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'Inside Llewyn Davis' - This portrait of a disillusioned folk singer in the '60s earned quite a long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

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'High Fidelity' - John Cusack plays a record store owner who loves ranking music and making mixtapes, and who rehashes his top five breakups with the help of his employees.

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'School of Rock' - Jack Black is actually a musician off-screen, so watching him combine his two loves, as a struggling musician who impersonates a schoolteacher, is a rollicking good time.

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'Garden State' - A depressed young man and a quirky epileptic make an unlikely match, but this film almost single-handedly convinced people The Shins are a life-changing band.

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'Begin Again' - Keira Knightley sings in this romance between a music producer and songwriter, and it features a heartwarming night for any music buff where they explore the city together while sharing music with earphone splitters.

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'Empire Records' - This is the idyllic job every alt rock-loving teen (hello Liv Tyler in the '90s) dreamed of working at, and the soundtrack had everyone from The Cranberries to The Gin Blossoms. 

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'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist' - A love story for any music fiend, two indie rock fans embark on an epic night of adventures and mishaps, all in the name of finding their favorite and extremely elusive band.

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'August Rush' - A musically gifted orphan scours New York City for his birth parents, falling into the care of a homeless man and finding more fame than he’d ever anticipated.

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'A Star is Born' - Whether it’s Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, or Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, this classic tale was made for the music-lover.

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'Amadeus' - Mozart’s classical music is complemented with his lavish and outrageous lifestyle, as described by composer Antonio Salieri, his musical rival.

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'Pitch Perfect' - This hilarious story about the demanding and extremely strange world of collegiate a cappella competition is always a good bet, and you’ll hear cool mash-ups!

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'That Thing You Do!' - Starring, written, and directed by Tom Hanks, this film follows the rise and fall of a fictional '60s one-hit wonder band, called The Wonders.

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'Whiplash' - This film about an ambitious young jazz drummer’s obsession with perfection and his terrifyingly intense instructor embodies the frantic energy of the genre and feels at times like a thriller.

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'The Boat That Rocked' - Also called ‘Pirate Radio,’ this film follows pirate DJs of the ‘60s who won’t stand for BBC radio’s tiny slice of pop music, and who instead take to the open waters to broadcast their own music.

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'The Runaways' - The tumultuous tale of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, two rebellious teens who became the front women for a now-legendary band, icons for future generations of female rockers.

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'Music and Lyrics' - A washed-up pop star faces a creative block, and hires a former creative writing student and current plant-waterer to help him, inevitably stirring up some romance along the way.

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'Burlesque' - When you have Christina Aguilera and Cher in the same movie about working in a burlesque club, you can bet the soundtrack is amazing.

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'Guardians of the Galaxy' - This film stood out from the sea of superhero films largely because of Star-Lord’s Walkman.

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'Juno' - A frank, heartwarming, and hilarious tale of teen pregnancy, this film is elevated to the next level with a soundtrack made of indie kids’ dreams. Michael Cera and Ellen Page also have a go at singing a Moldy Peaches song.

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'8 Mile' - Documenting the tempestuous rise of beloved rapper Eminem’s life, this film not only has performances from him, but it includes a roster of '90s favorites from rappers like OutKast, Biggie, and Method Man. 

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'Once' - A street musician and an aspiring songwriter meet in Dublin and spend a week crafting incredibly heartbreaking blues and folk music that will have you tearing up.

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'Detroit Rock City' - A film that captures the rebellious youthful spirit of rock 'n' roll, it tells the story of a group of high school kids who get wrapped up in antics of all sorts for the sake of getting into a KISS concert.

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'Mr. Holland's Opus' - A composer believing he will soon write a monumental piece takes a job at an Oregon high school in the meantime, which becomes less temporary as the years progress, but is not without its trials and tribulations.

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'Purple Rain' - The limitless musical genius of Prince extended into this film about a musician on the rise, for which the soundtrack is, of course, unparalleled.

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'Drumline' - This film dives into the high-energy world of show-style marching bands, centering on a street drummer from Harlem. Your toe will be tapping the whole time.

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'Almost Famous' - A high schooler lands a feature for Rolling Stone magazine, following an up-and-coming band on tour, and his journalistic objectivity is put to the test.

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'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' - Following a bass guitarist for a garage-rock band, this comic-book tale features a quest to eliminate an army of ex-boyfriends, as well as some hilariously creative performances in a battle of the bands.

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'Searching For Sugar Man' - This incredible documentary tells the story of a Detroit psychedelic rock and blues singer named Rodriguez, whose short-lived career in the '70s lived on in South Africa, and how 30 years later his fans tried to find out where he went.

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'Fantasia' -

This one is especially great for parents, but it’s a classic mixture of synesthesia and nostalgia.

See also: Children’s movies that are equally entertaining for adults

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