Highest-grossing music biopic

The most successful movie to feature the real-life story of a musician or band is Bohemian Rhapsody (UK/USA, 2018), which grossed $773,633,838 (£601,384,000) at the worldwide box office as of 17 January 2019, according to The-Numbers.com. The movie recounts the life of the British rock band Queen and its charismatic front man Freddie Mercury (b. Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, now Tanzania, 1946–91), played by American actor Rami Malek.

The movie traces the meteoric rise of Queen through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music.

The top 10 highest-grossing music biopics at the worldwide box office are:

1. Bohemian Rhapsody (UK/USA, 2018) – Queen/Freddie Mercury – £773,633,838
2. Straight Outta Compton (USA, 2014) – N.W.A. – £202,182,981
3. Walk the Line (USA, 2005) – Johnny Cash – £187,707,495
4. Ray (USA, 2004) – Ray Charles – £124,823,094
5. La Môme (France, 2007) – Edith Piaf – £88,611,837
6. I Can Only Imagine (USA, 2018) – Bart Millard/"I Can Only Imagine" – $85,447,569
7. Coal Miner's Daughter (USA, 1980) – Loretta Lynn – £67,182,787
8. Jersey Boys (USA, 2014) – Jersey Boys – £65,282,732
9. Florence Foster Jenkins (USA, 2016) – Florence Foster Jenkins – £56,000,339
10. All Eyez on Me (USA, 2017) – Tupac Shakur – £54,876,855