In recent years, we have seen several big artists and bands have their story told on the big screen in the form of a biopic.
From Bohemian Rhapsody to Rocket Man to the latest upcoming film on Bruce Springsteen, biopics have taken over the music industry and have led to even more buzz and popularity from some of music’s biggest names.
With each new biographical film that is released, it often leads to the question of what big names and music will be next to have their story told. Here is a list of five bands that deserve a biopic in the near future.
Top five bands that deserve a biopic
No. 5 - Metallica
While Metallica has seen some of their story told before in the 2004 Some Kind of Monster drama documentary, this film only scratches the surface of the band’s rich history. Throughout the band's 40+ year career, they have overcome plenty of obstacles to get where they are today, including the death of bassist Cliff Burton, departures of Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney, and Jason Newsted, and the Napster saga at the beginning of the digital age.
When you combine these obstacles with the band's enduring success and legacy, it creates a fascinating story for one of the world’s most iconic bands.
No. 4 - Judas Priest
Much can be said about the long, storied history of Judas Priest. After a string of solid albums in the 1970s, the band hit it big time in 1980 with the release of British Steel, which contained the breakthrough hits “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight."
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and the band’s story became even more interesting with a subliminal message trial that captured the world’s attention and the eventual departure of longtime lead vocalist Rob Halford in 1991.
The band was sued as part of a civil lawsuit over the suicide of two young teenagers who took their lives and blamed Judas Priest’s song “Better by You, Better than Me” for having “subliminal messages within the context of the lyrics." Ultimately, this case was dismissed, and the trial set a precedent for artistic expression and freedom and set back the censorship movement of the time.
Just a year after this trial, Rob Halford left the band due to internal tensions and was replaced by Tim “Ripper” Owens, who at the time was a singer in a Judas Priest tribute band, in 1996 after a five-year hiatus. During Halford‘s time away from the band, he formed several new projects, including Fight and his own solo band. In 1998, he came out as gay in an interview with MTV, becoming the first metal singer to do so and setting a precedent for future generations.
Now, over 20 years later, Halford is back in the band, and they are firing on all cylinders and continuing on with what has been a legendary career for the Metal Gods.
No. 3 - Black Sabbath
While it has been confirmed that Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne will get his own biopic, a story about the band's career is well overdue. Founded in Birmingham in 1968, Black Sabbath have been credited with inventing the heavy metal genre and have been influential for so many artists over the last 50+ years.
There are so many layers to a potential Black Sabbath biopic, including the massive success of the Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio eras, and the band's less commercially successful years with Ian Gillan, Tony Martin, and others at the helm. With the band's touring career officially coming to a close, it would be a great time for the story of Black Sabbath to be told on the big screen while all four members are still alive.
No. 2 - AC/DC
AC/DC is the perfect example of the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." Over 51 years and 17 studio album releases, AC/DC’s sound has been very consistent and their formula has been very successful, leading to the band becoming one of the most popular and important hard rock bands of all time.
Similar to a lot of the bands on this list previously, AC/DC had their series of tough times as well, most notably, the passing of lead singer Bon Scott, who put the band on the map in the 1970s. In 1980, the band introduced new lead singer Brian Johnson, and launched perhaps the greatest and most successful comeback album in music history with Back in Black. AC/DC never looked back and continues to rock the world today.
No. 1 - Fleetwood Mac
A biopic about Fleetwood Mac would be must-see TV. From the band’s humble beginnings in the 1960s to the rise to fame with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in the 1970s and the subsequent drama that followed several key members over the years, this is absolutely a story that must be told.
With Fleetwood Mac, there was never a shortage of turmoil and hostility between the members, most notably, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who had a loving relationship in the 1970s that continued into their tenure in the band. While the pair broke up as a couple, they continued on in the band, and ultimately, this breakup helped enhance their songwriting abilities, which was evident in songs such as “Go Your Own Way” and “Silver Springs."
With the band now active on social media for the first time ever and their popularity still at an all-time high, now would be a great time for their story to be told for legions of fans, young and old, to hear.