Are you ready to stop binge-watching the House of Cards and check out the best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017? I know Frank Underwood is an interesting character, but he can’t match with The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and Lemmy.
The filmmakers have a really simple starting point when it comes to choosing a topic for their music documentary. They usually opt for the music acts that will go down in history as someone who made an important impact on the music world in general and influenced others. On the other hand, they can also decide to tell the story about an unknown musician or a band who didn’t make it big, but their passion for music still makes them great. The life of a musician is filled with ups and downs, struggles and success, drama and mystery. This is what makes their stories worth telling. If by any chance you don’t have a subscription to Netflix, but you do have to Hulu, then head over to our list of 11 Best Music Documentaries on Hulu.
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What makes the music documentaries special is the fact that directors can choose various ways to tell the story they want. Some of them rely mostly on the live performances and the soundtrack, with minimum narration, letting the music speak for itself. One of the best examples of such documentaries is The Last Waltz, directed by Martin Scorsese. Others fill the documentary with interviews and archival footage, telling the story in a more usual way. No matter which style you prefer, you’ll find something fitting on our list. For those of you who ditched both Hulu and Netflix, maybe you will be able to watch these 11 Best Music Documentaries on Amazon Prime.
In order to create our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017, we took recommendations for the best music documentaries overall and on Netflix from various sources including Uproxx and Paste Magazine. After that, we checked if they are available on Netflix using New on Netflix. Those documentaries that you’ll be able to watch in the United States with Netflix subscription were then ranked according to their IMDb rating. Let’s take a look.
21. Crossfire Hurricane
IMDb Rating: 7.4
When the documentary about The Rolling Stones starts off a list, you know it will be good. Made in 2012, Crossfire Hurricane explores the band’s early years through interviews and archival footage.
20. The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir
IMDb Rating: 7.5
This is one of the Netflix original documentaries and tells the story of the life of Bob Weir, the founding member of the rock band Grateful Dead. He had a role of rhythm guitarist in the band and sometimes shared the vocal duties with Jerry Garcia. The documentary covers his early years, time in the band and his work after Grateful Dead disbanded.
19. Some Kind of Monster
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Some Kind of Monster follows Metallica during a turbulent period of their career when they recorded album St. Anger. There has been a lot of tension in the band at the time, with the band members often getting into disputes and fights. The directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky spent two years with the band and ended up with 1200 hours of footage.
18. Janis: Little Girl Blue
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Member of the infamous “27 Club”, Janis Joplin is regarded as one of the most influential female artists in the history. The documentary chronicles her life from the early beginnings, her rise to stardom to her death using the letters Joplin sent to her family and friends over the years.
17. What Happened, Miss Simone?
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Just like the previous entry on our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017, this one also talks about an influential female music artist. Nina Simone was a legendary singer that had a unique style mixing folk, soul, jazz and gospel music genres among others. The documentary tells the story of both her life as a music artist and personal life.
16. Jaco
IMDb Rating: 7.6
The documentary talks about jazz bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius, following his career from the early beginnings to his premature death in 1987. It features interviews with his fellow musicians and also never seen footage from his family’s private archive.
15. The Wrecking Crew
IMDb Rating: 7.6
Despite their great effort, session musicians are often underrated and underappreciated. This documentary tries to change that by bringing you a story about the group of session musicians who went by the name The Wrecking Crew and provided back-up for some of the legendary names in music like Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys.
14. Beware of Mr. Baker
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Ginger Baker, the man who brought drum solos to the rock music. Although remembered mostly for his success with the band Cream, Baker was also appreciated as a solo act. In this documentary, he discusses his music career, ups and downs, and what drew him to Africa where he spent most of his post-Cream years.
13. Keep On Keepin’ On
IMDb Rating: 7.7
Jazz musician Clark Terry appeared on more than 900 music recordings and mentored numerous great jazz musicians like Quincy Jones and Miles Davis. This documentary focuses on the relationship between Terry and his latest prodigy, blind piano player Justin Kauflin. The filmmakers followed the pair over the course of 4 years and captured a special bond between the teacher and the student.
12. Lemmy
IMDb Rating: 7.8
If you don’t recognize the name, you won’t enjoy the documentary. For those of you that do, you know what to expect. A story full of alcohol, women and Rock’n’Roll that will give you a better insight into the life of the legendary frontman of Motorhead.
11. Sonita
IMDb Rating: 7.8
The documentary follows the life of Sonita Alizadeh, an Afghan rapper whose parents wanted to sell her into marriage when she was 16 years old. The documentary director, Rokhsareh Ghaem Magham found out her story and music talent and helped her to make first music video. After the video had gained attention, she managed to get a student visa in the United States.
10. The Winding Stream
IMDb Rating: 7.8
The Winding Stream, that’s next on our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017 is a must watch piece for anyone who considers himself a country music fan. It honors the achievements and significance of the Carter Family, country and roots music act that has been active from 1927.
9. Oasis: Supersonic
IMDb Rating: 7.9
They are not the Beatles, but they could have been if they’ve given themselves a chance. Probably the greatest band that emerged in the UK from the ’90s, Oasis had their fair share of success and drama. You can witness all of that in this highly acclaimed documentary.
8. Young@Heart
IMDb Rating: 7.9
They say you are never too old for Rock’n’Roll, and this entry on our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017 serves as one of the best proofs for that. It talks about a group of senior citizens from Northampton, Massachusetts who go by the name Young@Heart and perform songs from the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Clash and much more.
7. Marley
IMDb Rating: 8.0
In this documentary, Kevin Macdonald tries to give viewers a better insight into the life and music career of the most famous reggae artist, Bob Marley. The large focus of the documentary is Marley’s struggles with acceptance and his identity. Alongside archival footage, it features interviews with his friends and family.
6. This Is Spinal Tap
IMDb Rating: 8.0
This is my favorite documentary on this list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017. Ok, it isn’t actually a documentary, but a mockumentary. That means it is done in the manner of the documentary, but everything is staged. It focuses on the fictional band Spinal Tap and their struggles when their newest album underperforms and their tour fails. The cast who played the members of the band decided to continue as a real band and they have released three albums so far.
5. Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
IMDb Rating: 8.0
We are continuing our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017 with this documentary, where the director James Keach follows country musician Glen Campbell on his last tour. It documents the day to day activities of Cambell with a strong focus on his struggles with Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Anvil: The Story of Anvil
IMDb Rating: 8.0
The story of Anvil is a sad one for the most part, but there is a happy ending to it. The band was successful in the ’80s but when heavy metal lost its charm in the ’90s so did the Anvil. The band members all had to take regular jobs but still didn’t have an intention to stop playing. After numerous failures, they did get back on the track. If you want to know the details, check out the documentary. You won’t be disappointed.
3. Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory
IMDb Rating: 8.2
This documentary, that ranks 3rd on our list of best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017 will help you learn more about the effects of music on people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It focuses on the organization Music & Memory that tries to help people with their memory loss using personalized music.
2. History of the Eagles
IMDb Rating: 8.2
I think the title tells you everything you need to know about the documentary. The first part of the documentary talks about the period until 1980 when the band disbanded. The second part briefly covers the solo careers of the band members and then shifts the attention to the multiple reunions band had.
1. Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
IMDb Rating: 8.5
Our Canadian readers will surely be happy to see this documentary on the top of the best music documentaries on Netflix in 2017. Although commercially not one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Rush has left a deep impact on the rock music in general and influenced numerous bands and artists. This documentary will give you a better insight into their music evolution, chronicling both the band’s illustrative career as well as the different music styles they have incorporated through the years. It contains archival footage, live performances, and interviews with band members as well as with their close collaborators and fellow musicians who appreciate their work.
