The best music documentaries on Netflix UK right now

Rush Beyond The Lighted Stage poster
(Image credit: Rush/Banger Films)

There's an absolutely colossal amount of content on Netflix right now. If you don't know where to look, it's quite possible your socially distant evenings and weekends will devolve into hours of mindless scrolling until you give up and watch Bojack Horseman again. 

But there's a wealth of music films and documentaries to get stuck into right now. Documentaries which cover some of music's best stories and go deep inside the minds of the artists you love – from Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash and those members of the 27 club we lost too soon.

We've put together a list of the best music docs on Netflix for you to get stuck into. We guarantee you'll learn at least something new.

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)

More cerebral than your average music documentary, this film sees Martin Scorsese tell the story of Bob Dylan's 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour using a mix of "fact and fantasy" and archive footage. It gets weird, chaotic and a little difficult to follow – so a fitting tribute to Dylan's music it most certainly is. 

Watch on Netflix


Rolling Stones: Olé Olé Olé - A Trip Across Latin America (2016)

"The minute you ban something, you're going to create a movement". This feel-good documentary charts the journey of The Rolling Stones as they tour South America, aiming to become the first ever rock band to play in Cuba. Do they manage it? No spoilers here, you'll have to tune in to find out. 

Watch on Netflix


Now More Than Ever (2016)

Chronicling the history of Chicago from their 1967 beginnings in the Windy City through to the present, Now More Than Ever inevitably centres on mainstays Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and James Pankow but delves into the array of members who have come through the ranks to add their own flavours to the band's story.

Watch on Netflix


Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra Of Rock (2016)

Going behind the lens of celebrated photographer Mick RockShot! reveals the art of the music photographer and the stories behind the pictures. As well as showing Mick's relationships with the likes of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Queen alongside his own rock n' roll lifestyle, this captures music from a different angle. 

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Who The F**k Is That Guy (2017)

The title says it all. You’ve probably never heard of Michael Alago: a metal-obsessed kid from Puerto Rico who ended up signing an unknown quartet of drunks from San Francisco called Metallica, amongst others. Working with everyone from White Zombie to Cyndi Lauper, this is an incredible story of a music fan who turned his passion and commitment into a jaw-dropping career in the world he loved.  

Watch on Netflix


Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage (2010)

The Canadian team behind Metal – A Headbanger’s Journey and Flight 666 cast their eye over the career of legendary countrymen Rush. There’s a ton of great live footage as well as interviews with the band and well-known fans like Zakk Wylde, Mike Portnoy and Jack Black extolling the prog powerhouses. A beautifully-handled documentary made all the more powerful in the wake of Neil Peart's death. 

Watch on Netflix


Keith Richards: Under The Influence (2015)

The seemingly irrepressible guitarist who can't be killed by conventional means comes across exactly as you'd expect in this doc. Yes there are tales of drink, drugs and all things decadent, but underneath it are the musical anecdotes and passion that reveal Keef's continued devotion to the Stones and their legacy. 

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Lemmy (2010)

This intimate documentary follows the late Motorhead founder Lemmy for three years, providing candid access and insight into his life as one of rock's defining figures. Includes interviews with Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Nikki Sixx, Scott Ian, Marky Ramone and many more.

Watch on Netflix


Clive Davis: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (2017)

Featuring interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Paul Simon and more, this documentary follows the career of producer and all-round music industry big wig Clive Davis – AKA the man responsible for the careers of Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin and, um, Westlife. It's a fascinating story, well-handled and sentimentally told. 

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27: Gone Too Soon (2017)

This film investigates the premature deaths of the rock stars who form the "27 club". Exploring the circumstances behind the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse, it also takes a look at the trauma of fame, its unforgiving nature and how difficult it can be for young people to handle.

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Supersonic (2016)

Love 'em or hate 'em, Oasis are an essential part of the story of 90s rock. Here, their story is dissected, including a close look at the brutal sibling rivalry that still plagues the Gallagher brothers to this day. Includes never-before-seen concert footage and candid interviews.

Watch on Netflix


Tricky Dick And The Man In Black: A Johnny Cash Story (Remastered) (2018)

When Richard Nixon invited Johnny Cash to visit the White House in 1970 in a bid to reach middle America, he didn't predict just how much the politics of the two men might clash. This inspiring documentary chronicles that visit – and its fall out. 

Watch on Netflix

Adam Brennan

Rugby, Sean Bean and power ballad superfan Adam has been writing for Hammer since 2007, and has a bad habit of constructing sentences longer than most Dream Theater songs. Can usually be found cowering at the back of gigs in Bristol and Cardiff. Bruce Dickinson once called him a 'sad bastard'.