From action heroes to Oscar winners, these screen stars thought they could conquer the music charts too! Join us as we look at Hollywood performers who ventured into the recording studio. From dramatic readings to dance pop, these actors proved that sometimes it's better to stick to what you know best.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the screen performers whose music careers either didn't pan out, stalled, or remain much less successful than their acting gigs.
00:1620. Tom Hardy
00:26Most people know Tom Hardy for his transformative acting performances.
00:35From The Revenant to Mad Max Fury Road, his intensity jumps off the screen.
00:40People might not know that Hardy also tried out hip-hop as a younger man.
00:43This includes an apparent recording deal and some unreleased tracks.
00:47Not only that, the actor seems serious enough with his moniker Tommy No. 1.
00:58Given some of his more verbose and broader roles, the performer isn't a long shot as an MC.
01:02Some of the work leaked online, but it hasn't inspired the man to go back to the rap world anytime soon.
01:13Take a shot! Take a shot!
01:15Number 19. Steven Seagal
01:17As a martial artist and an actor, Steven Seagal made a name for himself as a tough guy.
01:22Watching him in Above the Law, you don't see the guy becoming a singer anytime soon.
01:26No, no, no, no, no, no, not my sir. Don't get the candy.
01:28I don't get the candy.
01:32Mr. Police.
01:33You ain't!
01:34Bruce, man.
01:35This didn't stop Seagal from releasing multiple albums.
01:38We'll let you make up your own mind, but it's fair to say that the world doesn't need more of his music.
01:42Some of his recordings need to be heard to be believed.
01:45And I want you to stay
01:49No matter what tomorrow brings
01:52It's strange to think that this actor collaborated with Stevie Wonder.
02:02He even tried his hand at blues, with his second record, Mojo Priest, exploring the genre to mixed results.
02:08Given his reputation for being difficult, we'd rather move on than risk being beaten up.
02:12How can your love for me be so far away?
02:18He might be an Oscar winner, but he also likes to sing.
02:31This goes back to his days in Australia, under the name Russ La Rock, or with his band 30-odd-foot-of-gruntz.
02:37From bliss to self-confidence, all that prejudice grows, all that prejudice grows.
02:44He's even done some collaborations with the likes of Chrissy Hynde.
02:48That you love me, makes me strong.
02:55As Javert and Les Miserables, Crow showed off his voice to a wider audience.
02:59His performance received mixed reviews, just like some of his recording catalog.
03:03He hasn't received the same kind of attention for his music, but Crow still likes to occasionally sing and perform live.
03:09It's safe to say that he'll be better remembered for playing Maximus, or starring in A Beautiful Mind.
03:13Number 17. Naomi Campbell
03:15As a supermodel, Naomi Campbell became a hugely successful, well-known, and a groundbreaker in her industry.
03:22She also starred in a few iconic music videos, such as George Michael's Freedom 90.
03:26With all of her recognition, Campbell attempted her own music career.
03:37Her solo debut, Baby Woman, came out in 1994.
03:45The model made an attempt at R&B, but this didn't start another trend.
03:51She remains one of the more famous fashion icons, regardless of her singing past.
03:55Starring in various films, she hasn't stopped branching out into other mediums.
03:59It just seems that singing was much more of a one-off idea for her.
04:08Number 16. Patrick Swayze
04:10In the late 1980s and 1990s, Patrick Swayze appeared in blockbusters and cult favorites.
04:16He also dabbled in some songwriting and singing, creating the song She's Like the Wind.
04:20The actor played a part in iconic music for Dirty Dancing.
04:31This wasn't his only successful attempt to get on a movie soundtrack, either.
04:34Swayze did have a pretty decent voice to sell a ballad, but he didn't blossom into a pop idol.
04:38The heartthrob definitely stuck to what he did best in both classics and guilty pleasures.
04:42After his death in 2009, his beloved and surprisingly versatile career was cut short.
05:03Number 15. Leighton Meester
05:12As a core member of the Gossip Girl cast, Leighton Meester became a TV star in 2007.
05:18She's also released music and been featured as a guest on tracks.
05:21This includes the hit song Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship.
05:25It's a catchy track full of late 2000s charm, with Meester adding to a fun performance.
05:37After other work with the likes of Robin Thicke, she put out her solo debut, Heartstrings, in 2014.
05:49The record appeared at 139 on the Billboard 200 and included a concert tour.
05:54She has yet to release another album, maintaining focus on her television and film ventures.
05:58When she lost her home in the 2025 California wildfires, the artist received support from fans and streamed her music catalog.
06:12Number 14. Corey Feldman
06:14Starring in The Goonies and Stand By Me, Corey Feldman was among the best child actors of his day.
06:19You guys can go around if you want to.
06:22I'm crossing here.
06:23And while you guys are dragging your candy asses halfway across the state and back,
06:28I'll be waiting for you on the other side, relaxing with my thoughts.
06:32He made classics during the 1980s before trying out music.
06:35Some of his output could be compared to the pop stylings of Michael Jackson.
06:391994 saw the release of his debut album, Love Left.
06:42But this record didn't reinvigorate his career.
06:44People like Howard Stern made fun of him, making him out to be more of a novelty act.
06:56At the end of the day, Feldman kept trying music throughout the years as one of his passion projects.
07:01Unless you're a superfan, you'll likely prefer his work in any number of nostalgic favorites.
07:05Number 13. Clint Eastwood
07:14You know him best as a movie star across multiple decades.
07:29From westerns to dramas, Clint Eastwood is one of the more identifiable men of the 20th century.
07:35He became better known after his work on Rawhide.
07:38Around the same time, he made a record serving up some cowboy favorites.
07:42Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above.
07:48Don't fence me in.
07:50With his interest in music, Eastwood was able to sing standards in his earlier career.
07:54He ended up with big opportunities in cinema rather than becoming a renowned crooner.
07:57That isn't to say he didn't sing on screen either.
08:00On top of that, the filmmaker contributes more than acting or directing to his projects.
08:04This includes writing music for Unforgiven, or composing his Oscar-winning films like Million Dollar Baby.
08:10Don't let me lie here till I can't hear those people stand in the war.
08:14Number 12. Brie Larson
08:36As a child actor, Brie Larson started her career trying out a mix of music and films.
08:41Her teenage years included songs like She Said.
08:50With work at Disney and a solo album, it looked like she might head towards a more musical life.
08:55In the 2010s, she even got to play a musician in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
08:59Send you my love on the wire
09:03Lift you up every time
09:07The actress ultimately found more interest and long-term success in movies.
09:11Her acting work quickly skyrocketed as she drew praise for indie films and won an Oscar for Room.
09:16Room is the shed.
09:18He's locked the door.
09:20He's the only one that knows the code.
09:21You know the secret numbers that open the door?
09:23He's the only one that knows, and I've been locked in here for seven years.
09:26I've been in here for seven years. Do you understand?
09:29This story's boring!
09:30Larson then entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain Marvel.
09:34Between her work as a superhero or in the Fast franchise, she's traded singles for blockbusters.
09:40There she is. Fashionably late.
09:44Number 11. Eddie Murphy
09:46From SNL to big-screen comedies, Eddie Murphy blew up in the 1980s.
09:50He even teamed up with Rick James for Party All the Time.
10:00While there was a hit single, Murphy's music career took a backseat to his comedy specials
10:05and movies like Beverly Hills Cop.
10:06He later collaborated with Michael Jackson on What's Up With You.
10:09America's new girl
10:12Along with attempts at reggae, the comedian kept his musical projects eclectic and minimal.
10:22He also had a talent for singing and mimicking other artists.
10:25That's good.
10:28Just living in perfect harmony.
10:31We're talking salt and pepper, Sammy and Dean.
10:36Stevie and me are peachy king.
10:39Considering his popularity on TV and in films,
10:44it was nearly impossible to ever match his Hollywood stardom as a musician.
10:47Oh, we should have known it was you.
10:51Number 10. Alyssa Milano
10:53In both TV and movies, Alyssa Milano made her mark as an actress.
10:57Oh, I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Bowers.
11:00You have a lovely home and you're so pretty.
11:02Oh, thank you. I'm very flattered.
11:05That's the idea.
11:06If you know her from Who's the Boss, you might still not know about her work in music.
11:11She's not the only actress to try out a pop career,
11:14but few try one in a different country like Japan.
11:16Oh, now you came into my life.
11:18What a feeling.
11:20I thank the stars for all the love we're still.
11:24A younger Milano released several records far away from the American market.
11:27This might be why you have trouble remembering her songs.
11:30Between 1989 and 1992,
11:32she released four albums on the label Pony Canyon Inc.
11:35She had a hold on Japanese audiences until returning to her acting work.
11:46Instead of making another record, she went on to work on series like Charmed.
11:50Surprise!
11:55Found the hide-a-key.
11:58Phoebe, welcome home.
12:00Number 9. Lindsay Lohan
12:02She was a massively successful star in her younger days,
12:05starring in everything from The Parent Trap to Mean Girls.
12:08Why don't I know you?
12:10I'm new. I just moved here from Africa.
12:13What?
12:14I used to be homeschooled.
12:16Lindsay Lohan also made a momentary splash with her music.
12:18Out of room is starting.
12:20I'm sick of being followed.
12:22I'm tired of people lying, saying what they want about me.
12:26Her album, Speak, did platinum numbers,
12:29and her follow-up, a little more personal, raw, went gold.
12:32She carried her screen stardom into the recording industry,
12:35but it wasn't meant to last.
12:37The actress mentioned that she took a break to leave room for her sister's music.
12:40Lohan's personal struggles didn't help either,
12:42with her professional career taking a turn.
12:44More recently, she's put out rom-coms
12:46and even recorded covers like Jingle Bell Rock.
12:48Number 8. David Hasselhoff
12:57On Knight Rider, David Hasselhoff became something of a household name.
13:01He also spent the 1980s becoming a European pop star.
13:04The light of day is fading
13:07You're asleep beside me
13:12While he didn't break records in America,
13:14he certainly struck a chord in Germany.
13:16Hasselhoff kept on acting in other big TV series like Baywatch.
13:20Throughout the years,
13:21the actor both put out more music and lampooned his own image.
13:24He seemingly embraced his position in pop culture
13:26for all of the highs and lows that he might have represented.
13:35Over a dozen albums later,
13:37the artist seems to have cashed in on 1980s nostalgia.
13:39He even made an appearance on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack.
13:42Getting down and dirty with a pussy on loader
13:46Got no people skills, but he's good with motor
13:50Number 7. Scarlett Johansson
13:52After working as a young actor,
13:55Scarlett Johansson became a leading star in the 2000s.
13:57Her role in Lost in Translation garnered her further acclaim,
14:01while films like Matchpoint showed her range.
14:03Have you done many movies?
14:05It was a commercial, not a movie.
14:07But your eyes went straight too, if you know what I mean.
14:10I don't think my career has really gone as planned.
14:14Johansson was no stranger to music either,
14:16with her appearance in a Justin Timberlake video.
14:18You know I gave you the world
14:20You had me in the palm of your hand
14:24In 2008, she released her debut,
14:27Anywhere I Lay My Head.
14:28It charted in several countries
14:30and featured covers of Tom Waits songs.
14:31She followed that up with an album alongside Pete Yorn.
14:35When I met you, I didn't know what to do
14:39I was tired, I was hungry
14:41In both cases, the artist showed promise
14:44regardless of reviews or record sales.
14:46The performer then became Black Widow
14:48and churned out a prolific decade of acting.
14:50Even if she isn't a pop idol,
14:52she sang on soundtracks like The Jungle Book.
14:54Trust in me
14:57You can sleep
15:01Number 6
15:03Joe Pesci
15:04Before his great work as a mainstream actor,
15:14Joe Pesci was a musician and singer.
15:16He even knew members of the Four Seasons,
15:18but he was much more talented as a screen performer.
15:20Pesci connected with Martin Scorsese
15:22and started a fruitful partnership that lasted multiple films.
15:25The actor had another album in the 1990s
15:27with some entertaining attempts at rapping.
15:30I'm a wise guy
15:31I just stopped by
15:33with a couple of guys
15:35He didn't act much in the 2000s,
15:38but he also seemed prepared to make something of a comeback.
15:41He eventually released a third record in 2019
15:43that went largely under the radar.
15:45I'll be
15:46seeing you
15:49That same year,
15:54he returned to work with Scorsese
15:55and received an Oscar nomination for The Irishman.
15:58Only three people in the world have one of these.
16:01And only one of them is Irish.
16:03I have one.
16:05Angelo has one.
16:08Now you have one.
16:10Number 5
16:11Jennifer Love Hewitt
16:13For most of her life,
16:14Jennifer Love Hewitt has been on one screen or another.
16:17This includes TV shows like Party of Five
16:19or cult classics like Can't Hardly Wait.
16:21There she is.
16:28As a kid,
16:30the actress made a record for Japanese company Meldach.
16:32She then started an American recording career
16:34as her acting took off even further.
16:40Going from pure pop to a more mature sound,
16:46she released three more studio albums,
16:48including the moderately successful Bare Naked.
16:57Each step of the way,
16:58her acting work won out in terms of attention and popularity.
17:02She's released songs for some of her projects,
17:04but Hewitt has merely dabbled in music since her last album.
17:07Somebody knows, Helen.
17:08Help.
17:09I don't know.
17:13Julie, we were so careful.
17:14Were we?
17:16Were we?
17:16What if somebody saw us?
17:17What if somebody else was there that night?
17:21Number 4
17:21Don Johnson
17:23You know him from Miami Vice,
17:31but Don Johnson has much more up his sleeve.
17:33This includes an attempt as a pop singer.
17:35His single, Heartbeat,
17:37has an energy that's reminiscent of other hits from the decade.
17:48Johnson has his share of charisma,
17:49but he's always seemed more at home on TV.
17:51The artist even did a duet with the one and only Barbra Streisand.
17:54He might have had some wins as a vocalist,
18:04but they've mostly taken a backseat to his acting.
18:07You're now more likely to find him in a film rather than worrying about his singing.
18:10Looking back,
18:11his two solo albums feel more like relics from the 1980s pop and rock genres.
18:15Number 3
18:23Gwyneth Paltrow
18:24In the 1990s,
18:26Gwyneth Paltrow climbed the entertainment ladder with a wide range of roles.
18:30Her Oscar win for Shakespeare in Love made her a major Hollywood A-lister,
18:34while Iron Man landed her in the MCU.
18:36Her brief foray into music was sandwiched between multiple successes.
18:39Duets gave her a chance to partner with Huey Lewis.
18:41Baby, let's cruise away from here.
18:51But years later,
18:53Country Strong gave her an opportunity to try out country music.
18:56You got it,
18:59float it,
19:02make the cowboy
19:05want it.
19:09Not only did she star in blockbusters,
19:12she also did well with businesses like Goop.
19:14Her singing didn't last,
19:16but she was clearly busy earning money elsewhere.
19:26Number 2
19:27William Shatner
19:28No matter how many ways you look at it,
19:30William Shatner will always be Captain Kirk.
19:33Come on, you bloodsucker.
19:35You're gonna have to do your own dirty work now.
19:37Do you hear me?
19:38Do you?
19:38The Star Trek actor has made a name for himself across several mediums,
19:42but music is not necessarily his best.
19:45Shatner doesn't sing so much as he delivers a dramatic reading of the lyrics.
19:48Are you sure you want to live like common people?
19:53You want to see whatever common people see?
19:55He put out The Transformed Man in the late 60s,
19:58starting a trend of strange recordings.
20:01After Star Trek films and other TV work,
20:03the performer returned to the studio.
20:05He's been prolific during the 21st century,
20:07but his work behind the microphone doesn't hold a candle to his acting.
20:10This doesn't mean that his version of Rocketman is any less entertaining, though.
20:13Before we continue,
20:27be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
20:31You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
20:35If you're on your phone,
20:37make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
20:39Through all of his ups and downs,
20:46Robert Downey Jr. came out the other side as a bona fide star.
20:49He continues to prove that he's a versatile performer.
20:52While attempting a career comeback,
20:53Downey Jr. also put out one solo album in 2004.
20:57It wasn't the first time he'd sung,
20:58but he mostly did so on movie and TV soundtracks.
21:01It stays pretty green
21:03Make a lot of money
21:05Then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene
21:08His song, Man Like Me,
21:11reached number 39 on the Billboard U.S. Adult Contemporary Charts.
21:22The single and album didn't resonate as much as one might have hoped.
21:25Within a few years,
21:26the actor was well on his way to Hollywood royalty.
21:28His role as an Iron Man
21:30and an Oscar for Oppenheimer
21:31surely lessened the blow.
21:38His opinions on the album became definitive.
21:42And he wasn't always patient with us mere mortals.
21:45Did we forget another actor
21:46that attempted a side gig as a would-be musician?
21:49Let us know in the comments below.
21:50Every time I take a ride
21:53I feel alive with nowhere to go
21:56That's it!
21:59I feel like nobody the wrong chick
22:00and I feel like I beg you
22:01that's not only an arrival
22:02the police out of London
22:03but his parents His family
22:04the police out of nearby
22:05and I live with how he It looks like
22:06the아아