After less than two weeks in release, Bob Marley: One Love is already one of the top 10 highest-grossing biopics of a musician in domestic box-office history.
The film, which stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as reggae legend Bob Marley, has grossed $71.2 million in the U.S. and Canada through Sunday (Feb. 25), . Recently we spoke with one of Bob’s sons, Julian Marley, at his Grammy celebration event and he was asked to share his thoughts on the biopic
Meanwhile, Billboard has now gathered the 25 highest-grossing biopics of musicians in terms of domestic box office.
It says these films cover a remarkably wide range of genres. But Let’s narrow it down to the top 10:
-10
La Bamba (1987)
Domestic gross: $54.2 million
Lou Diamond Phillips starred as Chicano music star Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. The film is titled after a Mexican folk song, which Valens completely transformed with his rock and roll rendition in 1958.
9
Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
Domestic gross: $67.2 million
8
Bob Marley: One Love (2024)
Domestic gross: $71.2 million
“First he changed music. Then he changed the world” is the tagline for this film, which was directed and co-written by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
7
Ray (2004)
Domestic gross: $75.3 million
Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for best actor for playing Ray Charles, the genre-bridging musician who lived up to the label “genius.” The film received six Oscar nominations, including best picture.
6
I Can Only Imagine (2018)
Domestic gross: $83.5 million
5
Rocketman (2019)
Domestic gross: $96.4 million
4
Walk the Line (2005)
Domestic gross: $119.5 million
Joaquin Phoenix received an Oscar nomination for best actor for playing country legend Johnny Cash, while Reese Witherspoon won best actress for playing his wife, country star June Carter Cash.
3
Elvis (2022)
Domestic gross: $151 million
Elvis is Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming one of the greatest pop music stars of all time.
2
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Domestic gross: $161.2 million
1
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Domestic gross: $216.4 million
Rami Malek won an Oscar for best actor for playing Queen’s charismatic lead singer Freddie Mercury.