There is no shortage of enduring rock movies. Arguably, though, the greatest rock films tap into a distinct time and place, whether through revealing biopics, coming-of-age plots, documentaries, and beyond. Lately, we’ve been thinking about which ones still hold up, so we asked our readers to vote on the best rock movies of all time. They fired back with answers that made us completely nostalgic, ranging from decade-specific period pieces to road-trip comedies. These are the top picks, ranked accordingly below.
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5. Bohemian Rhapsody
Right out of the gate, Bohemian Rhapsody is a favorite among our readers. The biopic is bookended by Queen’s Live Aid performance in 1985 — a swaggering, titanic set that saw the band at the peak of their powers. From there, the film depicts the metamorphosis of Farrokh Bulsara into the flamboyant, larger-than-life Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek. It’s no easy feat to capture the magic of Queen, and arguably the greatest frontman of all time, but fans determined it deserved a place on this list.
4. Detroit Rock City
Detroit Rock City is an underappreciated ’70s period piece, just as potent as Dazed and Confused. Determined to make it to a KISS concert after their tickets get incinerated, four burnouts from Cleveland, Ohio will do whatever it takes — from stripping contests to beating the living shit out of each other. Rife with unforgettable characters (including Joe Flaherty and a young Natasha Lyonne), a hilarious, somewhat realistic plot, and a raucous soundtrack, the 1999 coming-of-age flick remains spot-on.
3. Spinal Tap
Revisiting This Is Spinal Tap will, undoubtedly, crank up your evening to 11. The 1984 mockumentary and cult film follows the fictional band Spinal Tap — “one of England’s loudest bands” — as they tour America to promote their new album, Smell The Glove. Safe to say, things don’t go well. Low ticket sales, controversial album art, and their inability to keep a drummer trail the band with no end in sight — until one of their tracks becomes a smash in Japan. Back in the real world, Spinal Tap were so popular that they toured following the film’s release and shared music under the name.
2. Almost Famous
Of course Almost Famous had to make this list. Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical story of teen journalist William Miller writing for Rolling Stone while on the road with Stillwater (a mix of the Allman Brothers, Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd) is pivotal for any fledging writer. The magazine, of course, has no idea how old he is, subjecting him to a haze of drugs, sex, and the life-changing power of a rock show. More than 20 years later, the film still evokes such a powerful sense of time and place that its characters — Penny Lane, Stillwater, Doris — feel real.
1. School of Rock
Clearly, our readers love School of Rock. Led by Jack Black, who recruits a group of prep school students for a battle of the bands after getting thrown out of his old group, the 2003 comedy is destined to remain a classic. From ultra-strict principal Rosalie Mullins (Joan Cusack) drunkenly singing Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” to Zeppelin jam-outs after securing a place in the competition (and hearing about Black’s plea to get the rights), it all leads up to an epic show. We’re still waiting for the sequel.
