Love movies? Love music? Love biographies? Love documentaries? Then there’s plenty to keep you happily occupied in this selection of music documentaries.
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1. Amy
A heartbreaking and engrossing account of the rise and fall of British singing superstar Amy Winehouse.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
2. Fresh Dressed
A cool and funky look into the relationship between the rise of hip-hop and the rise of urban street fashion.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
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3. 20 Feet from Stardom
A celebration and exploration of the best backing singers in the world, finally giving them the spotlight they deserve.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
4. This is It
A fascinating behind the scenes look at the mammoth show Michael Jackson was preparing for before his untimely death.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
5. Searching for Sugar Man
An intriguing documentary about the filmmaker’s search for a cult 70s musician called Rodriguez.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
6. Sound City
A look at one of the most iconic locations in the history of classic rock and roll music from the 1970s to the modern day.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
7. Marley
A documentary about the life and cultural impact that reggae superstar Bob Marley had on the world.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
8. It Might Get Loud
A must for all lovers of rock guitar. Get an insight into guitar courtesy of conversations and demonstrations by The Edge, Jimmy Plant and Jack White.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
9. Madonna: Truth or Dare
You have to watch this to see whether this is an expose of the real Madonna or a clever piece of manufactured marketing.
Buy at itunes.apple.com
10. Tom Dowd and the Language of Music
An introduction into the world of recording via the life of Atlantic Records engineer Tom Dowd.
Buy at: amazon.com
11. Good Ol’ Freda
An insight into the world of the world’s most famous band ever – The Beatles – via their secretary, Freda Kelly.
Buy at: amazon.com
12. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
How did Kurt Cobain change from an angry young man to be a singer of platinum selling songs and spawn a music movement?
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
13. The Filth and the Fury
Julien Temple revisits the story of the Sex Pistols he first told in the Great Rock and Roll Swindle focusing on what made them.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
14. Don’t Look Back
Many consider that Bob Dylan lays the blueprint for how to be a modern celebrity - at once arrogant and ironic – in this documentary.
Buy at: amazon.com
15. Heima
Part concert doc, part travelogue and part meditation on homesickness, this is definitely one for fans of Sigur Ros but others will enjoy it too.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
16. Scott Walker: 30th Century Man
A fascinating look into the world of a reclusive artist with an unusual muse.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
17. Beware of Mr. Baker
Meet Ginger Baker – probably the greatest drummer to have ever played in rock bands – a man who insists he is a jazz drummer.
Buy at itunes.apple.com
18. End of the Century: the Story of the Ramones
A seminal rock band. Two brothers who played together yet didn’t speak for 15 years. Isn’t making music and being successful meant to be fun?
Buy at: amazon.com
19. Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones have never shied away from bare all documentaries and in this we see the tour of 1969 and the notorious Altamont concert and the murder that was said to mark the end of the 60s.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Musical documentaries are a fascinating way to learn more about musicians you like (or don’t like) as well as hear great music. Which have you seen that you’d recommend?
Comments
GJP: I really don't get what was so brilliant about Amy Winehouse. She was a drug addict and a mess and only had 2 albums which were not exactly the most amazing things we ever heard. She was more famous for her antics than her music. Definitely won't be watching the movie about her, may she RIP.
Sev: I've watched most of these except Montage of heck. Waiting for it to arrive in the mail with its big merch package. Amy was outstanding. I saw it in theatres and I cried.
Sev: @gjp Amy was much more than just a drug addict, but that's all most people see. She was extremely genuine and kind, her lyrics to the unpopular songs were heartbreaking and brilliant. She was working on 2 different albums when she died, she didn't get to finish them but the lack of 7 albums doesn't matter, she was a great humanitarian and cared a lot. She just got caught up in celebrity lifestyles. She was much to vulnerable when she started, already a heavy drinker due to a crappy influence in her upbringing, and she got taken advantage of and started drugs. She never meant to be an addict, but she still tried to make music and to make it mean much more than most pop hits. But yeah, she was just a drug addict and "mess". Said like someone who has never seen a friend addicted to drugs. Which is good for you, but you can't belittle her for it.
shannon: #3 is a must see for me
Taylor: Of course these are all about people I'm not interested in.
Desiree: I would love to see Heima and don't look back.
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