While not strictly all biopics, each of these titles are still epic musical films that chart some of the most influential performances from musicians and actors alike, capturing the ups and downs of fame.
Whitney Houston’s performance of “I Will Always Love You” in the fictional story of The Bodyguard nearly eclipsed Dolly Parton originally penning the song from human memory, for goodness sake.
As we countdown to the release of Michael, the long-awaited biopic of the King of Pop, Cineworld is bringing back some music icons for an extra special film season. From Rami Malek’s uncanny performance as Freddie Mercury, to Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. Here are our favourite performances from these music icons on film.
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The Kid performs “Purple Rain” in Purple Rain (1984) - 10th April
In Prince’s acting debut, he plays The Kid, and we’re not sure any other performance stands out quite as much as the titular song, “Purple Rain”. Taking place at the conclusion of the film, The Kid has been through a lot, wrestling with the trauma of his father’s abuse, the threat of his band and musical career falling apart, and the strain all of this has had on his romantic relationship.
He takes to the stage at First Avenue and belts out the emotional and powerful “Purple Rain”, giving an exposing and yet empowered rendition, deserving of a song that became Prince’s signature anthem in the 1980s.
Queen perform at Live Aid in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) - 11th April
The first true biopic on the list, the recreation of that iconic Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium had to be the choice here. Also coming at the conclusion of the film, Freddie Mercury’s performance is recreated shot-for-shot. It is eerily accurate and packs a punch as Freddie reunites with his band after internal conflicts, as well as handling his own health concerns behind the curtain.
The 20-minute film sequence manages to capture the entire set, weaving together a medley of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, “Hammer to Fall”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “We Will Rock You”, and “We Are the Champions”, as well as the “Ay Oh” moment that will go down in history, and many musical artists playing at Wembley Stadium have gone on to recreate ever since.
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Ally sings “I’ll Never Love Again” in the finale of A Star is Born (2018) - 12th April
Of course, “Shallow” was an incredible song to come out of the film, and significant in its own right, but we can’t not talk about “I’ll Never Love Again”, which Ally performs at the end of the film following some pretty hard to watch events. It sees the culmination of Ally and Jack’s relationship and the film’s handling of fame and alcoholism among other things.
It’s a heartbreaking moment, but good golly Lady Gaga performs the hell out “I’ll Never Love Again”. It makes an otherwise brutal ending at least a little cathartic. Bradley Cooper and Gaga were certainly a force to be reckoned with in A Star is Born.
The “Straight Outta Compton” breakthrough performance (2015) - 14th April
A lot of our choices take place right at the end of these films, but we can’t not talk about NWA’s breakout show in a LA club, performing the titular track to a crowded, rowdy audience. This follows the recording of their early material and tracks as one of the first times they performed candidly to a live audience.
“Straight Outta Compton” established who NWA were – unfiltered and ready to share their raw experience. As particular lyrics prove NWA won’t shy away, the scene sees as the crowd gets progressively more excited and into the music. It also establishes each member’s distinct voice.
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Rachel performs “I Will Always Love You” at the Academy Awards in The Bodyguard (1992) - 18th April
The Bodyguard’s soundtrack remains the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, and, as mentioned, most people would say “I Will Always Love You” was originally by Whitney Houston. Does a performance get more culturally significant than that?
In the fictional Academy Awards, Houston’s character, Rachel Marron, performs the song, speaking directly to her bodyguard as a way of saying goodbye. It offers an emotional climax to the push and pull love story. And, of course, Whitney Houston’s vocal performance is just astonishing. We want to leap to our feet and clap just thinking about it.
“Folsom Prison Blues” in Walk the Line (2005) - 19th April
Jaoquin Phoenix did a mighty fine job at capturing the husk of Johnny Cash’s raw musical talent, offering his own vocals for the role. And the musical performance that truly captures Cash’s essence has to be the performance of “Folsom Prison Blues” at the Folsom Prison.
Often branded as an outsider, Cash choosing to perform for prisoners shows his empathy for them and other rebels like them who have been marginalised by society.
The final rap battle in 8 Mile (2002) - 20th April
Eminem essentially plays himself in this part-fictionalised part-autobiographical tale of his own journey to becoming a big hip hop star. The performance in question sees his character, B-Rabbit, enter a rap battle. But before his opponent can rinse him for his flaws, B-Rabbit gets there first, leaving the other rapper with nothing to attack him with.
It showcases B-Rabbit’s ability to control the narrative and even assert dominance, while the choice to have Eminem involved in the film makes it feel incredibly authentic and almost documentary-like. And, with every good rap battle, expect it to be filled with tension.
Ray Charles sings "What'd I Say" in Ray (2004) - 23rd April
Ray Charles was certainly a talent, and he utilised his loyal audience to collaborate and create something beautiful. This is showcased in the biopic, titled just Ray, when he sings “What’d I Say” in which he not only blends multiple genres, creating a new sound that brings together gospel, R&B, and soul, but also improvises the song on stage through call-and-response with the Raelettes.
Jamie Foxx starred as Ray himself in the 2004 movie and captures his charisma – and don’t just take our word for it, he also went on to win the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Ray.
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