20 Great Music Documentaries From the Past 20 Years

Originally filmed in 1972 under the direction of Sydney Pollack (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?), but locked in a vault for decades due to audio sync technical difficulties, the filmed version of what would become the top-selling gospel album of all-time was finally completed using modern technology and released in 2018. Aretha Franklin's singularly powerful voice is recognizable, but the film now shows a fuller picture of the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, her backing choir, and attendees, including Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts (in town to finish recording Exile on Main St.).

Critics deemed the film nothing short of a miraculous document of one of the best vocalists ever at the peak of her ability, 

"You get both the most lovely gaze a professional camera's ever laid upon Aretha Franklin and some of the mightiest singing she's ever laid on you. The woman practically eulogizes herself. Don't bother with tissues. Bring a towel." —Wesley Morris, The New York Times

Available to rent or buy from

Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse's tragically short life is profiled by Asif Kapadia (Senna) in an extensive and heartbreaking look at the collision of natural-born talent and fame. The film tells its story largely through a generous helping of unreleased footage of Winehouse both in and out of the spotlight. Even though Winehouse's life imploded in plain view, critics were taken by Kapadia's ability to craft a narrative that remains suspenseful while allowing the footage to let viewers draw their own conclusions about what, if anything, could've been done differently to prevent the artist's premature passing.

Far from being overwhelmingly morose, Amy revels in displaying Winehouse's free-spirited ways as we witness the making of some of her instant-classic songs. The documentary would go on to win several awards, including Best Documentary at the 88th Academy Awards and Best Music Film at the Grammys. 

"Amy Winehouse's story is a tragic one — as with Kurt Cobain, who also died at 27, her potential as a singer and songwriter was only just beginning to be realized. Yet the prevailing mood of this documentary is joy. Kapadia captures what was irreplaceable about this unique performer, and in the process gives her the opportunity to do what she was made to do, the only thing she ever really wanted: to sing." —Dana Stevens, Slate

Available to stream for free with most library cards at Kanopy.

The combination of music video and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry and then not-so-divisive standup comedian and actor Dave Chappelle produced a musical block party worth documenting that featured the first The Fugees reunion since their 1997 breakup. Also on the bill were The Roots, Common, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and an explosive scene-stealing performance from Erykah Badu.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party's spirited live performances and Chappelle's observational sociopolitical humor and bits like surprising unsuspecting Ohioans with free tickets to attend the block party in Brooklyn kept the vibes and critical ratings high. 

"A heady spirit of spontaneity permeates the proceedings, suggesting the entire pic, much like the concert it documents, was conceived, planned and completed in a single burst of creative enthusiasm." —Joe Leydon, Variety

Available to rent or buy from

For many, Spike Lee's documentary capture of Broadway sensation David Byrne's American Utopia was a balm during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown when it premiered on then-new streaming service HBO Max (now just Max) in October of 2020. The performance was ostensibly an outgrowth of Byrne's 2018 album, American Utopia, but it also included works from throughout his solo career and songs from his former band, Talking Heads.

Lee and Byrne's synergistic fusion of sound and vision was critically undeniable, and many critics believed that this new live creation would join Jonathan Demme's 1984 Talking Heads classic Stop Making Sense as another essential music documentary. 

"Bolstered by Lee's trenchant, intimate direction, Byrne reframes a peerless setlist of songs as a testament to hope and humanity that implores himself and his audience to keep going. A much-needed source of comfort and joy." —Beth Webb, Empire

Available to stream at Max.

Self-billed as "the most successful all female rock band of all-time," Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Go-Go's received the feature rock doc treatment in 2020 with Allison Elwood's eponymous documentary. Originally released on Showtime, the film covers their late-'70s Los Angeles-based punk beginnings and early '80s pop chart success with candid interviews with former and current members.

The often surprising bluntness—with no grievances held back—was frequently cited as a strong suit of the film, as was the equal amount of screen time given to Charlotte, Belinda, Jane, Kathy, and Gina, who all, as evidenced by their performances at this year's Coachella, still rock! 

"In the fresh bopping beauty of their punk romantic sound, they kicked open a door of perception. They said to a generation: We got the beat, and you can too." —Owen Gliberman, Variety

Available to stream at The CW or rent/buy from

I Called Him Morgan celebrates the ebbs and flows of the life of acclaimed jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, leading to his shockingly untimely death at the hands of his wife at just 33 years of age. The film isn't a sensationalized true-crime documentary, but rather an elegiac recounting of Morgan's creative life that's not unlike a jazz performance with its unpredictable rhythms.

Critics praised the film's humanistic examination of Morgan and common-law wife Helen Moore, who helped nurse him back from a crippling heroin addiction but ultimately took his life in a moment of weakness. Through a late-in-life interview with Moore and interviews with friends, we learn that life can move on through forgiveness and redemption. 

"It's fitting that Kasper Collin's excellent documentary I Called Him Morgan, a sleek, sorrowful elegy for the prodigiously gifted, tragically slain bop trumpeter Lee Morgan, is as much a visual and textural triumph as it is a gripping feat of reportage." —Guy Lodge, Variety

Available to stream for free with many library cards at Hoopla, or rent or buy from

Legendary English prog-rockers King Crimson embarked on a 50th anniversary tour in 2018 and filmmaker Toby Amies was there to document what would end up being their final tour. Named after their influential 1969 debut, In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 shows the physical and emotional pain of getting the frequently changing band back together around persnickety founding member, guitarist, and perfectionist Robert Fripp.

Some critics likened the film to a workplace comedy of sorts that shows the level of effort it takes to get in Fripp's snarky good graces and earn your place in the band. 

"In the Court of the Crimson King is really about as good as rock documentaries get, in capturing the essence of a group of musicians and how they relate to each other, the world and a muse whose demands result in literal and figurative calluses." —Chris Willman, Variety

Available to rent or buy from

Macon, Georgia produced one of the most singular and formative rock and roll artists the world has ever witnessed. Richard Wayne Penniman—you know him as Little RIchard—fused gospel, soul, and rhythm & blues piano-playing and queer-coded explosive performance into a segregated America and changed music and culture forever.

Director Lisa Cortes charts his unprecedented rise through archival footage and interviews with those that were close to or played with him. The respect and admiration that largely eluded Little Richard in his lifetime is in abundance in Little Richard: I Am Everything and critics responded with overwhelming positivity. 

"By the end of this extremely entertaining and informative documentary, the one thing you will come away with is that Little Richard always presented himself the way he wanted us to see him. And, yes, he was indeed as influential as he always said he was." —Odie Henderson, Boston Globe

Available to stream at Max.

Prolific documentarian Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble) gives singer, songwriter, and producer Luther Vandross a long-overdue retrospective, exposing facets of his career that many who only knew him from his R&B hits will be surprised to discover. Through revealing vintage footage of Vandross' pre-fame work on Sesame Street, his collaboration with David Bowie, and his life as a commercial jingle writer, the documentary enriches viewers with a greater appreciation for the talents that propelled him to the spotlight.

That sense of discovery, in addition to the heartbreak of hiding his love life from the church and his largely female fanbase, created a palpable sense of drama that critics responded to. 

"The film is jam-packed with fun tidbits and celebrity cameos that will surprise a lot of Vandross' fans — the casual and the hardcore. Considering his level of fame, it's strange we haven't gotten a biopic or definitive piece of fiction with Vandross at the center, but Porter seems to have made the definitive Luther Vandross documentary and it's worth every minute of our time." —Nadir Samara, Screen Rant

Available to stream at Max.

An artist as ever-changing as David Bowie demanded a documentary treatment that goes beyond the usual vintage footage and talking heads format. Enter Brett Morgen, director of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and the essential 30 for 30, June 17th, 1994 to lend his kaleidoscopic mix of visuals and audio to an artist who was also known for pushing similar boundaries.

What follows is an over two-hour explosion of sound and vision that critics thought was as much an artistic statement as David Bowie's best material, painting a picture of the artist's life and career, even if it excluded some of his more well-known footage and songs. The film would receive a limited release in IMAX and was granted a physical release by The Criterion Collection; it would also receive a Grammy Award for Best Music Film. 

"At first, you may question whether this is all some elaborate head game, but gradually the creatively unorthodox approach to pay tribute to a man who gravitated toward unconventional artistry enlightens more often than it disorients." —Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle

Available to stream at Max.

Following the release of a November 2004 greatest hits record and surgery in March 2005 for a brain aneurysm, legendary Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young would make his 28th studio album, Prairie Wind. Filmmaker Jonathan Demme (Stop Making Sense, The Silence of the Lambs) would capture a special two-night performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee celebrating the artist's most recent release.

The tender and sophisticated concert (which features a massively talented band that includes Emmylou Harris) connected with critics, who appreciated Young's post-9/11 version of Americana and Demme's elegant simplicity in staying out of the way of what makes Young a golden great. 

"It's the record of a life, a musical and spiritual autobiography, and as directed by Jonathan Demme it taps into the kind of unashamed, unsentimental emotion that's become increasingly rare in films of any kind." —Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Available for free with ads at Pluto TV or rent or buy from

Attendees of this summer's anticipated Oasis reunion tour might want to avoid watching this vintage document of the Manchester band's mid-'90s imperial phase, showcasing two sold-out nights at Britain's largest music venue, Knebworth Park, and featuring the Gallagher brothers at arguably the peak of their powers. The pre-Be Here Now shows were attended by a then-record 250,000 attendees over two nights, with nary a cell phone to be seen.

Directed by prolific music video director (Oasis' "Morning Glory") and Ridley Scott's son, Jake Scott, the film was critically lauded for capturing Britpop-era vibes, from the energetic performances to testimonials from the band and fans alike. 

"Director Jake Scott has crafted both a concert documentary and exploration of the Britpop era and what it meant." —Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage

Available to rent or buy from

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford director Andrew Dominik, who collaborated with Warren Ellis and Nick Cave on the score to that film, returned the favor by documenting the making of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' sixteenth album, Skeleton Tree. The film shows the former The Birthday Party and longtime Bad Seeds frontman struggling with the tragic loss of his 15 year-old son to an accidental fall while also trying to create his latest album.

The stark black-and-white film, also captured in 3D, was critically acclaimed for its unprecedented access to both grief and the creative process, becoming an engaging experience that helps the audience gain an even greater appreciation for the end result. 

Dominik also has a brand new music documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, debuting on Apple TV+ at the end of May.

"What Dominik gives us is a portrait of an artist and a man and a family at a low. He doesn't try to understand, but he does find some beauty and truth among the chaos and despair." —Dave Calhoun, Time Out London

Available to stream for free with many library cards at Hoopla or rent or buy from

Before Bob Dylan received the Hollywood biopic treatment with last year's A Complete Unknown, he and his filmmaker pal Martin Scorsese collaborated on a myth-making project in which Dylan's mid-'70s period is recounted, with fact and fiction sometimes blurred. The rolicking documentary puts viewers in the middle of the titular revue, which partially includes Joan Baez, Sam Shepard, Joni Mitchell, Allen Ginsberg, actress Sharon Stone (as a fictional version of herself who used to date Dylan), and Michael Murphy reprising his U.S. Congressman Jack Tanner character from Robert Altman's HBO Tanner '88 series.

Critics, especially those enamored with Dylan's hijinks, were taken with the cheeky goings-on and actual vintage performances that combined run nearly 2 1/2 hours long. 

"A rambling magic trick of a movie that reanimates a hazy chapter of American history by unmooring it from the facts of its time, and even perhaps from time itself." —David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Available to stream at Netflix.

Renowned Japanese composer and former Yellow Magic Orchestra member Ryuichi Sakamoto (The Last Emperor, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) passed away in March of 2023. But just weeks before his death, his son Neo Sora directed a solo performance of the maestro playing pieces from throughout his varied career, including works from video games, films, television ads, YMO, and even more experimental fare.

Opus, which was shot over the course of a week in black & white, was celebrated for its audacious minimalism featuring Sakamoto, his grand piano, and some graceful camera movement that many critics felt was a haunting elegy. 

"Opus is yet another priceless gift from a once-in-a-lifetime talent – and a reminder of what we've lost. Goodbye maestro – and thank you." —Andrew Trendell, NME

Available to stream at The Criterion Channel or rent or buy from

Exploring the intersection of music and technology, Lisa Rovner's Sisters with Transistors is a fascinating and enlightening examination of several innovative women who invented and/or became enamored with electronic instruments such as the theremin, field recordings, tape manipulation, synthesizers, and more. Idiosyncratic musician and artist Laurie Anderson, whose iconic "O Superman" utilizes many of the techniques explored, narrates the film.

Critics were fascinated by the exploration of a frequently unexplored world and for the opportunity to champion these women for their largely unrecognized contributions to the world of music and art that were too often lost or ignored in yet another patriarchal system. 

"Lisa Rovner's superb documentary pays a deeply deserved, seldom-expressed tribute to the female composers, musicians and inventors from the brief history of electronic music." —Leslie Felperin, The Guardian

Available to stream for free with most library cards at Hoopla or Kanopy.

Prolific underground art rockers Sparks (Los Angeles' very own brothers Ron and Russell Mael) have been your favorite band's favorite band for years, and superfan Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) sets his sights on exposing their story so that others may join the cult. He does this by exhaustively taking viewers through their discography while famous fans like Beck, Flea, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Patton Oswalt, Jason Schwartzman, and so many more share their love of the band.

Critics thought Wright's documentary was a stylish, hilarious, and persuasive tool that plays great for both newcomers discovering Sparks' world for the first time as well as for obsessive fans. Even the latter are bound to learn something new by the end of this journey. 

"Crucially, while there's plenty here that fans of the famously enigmatic pair may be learning for the first time thanks to Wright's exhaustive access, it's a documentary that doubles as an accessible, breezy introduction to a band you may never have heard of, and a springboard to further explore their celebrated back catalogue." —Jordan Farley, Total Film

Available to rent or buy from

The Roots/in-house The Tonight Show band member/professional music lover Questlove added documentary filmmaker to his résumé with the remarkable Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The film, about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that featured Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, The 5th Dimension, and many more, had been lost to time, as most of the footage was never released, and the Woodstock Music and Art Fair (which overlapped with the festival) took precedence in the history of pop culture.

Critics reveled in the bold, exhilarating musical reclamation, which decades later brought joy to festival attendees by allowing them to relive long-distant memories. The film would go on to win nearly every award for documentaries, including the Academy, Grammy, and Peabody Awards. And Questlove would return to direct two more excellent music docs (Sly Lives!, Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music) in 2025.

"It's not just a blast to watch — and it truly is a blast. It's another tiny step in reclaiming the full history of America, expanding the context of our present not just for people who remember the past, but people who never knew about it in the first place. We're fools if we don't think burying the era-changing import of events like these is as much a part of American history as the events themselves — and movies like Summer of Soul fight back bringing the past vibrantly to life." —Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

Available to stream at Hulu.

Do you ever wish you knew more about the unsung background singers who support major acts on record and live on stage? Prolific documentarian Morgan Neville (Piece by Piece, Won't You Be My Neighbor?) has you covered by featuring some of the best background artists, including Darlene Love, who featured on The Ronettes "Be My Baby" and Merry Clayton, who practically steals The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

The film was critically adored for shining a light on these forgotten artists, many of whom were gospel singers before they entered the studio or stepped foot on stage. 20 Feet From Stardom's accolades also included the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. 

"Sometimes it's racism; sometimes bum luck; sometimes it's producer Phil Spector putting Love's voice in another singer's mouth. You watch. You hear the gospel spoken in the voices of these women. And you marvel." —Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Available to stream at Peacock and Hoopla.

The legendary New York underground band (initially comprised of Lou Reed, John Cale, Moe Tucker, Sterling Morrison, and Nico) that inspired a thousand other bands gets the documentary treatment from acclaimed independent filmmaker Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, Carol).

Frequently told in split-screen montages, with images and dialogue moving in and out, the film often approximates what it must have felt like to be living the art life in '60s NYC, and when the music hits, you feel it in your veins. This immersivity was often highlighted in the mostly rhapsodic reviews that met the film when it briefly played in theaters, streamed on Apple TV+, and was later added to The Criterion Collection.  

"Even viewed on a small screen at home, I found it rapturous. I can only imagine what it's like in a theater. All of which makes it exactly the kind of documentary that fulfills Eno's dictum, the sort that after you encounter it, makes you want to go out and create art yourself." —Carl Wilson, Slate

Available to stream at Apple TV+.