When it comes to tackling the lives of music's biggest icons, biopics shoot for the stars — still, some don't quite make it out of orbit.

Of course, there are valid reasons a biopic might not pan out as planned: Sometimes, it's a matter of bad timing. In other cases, taste comes into question — especially when the subject has recently died. Then, most offensively, there are times when the actor cast is a total mismatch for the role.

Lifetime knows a thing or two about that last part, what with the headache that was 2014’s Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B. Still, trainwreck-to-come Britney Ever After might just up the ante on bad biopics.

Thankfully, some biopics have managed to get things just right, like VH1’s 2013 TLC biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. The movie starred Keke Palmer and Lil Mama and was solid through and through.

Check out our gallery of actors who played music icons in biopics. Here, you'll find proof that such a production either sinks or swims based on who's behind the biggest roles.

Actors Who Played Music's Biggest Icons On Screen

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