Music Biopics: 'Michael' Soars to #3, But Can It Top 'Bohemian Rhapsody'?

A comprehensive look at the highest-grossing music biopics of all time, spurred by the successful opening of 'Michael', the Michael Jackson biopic. How will it stack up against giants like 'Bohemian Rhapsody'?

The Michael Jackson film Michael has already grossed $217.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, according to boxofficemojo.com. That places it at No. 3 on Billboard’s list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses. But how high will it climb?

Jackson has a long history of ranking No. 1, dating back to The Jackson 5 landing their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Want You Back” in 1970. The all-time top-grossing music biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, grossed $910.8 million worldwide, making it a tough act to follow.

Michael grossed $97 million over the weekend in the U.S. and Canada alone, eclipsing the mark set by Straight Outta Compton in 2015 ($60 million).

Notably, Graham King, who co-produced Michael with longtime Jackson associates John Branca and John McClain, also co-produced Bohemian Rhapsody and Jersey Boys.

Here's a look at the top 25 highest-grossing biopics of music stars worldwide:

Selena (1997)
- Worldwide gross: $35.8 million
- Director: Gregory Nava
- Music: Dave Grusin
- Notes: Jennifer Lopez starred as Tejano music star Selena, who rose from cult status to performing at the Houston Astrodome. The film includes her shocking murder at age 23. The soundtrack reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Shine (1996)
- Worldwide gross: $36 million
- Director: Scott Hicks
- Music: David Hirschfelder
- Notes: Geoffrey Rush won an Oscar for playing pianist David Helfgott. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture. The soundtrack reached No. 59 on the Billboard 200.
Funny Lady (1975)
- Worldwide gross: $39 million
- Director: Herbert Ross
- Music: John Kander, Fred Ebb, Peter Matz
- Notes: Barbra Streisand reprised her Oscar-winning role as Fanny Brice. The film spawned an Oscar-nominated song, “How Lucky Can You Get.” The film soundtrack reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993)
WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT
- Worldwide gross: $39.1 million
- Director: Brian Gibson
- Music: Stanley Clarke
- Notes: Angela Bassett received an Oscar nomination for playing Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne received an Oscar nod for playing her abusive husband Ike Turner. The film drew its title from Turner’s biggest hit. The film soundtrack reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a top 10 hit on the Hot 100, “I Don’t Wanna Fight.”
Notorious (2009)
- Worldwide gross: $44.4 million
- Director: George Tillman Jr.
- Music: Danny Elfman
- Notes: Jamal Woolard starred as Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.). Angela Bassett, Derek Luke and Anthony Mackie also starred in the film. The soundtrack reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
- Worldwide gross: $45.2 million
- Director: Scott Cooper
- Music: Jeremiah Fraites
- Notes: Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen. The film received mixed reviews from critics, though the performances of White and Strong received praise. The music was supervised by Fraites, co-founder of The Lumineers.
Judy (2019)
- Worldwide gross: $46 million
- Director: Rupert Goold
- Music: Gabriel Yared
- Notes: Renée Zellweger won an Oscar for best actress for playing Judy Garland. The film focuses on the last year of her life, when she arrived in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.
Funny Girl (1968)
- Worldwide gross: $52.2 million
- Director: William Wyler
- Music: Jule Styne, Bob Merrill
- Notes: Barbra Streisand won an Oscar for her motion picture debut in which she played Fanny Brice. “My Man” and “I’d Rather Be Blue,” both featured in Funny Girl, were hits for Brice in the 1920s. The film soundtrack reached No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and spent more than two years on the chart.
Amadeus (1984)
- Worldwide gross: $52.3 million
- Director: Miloš Forman
- Notes: Tom Hulce received an Oscar nomination for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The film received 11 Oscar nominations and won eight awards, including best picture and best director for Miloš Forman. The double-disc soundtrack reached No. 56 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy for best classical album.
La Bamba (1987)
LA BAMBA
- Worldwide gross: $54.2 million
- Director: Luis Valdez
- Music: Carlos Santana, Miles Goodman
- Notes: Lou Diamond Phillips starred as Ritchie Valens. The film is titled after a Mexican folk song, which Valens completely transformed. The film soundtrack, credited to Los Lobos, topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks in 1987. Los Lobos’ recording of “La Bamba” topped the Hot 100 for three weeks.
All Eyez on Me (2017)
- Worldwide gross: $55.7 million
- Director: Benny Boom
- Music: John Paesano
- Notes: Demetrius Shipp Jr. starred as Tupac Shakur. The film drew its title from 2Pac’s 1996 double-disc album, his second to top the Billboard 200.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022)
- Worldwide gross: $59.8 million
- Director: Kasi Lemmons
- Music: Chanda Dancy
- Notes: Naomi Ackie starred in this film about Whitney Houston. Stanley Tucci co-starred as Clive Davis. The film is titled after Houston’s 1987 single that topped Billboard’s 2023 list of The 500 Best Pop Songs.

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
- Worldwide gross: $67.2 million
- Director: Michael Apted
- Music: Owen Bradley
- Notes: Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for best actress for playing country queen Loretta Lynn. The film received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture. The soundtrack reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200.
Jersey Boys (2014)
- Worldwide gross: $67.6 million
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Music: Bob Gaudio
- Notes: Clint Eastwood directed and co-produced this film adaptation of the blockbuster stage musical about The Four Seasons. The film didn’t get nearly as much awards love as the stage musical did. The soundtrack reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200.
I Can Only Imagine (2018)
- Worldwide gross: $86.1 million
- Directors: Andrew & Jon Erwin
- Music: Brent McCorkle
- Notes: Michael Finley starred as Bart Millard, the lead singer of the contemporary Christian band MercyMe. Millard wrote the title song. At the 2018 Dove Awards, the film won inspirational film of the year.
La Vie En Rose (2019)
- Worldwide gross: $87.5 million
- Director: Olivier Dahan
- Music: Christopher Gunning
- Notes: Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role as Édith Piaf. The song reached No. 23 on Billboard’s pre-Hot 100 pop chart in 1950.
Ray (2004)
- Worldwide gross: $124 million
- Director: Taylor Hackford
- Music: Craig Armstrong
- Notes: Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for best actor for playing Ray Charles. The film received six Oscar nominations, including best picture. The soundtrack reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy.
A Complete Unknown (2024)
- Worldwide gross: $140.5 million
- Director: James Mangold
- Music: Nick Baxter, executive music producer
- Notes: Timothée Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan. James Mangold, who directed the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, also directed here. The title is drawn from a key line in Dylan’s 1965 classic “Like a Rolling Stone.”
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
- Worldwide gross: $181 million
- Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
- Music: Kris Bowers
- Notes: This film was based on the life of reggae legend Bob Marley. The film starred Kingsley Ben-Adir as Marley, with Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita Marley and James Norton as Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.
Walk the Line (2005)
- Worldwide gross: $186.8 million
- Director: James Mangold
- Music: T Bone Burnett
- Notes: Joaquin Phoenix received an Oscar nomination for best actor for playing Johnny Cash, while Reese Witherspoon won best actress for playing his wife, June Carter Cash. The film received five Oscar nominations. The soundtrack reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy.
Rocketman (2019)
ROCKETMAN
- Worldwide gross: $195.3 million
- Director: Dexter Fletcher
- Music: Matthew Margeson
- Notes: Taron Egerton won raves for his performance as Elton John, with Jamie Bell playing his collaborator, Bernie Taupin. But the actors were passed over for Oscar nods, while the real thing, Elton and Bernie, won Oscars for best original song for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.” The film drew its title from John’s 1972 hit. The soundtrack reached No. 50 on the Billboard 200.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
- Worldwide gross: $201.6 million
- Director: F. Gary Gray
- Music: Joseph Trapanese
- Notes: Ice Cube was played by his real-life son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., in this N.W.A biopic, which also starred Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella and Aldis Hodge as MC Ren. The members of N.W.A were involved in the production of the film, including Ice Cube and Dr. Dre as producers. The film drew its title from N.W.A’s debut album.
Michael (2026)
- Worldwide gross: $217.3 million (to date)
- Director: Antoine Fuqua
- Music: Lior Rosner
- Notes: Michael focuses on Michael Jackson's rise to fame. Jackson is portrayed as a child by Juliano Krue Valdi and as an adult by his nephew Jaafar Jackson. The film has received mixed to negative reviews.
Elvis (2022)
- Worldwide gross: $288.7 million
- Director: Baz Luhrmann
- Music: Elliott Wheeler
- Notes: Elvis was Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of Elvis Presley. The film also explored his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. The soundtrack reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- Worldwide gross: $910.8 million
- Director: Brian Singer
- Music: Queen
- Notes: Rami Malek won an Oscar for playing Queen’s Freddie Mercury. The film also starred Gwilym Lee as guitarist Brian May, Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor and Joe Mazzello as bassist John Deacon. The film drew its title from Queen’s most famous song. The Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

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Music Biopics: 'Michael' Soars to #3, But Can It Top 'Bohemian Rhapsody'?

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