10 Music Documentaries
Get to know a whole range of non-classical musicians in these documentaries, all of which are available to watch on Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ or free on Amazon Prime (at the time of writing). For more TV recommendations, check out our articles on 10 Documentaries about Classical Musicians and 10 Classical Music Films/TV Series on Netflix & Prime. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi, where anyone who feels like it can bung us a few quid with no strings attached. Thank you.
9.1/10 IMDb, 94% Rotten Tomatoes
Disney+, 2h 30 mins per episode
Directed by three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, They Shall Not Grow Old), The Beatles: Get Back is a three-part documentary series that takes audiences back in time to the band’s intimate recording sessions in 1969 during a pivotal moment in music history.
7.5/10 IMDb, 96% Rotten Tomatoes
BBC iPlayer, 2h
An in-depth exploration of Frank Zappa's private life as well as his rich and often controversial musical career. It features unfettered access to the Zappa vault and a deep cache of archival footage.
7.4/10 IMDb, 91% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 1h 25 mins
A look at iconic pop artist Taylor Swift during a transformational time in her life as she embraces her role as a singer/songwriter and harnesses the full power of her voice.
7.5 IMDb, 92% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 1h 55 mins
Unpack the mythology of Miles Davis and learn the true story of a jazz legend with never-before-seen footage and celebrity interviews. The central theme of Miles Davis's life was his restless determination to break boundaries and live life on his own terms. It made him a star. It also made him incredibly difficult to live with for the people who loved him most. Again and again, in music and in life, Miles broke with convention - and when he thought his work came to represent a new convention, he changed it again. Miles's bold disregard for tradition, his clarity of vision, his relentless drive and constant thirst for new experiences made him an inspiring collaborator to fellow musicians and a cultural icon to generations of listeners. It made him an innovator in music - from bebop to cool jazz, modern quintets, orchestral music, jazz fusion, rock ‘n’ roll and even hip-hop.
7.6 IMDb, 82% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 2h 4 mins
This bio-documentary profiles music and culture icon, and winner of 27 Grammys, Quincy Jones. It offers unprecedented access to his private life and stories from his unparalleled career. The film won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film at the 2019 Grammy Awards. It’s got a score of 7.6/10 on IMDb and 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, but The Guardian only rated it 2 stars, describing it as ‘sanitised’ and a ‘paint-by-numbers film’.
8.5/10 IMDb, 100% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 4-part series
A four-part American TV documentary series tracing the rise of Dr. Dre (rapper and record producer), and Jimmy Iovine (entrepreneur) and chronicles their groundbreaking partnership as co-founders of Beats Electronics, which was purchased by Apple Inc. for $3 billion in May 2014. It was nominated for five Primetime Emmys and won a Grammy for Best Music Film.
7.6/10 IMDb, 88% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 1h 42 mins
Using never-before-heard recordings, rare archival footage and her best-known songs, this is the story of legendary singer, pianist and civil rights activist Nina Simone, labelled the ‘High Priestess of Soul’.
7/10 IMDb, 73% Rotten Tomatoes
Netflix, 1h 40 mins
Follow pop provocateur Lady Gaga as she releases a new album, preps for her Super Bowl halftime show, and confronts physical and emotional struggles. Despite high scores elsewhere, The Guardian reviews this documentary with 2 stars: “Despite artful direction and meticulous curation by Gaga herself, the documentary never quite shakes the feel of a longform advert for the singer’s new phase – one that’s preaching to the converted.”
7.4/10 IMDb
Netflix, 1h 30 mins
In this documentary, the life, career and music of Dolly Parton are reflected in interviews with friends and companions and the artist herself, interlaced with clips of Parton's performances. Directed by Francis Whately.
7.8/10 IMDb
Amazon Prime, 1h 35 mins
An account of the musical journey and ongoing legacy of Joy Divison, the influential Manchester post-punk rock band of the late 1970s. Features interviews with the surviving band members (now known as New Order) and never-before-seen live performance footage and newly discovered audio tapes.
Hannah Fiddy is a creative entrepreneur, developing new audiences for classical music. She has created and promoted numerous concerts outside of traditional spaces, including warehouses, pubs, clubs, museums, hospitals, prisons and even in Primark. Hannah is also an interviewer, writer and guest lecturer, and runs the Avon Chamber Choir in Bristol. In a past life she founded London Flashmob, producing quirky events from wedding proposals to cultural pranks for up to 1,000 people.
Follow Hannah on Twitter @Hannah_Fiddy.