Musicians and their big feelings
January 7, 2025 8:40 PM Subscribe
What’s your favorite book/movie/tv show about musicians falling in love?
I’ve recently realized that a chunk of the entertainment I’ve enjoyed in the past few years is about musicians falling in love. These aren’t necessarily “musicals” but I don’t mind some music. Movies—A Beautiful Life, Valley Girl, The Idea of You, Forever My Girl, A Star is Born (though a little too sad) TV—Daisy Jones & the Six Novels—The Happy Ever After Playlist. What else should I watch or read?
I’ve recently realized that a chunk of the entertainment I’ve enjoyed in the past few years is about musicians falling in love. These aren’t necessarily “musicals” but I don’t mind some music. Movies—A Beautiful Life, Valley Girl, The Idea of You, Forever My Girl, A Star is Born (though a little too sad) TV—Daisy Jones & the Six Novels—The Happy Ever After Playlist. What else should I watch or read?
Espedair Street, by Iain Banks.
I love his sci-fi stuff, but Espedair Street is my favourite non-sci fi of his.
posted by 15L06 at 10:54 PM on January 7
I love his sci-fi stuff, but Espedair Street is my favourite non-sci fi of his.
posted by 15L06 at 10:54 PM on January 7
Impromptu was a guilty pleasure when I was a pompous teenager, for being a period-drama romantic comedy (from 1991!) about my dreamboat fave Frederic Chopin. I haven’t re-watched it in years, but Judy Davis is great, and I bet it would stand up based on her talent alone.
Side note: the costumes and sets weren’t as good as some other period pieces during that time (Dangerous Liasons!), but I remember them being pretty good!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:17 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Side note: the costumes and sets weren’t as good as some other period pieces during that time (Dangerous Liasons!), but I remember them being pretty good!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:17 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
The TV show Nashville is a bit soapy, but features all kinds of country musicians falling in and out of love. I don’t care for country, but I really enjoyed some of their original songs!
posted by bluloo at 11:55 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
posted by bluloo at 11:55 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]
If you haven't read the novel version of Daisy Jones and the Six, I can recommend. I devoured it on the beach last year.
posted by guessthis at 3:10 AM on January 8 [3 favorites]
posted by guessthis at 3:10 AM on January 8 [3 favorites]
A large proportion of the movies and shows in this thread asking for songwriting scenes involve musicians falling in love!
posted by limeonaire at 5:08 AM on January 8
posted by limeonaire at 5:08 AM on January 8
A Star is Born - just a note that there are three different movies with this story. Sounds like you've only seen one of them.
The Competition (1980) was pretty good.
posted by JimN2TAW at 5:35 AM on January 8
The Competition (1980) was pretty good.
posted by JimN2TAW at 5:35 AM on January 8
2nd-ing Once
posted by greta simone at 7:51 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by greta simone at 7:51 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
I really enjoyed the series Mozart in the Jungle. I'm also pleased to see The Competition mentioned above. Watch it if only for my favorite line: "It costs extra to carve 'schmuck' on a tombstone but you would definitely be worth the expense!"
posted by rekrap at 10:50 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by rekrap at 10:50 AM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Just finished reading Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley, which comes out next month.
From Kirkus Reviews: Creative partnership or romantic relationship? Berkeley undergrads who connect over his music and her ideas about it spend eight years agonizing over which is more important. Brickley’s first novel lovingly evokes the indie scene of the early 21st century—and lots of other pop music as well—while deftly crafting the bumpy emotional journey of her insufferably opinionated, touchingly vulnerable heroine.
posted by lyssabee at 11:58 AM on January 8
From Kirkus Reviews: Creative partnership or romantic relationship? Berkeley undergrads who connect over his music and her ideas about it spend eight years agonizing over which is more important. Brickley’s first novel lovingly evokes the indie scene of the early 21st century—and lots of other pop music as well—while deftly crafting the bumpy emotional journey of her insufferably opinionated, touchingly vulnerable heroine.
posted by lyssabee at 11:58 AM on January 8
juliet, naked, nick hornby
posted by j_curiouser at 2:21 PM on January 8
posted by j_curiouser at 2:21 PM on January 8
Music and Lyrics is a guilty pleasure, and does Moulin Rouge count?
posted by kapers at 3:22 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by kapers at 3:22 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Also, Almost Famous (2000) by Cameron Crowe. Not sure if it meets the 'falling in love' criteria but it definitely hits the big feelings part.
posted by guessthis at 3:36 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
posted by guessthis at 3:36 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]
I'm not recommending Song to Song by Terrence Malick. It's exactly about this, but it's boring.
posted by ovvl at 5:17 AM on January 9
posted by ovvl at 5:17 AM on January 9
don't remember how prominently love features in david mitchell's utopia avenue, but it's about the members of a band, and is excellent
posted by troywestfield at 6:49 AM on January 10
posted by troywestfield at 6:49 AM on January 10
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
Sing Street
That Thing You Do! (which also contains the single catchiest song by a fake pop band in a movie ever)
If you're looking for something a little more...cynical and drug-addled, but still a love story, Sid and Nancy would like a moment of your time
posted by pdb at 9:26 PM on January 7 [5 favorites]