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Lady Sings the Blues

1972 · directed by Sidney J. Furie · 144 min
23,062 feet · Prominence
1,377th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw58

Lifetime worldwide gross $20m, re-releases included; about $156m in 2026 money.

Rank2,111 of 11,051In 197215 of 38

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise82

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics73 baseAwards63 signal → +9 lift

Oscars5 nominated Actress, Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Production Design, Original Song Score
Golden Globes1 won Lead acting1 nominated Lead acting
BAFTAs1 nominated Lead acting
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy40

Judged directly: Diana Ross as Billie Holiday, notable.

Verdict40 of 100IMDb7 from 5kWikipedia5k views a monthAge54 years

Scored beside it · 1,751 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 58 praise 82 legacy 40averages 60, placing it at23,062 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Diana Ross

In these careers — elevation for this film

Diana Ross20,038 ftBilly Dee Williams18,791 ftRichard Pryor18,455 ftScatman Crothers17,639 ftNorman Bartold17,625 ft