The 40 most popular 1990s music movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Sister Act
1992 · 1h 40m · US
When lively lounge singer Deloris sees her mobster beau commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, she proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters.


The Legend of 1900
1998 · 2h 50m · IT
Musician Max Tooney goes to sell his prized Conn trumpet to a music shop, where he plays the instrument one last time. The shopkeeper recognises the song as one on a record matrix he found and asks who the piece is by. Tooney tells the story of an infant found abandoned in the first class dining room of the four-stacker ocean-liner SS Virginian on 1 January 1900. Danny Boodman, a coal-man from the boiler room, names the boy Danny Boodman T. D. Lemon 1900, after himself, the fruit crate the boy was found in, and the year, and raises him as his own.


Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
1993 · 1h 47m · US
Deloris Van Cartier is again asked to don the nun's habit to help a run-down Catholic school, presided over by Mother Superior. And if trying to reach out to a class full of uninterested students wasn't bad enough, the sisters discover that the school is due to be closed by the unscrupulous chief of a local authority.


The Muppet Christmas Carol
1992 · 1h 26m · US
A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during nighttime visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.


That Thing You Do!
1996 · 1h 48m · US
A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager. But behind the scenes, the group’s sudden fame tests their strength, their maturity and responsibility, and their ability to resist the temptations that money and notoriety always make possible.


Bitchcraft
1997 · 1h 16m · NL
A documentary comprised of concert footage and interviews focused on the infamous metal group Rockbitch. The band, comprised of mainly female members, became well known, and banned across Europe due to their over-the-top stage performances, including nudity, sex, simulated violence, and rituals, all often involving members of the audience.


Cornelis - Dokumentären
1997 · 1h 30m · SE
A portrait of Swedish troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk.


The Doors
1991 · 2h 20m · US
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.


Wayne's World
1992 · 1h 34m · US
The adventures of two amiably aimless metal-head friends, Wayne and Garth. From Wayne's basement, the pair broadcast a talk-show called "Wayne's World" on local public access television. The show comes to the attention of a sleazy network executive who wants to produce a big-budget version of "Wayne's World"—and he also wants Wayne's girlfriend, a rock singer named Cassandra. Wayne and Garth have to battle the executive not only to save their show, but also Cassandra.


Maachis
1996 · 2h 40m · IN
A realistic, hard-hitting portrayal of terrorism and youth in the Punjab after the 1984 riots.


Madonna: Truth or Dare
1991 · 1h 59m · US
From the rains of Japan, through threats of arrest for 'public indecency' in Canada, and a birthday tribute to her father in Detroit, this documentary follows Madonna on her 1990 'Blond Ambition' concert tour. Filmed in black and white, with the concert pieces in glittering MTV color, it is an intimate look at the work of the icon, from a prayer circle before each performance to bed games with the dance troupe afterwards.


Sevilles
1992 · 53m · ES
Filmed like a documentary, "Sevillanas" consists of eleven short performances by Spain's most famous flamenco dancers, singers and guitarists. Saura, well-known for his flamenco films ("Blood Wedding," "Carmen"), here provides an in-depth look at the Sevillanas form of flamenco and its dancers.


Mr. Holland's Opus
1995 · 2h 23m · US
In 1965, passionate musician Glenn Holland takes a day job as a high school music teacher, convinced it's just a small obstacle on the road to his true calling: writing a historic opus. As the decades roll by with the composition unwritten but generations of students inspired through his teaching, Holland must redefine his life's purpose.


Blues Brothers 2000
1998 · 2h 3m · US
Finally released from prison, Elwood Blues is once again enlisted by Sister Mary Stigmata in her latest crusade to raise funds for a children's hospital. Hitting the road to re-unite the band and win the big prize at the New Orleans Battle of the Bands, Elwood is pursued cross-country by the cops.


Cabaret
1993 · 1h 47m · UK
Inside the Kit Kat Club in 1931 Berlin, starry-eyed singer Sally Bowles and the lewd Emcee sound the clarion call to decadence, while outside, the Nazi party grows into a brutal force. (Filmed live during the 1993 revival, Sam Mendes' directorial debut takes place at the Donmar Warehouse in London's West End.)


Rock-A-Doodle
1991 · 1h 14m · IE
Chanticleer is a foolhardy farm rooster who believes his crows can actually make the sun come up and shine. When the sun rises one morning without Chanticleer's crow, he leaves the farm in disgrace and runs off to become a rock 'n' roll singer. But in his absence, a sinister, sunshine-hating owl prepares to take over.


Cats Don't Dance
1997 · 1h 15m · US
An ambitious singing and dancing cat in 1939 Hollywood overcomes several obstacles to fulfill his dream of becoming a movie star.


Opéra Imaginaire
1993 · 51m · FR
Like Fantasia (1940) or Allegro Non Troppo (1977), L'Opéra Imaginaire (1993) is an assembly of animated short films based on classic music greats. Directed by some of the best European animators and artists, L'Opéra Imaginaire takes us through dance, theater, music and painting masterpieces. It uses several animation techniques, like stop-motion clay animation or CG characters.


Immortal Beloved
1994 · 2h 1m · US
A chronicle of the life of infamous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven and his painful struggle with hearing loss. Following Beethoven's death in 1827, his assistant, Schindler, searches for an elusive woman referred to in the composer's love letters as "immortal beloved." As Schindler solves the mystery, a series of flashbacks reveal Beethoven's transformation from passionate young man to troubled musical genius.


Swing
1999 · 1h 37m · US
When Martin Luxford leaves jail, he decides to form a swing band, having been taught to play the saxophone by his cellmate Jack. Returning to his native Liverpool, Martin pulls together a backing band of misfits and loners, and recruits his ex-girlfriend Joan as a singer. Things are complicated somewhat by the fact that Joan is now married to the policeman who arrested Martin, and when the band's first gig - at a heavy metal pub - goes badly, it seems as though the road to musical success may be a rocky one.


Swallowtail Butterfly
1996 · 2h 28m · JP
The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.


Wayne's World 2
1993 · 1h 35m · US
A message from Jim Morrison in a dream prompts cable access TV stars Wayne and Garth to put on a rock concert, "Waynestock," with Aerosmith as headliners. But amid the preparations, Wayne frets that a record producer is putting the moves on his girlfriend, Cassandra, while Garth handles the advances of mega-babe Honey Hornée.


Pelo suelto
1991 · 1h 40m · MX
Pelo Suelo follows Gloria Trevi, an aspiring singer who works in a Monterrey bar, performing her own compositions, and dreams of going to the capital to start a professional career. After a rather awkward encounter with a famous singer, Gloria finally decides to leave the bar where she has worked for so many years to seek her fortune in the capital. On the way to her destination, on a motorcycle trip, Gloria will be accompanied by Ricky, a boy who escaped from a kidnapping carried out by a gang that will not stop chasing the boy until he returns the stolen diskette, which contains information on the modus operandi of your organization. Meanwhile, in the city, a producer in crisis argues with his star singer and decides to look for new talent for the record company. After receiving an amateur recording of Gloria sent to him by the bar owner, the producer won't stop until he finds her.


Selena
1997 · 2h 7m · US
In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham, realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues. She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez, who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.


Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
1996 · 1h 21m · US
Slacker duo Beavis and Butt-Head wake to discover their TV has been stolen. Their search for a new one takes them on a clueless adventure across America, during which they manage to accidentally become America's most wanted.


Sweet and Lowdown
1999 · 1h 35m · US
In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.


Peperina
1995 · 1h 33m · AR
Semi documentary film that mixes the recital given by Serú Giran at the River Plate stadium at the end of 1992 with the story of a fan of the group in which Charly García was inspired to write the song Peperina.


Impromptu
1991 · 1h 47m · FR
In 1830s France, pianist/composer Frédéric Chopin is pursued romantically by the determined, individualistic woman who uses the name George Sand.


The Red Violin
1998 · 2h 10m · AT
300 years of a remarkable musical instrument. Crafted by the Italian master Bussotti (Cecchi) in 1681, the red violin has traveled through Austria, England, China, and Canada, leaving both beauty and tragedy in its wake. In Montreal, Samuel L Jackson plays an appraiser going over its complex history.


Pump Up the Volume
1990 · 1h 42m · CA
Mark Hunter, a lonely high school student, uses his shortwave radio to moonlight as the popular pirate DJ "Hard Harry." When his show gets blamed for a teen committing suicide, the students clash with high school faculty and the authorities.


Love Sonnets
1993 · 29m · BE
A film adaptation of Michèle-Ann De Mey's "Sonatas 555" - choreographic variations on the highways and byways of love.


Queen: Made in Heaven
1997 · 47m
Four years after the death of Freddie Mercury 'Made In Heaven' the album was released. The visual conception was commissioned with the help of the B.F.I. and producers Hot Property. Eight films representative of Queen's music are accompanied by the tracklist: 'I Was Born To Love You', 'O', 'Return Trip', 'Closing Titles', 'Evolution', 'Mother Love', 'Heart-Ache' and 'Outside-In'
Loungers
Loungers
1996 · 1h 20m · US
A lounge singer hires his amnesiac sister to kill their parents.


Airheads
1994 · 1h 32m · US
The Lone Rangers have heavy-metal dreams and a single demo tape they can't get anyone to play. The solution: Hijack an FM rock radio station and hold the deejays hostage until they agree to broadcast the band's tape.


What's Love Got to Do with It
1993 · 1h 58m · US
Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.
Salomé
Salomé
1992 · 1h 44m · UK
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 2 June 1992.


Praise House
1991 · 28m · US
“Draw or Die” is the divine imperative received by the painter, Hannah, who is being nurtured by her Grandmother, but controlled by her pragmatic mother. When her Granny spirit shouts this command to Hannah, she closes a celebration of personal visions in a dance piece that is close to visionary in itself.
Sting Unplugged
Sting Unplugged
1991 · 45m
This video is the MTV Unplugged performance which was recorded in New York on 5 March 1991.


Der Rosenkavalier
1994 · AT
Felicity Lott, Anne-Sofie Von Otter, and Kurt Moll star in this production of Richard Strauss' opera, staged in Vienna in 1994. A romantic comedy of errors. Princess von Werdenberg must hide her affair with Octavian from her family; when he disguises himself as a chambermaid to avoid scandalizing the Princess, he is pressed into presenting a gift to Baron Ochs von Lerchenau, who has arrived to propose marriage to Sophie von Faninal. However, Ochs soon finds himself infatuated with the chambermaid, much to Octavian's chagrin, which proves to be only the first of a long series of romantic misunderstandings. This production of Der Rosenkavalier is performed by the Vienna State Orchestra and Chorus, under the direction of Carlos Kleiber.


SLC Punk
1998 · 1h 37m · US
Two former geeks become 1980s punks, then party and go to concerts while deciding what to do with their lives.
The 1990s were the independent film decade, when Sundance and Miramax pushed low-budget American filmmaking into the mainstream. It's also when Hong Kong action, Japanese animation, and Iranian art cinema found large Western audiences.
Music films cover concert documentaries, biopics, and musicals — anything where performance drives the picture. The genre lives or dies on whether the filmmaking can match the energy of the sound.