Music Documentaries
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- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsDavid ByrneBernie WorrellAlex WeirConsidered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time, the live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads' most memorable songs.
- DirectorAdrian MabenStarsDavid GilmourRoger WatersRichard WrightLive versions of the songs, filmed in an old Pompeii amphitheater. Songs included are Echoes (split into 2 parts), Careful with that axe, Eugene, A saucerful of secrets, One of those days, Set the controls for the heart of the sun, Mademoiselle nobbs (Seamus, but with Rick's dog on vocals). "Careful" and "Set the controls" are shot at night with minimal lighting, setting a beautiful mood. And the live Saucerful just has to be seen, with Waters jumping around in the sunlight banging the huge gong. The 80-minute version features studio footage from the recordings of Dark side of the Moon, with alternate versions of Us and them, On the run and Brain Damage, as well as interviews with the band.
- DirectorDean DeBloisStarsAmiinaHildur ArsaelsdottirJon Thor BirgissonIn the summer of 2006, Sigur Rós returned home to play a series of free, unannounced concerts for the people of Iceland.
- DirectorD.A. PennebakerStarsOtis ReddingJimi HendrixRavi ShankarA film about the greatest pre-Woodstock rock music festival.
- DirectorPrinceDavid HoganAlbert MagnoliStarsPrinceSheila E.Sheena EastonHighlights from Prince's 1987 European concert tour, including selections from the rock star's album of the same title.
- 1985– 3h 28mNot Rated8.4 (12K)TV EpisodeDirectorMartin ScorseseStarsBob DylanB.J. RolfzenDick KangasA chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.
- 20211h 58mPG-138.0 (14K)96MetascoreDirectorQuestloveStarsDorinda DrakeBarbara Bland-AcostaDarryl LewisDocumentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
- DirectorJeff FeuerzeigStarsDaniel JohnstonMabel JohnstonBill JohnstonDaniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
- 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.
- DirectorJeff SteinStarsRoger DaltreyPete TownshendKeith MoonInterviews, TV clips and concert footage make up this comprehensive profile of The Who, Britain's premiere rock band.
- DirectorAndrew DominikStarsNick CaveWarren EllisJim SclavunosExplores the creative process of Nick Cave and his band as the singer struggles with an unspoken personal tragedy.
- DirectorNeil YoungStarsNeil YoungRalph MolinaFrank 'Pancho' SampedroDocumentary covering Neil Young's October 22, 1978 concert performance at the Cow Palace.
- DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.
- DirectorD.A. PennebakerStarsBob DylanAlbert GrossmanBob NeuwirthDocumentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsDepeche ModeDave GahanMartin GoreDepeche Mode live in Europe 1993.
- DirectorDavid BarnardStarsNick CaveWarren EllisThomas WydlerMovie capturing 2017 show in Copenhagen previously screened in theaters for one night only.
- DirectorSteve BinderStarsThe Beach BoysThe BarbariansChuck BerrySurf pop duo Jan and Dean host this showcase of performances by popular rock and roll and R&B musicians of the era.
- DirectorJerry GarciaStarsJerry GarciaDonna GodchauxKeith GodchauxThe Grateful Dead performs live at Winterland in San Francisco in October 1974.
- DirectorBert SternAram AvakianStarsLouis ArmstrongMahalia JacksonChuck BerryThe highlights of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.
- 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.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobbie RobertsonMuddy WatersNeil YoungA film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
- DirectorChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsJimi HendrixNoel ReddingMitch MitchellJimi Hendrix's landmark concert in Monterey County Fairgrounds in California in which he plays signature songs like "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," and "Wild Thing."
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDavid ByrneJacqueline AcevedoGustavo Di DalvaSpike Lee documents the former Talking Heads frontman's brilliant, timely 2019 Broadway show, based on his recent album and tour of the same name.
- DirectorMarco PorsiaStarsDevendra BanhartBlixa BargeldJehnny BethThe worldview of Michael Gira, through his life as a globetrotter and his four decades leading Swans, a group that he founded in the noisy and iconoclastic New York underground of the early '80s and that keeps reinventing itself today.
- DirectorTim IrwinStarsMilo AukermanJoe BaizaKevin BarrettA feature-length documentary chronicling early 80's punk rock band the Minutemen, from their beginnings in San Pedro, California, to their demise after the death of singer D. Boon in 1985.
- DirectorJem CohenStarsBrendan CantyJoe LallyIan MacKayeA collaboration between filmmaker Jem Cohen and the Washington D.C. band Fugazi, covering the 10 year period of 1987-1996. Far from a traditional documentary, this is a musical document; a portrait of musicians at work. The project mixes sync-sound, 16mm.
- DirectorSteve LoveridgeStarsM.I.A.Spike JonzeMadonnaDrawn from a never-before-seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.
- DirectorMargaret BrownStarsJoe ElyGuy ClarkWillie NelsonBe Here to Love Me - Chronicles the fascinating and often turbulent life of musician Townes van Zandt.
- DirectorSam DunnScot McFadyenStarsGeddy LeeAlex LifesonNeil PeartAn in-depth look at the Canadian rock band Rush, chronicling the band's musical evolution from their progressive rock sound of the '70s to their current heavy rock style.
- DirectorSaul SwimmerStarsGeorge HarrisonBob DylanRavi ShankarThe first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise humanitarian relief funds for the refugees of Bangladesh of 1971 war.
- DirectorAndrew DouglasStarsHarry CrewsJohnny DowdDavid Eugene EdwardsSearching for The Wrong-Eyed Jesus is a captivating and compelling road trip through the creative spirit of the the Southern U.S. Director Andrew Douglas's film follows "Alt Country" singer Jim White through a gritty terrain of churches, prisons, truck stops, biker bars and coal mines. This is a journey through a very real contemporary Southern U.S., a world of marginalised white people and their unique and home-made society. Along the way are road-side encounters with modern musical mavericks including The Handsome Family, Johnny Dowd, 16 Horsepower and David Johansen; old time banjo player Lee sexton; rockabilly and mountain Gospel churches - and novelist Harry Crews telling grisly stories down a dirt track.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsJohn Perry BarlowTom ConstantenSam CutlerA look at the 30-year career of The Grateful Dead.
- DirectorChris BlumStarsTom WaitsMichael L. BlairRalph CarneyBringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his jazzy, quirky, bluesy tunes presented as you would never, ever, ever expect.
- DirectorCharlotte ZwerinStarsThelonious MonkJohn ColtraneJimmy ClevelandA documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.
- DirectorGakuryû IshiiStarsEinstürzende NeubautenBlixa BargeldMark ChungA visual documentary of Einstuerzende Neubauten, the German underground band, by Japanese cult director Sogo Ishii, made during their 1985 tour of Japan. The band makes an elaborate and remarkably choreographed appearance in the ruins of an old ironworks which was scheduled for demolition, and footage of same was incorporated into the movie, and a brief appearance on stage.
- DirectorDavid DawkinsChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsAndrew FletcherDave GahanMartin GoreDepeche Mode prepares for the 101st and final concert of its massive world tour at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, while a group of fans who won a contest travel to the concert through the United States on a bus.
- DirectorBradley BeesleyStarsBradley BeesleySteve BurnsDolly CoyneA documentary on the evolution of the Oklahoma band The Flaming Lips.
- DirectorJohn Angus StewartStarsMichael CavanaghCook CraigAmbrose Kenny-SmithA film following Australian band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on their European Tour. A musical road movie dipped in turpentine.
- DirectorSean EvansRoger WatersStarsRoger WatersDave KilminsterSnowy WhiteDetails one of the most elaborately staged theatrical productions in music history as Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters performs the band's critically acclaimed album The Wall in its entirety.
- DirectorWill LovelaceDylan SouthernStarsDamon AlbarnMike SmithWayne HernandezAn insightful rockumentary looking at the history of the British rock band, Blur, as they head out on the road for their 2009 reunion tour.
- DirectorAlan ElliottSydney PollackStarsAretha FranklinJames ClevelandAlexander HamiltonA documentary presenting Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsGeorge HarrisonHarry HarrisonPeter HarrisonFilmmaker Martin Scorsese examines the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs.
- DirectorDerek BurbidgeStarsWall of VoodooStan RidgwayMarc MorelandLive performances from dozens of leading early-1980s musical acts - rock, punk, ska, reggae - it's all here.
- 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.
- DirectorJames SzalapskiStarsPeggy BrooksGuy ClarkDavid Allan CoeThe best music and the best whiskey come from the same part of the country.
- DirectorOndi TimonerStarsAnton NewcombeCourtney Taylor-TaylorJoel GionA documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
- DirectorBruce WeberStarsChet BakerCarol BakerVera BakerDocumentary on the life of jazz trumpeter and drug addict Chet Baker. Fascinating series of interviews with friends, family, associates and lovers, interspersed with film from Baker's earlier life and some modern-day performances.
- DirectorLes BlankStarsKid ThomasAllen ToussaintBlue Lu BarkerA look at the spirit of New Orleans. First a funeral: Allen Toussaint explains that you arrive slow and cut up afterwards. Then it's food, with a lesson in eating crayfish at Frankie and Johnny's. Next, a St. Patrick's Day party: New Orleans celebrates holidays on the streets. Then it's preparation for Mardi gras, with roots in slave days, when slaves gathered on Sundays to prepare for the one holiday they could celebrate. The Wild Tchoupitoulas society makes Indian costumes to honor the help Indians gave slaves. At Mardi gras, we're with this society parading, singing, and partying. We end with the annual parade for St. Joseph, the saint of the people. More music, dance and ritual.
- DirectorLes BlankSkip GersonStarsLightnin HopkinsBilly BizorMance LipscombA portrait of the great Texas bluesman, 'Lightnin' Hopkins. The film includes interviews and a performance by Hopkins.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsRon MaelRussell MaelBeckA musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsPaul CookSteve JonesJohn LydonA film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
- DirectorMichael Lindsay-HoggStarsIan AndersonGlenn CornickClive BunkerThe Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was filmed before a live audience at a North London TV studio.
- DirectorJim FieldsMichael GramagliaStarsRick RubinTommy RamoneDee Dee RamoneThe story of the punk rock band The Ramones.
- DirectorW.T. MorganStarsJohn DoeExene CervenkaBilly ZoomThis film is a documentary about the personalities in, and the music of, the early 1980's Los Angeles punk band X. There are studio and live performances by the band and interviews with band members; all nicely interspersed with footage of area DJs, record stores, old TV shows and commercials.
- DirectorMurray LernerStarsCarlos SantanaStanley CrouchMiles DavisDocumentary about Miles Davis' legendary gig at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 1970. Includes full live footage and recent interviews with band mates and others. .
- DirectorJörg A. HoppeHeiko LangeKlaus MaeckStarsAndiBela B.Blixa BargeldMusic, art and chaos in the wild West-Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city became the creative melting pot for sub- and pop-culture. Before the iron curtain fell, everything and anything seemed possible. B-MOVIE is a fast-paced collage of mostly unreleased film and TV footage from a frenzied but creative decade, starting with punk and ending with the Love Parade, in a city where the days are short and the nights are endless. Where it was not about long-term success, but about living for the moment - the here and now.
- DirectorKathy DoughertySusan FroemkeAlbert MayslesStarsJohn LennonPaul McCartneyGeorge HarrisonMaysles brothers documentary covering the first arrival of "Beatlemania" in the U.S., as well at the band's historical appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsBob DylanAllen GinsbergPatti SmithIn an alchemic mix of fact and fantasy, Martin Scorsese looks back at Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour and a country ripe for reinvention.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsEddie VedderStone GossardJeff AmentA documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsJohn WatersMary WoronovBarbara WaltersThe Velvet Underground explores the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll.
- DirectorDavid DawkinsChris HegedusD.A. PennebakerStarsOtis ReddingBooker T. & the M.G.sSteve CropperDocumentary on Otis Redding's performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsNina SimoneLisa Simone KellyRoger NupieA documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
- DirectorBenjamin WhalleyStarsDave BallWendy CarlosChris CarterFollowing a generation of post-punk musicians who went to form successful electronic bands in the 70s and 80s and had a profound impact on present day music.
- DirectorTerry ZwigoffStarsHoward ArmstrongTed BoganYank RachellAbout the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America.
- DirectorGrant GeeStarsRichard BoonAnton CorbijnKevin CumminsA chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band.
- DirectorMel StuartStarsThe DramaticsThe Staple SingersKim WestonDocumentary covering a Stax Records-sponsored all-day concert at the 1972 Watts Summer Festival with performances by Stax Records artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, The Staples Singers, and more.
- DirectorJulien TempleStarsJoe StrummerSteve JonesMick JonesAs the front man of the Clash from 1977, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before.
- DirectorRollin BinzerStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorA concert film taken from two Rolling Stones concerts during their 1972 North American tour.
- DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
- DirectorStephen Nomura SchibleStarsYellow Magic OrchestraRyuichi SakamotoA portrait of genius music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
- DirectorDon ArgottDemian FentonStarsBobby LieblingSean PelletierDiane LieblingDocumentary follows Bobby Liebling, lead singer of seminal hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he battles decades of hard drug addiction and personal demons to try and get his life back.
- DirectorD.A. PennebakerStarsDavid BowieMick RonsonTrevor BolderThe July 3rd, 1973 historic concert of the 'leper Messiah'. This was to be David Bowie's last concert with the Ziggy persona and the Spiders from Mars. A great medley of 'Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud'/'All The Young Dudes'/'Oh! You Pretty Things', a Lou Reed cover, and a Rolling Stones cover are but some of the highlights.
- DirectorR.J. BentlerStarsModest MouseOn Modest Mouse's classic 1997 album The Lonesome Crowded West.
- 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.
- DirectorFrancis WhatelyStarsDavid BowieRick WakemanJohn HarrisA documentary covering five of the most important years of the influential rock star David Bowie's career.
- DirectorDoug PrayStarsThe AlliesA-TrakCrazeThe story of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to the more recent "turntablism" movement. Underdogs and virtuosos who have radically changed the way we hear and create music.
- DirectorDenis SandersStarsElvis PresleyJames BurtonGlen D. HardinAfter years of making movies, the King made a triumphant return to the stage in 1970. Now, see the backstage footage from rehearsals to relaxing at the hotel and the performances in one of the most intimate looks at Elvis captured on film.
- DirectorDavid LelandStarsJoe BrownEric ClaptonJools HollandGeorge Harrison's friends, family, and bandmates unite for a tribute concert on the one-year anniversary of his death.
- DirectorJohn EdgintonStarsSyd BarrettJoe BoydVenetta FieldsRoger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and others tell the story of the creative process of the album "Wish You Were Here", released in September 1975.
- DirectorLance BangsStarsSteve AlbiniTodd BrashearEthan BucklerA documentary on the Louisville, Kentucky band Slint with a focus on their seminal final album, Spiderland.
- DirectorDick CarruthersStarsRobert PlantJimmy PageJohn Paul JonesA concert documentary of Led Zeppelin's December 10, 2007 tribute performance for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.
- DirectorJay BulgerStarsGinger BakerFemi KutiEric ClaptonGinger Baker looks back on his musical career with Cream and Blind Faith; his introduction to Fela Kuti; his self-destructive patterns and losses of fortune; and his current life inside a fortified South African compound.
- DirectorRoko BelicStarsRichard FeynmanB.B. KingKongar-ol OndarSan Francisco bluesman and composer, Paul Peña makes a musical pilgrimage to the land of Tuva.
- DirectorMurray LernerStarsIan AndersonJoan BaezMartin BarreIn August 1970 600,000 fans flocked to the Isle of Wight to witness the third and final festival to be held on the island. Besides the music, they also got a look at the greed, cynicism and corruption that would plague the music industry for years to come. They also witnessed the final, drugged out performance of Jimi Hendrix in England just two weeks before he would meet a tragic death. When it all was over, the fans view of rock and roll was never the same.
- DirectorMat WhitecrossStarsPaul ArthursChristine BillerMark CoyleOasis's breakthrough years documented into a detailed depiction of the infamous brothers from Manchester forming the band in the early 90's leading up to the legendary performance at Knebworth.
- DirectorDoug PrayStars7 Year BitchValerie M. AgnewCarrie AkreDocumentary covering the growth and subsequent overexposure of the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the early 90s
- DirectorJohn PirozziStarsNorodom SirivudhNorodom SihanoukSisowath KossamakThrough the eyes, words, and songs of its popular music stars of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, 'Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock & Roll' examines and unravels Cambodia's tragic past, culminating in the genocidal Khmer Rouge's dismantling of the society and murder of two million of its citizens. Combining interviews of the surviving Cambodian musicians themselves (a total of 150 hours of interviews were filmed) with never-before-seen archival material and rare songs, this documentary tracks the twists and turns of Cambodian music as it morphs into rock and roll, blossoms, and is nearly destroyed along with the rest of the country.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsChuck BerryKeith RichardsEric ClaptonThis documentary movie covers two concerts at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, to celebrate Chuck Berry's 60th birthday, and also discusses his life and career.
- DirectorVincent MorissetStarsJon Thor BirgissonOrri P. DyrasonGeorg HolmIcelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós melds its sonic landscape with visuals in this concert film/documentary.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsMick JaggerCharlie WattsBill WymanLegendary British rock band The Rolling Stones mark their 50th year together.
- DirectorPeter WhiteheadStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsBrian JonesTwo days in the life of the Rolling Stones during their tour of Ireland in 1965.
- DirectorJamie MeltzerStarsTom ArdolinoSonny CashDel CasherAn engaging look at the fascinating subculture of the song-poem industry, where a dream and a song come together as ordinary people mail in their poems to be set to music for a fee.
- DirectorJesse VileStarsJason BeckerDan AlvarezEhren BeckerWhen doctors diagnosed 19-year-old rock star Jason Becker with Lou Gehrig's Disease, they said he would never make music again. 22 years later, without the ability to move or to speak, Jason is alive and making music with his eyes.
- DirectorSusanne OfteringerStarsNicoTina AumontChristian PäffgenA look into the many lives of Christa Päffgen, otherwise known as Nico; from cutie German mädchen to the first of the supermodels, to glamorous diva of the Velvet Underground, to cult item, junkie and hag. Many faces for the same woman, whom, you realize, just couldn't bring herself to care enough to live.
- DirectorPeter SpirerStarsB-RealKurtis BlowDa BratA study in the world of hip-hop, done mostly with interviews, in order to see why it is as popular as it is today and what the future holds.
- DirectorDavid LeafStarsDavid AnderleHal BlaineJeff BridgesInterviews with Beach Boy Brian Wilson and his contemporaries outline the history of Wilson's album "Smile," a project some 37 years in the making.
- DirectorGreg OlliverWes OrshoskiStarsLemmyPhil CampbellMikkey DeeA documentary on the life and career of revered heavy-metal musician Lemmy Kilmister.
- DirectorBenjamin WhalleyStarsAmon Düül IIDavid BowieCanBBC 4 documentary about 1970s German progressive music.