Will Hollywood Biopics Save Rock?
In its earliest days, rock got a boost from the movies, starting with 1955’s Blackboard Jungle. Now, in an era when guitar-based music has moved pretty far from the center of the culture, the movies just can’t quit the genre. In the wake of Bohemian Rhapsody, more and more rock-themed films are heading theaters and streaming services, from the Mötley Crüe story in The Dirt on Netflix to May 31st’s Elton John biopic to August 14th’s tale of a British-Pakistani Springsteen fan, Blinded by the Light. In the latest episode of our podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, host Brian Hiatt and Andy Greene discuss what it all means, what biopics are to come, whether a new generation will rediscover rock through the movies, and take a close look at The Dirt.
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Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on iTunes or Spotify, and check out two years worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Halsey, Ice Cube, Neil Young, the National, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Donald Fagen, Phil Collins, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, Gary Clark Jr. and many more — plus dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions and debates with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters. Tune in Fridays at 1 p.m. ET to hear the show broadcast live on Sirius XM’s Volume, channel 106.