Pick a Day

Music History Events: Movies

March 27, 2022 Summer Of Soul, directed by Questlove of The Roots, wins the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The film features never-before-seen footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, including performances by Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson and Sly & the Family Stone.

March 27, 2022 Hans Zimmer wins the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 2021 film Dune. The composer crafted an experimental soundscape that eschewed the traditional orchestra in favor of electronic textures, choral chants, and bagpipes to reflect the movie's space-desert setting. Zimmer previously won an Oscar for scoring The Lion King (1994).

September 13, 2019 Lizzo, Cardi B and Jennifer Lopez play strippers in the movie Hustlers, which also features Usher as a patron. It's the film debut for Cardi, who was an exotic dancer before launching her music career.

March 30, 2016 Hans Zimmer announces his retirement from the superhero business after composing the score for the 2016 movie Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The renowned film composer tells BBC News: "This one was very hard for me to do, to try to find new language." Zimmer has had a successful run in the genre, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Man Of Steel (2013), and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy (2005-2012) to his credit.

January 31, 2016 Fox airs a live version of Grease, the hit Broadway musical-turned-movie, starring Julianne Hough.More

August 23, 2014 The Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack, an awesome mix of '70s hits, goes to #1 in America, where it stays for two weeks.More

July 4, 2014 The first Beatles movie, A Hard Day's Night, is re-released in American theaters to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

February 1, 2013 The documentary Sound City is released in theaters. Directed by Dave Grohl, it tells the story of Sound City Studios, where his group Nirvana made their Nevermind album. Tom Petty, Rick Springfield, Stevie Nicks and a host of other stars appear in the film to share their memories of recording there.

August 17, 2012 Sparkle, starring the aptly named Jordin Sparks as an aspiring singer, opens in theaters. It's the last film for Whitney Houston, who plays her mom.

July 17, 2012 The soundtrack album to the film The Dark Knight Rises is released, destined to debut at #8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It also scores #10 on the Canadian albums chart. Composer Hans Zimmer becomes an overnight sensation, frequently compared with former golden soundtrack star John Williams.

April 4, 2008 The Martin Scorsese-directed Rolling Stones concert documentary Shine A Light hits theaters. The next week, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jack White appear on the cover of Rolling Stone with the headline, "Blues Brothers."

February 22, 2008 The U2 concert film U2 3D is released worldwide.

October 14, 2007 The Tom Petty documentary film, Running Down A Dream, debuts at the New York Film Festival.

September 14, 2007 The Beatles-inspired movie Across The Universe opens in theaters.

September 4, 2007 The Bob Dylan "biographical" movie, I'm Not There: Suppositions On A Film Concerning Dylan, premieres at the Venice (Italy) Film Festival.

February 21, 2007 The movie studio Dreamworks takes out a full-page ad in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter apologizing for (but not exactly admitting to) similarities between their movie Dreamgirls, adapted from the stage musical, and the book Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme by former Supreme Mary Wilson. The book gives a look at the behind-the-scenes manipulations at Motown Records, bearing similarities to the stories recounted in Dreamgirls.

December 25, 2006 Alongside stars like Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson makes her acting debut in the movie Dreamgirls, based on the Supremes-inspired Broadway musical.More

October 27, 2006 Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth premieres her film Perfect Partner at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

February 25, 2006 The Curious George soundtrack becomes the first from an animated movie since Pocahontas in 1995 to hit #1 in America. The songs, including the popular track "Upside Down," are written and performed by Jack Johnson.

February 12, 2006 Beyoncé becomes the first woman to star in a #1 movie while having a #1 hit at the same time when The Pink Panther tops the box office as "Check On It" (used in the end credits) remains at the top of the chart. She's the third person to do it, following Prince with Purple Rain and "When Doves Cry," and Eminem with 8 Mile and "Lose Yourself."

June 15, 2005 Christopher Nolan's Batman origin story Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the caped crusader, opens in US theaters. It marks the first collaboration between the director and film composer Hans Zimmer, who continue to work together on the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy, as well as the sci-fi films Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014), and the war movie Dunkirk (2017).

October 19, 2004 Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart are the lead performers on the Alfie soundtrack. Jagger sings lead on about one-third of the songs, including the first single "Old Habits Die Hard." Another version with Jagger, Stewart and Sheryl Crow is included as a bonus track.

July 21, 2004 Jerry Goldsmith, an Academy Award-winning film composer known for Chinatown, The Omen, and five of the original Star Trek films, among others, dies of colon cancer at age 75.

October 3, 2003 The film of the benefit concert The Concert For George, an all-star tribute to the recently deceased ex-Beatle George Harrison, opens in US theaters.

April 29, 2003 The movie Only The Strong Survive (with many R&B legends, including Jerry Butler) premieres in New York.

November 10, 2002 8 Mile, starring Eminem, tops the box office while his song from the film, "Lose Yourself," sits at #1, making him the first performer since Prince (Purple Rain and "When Doves Cry") in 1984 with a song and movie simultaneously at #1.

December 22, 2000 The Coen Brothers movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? hits theaters. With the song "Man Of Constant Sorrow" a centerpiece of the film, it ignites interest in bluegrass music. The soundtrack, produced by T-Bone Burnett, sells over 7 million copies in America.

June 1, 2000 The film Honest, starring three of the All Saints, is pulled by cinemas after a disastrous showing at the box office.

May 5, 2000 The Ridley Scott film Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe as a Roman general turned slave who seeks revenge for the murder of his family, debuts in US theaters. The movie opens with an idyllic scene in a wheat field against the backdrop of Hans Zimmer's ethereal score. The composer wanted to set the tone for an emotional story rather than a typical blood-and-guts gladiator film.

February 20, 2000 The biographical TV movie Little Richard airs on NBC, with mononymous actor Leon in the title role.