Music documentary
by dyanianjani | created - 28 Jul 2013 | updated - 14 Aug 2013 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Almost Famous (2000)
R | 122 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand
Votes: 293,272 | Gross: $32.53M
2. I'm Not There (2007)
R | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
Director: Todd Haynes | Stars: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw
Votes: 61,173 | Gross: $4.02M
3. The Day the Music Died (2010)
25 min | Short, Biography, Drama
Inspired by the trailblazing music and tragic end of Buddy Holly, a modern-day depiction seeks after the same success in a surreal Los Angeles.
Director: Bruno Miotto | Stars: Guy Kent, Paige Segal, Jon Morgan Woodward, Anastasia Leddick
Votes: 386
4. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,775 | Gross: $119.52M
5. Control (2007)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to die by suicide at the age of 23.
Director: Anton Corbijn | Stars: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Alexandra Maria Lara
Votes: 68,536 | Gross: $0.87M
6. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,034 | Gross: $35.18M
7. Sid and Nancy (1986)
R | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
Director: Alex Cox | Stars: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Debby Bishop
Votes: 34,668 | Gross: $2.83M
8. 24 Hour Party People (2002)
R | 117 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1976, Tony Wilson sets up Factory Records and brings Manchester's music to the world.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Steve Coogan, Lennie James, John Thomson, Paul Popplewell
Votes: 39,680 | Gross: $1.13M
9. Taking Woodstock (2009)
R | 120 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Demetri Martin, Henry Goodman, Edward Hibbert, Imelda Staunton
Votes: 30,008 | Gross: $7.44M
10. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010)
TV-MA | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A biography of Ian Dury, who was stricken with polio at a young age and defied expectations by becoming one of the founders of the punk-rock scene in Britain in the 1970s.
Director: Mat Whitecross | Stars: Andy Serkis, Tom Hughes, Clifford Samuel, Joseph Kennedy
Votes: 4,422
11. The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
PG-13 | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
Directors: David Leaf, John Scheinfeld | Stars: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Stew Albert, Tariq Ali
Votes: 5,688 | Gross: $1.10M
12. Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
R | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A biography of the rock music star.
Director: Andrew Solt | Stars: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, George Harrison
Votes: 5,179 | Gross: $3.75M
13. The Filth and the Fury (2000)
R | 108 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon, Glen Matlock
Votes: 6,204 | Gross: $0.61M
14. Kurt & Courtney (1998)
R | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary on the life of Kurt Cobain and his relationship with Courtney Love.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: Courtney Love, Nick Broomfield, Kurt Cobain, Mari Earle
Votes: 7,354 | Gross: $0.44M
15. Jimi Hendrix (1973)
R | 98 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Made shortly after his death, this documentary explores the brief life and remarkable legacy of guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
Directors: Joe Boyd, John Head, Gary Weis | Stars: Arthur Allen, Albert Allen, Stella Benabon, Eric Barrett
Votes: 1,855 | Gross: $0.03M
16. Jimi Hendrix (2010 TV Movie)
52 min | Documentary
Directors: Stefan Morawietz, Christian Wagner | Star: Jimi Hendrix
Votes: 12
17. Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
PG | 120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
This 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.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley
Votes: 1,569 | Gross: $0.72M
18. Wingspan (2001 TV Movie)
120 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
The story of Paul McCartney's post-Beatles musical career, encompassing the Wings era.
Director: Alistair Donald | Stars: Paul McCartney, Denny Laine, Denny Seiwell, Geoff Britton
Votes: 203
19. The Compleat Beatles (1982 Video)
119 min | Documentary, Music
The history of the great British rock band.
Director: Patrick Montgomery | Stars: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Votes: 1,194
20. Shine a Light (2008)
PG-13 | 122 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A career-spanning documentary on The Rolling Stones, with concert footage from their "A Bigger Bang" tour.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
Votes: 12,295 | Gross: $5.36M
21. Glastonbury (2006)
R | 138 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the 30th anniversary of Britain's best-known music festival.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: David Bowie, Björk, James Brown, Billy Bragg
Votes: 949 | Gross: $0.01M
22. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1979)
PG | 90 min | Documentary, Music
The 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... See full summary »
Director: D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, Mick Woodmansey
Votes: 2,991 | Gross: $0.16M
23. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,402 | Gross: $16.50M
24. The Runaways (2010)
R | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
Director: Floria Sigismondi | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve
Votes: 50,934 | Gross: $3.57M
25. The Britpop Story: 'It Really, Really, Really Could Happen' (2005 TV Movie)
Documentary, Music
Retrospective documentary on the Britpop movement of the 1990s.
Director: Chloe Thomas | Stars: John Harris, Damon Albarn, Brett Anderson, Paul Arthurs
Votes: 16
26. George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)
Not Rated | 208 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese examines the life of musician George Harrison, weaving together interviews, concert footage, home movies and photographs.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: George Harrison, Harry Harrison, Peter Harrison, Paul McCartney
Votes: 12,625
27. Ray (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 152 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell
Votes: 157,365 | Gross: $75.33M
28. Nowhere Boy (2009)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall
Votes: 38,857 | Gross: $1.45M
29. Notorious (2009)
R | 122 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The life and death story of The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), who came straight out of Brooklyn to take the world of rap music by storm.
Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke, Momo Dione
Votes: 46,047 | Gross: $36.84M
30. Across the Universe (2007)
PG-13 | 133 min | Drama, Fantasy, History
The music of The Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.
Director: Julie Taymor | Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs
Votes: 114,257 | Gross: $51.66M
31. No Distance Left to Run (2010)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
An insightful rockumentary looking at the history of the British rock band, Blur, as they head out on the road for their 2009 reunion tour.
Directors: Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern | Stars: Damon Albarn, Mike Smith, Wayne Hernandez, Sam Freeman
Votes: 1,380
32. End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
TV-14 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
The story of the punk rock band The Ramones.
Directors: Jim Fields, Michael Gramaglia | Stars: Rick Rubin, Tommy Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone
Votes: 3,887 | Gross: $0.39M
33.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
(2005)
Not Rated | 208 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A 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.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Bob Dylan, B.J. Rolfzen, Dick Kangas, Liam Clancy
Votes: 12,105
34. Punk: Attitude (2005)
Unrated | 90 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.
Director: Don Letts | Stars: K.K. Barrett, Roberta Bayley, Jello Biafra, Glenn Branca
Votes: 1,668
35. Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten (2007)
Not Rated | 124 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
As 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.
Director: Julien Temple | Stars: Joe Strummer, Steve Jones, Mick Jones, The 101ers
Votes: 4,181 | Gross: $0.25M
36. It Might Get Loud (2008)
PG | 98 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White, Dallas Schoo
Votes: 13,548 | Gross: $1.61M
37. Woodstock (1970)
R | 184 min | Documentary, History, Music
Oscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.
Director: Michael Wadleigh | Stars: Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Roger Daltrey, Joe Cocker
Votes: 18,456 | Gross: $50.00M
38. Don't Look Back (1967)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary covering Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England, which includes appearances by Joan Baez and Donovan.
Director: D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: Bob Dylan, Albert Grossman, Bob Neuwirth, Joan Baez
Votes: 10,009
39. Let It Be (1970)
G | 81 min | Documentary, Music
The filmed account of The Beatles' attempt to recapture their old group spirit by making a back to basics album, which instead drove them further apart.
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg | Stars: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Votes: 6,576 | Gross: $1.06M
40. The Song Remains the Same (1976)
PG | 137 min | Documentary, Music
The line forms here for the world's greatest and possibly most influential band--Led Zeppelin. This mesmerizing movie built around Zep's famed 1973 concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden is convincing proof why.
Directors: Peter Clifton, Joe Massot | Stars: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
Votes: 9,027
41. The Clash: Westway to the World (2000 Video)
60 min | Documentary, Music
A career retrospective of British punk band The Clash, featuring exclusive interviews with the entire band.
Director: Don Letts | Stars: Terry Chimes, Terence Dackombe, Topper Headon, Mick Jones
Votes: 1,140
42. 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary, History, Music
David Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.
Director: David Markey | Stars: Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley
Votes: 1,579
43. The Kids Are Alright (1979)
PG | 109 min | Documentary, Music
Interviews, TV clips and concert footage make up this comprehensive profile of The Who, Britain's premiere rock band.
Director: Jeff Stein | Stars: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, John Entwistle
Votes: 3,923
44. Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972)
G | 92 min | Documentary, Music
Live 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, ... See full summary »
Director: Adrian Maben | Stars: David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason
Votes: 9,667
45. Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who (2007)
Not Rated | 237 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on The Who, featuring interviews with the band's two surviving members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey.
Directors: Paul Crowder, Murray Lerner, Parris Patton | Stars: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Keith Moon
Votes: 1,368
46. The Beatles Anthology (1995–1996)
TV-14 | 67 min | Documentary, Music
An autobiographical documentary of the greatest of the rock bands.
Stars: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, George Martin
Votes: 9,424
47. The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights (2009)
Unrated | 93 min | Documentary, Music
Follow the White Stripes' 2007 tour of Canada, as the duo avoided the conventional by playing in buses, cafes and for Indian tribal elders.
Director: Emmett Malloy | Stars: Alex Debogorski, Maria Durham, Jack White, Meg White
Votes: 2,500
48. Sigur Rós: Heima (2007)
97 min | Documentary, Music
In the summer of 2006, Sigur Rós returned home to play a series of free, unannounced concerts for the people of Iceland.
Director: Dean DeBlois | Stars: Amiina, Hildur Arsaelsdottir, Jon Thor Birgisson, Orri P. Dyrason
Votes: 8,333
49. When You're Strange (2009)
R | 86 min | Documentary, Music
A look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, including rare exclusive footage.
Director: Tom DiCillo | Stars: Johnny Depp, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek
Votes: 10,273 | Gross: $0.24M
50. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
A confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, James Laurenson, Eleanor David
Votes: 85,365 | Gross: $22.24M
51. Synth Britannia (2009 TV Movie)
90 min | Documentary, Music
Following 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.
Director: Benjamin Whalley | Stars: Dave Ball, Wendy Carlos, Chris Carter, Joanne Catherall
Votes: 473
52.
Classic Albums (1997– )
Episode:
Lou Reed: Transformer
(2001)
Not Rated | 49 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary about the making of Lou Reed's legendary album, "Transformer," the album that took Lou Reed from cult hero of the Velvet Underground to international superstar status as a solo artist.
Director: Bob Smeaton
Votes: 245
53.
Omnibus (1967–2003)
Episode:
Cracked Actor
(1975)
Not Rated | 53 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
BBC documentary showing David Bowie looking back on his Ziggy Stardust character during his Diamond Dogs tour.
Director: Alan Yentob | Star: David Bowie
Votes: 324
54. Hype! (1996)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, History, Music
Documentary covering the growth and subsequent overexposure of the Seattle "grunge" music scene in the early 90s
Director: Doug Pray | Stars: 7 Year Bitch, Valerie M. Agnew, Carrie Akre, Jeff Ament
Votes: 2,929 | Gross: $0.27M
55. The Drop: The EDM Culture Explosion
Documentary, Music | Completed
Over the past few years, electronic dance music has taken off in popular culture. However, the transition from an underground movement to a mainstream juggernaut has not happened overnight.... See full summary »
Director: Edward Platero | Stars: Ookay, Moby, Avicii, Perry Farrell
56. Finding the Funk (2013)
78 min | Documentary, History, Music
Finding the Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music. Starting with Funk's roots in Jazz and the James Brown bands of the '60s we travel to the Bay Area ... See full summary »
Director: Nelson George | Stars: Questlove, James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Sly Stone
Votes: 117
57. Punk Britannia (2012– )
90 min | Documentary, Music
A series which explores the why's and how's of Punk music's emergence in the mid 1970's, and the legacy it left for British music. It features interview and classic performances.
Stars: Peter Capaldi, John Lydon, Tony Parsons, Billy Idol
Votes: 114
58. The Story of Lovers Rock (2011)
97 min | Documentary, Family, Music
Lovers Rock, often dubbed 'romantic reggae' is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems.
Director: Menelik Shabazz | Stars: Dennis Bovell, Paulette Harris-German, Janet Kay, Angie Le Mar
Votes: 112
59. Monterey Pop (1968)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, History, Music
A film about the greatest pre-Woodstock rock music festival.
Director: D.A. Pennebaker | Stars: Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar, Country Joe McDonald
Votes: 4,921 | Gross: $0.00M
60. Live Forever (2003)
R | 82 min | Documentary, Music
The story of the mid-1990s Britpop music scene.
Director: John Dower | Stars: Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker
Votes: 1,314
61. The Importance of Being Morrissey (2002 TV Movie)
49 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Featuring interviews by famous fans and followers, this rare documentary encapsulates the essence of the controversial, enigmatic, and deliciously melancholic bard. This is Morrissey, the charming man with the thorn in his side.
Directors: Tina Flintoff, Ricky Kelehar | Stars: Morrissey, Christopher Eccleston, J.K. Rowling, Michael Bracewell
Votes: 204
62. Upside Down: The Creation Records Story (2010)
TV-MA | 101 min | Documentary, Music
The definitive film about Creation Records, one of the world's most successful and colorful independent labels.
Director: Danny O'Connor | Stars: Alan McGee, Bobby Gillespie, Noel Gallagher, Chris Abbot
Votes: 657
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