'La Bamba': The Best Rock Movie of 1987 With a No. 1 Soundtrack and Tragic True Story
'La Bamba': The Best Rock Movie of 1987 With a No. 1 Soundtrack and Tragic True Story
DeAnna JanesSun, May 3, 2026 at 9:47 PM UTC
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The first time we watched La Bamba, we cried so ugly we thought our face would stick that way. A true story about a teen rock star, the film is now ranked by Ultimate Classic Rock as the best rock movie of 1987, and with its magnetic cast, emotional highs and lows, and No. 1 hit soundtrack, we have to agree.
Centered on 1950s rock ’n’ roll star Ritchie Valens, the biopic follows the meteoric rise and tragic fate of the 17-year-old Mexican-American pioneer of Chicano rock. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Valens, delivering a breakout performance that — despite not providing his own vocals — radiates charisma and chemistry. Youth, fame, pressure, romance, tragedy — director Luis Valdez brings it all together for a story that feels almost Shakespearean.
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La Bamba is also a shining example of music and movie magic, with the soundtrack, performed by Tex-Mex band Los Lobos, reimagining covers for the film and shooting both the album and lead single to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. The album was later certified double platinum.
On February 3, 1959, Valens died in a plane crash. The day became known as The Day the Music Died. The film depicts the tragic event, staying loyal to historical detail. Valens, who had a fear of flying due to a real-life plane crash that happened at his school in 1957, was headed on tour with Buddy Holly and two other acts. Waylon Jennings, Holly’s bass player at the time, took the bus instead. It was reported that Jennings was haunted by the event for years.
In 2017, La Bamba was added to the National Film Registry, cementing the Golden Globe-nominated film as a culturally and historically significant work of art. Today, the biopic, which has a remake in the works, still resonates as a definitive rock biopic, reinforcing its teen dream as a lasting legend.
Related: 1973 Nostalgic Hit Saved by ‘The Godfather’ Ranked Among the Best Rock Movies of All Time
This story was originally published by Parade on May 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
