 | Almost Famous |
| September 2000 |
| Rated R for language, drug content and brief nudity. |
| 122 min |
| "Experience it. Enjoy it. Just don't fall for it. " |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88% |
|
 | That Thing You Do |
| October 1996 |
| Rated PG for some language |
| 108 min |
| "In every life there comes a time when that dream you dream becomes that thing you do." |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% |
|
 | This Is Spinal Tap |
| March 1984 |
| Some explicit innuendo, often in the form of lyrics, fairly strong profanity throughout. |
| 82 min |
| Does for rock and roll what "The Sound of Music" did for hills |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% |
|
 | A Hard Day's Night |
| August 1964 |
| Not rated. Suggestive language. |
| 87 min |
| The Beatles starring in their first full-length, hilarious action-packed film ! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | Purple Rain |
| July 1984 |
| Not rated, sexually suggestive |
| 111 min |
| 1984 musical film starring Prince. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75% |
|
 | School of Rock |
| October 2003 |
| Rated PG-13 for some rude humor and drug references. |
| 108 min |
| "We shall teach Rock & Roll to the world!" |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% |
|
 | Detroit Rock City |
| August 1999 |
| Rated R for strong language, drug use and sex-related content. |
| 95 min |
| Kiss The Rules Goodbye. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50% |
|
 | Taking Woodstock |
| August 2009 |
| Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language. |
| 110 min |
| "A Generation Began In His Backyard." |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 52% |
|
 | The Rocker |
| August 2008 |
| Rated PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language. |
| 102 min |
| "A comedy for the rockstar in all of us." |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 39% |
|
 | Great Balls of Fire |
| June 1989 |
| Not rated. |
| 108 min |
| Jerry Lee Lewis: He Rocked The Nation... And Shocked The World. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65% |
|
 | Rock Star |
| September 2001 |
| Rated R for language, sexuality and some drug content. |
| 105 min |
| "The story of a wanna be who got to be." |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 52% |
|
 | Rock Around the Clock |
| March 1956 |
| Not rated. |
| 77 min |
| The Music.The Dancing. Rock'n'Roll at its Beginning. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: Not rated |
|
 | Yellow Submarine |
| November 1968 |
| Not rated. |
| 90 min |
| The forces of good! The forces of evil! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% |
|
 | Jailhouse Rock |
| November 1957 |
| Not rated, violent fistfight scene. |
| 96 min |
| MGM Presents ELVIS PRESLEY at his greatest. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79% |
|
 | The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle |
| March 1981 |
| Not rated. |
| 103 min |
| The staggering story of the group who wrung the neck of rock 'n' roll. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked) |
| November 2009 |
| Rated R for language, and some sexual content including brief nudity. |
| 135 min |
| 1 Boat. 8 DJs. No Morals. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54% |
|
 | Saturday Night Fever |
| December 1977 |
| Rated R for strong language, sexuality/nudity and some drug content. (2002 version) |
| 118 min |
| Where do you go when the record is over... |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89% |
|
 | The Blues Brothers |
| June 1980 |
| About 25 f-words. Some uses of s**t. Many hells and damns. |
| 133 min |
| They'll never get caught. They're on a mission from God. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84% |
|
 | 24 Hour Party People |
| April 2002 |
| Rated R for strong language, drug use and sexuality. |
| 117 min |
| The unbelievably true story of one man, one movement, the music and madness that was Manchester. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85% |
|
 | Sid and Nancy |
| November 1986 |
| Includes sex, stabbings, profanity and drugs |
| 112 min |
| Love kills. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90% |
|
 | End of the Century |
| June 2003 |
| Not rated |
| 110 min |
| The story of the punk rock band The Ramones. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95% |
|
 | No Direction Home: Bob Dylan |
| July 2005 |
| Not rated, some profanity |
| 208 min |
| A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% |
|
 | Runnin' Down A Dream |
| June 2007 |
| Not rated |
| 239 min |
| Documentary about Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | Metallica: Some Kind of Monster |
| July 2004 |
| Profanity and brief nudity |
| 141 min |
| The film that redefines group therapy. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87% |
|
 | Bob Dylan Don't Look Back |
| February 1968 |
| Not rated |
| 96 min |
| Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | Gimme Shelter |
| December 1970 |
| Brief nudity, language, violence, The film is very disturbing on many levels especially to someone who has been in an out-of-control crowd before. |
| 91 min |
| The music that thrilled the world ... and the killing that stunned it! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | The Kids Are Alright |
| December 1979 |
| Not rated |
| 101 min |
| Seeing is believing! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | I Am Trying to Break Your Heart |
| June 2002 |
| Not rated |
| 92 min |
| First-time filmmaker and award-winning photographer Sam Jones documents the recording of Wilco's album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88% |
|
 | Dig! |
| April 2005 |
| Rated R for language and drug use. |
| 107 min |
| A documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90% |
 | U2 3D |
| February 2008 |
| Not rated |
| 85 min |
| A 3-D presentation of U2's global "Vertigo" tour. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92% |
|
 | Stop Making Sense |
| November 1984 |
| Rated PG |
| 88 min |
| "Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next? " |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% |
|
 | The Last Waltz |
| April 1978 |
| Not rated |
| 117 min |
| It Started as a Concert. It Became a Celebration. Now it's a Legend. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% |
|
 | Shine A Light |
| April 2008 |
| Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, drug references and smoking. |
| 122 min |
| A career-spanning documentary on the Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their "A Bigger Bang" tour. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86% |
|
 | Woodstock |
| March 1970 |
| Not rated |
| 184 min |
| Experience the Event That Named a Generation. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | Concert for Bangladesh |
| June 1972 |
| Not rated |
| 103 min |
| The Greatest Concert of the Decade! Now you can see it and hear it...as if you were there ! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: NR |
|
 | Hair |
| July 1979 |
| Not rated, contains nudity and drug usage. |
| 121 min |
| Let the sun shine in! |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% |
|
 | Tommy |
| March 1975 |
| Some Mild Sexual Content |
| 111 min |
| Your senses will never be the same. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79% |
|
 | Quadrophenia |
| November 1979 |
| Extreme bad language from beginning to end, also violence. |
| 117 min |
| We are the mods, we are the mods. We are, we are, we are the mods. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% |
|
 | The Wall |
| August 1982 |
| Nudity, violence, some profanity. |
| 95 min |
| Pink Floyd The Wall. Now The Film. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65% |
|
 | Magical Mystery Tour |
| December 1967 |
| Not rated, some disturbing images. |
| 55 min |
| The Beatles charter a special bus for a surreal mystery tour. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60% |
|
 | Jesus Christ Superstar |
| August 1973 |
| Not rated. |
| 108 min |
| and now the film... |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 57% |
|
 | Rocky Horror Picture Show |
| September 1975 |
| Not rated, some implied sex, off-screen gore. |
| 100 min |
| Action-packed... lotsa larfs... gorgeous gals... thrills & chills... Transylvanian parties... romance |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77% |
|
 | Across The Universe |
| October 2007 |
| Rated PG-13 for some drug content, nudity, sexuality, violence and language. |
| 133 min |
| Within the lyrics of the world's most famous songs, lives a story that has never been told. Until now. |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53% |
|
Are we missing a movie? Please nominate an addition to the Best Rock Movies list by emailing us at nova at schoolofrock.com.
