Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes. He is also known for his solo albums, contributing to the BBC comedy series Grumpy Old Men and for Rick's Place, his former radio show on Planet Rock that aired until December 2010. Born in west London, Wakeman purchased his first electronic keyboard at 12 years of age. In 1968, he studied the piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music before leaving after a year in favour of session music work. He went on to feature on songs by artists including Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, T. Rex, Elton John and Cat Stevens. Wakeman joined the folk group Strawbs in 1969 and played on three of their albums. He first joined Yes in 1971 to replace Tony Kaye, and left the group in 1974 to work on his solo career. He returned in 1976 before leaving with lead vocalist Jon Anderson in 1980. Wakeman was part of the side project Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, a group of ex-Yes members formed in 1989, and the eight-member Yes lineup that followed until his third departure in 1992. He returned for two years in 1995 and once more in 2002, where he was part of the band's 35th anniversary tour until its end in 2004. Wakeman began his solo career during his first run with Yes. His perhaps most known records being his first three, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975). He has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies. In November 2010, Wakeman was awarded the Spirit of Prog award at the annual Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 18, 1949 (77)
- Perivale, London, England
- Actor and composer
- 10 on MovieCove · 51 credits in all
What are Rick Wakeman's films like?
Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 9
A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 3 · Dark 2
A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 4
A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 3 · Intense 5
Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1
Casual 4 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 7 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 1
Resolved 7 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet3
- Ambiguous2
- Cyclical2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Rick Wakeman's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Rick Wakeman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
51 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 36 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Rick Wakeman - Live Portraits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Yes - Live at the Apollo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
BowieNext - Nascita di una galassia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Rick Wakeman on Vivaldi's Four Seasons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Ozzy Osbourne: Memoirs of a Madman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Celebrating Jon Lord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Yes: Close to the Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Jongleurs Live! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Perspectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Live at Hampton Court Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Yes: The New Director's Cut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
In Search of the Great Beast 666: Aleister Crowley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Yes: Live at Montreux 2003 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Rick Wakeman: Made in Cuba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Yes: Greatest Video Hits(1991)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Yes - Songs From Tsongas - 35th Anniversary Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Eco Rock Festival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Yes: Acoustic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Rick Wakeman: Out There (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Celebrity Mastermind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Yes: Yesspeak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Keyboard Wizards - The Ultimate Anthology (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
YES: Fragile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Roger Dean: Views (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Songs of Praise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Rick Wakeman & English Rock Ensemble Live From Buenos Aires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
The Alphabet Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Yes: Keys To Ascension (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Bullet to Beijing(1995)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Rick Wakeman: The Classical Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
YesYears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe In The Big Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
A Week In The Life Of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Creepshow 2(1987)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Crimes of Passion(1984)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
She(1984)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
G'olé! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Countdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Burning(1981)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Friday Night, Saturday Morning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Yes: Live In Philadelphia 1979 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
White Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Lisztomania(1975)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Sequences (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Phantom of the Opera(1925)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble , Special Guest Brian May – Live At Starmus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 26th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 50 titles, 49 of them dated from 1973 to 2019.
Biggest box office
Crimes of Passion (1984)
Highest rated
David Bowie: Five Years (2013)
Most popular right now
Crimes of Passion (1984)
Film career
- 1975Screen debut· Lisztomania
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Rick Wakeman's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 10 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the acting 55/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 40. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Rick Wakeman's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Rick Wakeman work with?
People who share at least 2 of Rick Wakeman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Caine shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Tony MaylamShared titles: Hero: The Official Film of the 1986 FIFA World Cup (1986), The Burning (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Tony Maylam
- Ken RussellShared titles: Crimes of Passion (1984), Lisztomania (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Ken Russell
Writers
- Harry Alan TowersShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Alan Towers
- Len DeightonShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Len Deighton
Actors
- Michael CaineShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995), Hero: The Official Film of the 1986 FIFA World Cup (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Caine
- David BowieShared titles: Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story (2017), David Bowie: Five Years (2013)See all 2 shared titles with David Bowie
- Mick RonsonShared titles: Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story (2017), David Bowie: Five Years (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Mick Ronson
- Jason ConneryShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Jason Connery
Cinematographers
- Peter BenisonShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Benison
Producers
- Aleksandr GolutvaShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Aleksandr Golutva
- André LinkShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with André Link
- John DunningShared titles: Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996), Bullet to Beijing (1995)See all 2 shared titles with John Dunning