music rockumentaries
by daniellamarien | created - 23 May 2020 | updated - 3 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Sign 'o' the Times (1987)
PG-13 | 85 min | Documentary, Music
Highlights from Prince's 1987 European concert tour, including selections from the rock star's album of the same title.
Directors: Prince, David Hogan, Albert Magnoli | Stars: Prince, Sheila E., Sheena Easton, Matt Fink
Votes: 2,483 | Gross: $3.00M
2. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary following singer Madonna on her controversial Blond Ambition tour in 1990.
Director: Alek Keshishian | Stars: Madonna, Donna DeLory, Niki Haris, Luis Camacho
Votes: 10,032 | Gross: $15.01M
3. David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust (1973 Music Video)
3 min | Short, Music
A promotional video for David Bowie 's 1973 single "Ziggy Stardust."
Director: D.A. Pennebaker | Star: David Bowie
Votes: 342
4. The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1996)
Not Rated | 65 min | Documentary, Music
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was filmed before a live audience at a North London TV studio.
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg | Stars: Ian Anderson, Glenn Cornick, Clive Bunker, Tony Iommi
Votes: 2,279
5. Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)
PG | 97 min | Documentary, Music
After 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.
Director: Denis Sanders | Stars: Elvis Presley, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Charlie Hodge
Votes: 3,249
6. What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. (1964 TV Movie)
81 min | Documentary, Music, News
A documentary following the Fab Four for five days in 1964. A humorous and freewheeling account of their first trip to America.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles | Stars: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Votes: 125
7. 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: 18,453 | Gross: $50.00M
8. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary, Music
The iconic metal band struggles for two years to create their album St. Anger, dealing with alcoholism, the loss of their bass player, and the challenge of working with a psychotherapist.
Directors: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky | Stars: James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo
Votes: 20,340 | Gross: $1.22M
9. 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: 4,918 | Gross: $0.00M
10. Gimme Shelter (1970)
GP | 91 min | Documentary, Music, Thriller
When 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.
Directors: Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts
Votes: 12,878 | Gross: $0.25M
11. The Last Waltz (1978)
PG | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robbie Robertson, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Van Morrison
Votes: 20,126 | Gross: $0.32M
12. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World (2017)
103 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.
Directors: Catherine Bainbridge, Alfonso Maiorana | Stars: George Clinton, Robbie Robertson, Gary Giddins, Martin Scorsese
Votes: 1,078 | Gross: $0.23M
13. Roy Orbison: Love Hurts (2017 TV Movie)
Documentary, Music
Biopic of singer Roy Orbison.
Director: Nigel Cole | Stars: Roy Orbison Jr., Alex Orbison, Wesley Orbison
Votes: 65
14. Arno: Dancing Inside My Head (2016)
78 min | Documentary, Music
For the first time in over 40 years career Arno Hintjens allows a filmmaker to follow his creative process. The documentary follows him during the recording of his latest album 'Human ... See full summary »
Director: Pascal Poissonnier | Stars: Arno, Jane Birkin
Votes: 46
15. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary, History, Music
A compilation of found footage featuring music, interviews, and stories of The Beatles' 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney
Votes: 13,826 | Gross: $2.93M
16. Queen Live in Budapest (1986)
90 min | Documentary, Music
On 27th July 1986, British stadium rock band Queen broke new ground by playing for the first time in Hungary, a country which was still under a communist dictatorship behind the Iron Curtain.
Director: János Zsombolyai | Stars: Queen, John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury
Votes: 1,128
17. Punk (2019)
60 min | Documentary, Music
Original interviews with America's punk pioneers and the U.K.'s most notorious bands.
Stars: Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, John Lydon, Legs McNeil
Votes: 857
18. We Will Rock You: Queen Live in Concert (1983 Video)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Music
Film of Queen's live concert in Montreal, Canada 1981. Featuring Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor.
Director: Saul Swimmer | Stars: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon
Votes: 1,003
19. Queen: Rock the World (2017)
59 min | Documentary, Music
Behind-the-scenes archive documentary where BBC music presenter Bob Harris follows Queen as they record their 6th album, NEWS OF THE WORLD, shoot videos, promote it, rehearse and ultimately embark on a groundbreaking tour of North America.
Director: Christopher Bird | Stars: Queen, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor
Votes: 222
20. The Rolling Stones Olé, Olé, Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America (2016)
TV-14 | 105 min | Documentary, Music
Rocknroll concert doc following the Stones on their 2016 tour, culminating in their historic stop in Havana, Cuba.
Director: Paul Dugdale | Stars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood
Votes: 1,356
21. Classic Albums (1997– )
50 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary series on several of the key albums in music history.
Stars: David Fricke, Joe Travers, Bruce Botnick, Phil Alexander
Votes: 338
22. The History of Rock 'n' Roll (1995)
Documentary, History, Music
The history of rock n' roll and pop music are explored are explored via interviews and footage of well-known music stars.
Stars: Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Pete Townshend
Votes: 132
23. The History of Punk Rock (2019)
90 min | Documentary
Follow the origins of punk rock music from the "proto-punk" artists like Elvis and the Phantom through the Ramones and Blondie up to Minor Threat and beyond. Part I eschews narration, spinning into an episodic series.
Director: JoDa Hodge
Votes: 6
24. The Blues (2003)
770 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary series about the origin and history of The Blues.
Stars: B.B. King, Ike Turner, Pinetop Perkins, Dick Waterman
Votes: 1,246
25. The Blues Brothers (1980)
R | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.
Director: John Landis | Stars: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, John Candy
Votes: 214,364 | Gross: $57.23M
26. Queen: The Days of Our Lives (1991 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary, Music
An informative and sometimes tragic look into the lives of four childhood friends that would come to form the band Queen.
Stars: Axl Rose, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May
Votes: 224
27. David Bowie: The Last Five Years (2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary about David Bowie's final two albums "The Next Day" (2013) and "Blackstar" (2016) and Broadway musical "Lazarus".
Director: Francis Whately | Stars: David Bowie, Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey, Gerry Leonard
Votes: 2,866
28. David Bowie: Finding Fame (2019 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 91 min | Documentary
Documentary following five years of Bowie's early career, from the late 1960s through to the on-stage death of Ziggy Stardust in 1973 and features never seen before archive interviews with some of Bowie's earliest collaborators.
Director: Francis Whately | Stars: David Bowie, Phil Lancaster, Denis Taylor, Tony Hatch
Votes: 872
29. David Bowie: Five Years (2013)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary
A documentary covering five of the most important years of the influential rock star David Bowie's career.
Director: Francis Whately | Stars: David Bowie, Rick Wakeman, John Harris, Ken Scott
Votes: 1,787
30. Live Aid (1985 TV Special)
960 min | Documentary, Music
The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief.
Directors: Vincent Scarza, Kenneth Shapiro | Stars: Bob Geldof, Bryan Adams, Stuart Adamson, Mo Amin
Votes: 2,320
31. Live Aid Remembered (2005)
180 min | Documentary
The inside story of the 1985 Live Aid (1985) concerts, told by the organizers and the stars - a frank and often very funny account of how Bob Geldof bullied the music industry.
Director: Janice Sutherland | Stars: Gina McKee, Bryan Adams, Ed Bicknell, Tony Blair
Votes: 56
32. The Freddie Mercury Tribute: Concert for AIDS Awareness (1992 TV Special)
Unrated | 175 min | Documentary, Music
The benefit concert in memory of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who died of AIDS in November 1991.
Director: David Mallet | Stars: Freddie Mercury, Queen, David Bowie, Gary Cherone
Votes: 1,744
33. Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story (2000 TV Movie)
59 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Biography of the lead singer of Queen.
Directors: Rudi Dolezal, Hannes Rossacher | Stars: Freddie Mercury, Jer Bulsara, Kashmira Cooke, Mary Austin
Votes: 651
34. The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles (2014 TV Special)
150 min | Biography, Music
A tribute to the Beatles, airing at the exact time as their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" 50 years earlier.
Director: Gregg Gelfand | Stars: Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, Imagine Dragons
Votes: 206
35. David Bowie: Lazarus (2016 Music Video)
4 min | Drama, Music
David Bowie's last music video released prior to his death depicts him on a death bed, entering a better world through a closet.
Director: Johan Renck | Stars: David Bowie, Elke Luyten
Votes: 895
36. The History of Rock 'n' Roll (1995)
Documentary, History, Music
The history of rock n' roll and pop music are explored are explored via interviews and footage of well-known music stars.
Stars: Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Pete Townshend
Votes: 132
37. Festival Express (2003)
R | 90 min | Documentary, History, Music
The filmed account of a large Canadian rock festival train tour boasting major acts like Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Band.
Directors: Bob Smeaton, Frank Cvitanovich | Stars: Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, The Band, Rick Danko
Votes: 2,414 | Gross: $1.17M
38. 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: 85,351 | Gross: $22.24M
39. Confessions to dEUS (2020)
84 min | Documentary
This music documentary follows the Belgian band dEUS on a European tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album 'The Ideal Crash', through testimonials from their fans on ... See full summary »
Director: Fleur Boonman | Star: Steven Morgan
Votes: 46
40. If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd (2018)
TV-14 | 97 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
This authorized documentary will explore the music and backstory of the legendary American band. With the songs from the first six Skynyrd albums driving the narration, the film focuses on ... See full summary »
Director: Stephen Kijak | Stars: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant
Votes: 1,662
41. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
PG-13 | 118 min | Documentary, History, Music
Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
Director: Questlove | Stars: Dorinda Drake, Barbara Bland-Acosta, Darryl Lewis, Ethel Beatty
Votes: 13,864
42. The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
PG-13 | 156 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.
Votes: 28,047
43. Licht (I) (2022)
122 min | Documentary
Internationally acclaimed director Oeke Hoogendijk reconstructs the musical universe and dramatic life story of the legendary and controversial composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Licht shows ... See full summary »
Director: Oeke Hoogendijk | Stars: Pierre Audi, Mary Bauermeister, Pia Davila, Fee Suzanne de Ruiter
Votes: 24
44. Hallyday par Johnny (2000 TV Movie)
300 min | Documentary
Documentary about Johnny Hallyday. After having followed the star during ten years, Patrice Gaulupeau gives us a realistic portrait of Johnny Hallyday. Build around three interviews with ... See full summary »
Director: Patrice Gaulupeau | Stars: Johnny Hallyday, David Hallyday, Ticky Holgado, Bruno Putzulu
Votes: 9
45. Bowie: The Man Who Changed the World (2016)
Not Rated | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Combining footage from interviews with the late great David Bowie and contributions from those who knew him personally, this documentary celebrates the illustrious life of one of the greatest artists to ever grace the stage.
Director: Sonia Anderson | Stars: David Bowie, Angie Bowie, Breege Collins, Mary Finnigan
Votes: 1,547
46. Laurel Canyon (2002)
R | 103 min | Drama
When an uptight young man and his fiancée move into his libertine mother's house, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up.
Director: Lisa Cholodenko | Stars: Frances McDormand, Alessandro Nivola, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale
Votes: 17,507 | Gross: $3.66M
47. Once Were Brothers (2019)
R | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.
Director: Daniel Roher | Stars: The Band, Robbie Robertson, Bruce Springsteen, Rick Danko
Votes: 2,134
48. Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here (2012)
Not Rated | 85 min | Documentary, Music
Roger 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.
Director: John Edginton | Stars: Syd Barrett, Joe Boyd, Venetta Fields, Jill Furmanovsky
Votes: 1,865
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