Rock music has played an important role in films for more than half a century. Sometimes its role is merely to create a certain mood or atmosphere; at other times, rock is an integral part of the film's plot. The first movie to use rock in its soundtrack was The Blackboard Jungle (1955). During the opening credits Bill Hayley's "Rock Around the Clock" is heard. Rock music in film can be grouped into several categories:

Bio-pics

These are movies about an artist or group and they can be based on the lives of real musicians or fictional creations. Examples are The Buddy Holly Story (1978), La Bamba (1987, inspired by the life of Richie Valens), The Rose (1979, loosely based on Janis Joplin),The Doors (1991), Almost Famous (2000), Rock Star (2001),  Dreamgirls (2006, roughly based on the Supremes), and Ray (2005).  Last year's Cadillac Records (2008) is an entertaining movie about the early years at Chess Records.

Documentaries

These are films about a particular concert,  festival, or group. Examples include the T.A.M.I. Show (1964),  Woodstock (1970), Wattstax (1974), The Last Waltz (1978), and New York Doll. The T.A.M.I. Show was a festival concert that took place in Santa Monica featuring Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys, and many other rock artists. Wattstax was a festival commemorating the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles. Artists included The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, and others. Tribute (2001) is a particularly interesting and not very sympathetic documentary about four tribute bands devoted to worshiping the music of The Monkees, Queen, Kiss, and Judas Priest. In 2010, an excellent documentary about the Doors was released entitled When You're Strange.

Miscellaneous

These are films in which rock is an important element but not necessarily central to the plot. Examples are Easy Rider (1969), The Graduate (1969), and Saturday Night Fever (1978). Several of the so-called blaxploitation movies in the early 1970s had great soundtracks featuring funk music. Two of the best examples were Shaft (1971) and Superfly (1972).

Perhaps one of the most effective films concerning rock is This Is Spinal Tap (1984). It tells the story of a fictional British metal band touring the United States in the twilight of their career. See the page on Spinal Tap for more information on the film.