Elvis Costello
Known for: Acting
Born: August 25, 1954
Place of birth: Paddington, London, England, UK
Referencing prodigies of rock lyricism may not bring Elvis Costello to mind for some, but he does deserve consideration. Through the course of over four decades, the former computer programmer has maintained a career as a singer-songwriter, giving the likes of Bob Dylan himself a reckoning. He was born Declan MacManus in London, England, on August 25, 1954. He took the moniker Elvis Costello in 1977, adopting his first name from Elvis Presley and the last part from the maiden name of his mother. Also in '77, Costello's debut album My Aim Is True was released, drawing connections to the new wave and punk movement while showing musical variance. That year, Costello's band The Attractions was assembled. The group released a number of albums, including This Year's Model, Armed Forces, and Trust. 1986's Blood and Chocolate produced memorable, literate gems, such as "Tokyo Storm Warning" and "I Want You." After the Attractions' final show in 1996, caused by conflict between Costello and the band's bassist Bruce Thomas, two of the group's other members would become part of his new backing band, The Imposters. Costello has released over 30 albums.
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Filmography
103 movies · 42 TV shows, newest first
8.4
McCartney: The Hunt for the Lost Bass
2026
NR
Words + Music
2025
7.7
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
NR
Elvis Costello & WDR Big Band @ Leverkusener Jazztage 2025
2025NR
Alma Naidu @ Levekusener Jazztage 2025
2025
7.5
Record On: The Specials - A Message to You
2024
9.0
Sounds of Liverpool at the BBC
2023
7.0
Roy Orbison Forever
2022
7.0
Lindisfarne's Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story
2021
5.9
This Is Pop
2021
7.0
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black in Britain
2020
NR
Ringo Starr’s Big Birthday Show
2020
9.3
Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
2019
10.0
Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen
2018
7.7
Pete the Cat
2017
6.4
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
2017
7.0
Roy Orbison: Black and White Night 30
2017
7.5
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
2016
6.1
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
7.0
Elvis Costello - Detour Live at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
2015
7.3
Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued
2014
5.8
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
5.7
Elvis Costello: Mystery Dance
2013
NR
Experience Montreux
2013
NR
Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook
2012
7.0
A MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young
2011NR
Hamburg Journal
2011
5.0
I Was There: When the Beatles Played the Cavern
2011
5.0
Love Shines
2010NR
Hard Rock Calling 2010
2010
7.6
Treme
2010
10.0
A Prairie Home Companion Live in HD!
2010
NR
Live From Bonnaroo 2009
2009
6.0
Live from the Artists Den
2009
8.0
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...
2008
6.9
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!
2008
NR
Memento Mori
2008
7.0
If It Ain't Stiff: The Stiff Records Story
2007
6.4
Delirious
2007
NR
Elvis Costello: Live: A Case for Song
2007
NR
Tony Bennett: Duets - The Making of an American Classic
2007
7.2
The Graham Norton Show
2007
NR
The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music
2007
7.5
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade
2006
5.0
Legends
2006
NR
The Harry Smith Project Live
2006
7.0
Before the Music Dies
2006
7.5
30 Rock
2006
6.4
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
2006
NR
Elvis Costello & Friends
2006
NR
Putting the River in Reverse
2006
NR
Grand Ole Opry Live
2006
NR
The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave
2006
NR
From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: The Concert for New Orleans
2006
NR
Johnny Vegas: 18 Stone of Idiot - Unseen and Uncut
2005
7.0
The Colbert Report
2005NR
The Pretenders: No Turn Left Unstoned
2005
NR
Elvis Costello: The Right Spectacle - The Very Best of Elvis Costello
2005
NR
Live Aid: 20 Years Ago Today
2005
NR
Off The Beaten Path: A Road Trip With Elvis & Pete
2005
9.2
Live Aid
2004
7.0
Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile
2004
6.1
De-Lovely
2004
8.0
Johnny Cash: The Last Great American
2004
6.0
Elvis Costello & The Imposters: Club Date - Live in Memphis
2004
6.9
Cold Mountain
2003
8.2
Emmylou Harris: From a Deeper Well
2003
4.6
I Love Your Work
2003
7.5
Two and a Half Men
2003
NR
Elvis Costello: North
2003
6.1
The Shape of Things
2003
9.0
Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin'
2003
6.1
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
NR
Freedom Beat
2003
8.0
There's Only One Paul McCartney
2002
8.1
One Million Stars Falling from the Sky
2002
8.0
CMT Crossroads
2002
6.5
A Tribute To Burt Bacharach & Hal David
2001
5.5
Prison Song
2001
7.3
Unleaded
2000
8.0
Behind the Scenes of 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'
1999
6.2
In Dreams: The Roy Orbison Story
1999
6.9
Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Special
1999
6.3
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
1999
8.0
Here, There and Everywhere: A Concert for Linda
1999
5.8
200 Cigarettes
1999
6.5
Classic Albums: U2 - The Joshua Tree
1999NR
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach: Sessions at West 54th
1998
7.0
Brian Wilson’s Imagination
1998
9.0
Burt Bacharach: One Amazing Night
1998
4.9
Spice World
1997
7.7
Classic Albums
1997
8.0
Tony Bennett's New York
1996
6.4
The Daily Show
1996
7.1
TFI Friday
1996
7.5
3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
7.3
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995
7.5
The Frank Skinner Show
1995
NR
Lo + plus
1995
7.0
Tony Bennett: MTV Unplugged
1994
8.0
Dusty
1994
6.8
Philip K Dick: A Day in the Afterlife
1994
8.0
September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill
1994
7.7
Frasier
1993
7.3
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
6.4
Late Show with David Letterman
1993
8.0
Weird Nightmare
1993
7.7
The Larry Sanders Show
1992
5.4
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992NR
Rabbit Ears - Tom Thumb
1991
6.3
G.B.H.
1991
8.0
Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet - The Juliet Letters
1991
7.2
Have I Got News for You
1990
8.0
The Simpsons
1989
7.1
MTV Unplugged
1989
8.5
Paul McCartney: Put It There
1989
NR
Elvis Costello & Friends Live at Sweetwater
1989
7.7
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
1988
NR
Red Shoes In the Land of the Midnight Sun: Elvis Costello & The Confederates Live in Tokyo
1987
5.5
Straight to Hell
1987
NR
Chet Baker Live at Ronnie Scott's
1986
5.2
Club Paradise
1986NR
The Way They Were: Punk and the New Wave 1976-1978
1986
6.7
No Surrender
1985
7.9
Live Aid
1985
NR
The Bullshitters: Roll Out the Gunbarrel
19849.0
The Last Chance Dance
1984
6.5
Scully
1984
7.4
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982
6.8
Champs-Elysées
1982
NR
George Jones: With a Little Help from His Friends
1981
8.0
Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
1981
NR
Elvis Costello & The Attractions Live in Montreaux
1980
3.6
Americathon
1979
7.9
The Kenny Everett Video Show
1978
NR
Elvis Costello and The Attractions: Live at The Capitol Theatre
1978
7.0
If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a Fuck
1978
6.9
Saturday Night Live
1975
6.3
Austin City Limits
1975
6.6
Top of the Pops
1964
7.0
The Oscars
1953
NR
Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson
—
NR
Little Red Robin Hood
—
NR
Elvis Costello & the Attractions live in Boston & Detroit 1978
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