese's two-part documentary for PBS, 'No Direction Home: Bob Dylan,' which covered the period between the singer-songwriter's 1961 arrival in New York City and his 1966 motorcycle accident, and the Johnny Cash biopic, 'Walk the Line,' which we write more about below.

'The Departed' (2006)

Martin Scorsese again makes our list of rock movies with 'The Departed,' which starred Matt Damon as a mob-planted mole working as a Boston policeman and Leonardo DiCaprio as an undercover cop trying to take down the boss (Jack Nicholson). It features many of Scorsese's favorites -- the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison, with a little opera thrown in -- and gave placement to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," a Dropkick Murphys recording based off previously unpublished lyrics by Woody Guthrie.

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Demme and Neil Young again joined forces for 'Heart of Gold,' a concert film compiled from two nights at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. The eclectic soundtrack to 'Crank' included cuts by Jefferson Starship, Quiet Riet, NOFX and Loverboy.

'Zodiac' (2007)

Set primarily in San Francisco during the late '60s and early '70s as police searched for the Zodiac Killer, the soundtrack to David Fincher's 'Zodiac' featured music by Santana ("Soul Sacrifice"), Eric Burdon & the Animals ("Sky Pilot") and Sly and the Family Stone ("I Want to Take You Higher"). Fincher specifically wanted Three Dog Night's version of "Easy to Be Hard" from the musical 'Hair' for the film because it reminded him of "what the summer of '69 sounded like in northern California."

Honorable Mention: 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' skewered musical biopics, with John C. Reilly's titular character starting off as a Johnny Cash-like figure in the mid-'50s, and his career path sees him taking on aspects of legends like Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson. Coincidentally, it came out in the same year as 'I'm Not There,' which interpreted the life of Dylan through six actors playing characters inspired by him. 'Across the Universe' was a jukebox musical that incorporated dozens of Beatles songs. 'Once' tells the story of an Irish singer (Glen Hansard) and a Czech cellist (Marketa Irglova) through their songs, and the score to 'Superbad' was performed by funk veterans Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks.

'Anvil: The Story of Anvil' (2008)

Considered to be a real-life version of 'This Is Spinal Tap,' 'Anvil: The Story of Anvil' witnessed an influential but commercially unsuccessful Canadian metal band struggling through its third decade. They persist through day jobs, an unsuccessful European tour and difficulties in recording a new album. The documentary by Sasha Gervasi, a former roadie for the group, received near-universal praise and, ironically, brought the group greater exposure than ever.

Honorable Mention: A subplot in the comedy 'Role Models' involves Anson (Seann William Scott) bonding with the younger Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) over Kiss, including wearing the band's costumes. At the end, Danny (Paul Rudd) sings "Beth" to his ex-girlfriend of the same name (Elizabeth Banks) to win her back.

'It Might Get Loud' (2009)

Guitarists from three generations -- Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White -- discuss their histories with the instrument in Davis Guggenheim's documentary 'It Might Get Loud.' In addition to each of them talking about their influences and how they came up with some of their most famous parts, they gather together to play each other's songs as the movie comes to an end.

Honorable Mention: Set in 1984, 'Adventureland' takes place in an amusement park where the day's hits -- especially "Rock Me Amadeus" -- are constantly playing, and Ryan Reynolds' character brags about having once jammed played with Lou Reed. 'Neil Young Trunk Show,' another concert film directed by Jonathan Demme, captured Young's show at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia.

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)

Based on a graphic novel, 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' starred Michael Cera as a bassist who must defeat his love interest's ex-boyfriends in order to win her affections. Beck contributed and performed the songs played by Pilgrim's band, Sex Bob-omb, and the rest of the soundtrack comprises indie rock punctuated by the Rolling Stones ("Under My Thumb") and T. Rex ("Teenage Dream").

'Gnomeo and Juliet' (2011)

Elton John served as the executive producer of an animated version of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' with feuding red and blue gnomes taking the place of the Montagues and the Capulets. The soundtrack consisted of seven of his classics and two new songs, "Love Builds a Garden" and a duet with Lady Gaga, "Hello Hello." Ozzy Osbourne and Dolly Parton also lent their voices to the film.

Honorable Mention: Also coming out in 2011 was the third installment of Jonathan Demme's trilogy of Neil Young movies, 'Journeys' and Martin Scorsese took us inside the life of the quiet Beatle with his HBO documentary 'George Harrison: Living in the Material World.'

'Celebration Day' (2012)

Led Zeppelin's 2007 reunion concert from London's O2 Arena was given a theatrical release in 2012. The only full-length performance featuring all three surviving members after John Bonham's 1980 death, with Jason Bonham filling in for his late father on drums, the show was a benefit for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, named after the Atlantic Records founder who had died earlier that year.

Honorable Mention: Two notable documentaries came out in 2012. In the vaults for nearly 50 years, 'Charlie Is My Darling' was about the Rolling Stones' 1965 tour of Ireland, captured just as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was being released. 'Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me' told the story of the '70s power pop band from Memphis that never sold many records but proved to be an influence on the American alternative scene that sprang up in the '80s and continued to grow in popularity over the next decade.

'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013)

'Inside Llewyn Davis' starred Oscar Isaac as a folksinger in the '60s Greenwich Village scene whose off-putting personality complicates his professional and personal life. It was written and directed by the Coen Brothers, who came up with the idea after reading Dave Van Ronk's autobiography, and built the character by taking musical and personal elements from several musicians who populated the scene.

Honorable Mention: The year saw three strong documentaries: the Oscar-winning '20 Feet From Stardom,' which gave a spotlight to professional backup singers like Darlene Love and Merry Clayton; 'Sound City,' Dave Grohl's look inside the famous Los Angeles studio and 'Muscle Shoals,' the story of how Rick Hall turned a small Alabama town into a hub of Southern soul. A fourth film, 'Jimi: All Is by My Side' starred Andre Benjamin of OutKast as Jimi Hendrix and focused on the guitar legend's 1966 arrival in London through to 1968's Monterey Pop Festival.

'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)

Where many blockbusters have simply used classic rock to accentuate key scenes, Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' integrated into its plot. Abducted by space pirates in 1988, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) remains emotionally connected to his family via a mixtape given to him by his mother and including her favorite songs, like classics by the Raspberries ("Go All the Way"), David Bowie ("Moonage Daydream"), Redbone ("Come and Get Your Love") and 10cc ("I'm Not in Love").

Honorable Mention: Another Dave Grohl documentary, 'Sonic Highways,' found Foo Fighters traveling to eight American cities and incorporating their distinct music characteristics into the the band's work. 'Love and Mercy' was a Brian Wilson biopic in which Paul Dano and John Cusack played the Beach Boy at, respectively, his mid-'60s peak and '80s period, where he was under the control of Dr. Eugene Landy.

'Minions' (2015)

An offshoot of the 'Despicable Me' animated movies, 'Minions' largely takes place in 1968 New York, and its choice of music reflects its time. Incorporated into the movie are such artists as the Beatles ("Revolution"), the Rolling Stones ("19th Nervous Breakdown") the Jimi Hendrix Experience ("Foxey Lady") and the Kinks ("You Really Got Me").

Honorable Mention: Colin Hanks' 'All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records' documented the history of the record-store chain. Interview subjects include Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Cornell and Dave Grohl, who worked in its Washington, D.C., location prior to moving out to Seattle.

'Everybody Wants Some!!' (2016)

Thirteen years after the '70s-set 'Dazed and Confused,' director Richard Linklater tackles 1980 just about as excellently with this "spiritual sequel." The characters are different, but the low-stakes and ensemble "day in the life" narrative remains the same. As if to drive the connection home, 'Dazed' ends with high-school seniors driving out of their hometown, while 'Everybody' starts with a freshman driving through his new college campus. The soundtrack is just as important this time around, and appropriately expands to include Van Halen, New Wave stars such as Blondie and the Cars, and even a quick blast of the pioneering hip-hop single "Rapper's Delight."

'Baby Driver' (2017)

The soundtrack to Edgar Wright's acclaimed movie about a young man who listens to music while driving getaway cars for an Atlanta mob boss runs the gamut from rock and soul to pop and hip-hop. Its use of music during the action sequences helped it earn recognition from the film industry's technical insiders. The movie landed three Academy Award nominations.

Honorable Mention: The sequel to 'Guardians of the Galaxy' continued the first's approach to music, with hits by ELO, Fleetwood Mac and Cheap Trick gracing the movie, and wraps up with Peter Quill being able to listen to all of his favorite songs with a Zune, Microsoft's failed attempt to make its own version of Apple's way more successful iPod.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018)

The long-awaited Queen movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody' may have ruffled feathers among die-hard fans for, as all biopics do, taking liberties with known events in the band's timeline. But there was no denying that Rami Malek's award-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury was as close to the real deal as possible, particularly during the film's re-creation of their historic Live Aid set.

Honorable Mention: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga breathed life into Hollywood's fourth version of 'A Star Is Born,' a story about a troubled musician who discovers, and falls in love with, an unknown talent.

'Yesterday' (2019)

Director Danny Boyle cleverly demonstrates how important the Beatles are to our world by removing them from it completely. 'Yesterday' is the story of a struggling songwriter who wakes up after a strange turn of events to discover he's the only one who remembers the music of the Fab Four. He quickly become famous after sharing and performing what he remembers of their work - but his motives get tangled and exposed in very interesting ways.

Honorable Mention: Taron Egerton delivers a strong performance as Elton John in 'Rocketman,' a dramatic and sometimes surreal account of the rock star's career successes and life struggles.

'David Byrne's American Utopia' (2020)

David Byrne completely rethought the rock concert for his 2018 'American Utopia' tour. All fixed instruments and wires were removed from the stage, allowing the former Talking Heads frontman and his band to deliver dramatic, choreographed performances of songs from throughout his career. The following year he tweaked the show for a rapturously received run on Broadway, which was then filmed by Spike Lee and released as a full-length movie in 2020. Beyond the show's captivating staging, the unabashed joy and faith in humanity expressed in the music itself was a welcome oasis in a pandemic-ravaged, politically divisive year.

'Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)' (2021)

Back in 1969, during the same summer as Woodstock, the Harlem Cultural Festival took place over a few weekends. Performances were shot and then sat on a shelf for 50 years. Then Roots drummer Questlove pieced it together for one of the most captivating music documentaries of the 2000s. The Staple Singers, Sly & the Family Stone and Stevie Wonder are highlights, but the remembrances - from fans who attended as well as performers like members of the 5th Dimension - add weight to a piece of history that was long thought to be forgotten.

‘Moonage Daydream’ (2022)

Many have tried and failed to get to the bottom of David Bowie over the years. ‘Moonage Daydream’ succeeds precisely because it doesn’t bother to “explain” him as either a musician or a man. The Brett Morgan-directed film uses no talking-head interviews, only exquisite archival footage and audio from Bowie's interviews, concerts and various public appearances. The result is less a traditional documentary than a nonlinear, multisensory collage that embraces Bowie’s messy contradictions and evokes the same guileless, awestruck wonder with which he navigated the world. Using Bowie’s own words and music, ‘Moonage Daydream’ proves a paradoxical point about one of rock’s most seemingly otherworldly artists: He’s just like us. 

'Priscilla' (2023)

Elvis Presley's music exists on the fringes of Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla,' based on Priscilla Presley's 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me.' It serves to separate Presley from his teenage girlfriend and eventual bride, and to enable his indiscretions on the road as Priscilla stays cooped up inside the mausolean Graceland mansion. Cailee Spaeny is mesmerizing as the titular protagonist, with loneliness and anguish bubbling just below her quiet exterior, while Jacob Elordi alternates between puppy-dog earnestness and domineering menace as the King. 'Priscilla' refuses to condemn Elvis, but it provides little musical distraction from his predatory behavior.

1969 Runner-Up: 'Easy Rider'

Created by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper --who also starred as a pair of bikers who use the profits from a big drug deal to break free from society's restraints -- 'Easy Rider' gave a voice to the hippie generation. Its soundtrack contained contributions from Steppenwolf ("Born to Be Wild"), the Byrds ("Ballad of Easy Rider" and "Wasn't Born to Follow") and the Jimi Hendrix Experience ("If 6 Was 9"), as well as the Fraternity of Man's ode to sharing one's joint, "Don't Bogart Me."

1970 Runner-Up: 'Gimme Shelter'

Alfred and David Maysles' documentary about the Rolling Stones' 1969 U.S. tour features concert footage and scenes of the band recording songs from 'Sticky Fingers' in Muscle Shoals, Ala. But the movie also shows the group trying to put on a free concert in the Bay Area -- their own attempt at a Woodstock-like event. But the show, at Altamont Speedway, famously turned ugly and violent, with the local Hells Angels hired as security even knocking out Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane during their slot. It reached a head during the Stones' closing set, when Meredith Hunter, an 18-year-old who had gotten near the stage, was dragged off by the bikers and stabbed to death. The film ends with Mick Jagger being shown the footage of the incident, in which a gun is spotted in Hunter's hand.

1972 Runner-Up: 'Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii'

Two years before their huge breakthrough with 'The Dark Side of the Moon,' Pink Floyd performed to no audience at the famous amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy, a city that was buried under volcanic ash in 79 AD. Director Adrian Maben added footage of the band in Naples, and several songs recorded in a Paris studio. It was re-released in 1974 interspersed with scenes of the band recording 'Dark Side' at Abbey Road Studios.

1984 Runner-Up: 'Stop Making Sense'

Jonathan Demme's concert film 'Stop Making Sense' captures Talking Heads' at the moment when they had reached the perfect balance between the angular, arty funk of their early records and their growing interest in African rhythms. Aided by five other musicians, including Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, the band run through its biggest hits at the time, including "Burning Down the House" and "Once in a Lifetime." It's also remembered for frontman David Byrne's over-sized suit.

1995 Runner-Up: 'The Beatles: Anthology'

Broadcast over three nights on ABC and expanded to an eight-volume home-video set, 'The Beatles: Anthology' included archival and new interview footage that told the group's history in its own words. The surviving members recorded new music on top of two John Lennon demos, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," to give the world the first new Beatles music since their 1970 breakup.

2004 Runner-Up: 'Shaun of the Dead'

Both a brilliant zombie movie parody and a loving celebration of the genre, 'Shaun of the Dead' delivers laughs and thrills equally well. Two key music-based scenes are prime examples of this expert juggling act. In one, the film's two heroes frantically debate which vinyl albums can be used as weapons to ward off the brain-eating enemies attacking their house - and which limited pressings must be saved. Later, a pub jukebox foolishly turned on and set to random causes Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" to provide a winking and cliched soundtrack to a climatic fight scene.

2005 Runner-Up: 'Walk the Line'

The life of Johnny Cash was brought to the big screen in 'Walk the Line' and covered his upbringing and initial rise to fame at Sun Records at the beginning of the rock era, through his affair with June Carter and well-publicized battle with substance abuse. 'Walk the Line' was a commercial and critical smash, with its two lead actors -- Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon -- nominated for Academy Awards for their portrayals of Johnny and June. Witherspoon won.

Next: 35 of the Best Joni Mitchell Collaborations