Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      Comic-Con 2022: Stars strike a pose in EW's photo studio

      From the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  and The Walking Dead  to Chris Pine and Regé Jean-Page, see who dropped by EW's Comic-Con headquarters at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Read More
    • Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Power players: Inside The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

      Go behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Video’s ambitious fantasy epic, which hopes to introduce J.R.R. Tolkien to a new generation. Read More
    • Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson

      Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be more to learn about the high-profile defamation trial, more than 6,000 pages of court docs were released over the weekend. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Animated
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. Reel Rockers: 22 Classic Rock & Roll Movies

Reel Rockers: 22 Classic Rock & Roll Movies

We salute the debut of Rainn Wilson's ''The Rocker'' with our list of the greatest, most rebellious, rawkin'-est films ever, including ''The Last Waltz'' and ''Purple Rain'' (but, sadly, not ''The Rocker'')
By Simon Vozick-Levinson Updated August 19, 2008 at 06:00 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1

This is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest, ... | Years ago, we sat next to a middle-aged couple at a screening of Rob Reiner's faux documentary. As the has-been band of the title launchedÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

2

Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson
Credit: Everett Collection

2 of 22

3 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

3

Prince, Purple Rain
Credit: Everett Collection

3 of 22

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

4

Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, ...
Credit: Paul Harris/Getty Images

4 of 22

Advertisement

5 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

5

Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, ...
Credit: Annamaria DiSanto/Radical Media

5 of 22

6 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

6

Shine a Light, Charlie Watts, ...
Credit: Kevin Mazur

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

7

Woodstock
Credit: Everett Collection

7 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

8

The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night
Credit: Everett Collection

8 of 22

Advertisement

9 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

9

Led Zeppelin
Credit: Everett Collection

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

10

Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

10 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

45. LA BAMBA (1987) SUBJECT: Ritchie Valens

La Bamba, Lou Diamond Phillips | Writer-director Luis Valdez took a little-known piece of the rock and roll puzzle — the life of Latino rock groundbreaker Valens (played by then-newcomer LouÂ…
Credit: La Bamba: Everett Collection

Writer-director Luis Valdez took a little-known piece of the rock and roll puzzle — the life of Latino rock groundbreaker Valens (played by then-newcomer Lou Diamond Phillips), who went down on that plane with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper the Day the Music Died — and found its own rich tapestry. Plus, it had kick-ass music by Los Lobos. Which is always good. —Marc Bernardin

11 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

12

American Hardcore
Credit: Skizz

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

13

The Commitments
Credit: Everett Collection

13 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

14

Steve Jones, Johnny Rotten, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

14 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

15

Chloe Webb, Gary Oldman, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

16

Jack Black, The School of Rock
Credit: Everett Collection

16 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

17 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

17

Val Kilmer, Frank Whaley, ...
Credit: Everett Collection

17 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

18 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

18

Ian Hart, Stephen Dorff, ...
Credit: Backbeat: Mark Tillie

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

19 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

19

Ewan McGregor, Velvet Goldmine
Credit: Everett Collection

19 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

20 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

20

Steve Coogan, 24 Hour Party People
Credit: Jon Shard

20 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

21 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL IN HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (2001)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, John Cameron Mitchell | The things people do for love. After Hansel (Mitchell) falls in love, he plans to leave communist East Germany for the West to marry hisÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

The things people do for love. After Hansel (Mitchell) falls in love, he plans to leave communist East Germany for the West to marry his lover. But in order to get married, he undergoes a sex change, so Hansel becomes Hedwig. The results aren't so great, though, hence the Angry Inch part of the movie's title.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

22 of 22

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

22

Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, ...
Credit: Suzanne Tenner

22 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Simon Vozick-Levinson

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 22 1
    2 of 22 2
    3 of 22 3
    4 of 22 4
    5 of 22 5
    6 of 22 6
    7 of 22 7
    8 of 22 8
    9 of 22 9
    10 of 22 10
    11 of 22 45. LA BAMBA (1987) SUBJECT: Ritchie Valens
    12 of 22 12
    13 of 22 13
    14 of 22 14
    15 of 22 15
    16 of 22 16
    17 of 22 17
    18 of 22 18
    19 of 22 19
    20 of 22 20
    21 of 22 JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL IN HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (2001)
    22 of 22 22

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    Reel Rockers: 22 Classic Rock & Roll Movies
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.