Music documentaries of my life
This list is an effort to try and record all music documentaries I've seen in my life so far. I'm including anything, from the very best to the worst of the worst and in no particular order. This list is very far from being complete and I'm also including music videos (simply music, like live gigs etc, not documentaries).
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- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenJessica Joy WiseStarsTom ArayaGavin BaddeleyBlasphemerAn examination of the heavy metal music subculture that tries to explain why, despite the longevity and popularity of the genre, fans are marginalized and ridiculed for their passion.
- DirectorCharlie AhearnStarsLee QuiñonesLady PinkFab 5 FreddySouth Bronx graffiti artist Zoro is commissioned to paint a backdrop for a hip-hop concert.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsGG AllinMerle AllinBrian Unk HunterDocumentary about notorious punk rock performer GG Allin.
- DirectorMichael WadleighStarsJoan BaezRichie HavensRoger DaltreyOscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
- DirectorJohn HeynJeff KrulikStarsJohn Cloud Jr.Judas PriestA look at the wild scene outside a Judas Priest concert.
- DirectorDavid Van TaylorStarsK.K. DowningSuellen FulstoneErich GranzenTwo young men shoot themselves in a churchyard. Ray Belknap dies; James Vance - severely disfigured - survives. Their parents take heavy-metal icons Judas Priest to court, claiming the band "mesmerized" their sons. The unprecedented trial is the framework for this one-of-a-kind, Emmy-nominated documentary.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsEugene TatuAlice Bag BandBlack FlagA look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsJoe PerrySteven TylerGene SimmonsDocumentary showcase, what life was like for the music artists living during the Los Angeles Heavy Metal scene in the mid and late 1980s.
- DirectorGreg OlliverWes OrshoskiStarsLemmyPhil CampbellMikkey DeeA documentary on the life and career of revered heavy-metal musician Lemmy Kilmister.
- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenStarsTom ArayaKen AyugaiRafael BittencourtA continued examination of the heavy metal subculture focusing on the adaptation and performance of heavy metal in various global communities, and how the increased import of Western cultural forms has impacted new global markets.
- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenStarsBruce DickinsonJanick GersSteve HarrisA chronological account of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden's 2008 world tour through India, Australia, Japan, USA, Canada, Mexico and South America in a jet piloted by the band's front man, Bruce Dickinson. Features interviews with the musicians, their road crew and fans.
- DirectorRick ErnstStarsLee AltusRuss AndersonDeath AngelGet Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal is the story of how bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus and others pioneered a new form of heavy metal in the early 1980's.
- DirectorMats LundbergStarsBjørn AlmarErik DanielssonNiklas KvarforthA look at the music genre Black Metal, containing interviews with bands such as Watain, Ondskapt, Mordichrist and many more.
- DirectorTanja KarttunenStarsKuisma AaltoRutter Mark AlecAlice CooperPromised Land of Heavy Metal is a documentary about Finland, the only country where heavy metal has become mainstream. Starring Alice Cooper, Mr Lordi, and Ville Valo.
- DirectorChris RodleyStarsBlack SabbathRitchie BlackmoreBudgieTracing the roots of Heavy Metal music within the UK.
- DirectorSuroosh AlviEddy MorettiStarsFiras Al-LateefSuroosh AlviMarwan ReyadIn the late summer of 2006, in the middle of the insurgency, filmmakers Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi traveled to Baghdad to meet and interview the only heavy metal band in Iraq, Acrassicauda. "Heavy Metal in Baghdad" is the story of the band and its members, young Iraqis whose lives have been distorted and displaced by years of continual warfare in their homeland. The filmmakers have collected glimpses into the struggles of Acrassicauda as they try to stay together and stay alive. Their struggle is the untold story of the hopes and dreams of an entire generation of young Iraqis.
- DirectorDon LettsStarsK.K. BarrettRoberta BayleyJello BiafraA documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.
- DirectorPaul RachmanStarsGreg GinnIan MacKayeJames DrescherThe History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986
- DirectorAJ SchnackStarsKurt CobainEvan FortinNathan StreifelIn this visual essay style documentary, intimate audio of journalist Michael Azerrad's interviews with Kurt Cobain is played over more recently photographed footage of Cobain's Washington state homes and haunts.
- DirectorIara LeeStarsArthur BakerAfrika BambaataaCarl CoxThe evolution of electronic music and its many genres. How the wide range of styles and scenes formed through experimentations on sound formation.
- StarsJulian Rhind-TuttCharles Shaar MurrayDavid FrickeSeven Ages of Rock is about the history of rock music. It comprised six 60-minute episodes, with a final episode of 90 minutes. Each episode focused on one type of rock music, each typified by one or two artists or bands.
- StarsSam DunnScott IanBruce DickinsonMetal Evolution is broken down into episodes about a different piece of metal history. The series includes interviews with and about Alice Cooper, Slash, Lemmy, Rob Zombie, members of Megadeth, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Slayer, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, The Stooges, ZZ Top, Soundgarden, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, Korn, Slipknot, Lamb of God and more.
- DirectorSacha GervasiStarsRobb ReinerSteve 'Lips' KudlowTiziana ArrigoniSince 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
- DirectorMichael John WarrenStarsSebastian BachFrankie BanaliGeezer ButlerThe four part documentary focuses on the origins, subgenres, and the bands of heavy metal music, paying close attention to influential bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, who helped to define heavy metal in its early years, including some other bands like Kiss, AC/DC and more.
- DirectorBill ZebubStarsAbbathAgathonMartin Eric AinPagan/Folk Metal has been growing in popularity, and has overthrown Black Metal in Europe. These bands have tested the American shores and have played sold-out shows. The time has come to explore this invasion. This is the first documentary about Pagan/Folk Metal that has ever been made, and it features the best bands from the genre: Korpiklaani, Primordial, Finntroll, Ensiferum, Leaves Eyes, Turisas, and Tyr. Enjoy live performances, learn about the subcultures, and gain insight into the music. The artists give cordial and informative interviews - you will feel like you have made new friends. Two hours of metal await you! From the twisted mind of Bill Zebub (Grimoire of Exalted Deeds magazine, Metal Retardation, Breaking Her Will).
- DirectorJames YukichStarsIron MaidenBruce DickinsonSteve HarrisPart of their World Slavery Tour, this, their Long Beach Arena shows, have finally come to the format of DVD. Bringing you the early tracks of their career and with the themes and backdrops to their "Powerslave" album (1984), this, the definitive Iron Maiden concert will have you in thunderous applause to this British heavy metal troupe. They're all here: Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, The Trooper, Number of the Beast and Running Free etc...If there is life after death, then only prey that it is Eddie and The Boys' who show you the way...
- DirectorSteve HarrisStarsBruce DickinsonDave MurrayAdrian SmithOn November 27th and 28th 1988, Iron Maiden filmed their two sold-out concerts at Birminghams NEC.
- DirectorDoug FreelJean PellerinStarsCliff BurtonKirk HammettJames HetfieldCliff 'Em All, Metallica's first video, is a tribute to late original bassist Cliff Burton. James Hetfield describes it as "a compilation of bootleg footage shot by sneaky Metallifux, stuff shot for TV that was never used, but we've held onto, home footage, personal fotos and us drunk. But most important, it's really a look back at the 3-1/2 years that Cliff was with us and includes his best bass solos and the home footage and pix that we feel best capture his unique personality and style."
- DirectorKeven McAlesterStarsByron ColeyPaul Drummond13th Floor ElevatorsDocumentary about rock pioneer Roky Erickson, detailing his rise as a psychedelic hero, his lengthy institutionalization, his descent into poverty and filth, and his brother's struggle with their religious mother to improve Roky's care.
- DirectorScott TreleavenStarsChris FreemanJon GinoliAnita SmithThe urban on-line dictionary defines queercore as "Gay-themed, underground, independent music; usually punk rock (Team Dresch, Pansy Division, The Butchies, The Need, etc.)" See for yourself.
- DirectorRoy WallaceStarsJon ActivePetesy BurnsFrancisco CarrenoThrough interviews with major players in the anarchist-punk movement, DAY THE COUNTRY DIED explores the evolution of a genre. Those sharing their views include Colin Jerwood of Conflict, Penny Rimbaud of Crass, Zillah Minx of Rubella Ballet, and more. The release also includes live concert material.
- DirectorSini AndersonStarsKathleen HannaCarrie BrownsteinKim GordonA look at the life of activist, musician, and cultural icon Kathleen Hanna, who formed the punk band Bikini Kill and pioneered the "riot grrrl" movement of the 1990s.
- DirectorSusan DynnerStarsCraig AaronsonColin AbrahallAdriOn the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk's Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, and yes, shopping malls and stadium shows where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive. Thirty years after bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols infamously shocked the system with their hard, fast, status-quo-killing rock, the longest-running punk band in history is drawing bigger crowds than ever, "pop-punk" bands have found success on MTV, and kids too young to drive are forming bands that carry the torch for punk's raw, immediate sound. Meanwhile, "punk" has become a marketing concept to sell everything from cars to vodka, and dyed hair and piercings mark a rite of passage for thousands of kids. Can the true, nonconformist punk spirit still exist in today's corporatized culture? Featuring interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes journeys with the bands, labels, fans, and press who keep punk alive, Punk's Not Dead dares to juxtapose pop-punk's music and lifestyle against the roots in the 70s and 80s, resulting in unexpected revelations. A DIY search for the soul of a subculture and a celebration of all things loud, fast, and spiked, Punk's Not Dead shows punk is stronger and more relevant today than it's ever been.
- DirectorMark Christopher CovinoJeff HowlettStarsBobby HackneyDavid HackneyDannis HackneyA documentary on the 1970s punk trio Death, and their new-found popularity decades after they disbanded.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsDemetri MartinHenry GoodmanEdward HibbertA man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
- DirectorBarak GoodmanJamila EphronStarsJohn RobertsJoel RosenmanJoel MakowerIn August 1969, 500,000 people gathered at a farm in upstate New York. What happened there was far more than just a concert. Woodstock tells the story of a legendary event that defined a generation through the voices of those who were there.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsIggy PopJim JarmuschBob WallerAn in-depth look at legendary punk band The Stooges.