20 famous films that were based off of a song

Kenny Rogers was a music icon, and his work was so good that it inspired an entire movie series. The Gambler began as a song and evolved into a TV movie that spawned multiple sequels. 

The Christian band NewSong released the song “The Christmas Shoes” in 2000, and within just a couple of years, it was adapted into a novel and then into a made-for-TV movie starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. 

Of course, Mariah Carey’s iconic Christmas song was turned into a feature film. Decades after the song’s release, it was adapted to an animated film of the same name, with Carey herself lending her voice for the project, along with Henry Winkler and Lacey Chabert. 

“Last Christmas” is another iconic Christmas song that absolutely warranted a film adaptation. The Wham! song was brought to life in film form in 2019. The film of the same name starred Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. 

It’s shocking that it took this song as long as it did to become a movie. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” was first released in 1952. It was adapted into a made-for-TV movie in 2001. 

Halloween has gotten some love in the form of songs becoming movies, too. “The Purple People Eater,” the classic albeit bizarre Halloween song from 1958, became a film 30 years later. Neil Patrick Harris and Thora Birch are among the cast. 

“Monster Mash” is another Halloween favorite to get the movie adaptation treatment. The song became a movie in 1995, with Candace Cameron and Bobby Pickett, the song’s writer, as stars. 

Before Alice’s Restaurant was a movie, it was the song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” by Arlo Guthrie. This song was just waiting to be turned into something more. It clocks in at 18 minutes long. 

It’s a little surprising that more country songs haven’t been adapted to film. “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Larry Weiss, popularized by Glen Campbell, served as the inspiration behind the film Rhinestone starring Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton. 

It’s possible that you’re most familiar with “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Reba McEntire, but it was first recorded by Vicki Lawrence and later covered by Tanya Tucker. It also inspired the 1981 film of the same name. 

We love a good jukebox musical. Across the Universe was inspired by the music of The Beatles, particularly “Across the Universe,” and it features loads of the group’s other biggest hits. 

The world will never stop drawing inspiration from The Beatles. Dinner for Schmucks , the 2010 comedy starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd, was inspired by the group’s song “A Fool On The Hill.”

Singers of today need to take inspiration from singers of the past and start making made-for-TV movies based on their own songs. Barry Manilow did just that with his song “Copacabana.” He even starred in the film. 

Bruce Springsteen knows how to tell a story, so it’s no surprise that one of his songs inspired an entire movie. The Indian Runner was based on The Boss’ song “Highway Patrolman.”

“Bless the Broken Road” is a country song that was originally recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It has since been covered by many artists, most notably Rascal Flatts, and it was the inspiration behind the 2018 film God Bless the Broken Road.

“Ode to Billie Joe” is a sad song by Bobbie Gentry that turned into a sad movie called Ode to Billy Joe. Gentry’s song, even more tragically, was inspired by a real person who took their own life, for reasons that Genry did not know. 

Factory Girl is a fun watch if you like pop culture throughout the decades. The film, featuring Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller, and Hayden Christensen, was inspired by the Rolling Stones’ song of the same name. 

While driving, writer Eric Red listened to the song “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors. He got so inspired that it led him to write the screenplay for The Hitcher. 

Folk music could be used to inspire hundreds of movies. “Aquarelo do Brasil,” a Brazilian folk song by Ary Barroso, inspired the 1985 feature film Brazil.

Only the Lonely premiered in 1991 and starred John Candy and Maureen O’Hara. The story was based on the television film Marty, and the film’s name was taken from the song “Only the Lonely.”