In the wake of the shocking but not too surprising death recently of the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson there will undoubtedly be a biopic(s) of the troubled star’s life hot-shotted into production. 

(There has already been one rather creepy biopic on MJ made starring Flex Alex-fucking-ander – yes, the guy from Snakes on a Plane)

In light of this inevitable movie, here at OWF we decided to compile a list of the Top 10 music biopics we’re actually looking forward to seeing.

Some of these artists have been the subject of long-rumoured projects that have not yet escaped development hell, while some of the others are just artists whose stories I think would make a pretty fucking awesome biopic.

Music divides opinion even more than cinema does so no doubt there will be many contentious points on my list, regardless, click to “read more” because after the jump we have the Top 10 Music Biopics Waiting to be Made…

“Civil War”

 

#10

Guns N’ Roses

 

Often referred to as “the most dangerous band in the world” Guns N’ Roses’ ascension to the position of rock royalty and their subsequent implosion has been well documented, both on paper and by the media – but never on film.

Guns N’ Roses, and in particular front man and co-founder Axl Rose, have been no stranger to controversy from their very inception. The excesses of the likes of Slash and Steven Adler are legendary and confrontations with other bands, fans and each other became commonplace.

In recent years, due to the ever-changing line-up and the most long-awaited and disappointing album in history, the Guns N’ Roses name and Axl Rose especially have become somewhat of a joke, but at the height of their success the band lit a rocket underneath the fledgling LA metal scene and are responsible for some of the greatest rock songs of all time.

Knowing Axl Rose, the chances of a Guns N’ Roses film ever making it to the big screen during his lifetime are probably less than zero but if we ever got to see the Guns N’ Roses of the late 80s-early 90s immortalised on celluloid it could be one of the most hard-hitting and controversial biopics ever.

“Straight Outta Compton”

 

#9

N.W.A.

 

While Guns N’ Roses moniker of “the world’s most dangerous group” was more an exaggerated media creation, N.W.A. literally encompassed that phrase.

The group were the pioneers of gangsta rap and their influence is far-reaching – without N.W.A. we may not have had an Eminem but I suppose on the plus side we may not have been subjected to Ice Cube’s film career.

Their story is again one that is fuelled by controversy – brushes with the law, violence, death and the usual bouts of infighting. Unlike Guns N’ Roses though, there is a very good chance we may see an N.W.A. biopic sooner rather than later.

In the wake of the moderate success of Notorious, studios went scurrying to find another rap story to tell and if rumours are to be believed, then N.W.A. could very well be that story.

“My Shit’s Fucked Up”

 

#8

Warren Zevon

 

Probably the most surprising choice on the list, but hey – I’m unashamedly biased.

Warren Zevon has the sort of cult appeal that could translate into a very unique biopic. Although not as internationally renowned as the other artists on this list, Zevon was very much a musician’s musician, with his work being praised by everyone from Springsteen to Dylan.

I envisage a Zevon biopic being shot in a more indie style as opposed to a big budget Hollywood production – which basically runs parallel to the man himself and his body of work.

Zevon’s biting sarcasm and warped view of the world could almost make this a comedy, but his story is one that also has its share of darkness and tragedy.

Zevon’s influence on other artists and in popular culture is one that is overlooked by many and I would love for a biopic of this brilliant artist to expose a new generation of fans to his wonderfully colourful career.

His ex-wife’s book I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon gives an unflinching look at Zevon’s highs and lows and would be an excellent starting point to adapt into a screenplay…

…I’ll get back to being impartial, for now.

“Buffalo Soldier”

 

#7

Bob Marley

 

Bob Marley was the man who brought reggae to the mainstream, and like many celebrated artists died young – which only added to his legend.

Still to this day Marley remains the most renowned performer of reggae music and is the most famous son of the Rastafarian religious movement. The effect his songs have had on people has helped cement him as one of the most iconic musicians of all time. Posthumously, he has been inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and received Grammies, he has also continued to sell boatloads of records and is one of the most successful posthumous artists.

An adaptation of the book No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley by Marley’s widow Rita Marley is rumoured to be in development by those fine purveyors of biopics The Weinstein Company and Martin Scorcese had been involved with a documentary on the life of Bob Marley; so sooner or later it seems inevitable that we will see, in some form, a cinematic exploration of the life of Jamaica’s most famous export since weed.

Marley’s life is fascinating enough, yet relatively unexposed to the masses to be a very successful biopic I imagine, so in terms of the above “sooner or later” comment I would venture that former is the most likely, but I don’t envy the man charged with the task of bringing the Buffalo Soldier to the big screen because they are some truly big shoes to fill.

“Kickstart My Heart”

 

#6

Motley Crue

 

I wrote an article a while back that didn’t make it onto the site on why this movie should categorically not happen. I was fresh from reading the book though and rather biased and impassioned in my logic and reasoning – with that thought process having now cooled rather drastically – I believe that done right this movie could be a triumph… that said, done wrong it could be a train wreck.

It could turn millions on to Motley Crue’s music and onto one of the greatest reads I’ve ever had. The Dirt is a warts and all account of the highs and many devastating lows of one of the most anarchic, self-destructive rock bands of all time. 80’s hair metal is now considered a joke and thought of as soft but Motley Crue are the complete antithesis of soft. The Crue’s sex, drugs and alcohol-fuelled antics are the stuff of legend and how all four members are still with us today I don’t know.

After the success of The Dirt, the inevitable rumblings of a film adaptation began, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm veteran Larry David was rumoured to be involved at one point. If Charles or whoever ends up being tasked with bringing The Dirt to the big screen can somehow harness the unputdownable (yes, I know that’s not a word) nature of the book onto film then we could have something very special on our hands.

“I Wanna Be Sedated”

 

#5

Ramones

 

Another long-rumoured biopic, The Ramones were at the forefront of bringing punk music from the underground to the masses. Their blistering sets at the likes of New York’s CBGB became renowned and helped usher in a wave of US punk rock acts, taking the music from the dirty clubs to the mainstream.

The Ramones’ story, like every great rock n’ roll tale, is tempered with as much ill-fortune as good – with all three founding members now resting in peace. Drink, drugs, death and in-fighting seems to be the recipe for most of the acts populating this list, and The Ramones are no exception.

Touring pretty much consistently for three decades until they disbanded in 1996 obviously took a great toll on The Ramones’ bodies and minds and their incredible story has been long-touted as a future big screen biopic.

The band were the subject of a 2004 documentary, the release of which almost coincided exactly with the death of Johnny, and the band themselves appeared in the 1979 comedy Rock N’ Roll High School – which, incidentally has a pat-wettingly good soundtrack.

Given the trend of recent years to wear Ramones t-shirts – even people who’ve never heard a track, now seems like the perfect time to bring the story of a band that spent so much time underground very much above ground and right into your local multiplex.

“Give Peace a Chance”

 

#4

John Lennon

 

As you will soon see, perhaps blasphemously, I’ll take the Stones over The Beatles any day, but even a heretic like me would love to see John Lennon’s story on the big screen.

In a similar vein to Kurt Cobain (the reason the Nirvana front man didn’t make this list is because at the moment, any Cobain biopic would have an unhealthy dose of Courtney Love – and no one wants to see her grubby fingerprints all over it) Lennon’s story would no doubt be heavily Yoko influenced – but love her or hate her she was a big part of Lennon’s most fascinating times.

Although Lennon was very outspoken and may have come across egocentric, he had a wicked sense of humour and is responsible for one of my favourite one-liners ever: when asked in an interview “Is Ringo Starr the best drummer in the world?” Lennon quipped “He’s not even the best drummer in The Beatles!”

It only seems a matter of time before John Lennon is given the biopic treatment, especially given that biopic pimps The Weinstein Company snatched up the rights to Nowhere Boy a while back. Nowhere Boy focuses on Lennon’s childhood and formative years and has been slated for release as early as next year.

Personally, I’d rather see a biopic chronicling latter day Lennon and given the current Hollywood penchant for retelling stories I may get my preference, again, sooner rather than later.

“Play with Fire”

 

#3

Rolling Stones

 

Specifically, Brian Jones era Rolling Stones.

As I stated previously, in the age-old argument that makes the chicken and the egg seem like a no-brainer, I’m firmly in the Rolling Stones camp rather than that of The Beatles.

As a huge Stones fan, I would love to see the early years of this legendary band brought to life on the big screen. Given their unprecedented continued success, I feel that a Stones biopic would draw huge at the box office and give the whole world a taste of the greatest rock n’ roll band of all time’s beginnings.

Brian Jones went on more of a journey than any of the other band members at the height of their early success – the band’s founder, who also acted as their manager in the early days, began to slowly become estranged from his bandmates in the years leading to his eventual departure from the band and subsequent death.

Jagger & Richards in particular became exasperated with Jones’ heavy drug use and alcohol abuse and it was widely thought that it was only a matter of time before he lost it completely. By the time the decision was made to officially remove him from the band, Jones had reportedly become a shadow of his former self and was virtually unable to make coherent music.

Not much more than a month after his departure from the band, Brain Jones was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool – the first member of the infamous ‘27 Club’ (Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison would all be dead at the same age within two years).

Brian Jones is the sort of tortured soul whose story comes from a time that could be captured in such psychedelic and vibrant colours on the big screen – think Oliver Stone’s The Doors… but better.

And just imagine how awesome that soundtrack would be!

“I Don’t Live Today”

 

#2

Jimi Hendrix

 

The second member of the morbid ‘27 Club’, Jimi Hendrix, one of the most influential guitar players of all time, died in 1970 by asphyxiation on his own vomit – it was a sad end to the life of a man who I, along with quite a few others, would consider the greatest rock n’ roll guitarist of all time.

Hendrix made the electric guitar into almost as big of a star as he made himself, and pioneered the use of amp feedback and the wah pedal in his shows. Hendrix was charismatic & flamboyant and his live shows are the stuff of legend – he would smash and burn his guitars at the end of shows.

Conspiracy theories abound over Hendrix’s death, but thankfully they haven’t overshadowed the legacy he left behind. His rise to fame would be a fascinating topic for a big screen biopic – from his early musical beginnings in 1962 right through to his last performance in 1970 in Soho.

As you can imagine, a biopic has been long-touted – with Quentin Tarantino rumoured to be attached at one point, with everyone from Laurence Fishburne to Andre 3000 via Lenny Kravitz supposedly playing Hendrix. It should and will happen eventually, so let’s just hope they cast someone worthy of picking up that legendary Fender Stratocaster.

“Viva Las Vegas”

 

#1

Elvis Presley

 

I find it astonishing that the man who – if Michael Jackson was the ‘King of Pop’ – must have been the ‘God of Pop’ has yet to be the subject of a biopic.

Amazingly though, Elvis Aaron Presley has yet to be portrayed on the big screen, well at least in a story of his life sense. There have been plenty of apparition, vision, impersonator, fake, fraud and charlatan Elvises (or should that be Elvi?) on the big screen – some good (True Romance), some bad (3000 Miles to Graceland) and some out and out weird (Bubba Ho-Tep) – the man himself even turned his hand to acting on numerous occasions, but we are still waiting for that definitive Elvis biopic.

Elvis practically invented pop music and the scores of tributes and impersonators that still attract a crowd show that the big man’s influence and reach shows no signs of dying out just yet.

Done right, an Elvis biopic could quite simply be the biggest movie of all time – think Ray and Walk the Line but multiplied by about a thousand. Obviously to cover the man’s life in full would take a Sergio Leone director’s cut length movie, leaving the only real viable options as some sort of multiple movie deal a la Che, or to focus on one particular period.

Everyone knows the Elvis at the height of his success, but what about his more mysterious latter days or his journey from small town Mississippi to billion album selling megastar.

John Lennon once said “Before Elvis, there was nothing” and one thing is for sure: love him or hate him, it can’t be denied that Elvis Presley is the most talked about and influential artist of the past fifty years (run closely by that Jackson fella).

There have been countless attempts at Elvis TV movies, yet we are still to see a major motion picture – maybe the subject matter is seen as too challenging for many studios – there would inevitably be a backlash even if the finished reel was frame perfect. Hopefully though, the long rumoured big screen Elvis epic will eventually see the light of day and it will be a fitting tribute to the man that many just call ‘The King’.

What do you think of this list…?

Am I right, wrong or completely fucking mad…!?

Comment and let us know, but please – be gentle…