the truth is often stranger than fiction
but it always has a killer soundtrack
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
performances in music biopics
number 10 Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie
Valens La Bamba Lou Diamond Phillips
brings focus dedication and compelling
enthusiasm to a star-making portrayal of
this doomed rock star
while the film does chronicle his
meteoric if short-lived rise to fame and
his immobilizing and prophetic fear of
flying it mainly focuses on balanced
relationships
I followed you around cuz I thought you
were somebody then don’t show walk out
on me
Phillips shines both here and in his
onstage sequences where he inhabits the
part with critically-acclaimed
brilliance
number nine val kilmer is Jim Morrison
The Doors purists hate this movie but
not much can be said against Kilmer’s
ownership of the lead role
his version of Jim Morrison’s descent is
eerie in its accuracy both onstage and
off he spent time losing weight and
training himself in Morrison’s
mannerisms into nations and beliefs it’s
not about money
no records or success or these desires
that you have you know it’s about using
the music to break through wasn’t it by
the end even members of the doors
themselves couldn’t tell the difference
between Kilmer’s and Morrison’s singing
voices come on come on come on come on
now touch me babe can’t you see that I
am Not Afraid number eight Gary Oldman
is Sid Vicious Sid and Nancy boy I just
fell or Die SH I trained them up I’ve
been a lovely Shakespeare told this tale
only with less sex and drugs
this film traces the heroin fueled
downward spiral of a punk-rock icon in a
compassionate albeit unglamorous way
Oldman’s unhealthy weight loss and
rocking performances helped him morph
into the well-known figure who died
before he achieved greatness
while sex pistol Johnny Rotten hated the
film he did compliment Oldman’s
portrayal so that’s got to be worth
something
number seven angela bassett as tina
turner what’s love got to do with it not
just a story about the highs and lows of
fame this is the search for strength and
the transformation of Anna Mae Bullock
into Tina Turner both Bassett and
co-star Laurence Fishburne turn in
oscar-nominated performances that
elevate this flick but it’s the fiery
Bassett who is just as easily capable of
playing the battered wife as she is of
shaking her grouping
number six Gary Busey is Buddy Holly the
Buddy Holly story now get ready we’re
going to play some rock and roll if
you’ve ever wondered why Gary Busey was
ever taken seriously this movie is proof
he dropped 30 pounds sang and played
guitar live and earned an Oscar
nomination for his ambitious depiction
rather than doing an impersonation of
Buddy Holly Busey helps set the
blueprint for all biopics that followed
by embodying the gangly Rockstar shyness
sincerity and cheerfulness in the years
leading to the day the music died you
not fade away
number 5 Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn
coal miners daughter as she effortlessly
ages from a team to a grandmother in her
mid 30s space tech perfects Lynn’s twang
hillbilly innocence and music in this
rags to riches story of a girl who
married young and eventually became a
Grand Ole Opry star
the first lady of country music
hand-picked Spacek for the role which
not only earned the actress an Oscar for
her subtle performance but also a Grammy
nomination well darlin I’m telling you
boys stop and listen to me stag number
four
Mihal coatsy off as edith piaf la
vieille goes this film chronicles the
troubled life of Francis greatest singer
with cozia as its guide the actress is
practically unrecognizable as she melts
into the role the way she moves on stage
is PF personified but it’s cozy as
restraint and intensity as she jumps
between the energetic teenage street
performer and the dying woman far past
her prime that helped her win the first
ever Oscar for a french-speaking role
number three f murray Abraham as Antonio
Salieri Amadeus
it may be called Amadeus but this film
is just as much about the obsessive
Salieri beside Tom Holtz’s arrogant
juvenile Mozart Abraham Salieri stands
as a stern conservative figure
struggling with jealousy mediocrity and
revenge I actually threw the entire
score and the fire he made me so angry
you burned the score oh no my wife took
it out in time hmm thank god these
visceral feelings are clearly painted on
Abraham’s face as he internalizes his
characters inadequacy both actors were
nominated but it was Abraham’s
commanding performance in this period
piece that won Oscar gold my music
growing fainter all the time fainter
till no one plays it at all
number two Reese Witherspoon as June
Carter Cash walk the line the other day
Witherspoon balances out the brooding
man in black is Johnny Cash’s bubbly and
feisty Muse as she shifts seamlessly
from her silly performance facade to her
more thoughtful behind-the-scenes
personality Witherspoon proves herself
both an adept actress and a respectable
singer
while their tumultuous love story
unfolds her chemistry with Joaquin
Phoenix is undeniable and though both
stars shine in this dark biopic only
Witherspoon walked away with an Oscar my
problem is it’s 2:00 a.m. I probably
zone asleep you want a tour bus eight
stinking men rule number one toe propose
to a girl on a bus
you got that rule number two toe tellers
because you had a bad dream number one
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles rate if you
thought Jamie Foxx was a one-trick pony
we present you his oscar-winning
transformation into a legendary R&B
singer
traveling down a road of womanizing and
drug abuse Fox masters Charles
intricacies and distinctive mannerisms
while carefully portraying the
inspirational story of a man never
hampered by his blindness
that’s not do not stupid I might be
driving I stupid
to complete the metamorphosis Fox played
his own piano scenes and wore
prosthetics so he too could not see well
I guess you say so I have to know do you
agree with our list which of your
favorite music biopic performances have
we left off for more top 10s about your
favorite flicks be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
but it always has a killer soundtrack
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
performances in music biopics
number 10 Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie
Valens La Bamba Lou Diamond Phillips
brings focus dedication and compelling
enthusiasm to a star-making portrayal of
this doomed rock star
while the film does chronicle his
meteoric if short-lived rise to fame and
his immobilizing and prophetic fear of
flying it mainly focuses on balanced
relationships
I followed you around cuz I thought you
were somebody then don’t show walk out
on me
Phillips shines both here and in his
onstage sequences where he inhabits the
part with critically-acclaimed
brilliance
number nine val kilmer is Jim Morrison
The Doors purists hate this movie but
not much can be said against Kilmer’s
ownership of the lead role
his version of Jim Morrison’s descent is
eerie in its accuracy both onstage and
off he spent time losing weight and
training himself in Morrison’s
mannerisms into nations and beliefs it’s
not about money
no records or success or these desires
that you have you know it’s about using
the music to break through wasn’t it by
the end even members of the doors
themselves couldn’t tell the difference
between Kilmer’s and Morrison’s singing
voices come on come on come on come on
now touch me babe can’t you see that I
am Not Afraid number eight Gary Oldman
is Sid Vicious Sid and Nancy boy I just
fell or Die SH I trained them up I’ve
been a lovely Shakespeare told this tale
only with less sex and drugs
this film traces the heroin fueled
downward spiral of a punk-rock icon in a
compassionate albeit unglamorous way
Oldman’s unhealthy weight loss and
rocking performances helped him morph
into the well-known figure who died
before he achieved greatness
while sex pistol Johnny Rotten hated the
film he did compliment Oldman’s
portrayal so that’s got to be worth
something
number seven angela bassett as tina
turner what’s love got to do with it not
just a story about the highs and lows of
fame this is the search for strength and
the transformation of Anna Mae Bullock
into Tina Turner both Bassett and
co-star Laurence Fishburne turn in
oscar-nominated performances that
elevate this flick but it’s the fiery
Bassett who is just as easily capable of
playing the battered wife as she is of
shaking her grouping
number six Gary Busey is Buddy Holly the
Buddy Holly story now get ready we’re
going to play some rock and roll if
you’ve ever wondered why Gary Busey was
ever taken seriously this movie is proof
he dropped 30 pounds sang and played
guitar live and earned an Oscar
nomination for his ambitious depiction
rather than doing an impersonation of
Buddy Holly Busey helps set the
blueprint for all biopics that followed
by embodying the gangly Rockstar shyness
sincerity and cheerfulness in the years
leading to the day the music died you
not fade away
number 5 Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn
coal miners daughter as she effortlessly
ages from a team to a grandmother in her
mid 30s space tech perfects Lynn’s twang
hillbilly innocence and music in this
rags to riches story of a girl who
married young and eventually became a
Grand Ole Opry star
the first lady of country music
hand-picked Spacek for the role which
not only earned the actress an Oscar for
her subtle performance but also a Grammy
nomination well darlin I’m telling you
boys stop and listen to me stag number
four
Mihal coatsy off as edith piaf la
vieille goes this film chronicles the
troubled life of Francis greatest singer
with cozia as its guide the actress is
practically unrecognizable as she melts
into the role the way she moves on stage
is PF personified but it’s cozy as
restraint and intensity as she jumps
between the energetic teenage street
performer and the dying woman far past
her prime that helped her win the first
ever Oscar for a french-speaking role
number three f murray Abraham as Antonio
Salieri Amadeus
it may be called Amadeus but this film
is just as much about the obsessive
Salieri beside Tom Holtz’s arrogant
juvenile Mozart Abraham Salieri stands
as a stern conservative figure
struggling with jealousy mediocrity and
revenge I actually threw the entire
score and the fire he made me so angry
you burned the score oh no my wife took
it out in time hmm thank god these
visceral feelings are clearly painted on
Abraham’s face as he internalizes his
characters inadequacy both actors were
nominated but it was Abraham’s
commanding performance in this period
piece that won Oscar gold my music
growing fainter all the time fainter
till no one plays it at all
number two Reese Witherspoon as June
Carter Cash walk the line the other day
Witherspoon balances out the brooding
man in black is Johnny Cash’s bubbly and
feisty Muse as she shifts seamlessly
from her silly performance facade to her
more thoughtful behind-the-scenes
personality Witherspoon proves herself
both an adept actress and a respectable
singer
while their tumultuous love story
unfolds her chemistry with Joaquin
Phoenix is undeniable and though both
stars shine in this dark biopic only
Witherspoon walked away with an Oscar my
problem is it’s 2:00 a.m. I probably
zone asleep you want a tour bus eight
stinking men rule number one toe propose
to a girl on a bus
you got that rule number two toe tellers
because you had a bad dream number one
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles rate if you
thought Jamie Foxx was a one-trick pony
we present you his oscar-winning
transformation into a legendary R&B
singer
traveling down a road of womanizing and
drug abuse Fox masters Charles
intricacies and distinctive mannerisms
while carefully portraying the
inspirational story of a man never
hampered by his blindness
that’s not do not stupid I might be
driving I stupid
to complete the metamorphosis Fox played
his own piano scenes and wore
prosthetics so he too could not see well
I guess you say so I have to know do you
agree with our list which of your
favorite music biopic performances have
we left off for more top 10s about your
favorite flicks be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
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