7 must-see documentaries for music lovers

Later this month, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary about former Beatle John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 18 months in early Seventies NYC is coming to BFI IMAX, London, as well as cinemas throughout the UK.

One to One: John & Yoko, which brings together unseen material and newly restored footage, delves into the life and vibe of the couple’s time in a small Greenwich Village apartment. It focuses on their activism during this period, as well as the One to One benefit concerts, which became Lennon’s only full-length live performances post-Beatles. Exclusive previews of the film will be at BFI IMAX on 9 and 10 April, and it’s in cinemas nationwide from 11 April.

Macdonald’s documentary premiered at the summer festival circuit to positive reviews, and comes as the latest in a long line of compelling music documentaries that are testament to the continuing cinematic power of the genre.

Here’s a pitch-perfect selection of music documentaries for film lovers to tune into.

The 20th-anniversary extended edition of Ondi Timoner’s Dig!, her essential 2004 documentary about the love-hate relationship between cult Amercian bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, hit cinemas for one-night-only 25 March, and is now available to stream.

While the original was narrated by The Dandy Warhols’ frontperson Courtney Taylor-Taylor, this explosive, digitally enhanced version, which is available to pre-order on Blu-ray, offers an alternative perspective from Joel Gion, The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s charismatic tambourine player, and runs for more than 40 minutes longer.

The original won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and, in the years since, has become a cult classic, revered for its chaotic portrayal of two of the decade’s most notorious psychedelic rock bands.

DIG! XX is currently available via download-to-own on Apple TV, Prime Video, GooglePlay, Microsoft, and Rakuten TV. The 20th-anniversary extended edition, DIG! XX, will be made available via rental alongside a physical Blu-ray release on 28 April"

This Oscar-nominated documentary from 2015 takes on the fascinating life of iconic singer-songwriter, pianist and activist Nina Simone.

It’s an intimate portrait of the supremely talented artist, covering her deeply influential music, involvement in the civil rights movement, her mental health problems, and the impact fame had on her life.

Directed by Liz Garbus, the film combines archival footage and access to her personal letters with interviews of her only daughter.

Stream on Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video

Whether you’re one of the 1.4 million lucky people who got their hands on tickets for the Oasis reunion tour or just an armchair fan of Burnage’s finest, now’s a good time to dust off the bucket hat and Manchester City top and crack out the popcorn – or something a little stronger, perhaps – in front of Mat Whitecross’s award-winning 2016 documentary.

With the focus on their meteoric rise, this intoxicating slice of Britpop nostalgia tells the story of the band at their electrifying best, and is sure to get you in the mood for what’s set to be eventful tour.

Stream on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video

Despite clocking in at two hours and 17 minutes, Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé is the kind of concert film that you can watch over and over without getting remotely bored.

Crackling with the kind of energy that only a superstar like Beyoncé can emit through a TV screen, the 2019 documentary about her groundbreaking 2018 Coachella performance peels back the curtain to reveal the sheer strength, discipline and artistry that goes in to the art of being Beyoncé.

Stream on Netflix

Another cult favourite, The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) tells the story of the late indie singer-songwriter whose legions of fans consider a musical and artistic genius.

While it features all the hallmarks of a classic music documentary – childhood home videos, family talking heads and a troubling backstory are all present and correct – there’s something so unique about Johnston – who counted Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain as a huge fan – that this moving film doesn’t feel remotely formulaic.

Stream on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube and Google Play

If Timothée Chalamet’s turn as Bob Dylan in highly praised biopic A Complete Unknown has you wanting more about the legendary singer-songwriter, put Martin Scorsese’s mammoth 2005 two-part documentary on your watch-list.

Almost hitting the four hour mark, No Direction Home dishes up a performance-heavy look at bohemian Dylan’s arrival to New York in the Sixties, and the enormous impact he had.

The main man himself was interviewed for this Scorsese epic, as was legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, musician and activist Joan Baez and plenty more cultural legends.

Stream on BBC iPlayer, Apple TV and YouTube

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