The 15 Best Music Documentaries

That don’t include The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Last Waltz, or Woodstock

Jan 28, 2023

I mentioned last week in my David Crosby tribute that my junior high school music teacher made the entire class watch the original Woodstock movie and ever since then, I’ve been a huge music documentary junkie. After I published the article, a bunch of people reached out to me and asked what my favorite documentaries were. So, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites.

Did I use the scientific method to ascertain my results? Absolutely not. And I certainly didn’t use any cutting-edge algorithms or artificial intelligence. Every great story has conflict and conflict is a prerequisite for any musical endeavor. Sex, drugs, fights, breakups, and reunion tours are the hero's journey of any great rockumentary. And it’s a common theme of the films I selected. I also excluded The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Last Waltz, and Woodstock. Why? Almost everyone has seen those films and written about them. I thought it would be more interesting to share lesser-known movies.

Without further ado, here are the 15 best music documentaries that don’t include The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Last Waltz, or Woodstock.

15: Bob and The Monster (IMDB: 7.4)

Bob and The Monster is the story of indie-rocker Bob Forrest who was the front man for the L.A. band, Thelonious Monster, in the 1980s and 1990s. Forrest truly rose like a phoenix from the ashes. After drugs and alcohol derailed his music career and almost killed him, Forrest found sobriety and became one of the most famous drug counselors in the United States. Truly an inspirational documentary.

14: Jaco (IMDB: 7.6)

Jaco Pastorius is arguably the greatest bass player of all-time. He revolutionized the instrument and changed music forever. Unfortunately, his story is absolutely heartbreaking. Jaco struggled with drug addiction, mental illness, and blurred that thin line between genius and insanity. His death was untimely and unnecessary. The documentary was produced by Robert Trujillo, from Metallica, and thoughtfully executed.

13: Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years (IMDB: 7.2)

The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years is a heavy metal train wreck, and it’s impossible to look away. The sheer gluttony of glam rock in the 1980s is surprisingly fascinating. And in case you were wondering, yes, Chris Holmes is still alive.

12: Zappa (IMDB: 7.5)

Director, Alex Winter, was given unprecedented access to the Zappa family vault, and he didn’t squander the opportunity. The documentary takes an intimate look at Zappa’s life, his work, musical collaborators, and includes footage that has never been seen before. The song selection is wonderful, and the end of the film includes a beautiful version of “Watermelon in Easter Hay.” It’s an absolute must for any Zappa fan.

11: Austin to Boston (IMDB: 7.1)

The tagline for Austin to Boston is, “5 old VW's. 4 bands. 3 thousand miles. 2 weeks. 1 gloriously backwards tour.” This documentary had me at 5 old VW’s. Nathaniel Rateliff, Ben Howard, Bear's Den, and The Staves, embark on a mini tour from Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts riding in vintage VW Microbuses. I used to have 1973 Westfalia and let me tell you, 3,000 miles in an old VW is a long ass trip. The live performances are fantastic, and The Staves absolutely steal the show in this one.

10: Festival Express (IMDB: 7.4)

In the summer of 1970, a train full of popular rock bands traveled across the Canadian countryside, bringing the music to the people. The train included the likes of Janis Joplin, The Band, the Grateful Dead, and more, and as you can imagine, it turned into a wild party with non-stop jamming. And thank God it was filmed. The documentary shares a completely different side of these musicians, and it was super cool to see them hanging out together behind the scenes.

9: Dig! (IMDB: 7.7)

I just recently discovered Dig! I knew The Dandy Warhols (“Bohemian Like You” and “Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth,”) but I was less familiar with Anton Newcombe and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The documentary uses seven years of footage and is narrated by Courtney A. Taylor, the founder of The Dandy Warhols. The film captures the rivalry between the two bands and their (contrived) love-hate relationship. Although I wish there was more music showcased in the film, the documentary has every element of the rock and roll hero's journey.

8: 1991: The Year Punk Broke (IMDB: 7.3)

The Year Punk Broke looks and sounds exactly as you would expect it, and nestled between all the feedback, noise, and screaming, there is something beautiful about the film. The documentary features Babes in Toyland, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, The Ramones, Sonic Youth, and more. Towards the end of the film, Thurston Moore (from Sonic Youth) is sitting in a restaurant and casually declares that “1991 is finally the year where punk breaks through to the mass consciousness of the global society.” He wasn’t wrong.

7: Phish: Bittersweet Motel (IMDB: 7.7)

Director Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School, The Joker) followed the Vermont quartet for an entire year starting in the summer of 1997. The film includes life on the road, a European tour, and the band's massive two-day festival, The Great Went, in upstate Maine. Phillips does an amazing job balancing the music, interviews, and backstage shenanigans. The documentary captures a truly innovative band that wasn’t cool enough for the trendy alt-rock scene of the 1990s and was way too strange for classic rock.

6: Decline of Western Civilization (IMDB: 7.5)

The Decline of Western Civilization was my first glimpse into the world of punk rock. Like its sequel, The Metal Years, the footage is raw and unapologetic. There are candid interviews with Black Flag, standout performances by X, and lots of slam dancing. Lots of slam dancing.

5: The Grateful Dead Movie (IMDB: 7.8)

Bill Graham once said, "They're not the best at what they do, they're the only ones that do what they do." There’s never been a truer statement. The Grateful Dead Movie, directed by the man himself, Jerry Garcia, is the closest depiction of the Grateful Dead experience I have ever seen. The documentary includes a wonderful opening animation, incredible concert footage filmed from the stage, and of course, intimate footage of colorful Deadheads.

4: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco (IMDB: 7.4)

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart captures the recording of Wilco’s ground-breaking album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, one of the finest albums ever recorded. Ultimately, the band’s record label, Reprise (owned by Warner Music), drops the band from the label and Wilco signs with Nonesuch Records, and surprise, which is also owned by Warner Music. Sam Jones’s documentary brilliantly captures the collision course of artistic endeavors and corporate obtuseness.

3: Anvil! The Story of Anvil (IMDB: 7.9)

The documentary follows the Canadian heavy metal band, Anvil, as they embark on a low budget European tour, balancing full-time jobs, and family life. It’s essentially the real-life version of Spinal Tap—or as they like to say—Spinal Tap is the fictional version of Anvil. The film is funny and heartwarming, and you can’t help rooting for guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner.

2: Lightning Bolt: The Power of Salad & Milkshakes (IMDB: 8.0)

I saw Lightning Bolt for the first time at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI. They were supposed to open for Sonic Youth. However, Sonic Youth decided to open for Lightning Bolt and in an even stranger move, it was also announced that Lightning Bolt would play their first note at the same time Sonic Youth played their last note. It was at the very moment I discovered that Lightning Bolt plays in the audience. Literally. It was the loudest, wildest, concert I have ever witnessed. To this day, I still watch the DVD with utter amazement.

1: Talking Heads Stop Making Sense (IMDB: 8.6)

I first saw Stop Making Sense at a midnight showing at The Avon Cinema in Providence, Rhode Island, not far from RISD where David Byrne and the Talking Heads first met. People were wearing “big suits” and dancing in the aisles. The atmosphere was reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. To this day, I have never seen anything like it. The movie begins with a completely naked stage and with each new song, another element of the production is rolled out until the production is finally complete with all the musicians, lights, speakers, stage props, and everything else you would expect to see at a rock concert.

I am currently reading David Byrne’s new book, How Music Works. Here’s what he had to say about the concept for the movie. “When everything was finally in place, you’d get to see all the elements you’ve been introduced to used in conjunction with each other. The magician would show how the trick was done and then do the trick. And my belief is that this transparency wouldn’t lessen the magic.”

Simply brilliant.

So, how did I do? Did I miss an amazing documentary that should be on this list? Leave a comment and let me know.

Thx!

The Living Room

Discussion about this post