Seven Music-Inspired Films That Get it Right

A scene from the new film ‘London Town’ premiered Monday on Billboard.com, giving movie goers and British punk fans their first taste of the semi-biopic starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as The Clash’s Joe Strummer.

While not a true biopic, the film centers around a boy (Shay) and his punk rock love interest growing up in late 1970s London with Strummer as a supporting character rather than leading the cast in a story about the man himself, the film looks to be a fairly accurate portrayal of the London punk scene. Meyers does a good job of filling the legendary frontman’s shoes, not overplaying the part too much. The film’s soundtrack also represents the time well, not only featuring Meyers handily singing Clash classics, but also including tracks from across the British punk and reggae scenes.

Here at Vinyl Bay 777, we love rock and roll films, particularly ones that get the time period right. Here are our seven choices for some of the best rock period pieces.

1.       ‘Almost Famous’: A classic by any means, ‘Almost Famous’ follows a young music journalist shadowing a touring rock band in the 1970s.  On the surface, the film is full of rock and roll stereotypes, namely drugs and groupies, but the attire and music are pretty accurate.

2.       ‘The Pianist’: ‘The Pianist’ is a bit different than the other films on this list, as it is about the time period more than it is about the music. A fantastic and moving film about a Jewish pianist in Warsaw, Poland in 1939, at the height of the Nazi invasion. Though constantly on the run or in hiding, Adrien Brody’s character continues to play where he can, including for Nazis who hide him because of his talents. It’s not a rock film, but it’s definitely worth watching.

3.       ‘8 Mile’: Eminem’s semi-autobiographical film depicting an up-and-coming white rapper in Detroit and his struggles to make a life for himself and his family, ‘8 Mile’ is a gritty depiction of what it takes to get to the top. It’s written by the person who lived it, an artist that doesn’t usually sugarcoat what he is saying, so one can assume it is a pretty accurate portrayal of the time.

4.       ‘Sid and Nancy’: There is no doubt that Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen were the classic punk rock couple. Their relationship and demise were the stuff of legend and this film tries to accurately represent that, even if there are still questions as to what happened between the time Spungen was murdered and Sid Vicious overdosed. What is depicted well is the couple’s rocky relationship and penchant for heroin.

5.       ‘Rock and Roll High School’: Sure, this film stars the Ramones, who’s music it is based off in the first place, but it also maintains a certain all-encompassing grasp on the music of the time as well. Other artists whose music appears in the film include Brian Eno, Alice Cooper, The Velvet Underground, the MC5, Todd Rundgren , Fleetwood Mac and more. It encapsulates a particular time in music, wrapped in the guise of a messed up punk teen fantasy.

6.       ‘American Hardcore’: More a documentary of the 1980s hardcore scene than anything else, ‘American Hardcore’ shines a light on a genre that perhaps gets overshadowed by punk in the mainstream alternative music lexicon. The approach taken is thorough, using interviews with the actual bands, as well as a soundtrack highlighting the actual music of the scene. It’s highly effective at what it does.

7.       ‘Straight Outta Compton’: Like ‘8 Mile,’ ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was written by the people who actually lived it. Unlike ‘8 Mile,’ this film depicts the actual band members and their struggle to be heard, their rise to fame and ultimate demise. What this film also did well was the time period. The film included major events, such as the LA riots and the beating of Rodney King, which were pivotal in the creation of many of NWA’s biggest hits.

What makes a good music film is accurately depicting the time period that it represents. These seven choices do exactly that, mixing an excellent and accurate story with excellent music, bringing the film to another level.

Music from many of the artists depicted in these films can be found at Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com. With thousands of titles and more added all the time, let us help you find the soundtrack to your life.