10. 'The Commitments' (1991)
Director Alan Parker’s cult film set in Dublin, Ireland, follows an aspiring band manager who assembles a group of working class locals to form a soul band named The Commitments. Starring 'Once’s' Glen Hansard as a young musician, the hilarious comedy features an amazing collection of live performances, including 'Mustang Sally', 'The Dark End of the Street' and 'Try a Little Tenderness'.
9. 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' (2007)
Co-written by Judd Apatow and directed by Jake Kasdan, 'Walk Hard' is a parody of the music biopic genre that openly mocks the film 'Walk the Line' (2005), but John C. Reilly has the singing and guitar-playing chops to play a convincing rock star, and received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. On his way to becoming a musical legend, Cox bumps into a long list of real-life stars, including Jackson Browne, Eddie Vedder, The Temptations, and Jack White as Elvis Presley.
8. 'Crazy Heart' (2009)
This drama written and directed by Scott Cooper stars Jeff Bridges as a down-and-out country music singer and Colin Farrell as a popular country music star. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name, 'Crazy Heart' features musical performances by Bridges and Farrell and original music composed by T Bone Burnett.
7. 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World' (2010)
This comedy from 'Hot Fuzz' (2007) director Edgar Wright is based on the graphic novel series 'Scott Pilgrim' and stars Michael Cera as the titular teenage musician, who must defeat his new girlfriend’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart. Cera’s band Sex Bob-omb plays original music written and composed by Beck.
6. 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (2013)
Only Jim Jarmusch could make vampires cool again, casting Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as time-weary lovers Adam and Eve in 'Only Lovers Left Alive'. Adam is a musician who has tucked himself away in a crumbling corner of Detroit, making haunting underground rock music, that was actually penned by Jarmusch and his band, SQÜRL. The film also features two live performances, one by White Hills, who coincidentally have a song called 'Let the Right One In', as well as a beautiful performance by Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan.
5. 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013)
The Coen Brothers’ musical comedy-drama follows a week in the life of folk singer Llewn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac, a character whose musical repertoire inlcudes a number of songs by the real-life Greenwich Village folk fixture Dave Van Ronk. T Bone Burnett and Mumford & Sons’ Marcus Mumford produced the music for the film, which stars Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Adam Driver, all of whom turn in musical performances in the movie.
4. 'Frank' (2014)
This musical comedy drama from Lenny Abrahamson centers on an enigmatic band leader named Frank, played by Michael Fassbender, who wears a paper mask over his head at all times. He is joined by Jon, performed by Domhnall Gleeson, an aspiring musician who is invited to become a full-time member of Frank’s band and follows them to a remote area of Ireland to record their first album.
3. 'Ricki and the Flash' (2015)
The last film from director Jonathan Demme, this comedy-drama stars Meryl Streep as a woman who left her family to pursue a music career and returns years later to try to make amends. Rick Springfield co-stars as a guitar player in Ricki’s band, which never made it big and plays a regular gig at a small bar.
2. 'Green Room' (2015)
Before turning into a full-fledged horror film, Jeremy Saulnier’s 'Green Room' serves as showcase for a punk rock band that is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder in skinhead bar. The movie stars the late Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat and Imogen Poots.
1. 'Sing Street' (2016)
This musical coming-of-age film directed by John Carney is set in inner-city Dublin in 1985, where a young boy named Conor, played by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, starts a band to impress a girl he likes. The film features original music as well as several songs from bands like The Cure, A-ha, Duran Duran, The Clash and Hall & Oates.