Top 100 Documentary Movies of 2024
- 1
Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same
October 26, 1976This unique rock concert film experience captures the essence of Led Zeppelin, one of the most exciting and durable rock bands of all time. Filmed during the gr...
- 2
Meet Me in the Bathroom
November 4, 2022An immersive archival journey through the explosive New York music scene of the early 2000s, Meet Me in the Bathroom tells the story of the last great romantic ...
- 3
The Pedal Movie
April 30, 2021From the fuzzed out '60s to the experiemental sounds of today, guitar effects pedals have forever changed the course of popular music. In The Pedal Movie, pedal...
- 4
Katy Perry the Movie: Part of Me
July 5, 2012Katy Perry is living proof that if you just be yourself, you can be anything! Get an inside look into the real Katy Perry and find out how this regular Californ...
- 5
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
December 31, 2016Jackson went from child prodigy to King of Pop catapulted by the success of Off the Wall. This film explores the seminal album with interviews and footage from ...
- 6
Tina Turner: Simply the Best
December 7, 2021The odds were against her. Learn how singer Tina Turner reached super-stardom with her high energy style and gravelly voice and prevailed as the "Queen of Rock ...
- 7
Ryuichi Sakamoto: async at the Park Avenue Armory
November 30, 2018'Ryuichi Sakamoto: async At The Park Avenue Armory' is a live performance film captured during an intimate concert by Ryuichi Sakamoto in New York City. Filmed ...
- 8
Salad Days - 1980-1990: A Decade of Punk In Washington, DC
September 18, 2015"Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)" examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation's Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Ba...
- 9
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
November 2, 2018BACK TO BLACK tells the real story of how Amy’s best known and most celebrated body of work came into being. Featuring previously unseen footage of Amy in the...
- 10
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
April 10, 2009At 14, two Toronto schoolmates — Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner — made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it. Forming the band Anvil in 19...
- 11
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
November 12, 2021With extremely rare interview footage, join Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys on an intimate journey as he reminisces on his legendary career with long time friend...
- 12
ZZ Top - That Little Ol' Band From Texas
February 28, 2020Produced by the Emmy award-winning Banger Films, ZZ TOP: THAT LITTLE OL’ BAND FROM TEXAS tells the story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen - Billy Gibbons...
- 13
D Tour: A Tenacious Documentary
December 31, 2008D Tour: A Tenacious Documentary takes you behind the scenes with Jack Black and Kyle Gass during the making of their feature film, Tenacious D in The Pick of De...
- 14
That's Entertainment, Part II
December 1, 2014The second installment in the sensational "That's Entertainment" trilogy features more classic scenes from MGM's vast musical library with the addition of comed...
- 15
Echo in the Canyon
May 24, 2019Echo In The Canyon celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of LA’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-60s as folk went electric and The Byrds, The Beach...
- 16
Little Richard: I Am Everything
April 21, 2023Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal th...
- 17
Nightclubbing: The Birth of Punk Rock in NYC
March 10, 2023The first ever documentary about the renowned New York City nightclub Max's Kansas City (1965-1981) which had an indelible impact on the world of music, fashion...
- 18
The Punk Singer
November 29, 2013Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the ri...
- 19
Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago
January 9, 2017Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago is the unbelievable true story of the rock band Chicago. Spanning nearly 50 years from 1967 to the present day, it hi...
- 20
Muscle Shoals
September 27, 2013The incredible story of a tiny Alabama recording studio that produced some of greatest hits of all time. Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Percy Sle...
- 21
The Go-Go's
February 5, 2021A sound that defined a genre, shattered stereotypes and forever changed popular culture.As the first multi-platinum-selling, all-female band to play their own i...
- 22
Monterey Pop
December 26, 1968On a beautiful June weekend in 1967, at the height of the Summer of Love, the first and only Monterey International Pop Festival roared forward, capturing a dec...
- 23
Filmage: The Story of Descendents/ALL
January 15, 2021Long before punk rock inflicted its puncture wound on the map of mainstream music, the Descendents were in a van brewing a potent mix of pop, angst, love and co...
- 24
The Real Taylor Swift: Wild Dreams
March 1, 2022The amazingly talented Taylor Swift is more than her catchy pop, country, and rock songs. A life story filled with love and loss, all Taylor-made. Music was her...
- 25
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
February 21, 2020Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band is a confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robertson’s young life and the creation of ...
- 26
Eric Clapton - The 1970s Review
March 25, 2014This film, from the makers of Eric Clapton - The 1960s Review, follows Clapton's bold musical journey through the seventies. Featuring new and archive interview...
- 27
Pentatonix: On My Way Home
December 31, 2015The first documentary from Grammy Award-winning, platinum-selling recording artists Pentatonix, ON MY WAY HOME follows the quintet on their sold out 2015 tour f...
- 28
Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again
September 16, 2016Featuring intimate documentary footage and interviews with Lopez and her closest friends, as well as spectacular in-concert renditions of many of her biggest hi...
- 29
Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine
August 8, 2022Before Drake and The Weeknd, there was a different set of Toronto musicians who ruled the roost. Known simply as Triumph, this rock-trio dominated radio and MTV...
- 30
Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway
October 17, 2017It’s the hit musical that changed Broadway forever and brought the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda to the attention of legions of fans across the world. A story ...
- 31
Lil Peep: Everybody's Everything
November 15, 2019Musician Lil Peep was on the verge of mainstream success when he died of a drug overdose at 21 years old. Dubbed the future of emo by Pitchfork, Peep managed to...
- 32
A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
August 11, 1992A Year and a Half captures the band working in the studio on their groundbreaking 1991 album, Metallica (over 30 million worldwide sales). Featuring the videos ...
- 33
If I Leave Here Tomorrow
March 13, 2018Featuring rare interviews and never-before-seen archive, If I Leave HereTomorrow takes viewers on a trip through the history, myth and legend of thegreatest Ame...
- 34
I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story
September 15, 2023The streets of Lawrence Massachusetts were and still are very rough. For a kid growing up in those streets it can be a challenge just to survive. Violence, drug...
- 35
Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story
May 13, 2022The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, aka “Jazz Fest,” is the signature annual music and cultural event of the city and has been call...
- 36
Neil Young: Heart of Gold
February 10, 2006Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) beautifully captures Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend Neil Young as he prepares and presents...
- 37
Leonard Bernstein - Reflections
August 1, 2009Seldom has the genius of one man so influenced the musical conscience of his age. Leonard Bernstein triumphed as composer, conductor, writer and teacher. The sp...
- 38
It Might Get Loud
August 14, 2009Rarely can a film penetrate the glamorous surface of rock legends. It Might Get Loud tells the personal stories, in their own words, of three generations of ele...
- 39
Justin Bieber's Believe
December 25, 2013Behind the headlines, beyond the spotlight… lies Justin’s real story. Get to know Justin Bieber as only the lucky few do – honest, funny and totally capti...
- 40
Jingle Bell Rocks!
November 28, 2014In JINGLE BELL ROCKS!, director Mitchell Kezin delves into the minds of some of the world’s most legendary Christmas music fanatics and hits the road to hang ...
- 41
Ella Fitzgerald - Just One of Those Things
September 11, 2020Tracing the story of Ella Fitzgerald’s life, this documentary film explores how her music became a soundtrack for a tumultuous century. From a 1934 talent con...
- 42
The Last Waltz (1978)
April 26, 1978On Thanksgiving Day, 1976, The Band gave its farewell concert at Winterland in San Francisco. On hand to help say goodbye to this influential rock group were so...
- 43
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gone With the Wind
September 27, 2016When Lynyrd Skynyrd emerged onto the world stage in 1973, it was the result of a collective determination; the group had struggled and fought to gain real recog...
- 44
Every Little Step
April 17, 2009For over three decades, there's been one singular sensation: A Chorus Line, the groundbreaking hit musical inspired by the emotional lives of dancers during the...
- 45
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
October 25, 2016He is one of the most influential, inspiration and ground-breaking musicians of our time. Now, Academy Award™ winning director Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, 19...
- 46
The Conductor
February 7, 2022The Conductor pulls the curtain back on the mysterious art of conducting and shows how a conductor becomes the conduit for a composer’s message. The Marin Als...
- 47
This Is Elvis
August 8, 2007Acclaimed producer David Wolper ("Roots," "The Thorn Birds," "North and South") brings us the first fully authorized look at the man behind the myth. This defin...
- 48
A-ha: The Movie
April 8, 2022Take on Me was one of the biggest pop songs ever and made these teens global superstars. 50 million albums later, a-ha still sells out arenas worldwide - but ca...
- 49
In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50
October 22, 2022What began as a movie about the notorious rock group King Crimson and Robert Fripp mutated into something very different to a standard music documentary - a dar...
- 50
Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind
January 1, 2013In this exclusive documentary, Joni Mitchell, one of the foremost singer- songwriters and poets of our time, tells her story with in-depth interviews interwoven...
- 51
Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey
January 1, 2012Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey follows the real life rock 'n' roll fairy tale of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from YouTube to become the fro...
- 52
This is GWAR
October 25, 2022The powerful story of the most iconic heavy metal/art collective/monster band in the universe, as told by the humans who have fought to keep it alive for over t...
- 53
A Poem Is a Naked Person
January 1, 1974An ineffable mix of unbridled joy and vérité realism, A Poem Is a Naked Person presents the beloved singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Ru...
- 54
Deep Blues
October 13, 2021In 1990, commissioned by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, veteran music film director Robert Mugge and renowned music scholar Robert Palmer ventured deep into the he...
- 55
Billy Joel: The Last Play at Shea
December 31, 2011In July 2008, Billy Joel performed the last concert ever held at Shea Stadium. The Last Play at Shea chronicles the waning days of the ballpark through a tapest...
- 56
Madonna Truth or Dare
May 10, 1991Madonna: Like you've never seen her before. This movie reveals her as she really is, on stage and off--den mother to her family of dancers, sex goddess to her m...
- 57
On Broadway
August 20, 2021For anyone who loves theater, this contemporary history of Broadway is a pure joy! As audiences prepare for the return of live theater after an unprecedented ab...
- 58
Peter Case: A Million Miles Away
May 23, 2023From his beginnings as a street musician, through his time with his bands the Nerves and the Plimsouls, and into his Grammy-nominated solo career, walk a millio...
- 59
Bad Reputation
September 28, 2018The life and career of rock ‘n’ roll icon Joan Jett from her early years ripping it up onstage as the founder and backbone of hard-rock legends The Runaways...
- 60
Whitney
July 6, 2018Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist ...
- 61
The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
August 25, 2023An inside look at The Elephant 6 Recording Co., the ’90s rock collective that launched Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo, an...
- 62
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
May 14, 1971An inside look at "The King," this documentary follows Elvis as he prepares for his big opening-night performance in Las Vegas.
- 63
Shine a Light
July 29, 2008Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the world's greatest rock n' roll band, The Rolling Stones, unite to bring audiences the year's most extraor...
- 64
Janis: Little Girl Blue
November 30, 2018Through electrifying archival footage, exclusive interviews and rare personal letters, this documentary examines the meteoric rise and untimely fall of one of t...
- 65
Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
June 15, 2012Visually luscious and drenched with the big beats of classic cuts and freestyle rhyming by some of the masters of the music, SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF ...
- 66
The Decline of Western Civilization: Part II - The Metal Years
June 17, 1988In this follow-up to the 1981 punk rock documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization," filmmaker Penelope Spheeris dissects the world of heavy metal. Throug...
- 67
Big Easy Express
June 26, 20123 bands, 6 cities, 1 train, and thousands of miles of track create an unforgettable musical experience in Big Easy Express. Directed by Emmett Malloy (The Whi...
- 68
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
November 17, 2016In 1962 four young men - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr - came together to form the 20th century musical phenomenon known as 'The ...
- 69
Great Performances: Havana Time Machine
October 6, 2017Nowhere else on the planet does the past inform the present, and the future embrace our past with the emotional power of today's Cuba. Raul Malo explores Havana...
- 70
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
July 8, 2011A Tribe Called Quest has been one of the most commercially successful and artistically significant musical groups in recent history. The band’s sudden break-u...
- 71
A Symphony of Noise
September 2, 2021What does it sound like when you deep-fry a trumpet as a commentary on Brexit? Composer and master sampler Matthew Herbert will give you an answer.Treating a tr...
- 72
Zappa
November 27, 2020With unfettered access to the Zappa Vault and all its archival footage, Zappa explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away ...
- 73
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
March 3, 2006Celebrate with Dave Chappelle in the uncensored, unforgettable and unbelievably hilarious full-length movie about throwing the ultimate block party. Join Dave a...
- 74
Joan Baez I Am a Noise
October 6, 2023Joan Baez I Am A Noise is an unusually intimate psychological portrait of legendary musician and activist Joan Baez. Neither a conventional biopic nor a traditi...
- 75
The Wrecking Crew!
March 13, 2015Music lovers will be astonished at the influence The Wrecking Crew wielded over rock and pop music in the 1960s and early 1970s. These unsung instrumentalists w...
- 76
Buena Vista Social Club
June 4, 1999Traveling from the streets of Havana to the stage of Carnegie Hall, this revelatory documentary captures a forgotten generation of Cuba’s brightest musical ta...
- 77
Amy
July 3, 2015From BAFTA Award-winning director Asif Kapadia (SENNA), AMY tells the incredible story of six-time Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse – in her own words. Featuring e...
- 78
Crock of Gold - A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
December 4, 2020A cinematic exploration of Shane MacGowan’s story, from his salad days, growing up in Ireland, to time spent on the mean streets of London and embracing the p...
- 79
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
March 31, 2006His drawings and sketches are exhibited and sold worldwide. Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam have recorded his songs. But beneath Daniel Johnston's succes...
- 80
Carlos
September 29, 2023A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, as well as a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor and a Billboard Century awa...
- 81
Immediate Family
December 15, 2023Now In Theaters. Following in the footsteps of legendary 1960’s session musicians The Wrecking Crew, musicians Leland Sklar, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and...
- 82
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
February 11, 2011Justin Bieber's odds were a million to one, until millions of fans found him online. Now his world is yours with Never Say Never, the "riveting and inspiring" s...
- 83
Marley
September 1, 2020Born into poverty in rural Jamaica, Bob Marley became a prophet for the world's oppressed, preaching peace, love, and understanding with a universal language - ...
- 84
Imagine: John Lennon
January 1, 2010A startling and powerful new film derived from 200 hours of footage, stills & heretofore unpublished music from John Lennon's and Yoko Ono's personal collection...
- 85
Frank Sinatra - All or Nothing at All
January 1, 2015SINATRA: ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL is an up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. Told in his own words from ho...
- 86
That's Entertainment III
December 1, 2014This third installment of the hugely successful "That's Entertainment" trilogy sets its sights on musical numbers from MGM's vast library of classics that never...
- 87
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music (Director's Cut)
March 26, 1970"Woodstock," the concert, gave voice to the spirit of a generation, offering the world a three-day microcosm of the turbulent '60s, set to the music of the era'...
- 88
The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead
May 20, 2016From "Lemmy" filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk: The Damned, the first U.K. punks on wax and the first to cross the Atl...
- 89
Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream
December 31, 2013"Life is But a Dream" is an intimate portrait of global entertainer & businesswoman, Beyoncé. Culled from her archives, video diaries and performances.
- 90
Sound City
February 1, 2013Deep in the San Fernando Valley, behind the train tracks and amidst dilapidated warehouses, was rock n' roll's best kept secret. Sound City, America's greatest...
- 91
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda
July 6, 2018One of the most important artists of our era, Ryuichi Sakamoto has had a prolific career spanning over four decades. From techno-pop stardom to Oscar-winning fi...
- 92
Lady Gaga: Glory
February 1, 2022While an outrageous fashion sense, elaborate videos, and spectacular stage sets are her norm, it's the music of 'Mother Monster' Lady Gaga that has led to her e...
- 93
Bix: "Ain’t None of Them Play Like Him Yet"
October 16, 1981Cornetist/pianist/composer Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903-1931) was jazz's man who got away - the James Dean, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain of his day. Born in Dav...
- 94
Genesis: Sum of the Parts
January 1, 2014“Sum Of The Parts” is the official authorised story of Genesis made with the full co-operation of the band members. It tells of the band’s formation at Ch...
- 95
Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)
June 7, 2023Celebrated photographer, creative director and filmmaker Anton Corbijn’s first feature documentary SQUARING THE CIRCLE (THE STORY OF HIPGNOSIS) tells the stor...
- 96
Various Artists - Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued
January 1, 2015For nearly 50 years, millions of fans around the world have imagined and discussed the conditions and atmosphere under which Bob Dylan’s strange and wonderful...
- 97
Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon
June 6, 2022In the 70s, Randy Rhoads’ guitar riffs reshaped rock ’n’ roll and raised the stakes for guitarists everywhere. As the lead guitarist for Quiet Riot and Oz...
moviesrankings.com rankings of the top 100 best documentary movies of 2024 and all time. Lists of documentary films and award winners to help you figure out what to watch now.