10 music documentaries you need to watch (Part 2)

Virgin Radio

5 Apr 2023, 14:46

There really are too many incredible stories to be told from the music industry. 

In our part one of 10 music documentaries you need to watch, we covered the likes of Rolling Stones, Madonna, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse- but there are so many more we didn’t get to mention. 

So, here are 10 more music documentaries you cannot miss. 

Oasis: Supersonic (2016)

Directed by Matt Whitecross, Supersonic is a must-watch for any Oasis fan (certainly now amid rumours of their reunion). The film takes a microscope to the band and their meteoric rise in the 90s with never-before-seen concert footage, stripped back interviews and a first-hand look into that fiery sibling rivalry that eventually destroyed them. It’s also an A24 movie, so you know it’s going to be good!

Miss Americana (2020)

No matter what you think of Taylor Swift’s music, you cannot deny she is a hugely influential figure in the modern music industry. Miss Americana is an unfiltered glance at the singer during a metaphoric phase in her life as she learns not only to accept her fame as a musician, but as an influential woman using her voice for good.

What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A. (1964)

The Beatles’ conquering of America was a seminal moment in music history and What's Happening! captures that chaos perfectly. It’s hard to think of a time before or since that a camera got so close to the lives of the fab four as they teetered on the brink of irreversible fame. 

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972)

The music of Pink Floyd is mesmerising as it is, but put it in an empty Roman amphitheatre (the oldest surviving amphitheatre, no less) and you take it to a completely different level. With some trippy camera effects, the music permeating through the dust of Pompeii and some unseen footage of the group making their record Dark Side of the Moon, this is the ultimate documentary for any Pink Floyd or psych-rock fan. 

Don't Look Back (1967)

There are many documentaries about the iconic Bob Dylan, but if you’re going to watch one of them, let it be this one. Shot in 1964, Don’t Look Back follows Dylan as he toured the UK at the ripe age of 23. Not only do we get to see the legend in his prime, but it might just be the most intimate glimpse of his life ever captured on film.

Depeche Mode 101 (1989)

This fly on the wall documentary shows us a different side to the seemingly gloomy band from Essex as they embark on the final leg of their American tour in 1988. In fact, it shows a different side to touring life and rock and roll in general, as the band just have some good old fashioned 80s fun with their crew and doting fans. 

Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1997)

When you think of festival documentaries, the first that comes to mind is probably about Woodstock. But the UK had its own Woodstock of sorts with The Isle of Wight, which ended up with 600,000 people filling the fields of East Afton Farm in 1970 to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Joni Mitchell take to the stage. It was a strange time for festivals with the debate of admission fees clashing with the hippie movement, portrayed no more clearly than with the iron fences of Isle of Wight crashing down. 

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1973)

When D.A Pennebaker went backstage at David Bowie’s concert in London in 1973, he had no idea it would be his last performance as Ziggy Stardust and how incredible it was to have captured that moment on film. This is a piece of music history with Bowie taking to the stage with his bright red hair, shimmering makeup, knee high boots and glittering costumes for the final time.

Sign ‘o’ the Times (1987)

If you’ve ever longed to see a Prince performing in his prime of the 80s, this is the film for you. Mostly, it is made up of footage of the music icon on stage and singing the hits as he struts around with some special guests. There are some off-stage scenes in the 84 minutes but generally it’s Prince doing what he does best. 

The Concert for Bangladesh (1972)

In the summer of 1971, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Badfinger came together to perform two shows at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the people of Bangladesh in the aftermath of the Liberation War and a devastating cyclone. Not only was it an incredible act of charity and activism, but the concert held some pretty historic moments, such as Harrison’s rare performances of Beatles classics and Dylan’s first major public performance since his motorcycle accident in 1966.