# The 20 Best Music Documentaries of All Time

> From counterculture festivals and backstage breakdowns to unsung session singers and forgotten geniuses, these films capture music at its rawest. Timeless classics share the bill with modern revelations. Which one moves you most? Cast your vote!

*By YPB Team · Published June 23, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-20-best-music-documentaries-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Stop Making Sense** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Jonathan Demme's 1984 Talking Heads concert documentary celebrated for its inventive staging and energy.
2. **Don't Look Back** — 0% (0 votes · score 710/1000)
   D.A. Pennebaker's 1967 cinema-verite portrait of Bob Dylan on his 1965 UK tour.
3. **Shine a Light** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 692/1000)
   Martin Scorsese's 2008 concert documentary of the Rolling Stones filmed at New York's Beacon Theatre.
4. **The Last Waltz** — 0% (0 votes · score 663/1000)
   Martin Scorsese's 1978 film of The Band's star-studded farewell concert, often called the greatest concert film.
5. **The Devil and Daniel Johnston** — 0% (0 votes · score 609/1000)
   Jeff Feuerzeig's 2005 portrait of the troubled cult singer-songwriter and outsider artist.
6. **Summer of Soul** — 0% (0 votes · score 546/1000)
   Questlove's Oscar-winning 2021 resurrection of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival's lost footage.
7. **Gimme Shelter** — 0% (0 votes · score 473/1000)
   The Maysles brothers' harrowing 1970 record of the Rolling Stones' tour ending in tragedy at Altamont.
8. **Amy** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Asif Kapadia's Oscar-winning 2015 portrait of Amy Winehouse built from intimate home footage.
9. **Homecoming** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Beyonce's 2019 documentary capturing her landmark headlining Coachella performance.
10. **Metallica: Some Kind of Monster** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's 2004 fly-on-the-wall look at Metallica in therapy and crisis.
11. **Dig!** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Ondi Timoner's 2004 Sundance winner contrasting the rival rise of The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre.
12. **The Filth and the Fury** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Julien Temple's 2000 insider history of the Sex Pistols and British punk.
13. **Anvil! The Story of Anvil** — 0% (0 votes · score 387/1000)
   Sacha Gervasi's 2008 cult favorite following an aging Canadian metal band chasing a comeback.
14. **Montage of Heck** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Brett Morgen's 2015 Kurt Cobain documentary using the Nirvana frontman's own art, journals, and recordings.
15. **What Happened, Miss Simone?** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Liz Garbus's 2015 Oscar-nominated study of Nina Simone's artistry and activism.
16. **Buena Vista Social Club** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Wim Wenders' 1999 film reuniting legendary Cuban musicians, an Oscar nominee that sparked a global revival.
17. **20 Feet from Stardom** — 0% (0 votes · score 284/1000)
   Morgan Neville's Oscar-winning 2013 spotlight on the backup singers behind rock and pop's biggest hits.
18. **Searching for Sugar Man** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Malik Bendjelloul's Oscar-winning 2012 mystery about fans tracking down the forgotten musician Rodriguez.
19. **Woodstock** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Michael Wadleigh's Oscar-winning 1970 chronicle of the 1969 festival that defined a generation of counterculture.
20. **Sound City** — 0% (0 votes · score 158/1000)
   Dave Grohl's 2013 directorial debut about the legendary Los Angeles recording studio and its analog console.

Tags: movies, music, documentaries