Portraying the rise, mega success and eventual split of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton helped provide some clarity on the struggles Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E and the company had to deal with trying to come-up in the mid-1980s and the environment that nurtured their greatness. The film also relays Suge Knight and Death Row Records's role in splitting up the Compton-bred quintet and Eazy-E’s sudden and tragic death from AIDS in 1995.

Not gonna lie, Jennifer Hudson wasn’t playing any games in portraying Aretha Franklin in Respect, and that’s probably because the Queen of Soul gave the EGOT winner her blessing to take on the role. As opposed to 2017’s series Genius: Aretha which was a bit more detailed regarding her upbringing, Respect was more of the story that Franklin wanted to tell.

Ray portrays the life of Ray Charles and was so good that it won an Oscar. Jamie Foxx assumed the role of the legendary singer-songwriter as he rose to fame throughout the Seattle jazz scene. It also covers some of the darker points in Charles’ career including the issues he encounters via the death of his younger brother and struggles with drug addiction. It’s also light at times, funny and extremely inspirational.

What makes a legendary biopic? When a music legend portrays another legend, which is the case with Lady Sings The Blues. In one of the first musical biopics made, Diana Ross was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of the iconic Billie Holiday. The film is loosely based on the singer’s 1956 autobiography and shocked audiences with Ross’ unmatched ability to relay the rock bottom Holiday hit during her career. Even the rest of the cast was amazing, including Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams, and others. A must watch.

Queen Latifah did her thing in portraying Bessie Smith. Bessie follows the legendary blues singer – from her struggles in her early years to triumphing as Empress of the Blues. The film is also perhaps one of Latifah’s best performances as an actor to-date.

Among all the great films Chadwick Boseman did during his tragically short life, Get On Up was arguably one of his most memorable. The biopic portrays James Brown and is narratively excellent. Viewers of the film are witness to Brown’s rough childhood, which led him to a jail bid before he was an adult, to recording his first single, learning the ins-and-outs of the record business and drug addiction. The case also includes Viola Davis, Jill Scott, and Octavia Spencer, among others, so it’s worth a watch just based on that alone.

This one was ambitious due to the need for more material to fully understand Chess Records, the underrated House of Blues and R&B Cadillac Records is based on. Director Darnell Martin took on that task and enlisted Beyoncé, Mos Def, Adrien Brody and Columbus Short, among others, to try and explain what happened in Chicago over a half-century ago. What resulted is a fascinating, yet a bit chaotic, Black music biopic and one of the best that’s hit the silver screen in the last 30 years.

What’s Love Got to Do with It tells the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tina Turner (who died recently at 83 due to natural causes) – from her childhood to her whirlwind comeback during the 1980s. The film chronicles Turner’s marriage with Ike Turner (portrayed by Laurence Fishburne), her musical and personal triumphs, and performances by Angela Bassett singing “Rollin on the River, “River Deep, Mountain High,” and “Shake a Tailfeather.” Bassett and Fishburne would also score a Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for their work.