The Best Movies Ever That Perfectly Capture the Power of Music

[1] 30. Hustle & Flow

[2] 29. A Mighty Wind

[3] 28. I'm Not There

[4] 27. Ray

[5] 26. Sid & Nancy

[6] 25. Inside Llewyn Davis

[7] 24. Baby Driver

[8] 23. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

[9] 22. Rocketman

[10] 21. Mr. Holland's Opus

[11] 20. Frank

[12] 19. Once

[13] 18. Coco

[14] 17. The Music Man

[15] 16. That Thing You Do!

[16] 15. Love & Mercy

Music is an integral part of cinema – be it film scores, original songs and curated soundtracks – but there are some movies that take its importance to the next level.

History is full of incredible features about the power of music, including stories about artists and fans alike, and we've put this list together to highlight the best of the best.

From biopics about both fake and real musicians to stories about teachers, record store owners and life after death, the field of movies about music is wide, but they provide us with amazing insight and powerful messages about one of the great artforms.

30. Hustle & Flow

Winning an Oscar for its song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," which was written by underground legends Three 6 Mafia, and starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard before Empire, Hustle & Flow, as its title implies, is all about the hustle. Howard plays a pimp-cum-rapper who wants to leave his life of crime behind and get on the mic, while Henson plays one of his prostitutes who just so happens to kill it on hooks. They make beautiful music together, and everything seems to be going their way until drama just stomps right over all of their plans. Come for the story, stay for the amazing soundtrack.

29. A Mighty Wind

Christopher Guest may be one of the best mockumentary filmmakers to ever do it, but he's proven himself to be pretty good at music, too. A Mighty Wind tells the story of several folk musicians coming together to honor the memory of a famed music producer after his children organize a first-of-its-kind concert. This 2003 movie works even if you've never given folk music a second thought. In fact, it may be better that way, as it pairs Guest's signature witty one-liners, a familiar cast of eccentric characters, and a truly charming soundtrack of songs like "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" (which was Oscar-nominated) and "A Mighty Wind" (which won a Grammy).

28. I'm Not There

Bob Dylan's story cannot be summed up into one traditional dramatization — something director Todd Haynes and co-writer Oren Moverman understood. Thus, they took inspiration from the many personas the folk singer adopted at various stages of his career and went in their own direction. The result is an anthology of bold, bizarre tales each led by a different member of the star-studded cast, including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, and Heath Ledger. Walking into I'm Not There with only a basic knowledge of Dylan's legacy might leave one bewildered, but even in that regard, the film triumphs as a beautiful and audacious tribute to one of music's most beautiful and audacious innovators.

27. Ray

Overcoming adversity for the color of his skin and his inability to see, Ray Charles became a pioneer of soul, inspiring millions of musicians and a feature film about his life that is, admittedly, not much different than most music biopics. However, director Taylor Hackford's Ray is still a standout for the genre, in particular for the breathtaking, Academy Award-winning lead performance by Jamie Foxx, whose own real musical talents certainly came in handy when portraying the singer and pianist. Charles passed before he could see this dramatization of his life in its completion, but few doubt that it would have made him proud.

26. Sid & Nancy

Much like the doomed couple on which it is based, Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy is an explosive, abrasive, drug-fueled exploration of one of punk rock's earliest icons and the woman to which he will be forever tied. Starring Gary Oldman as Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and Chloe Webb as his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, this 1986 cult classic accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time. From diving into the unprecedented success of the Sex Pistols and the band's disastrous and infamous American tour that was plagued by violence, to the tumultuous relationship that played out