I consider myself a connoisseur of concert films. There are some I’ve seen dozens, maybe hundreds of times. While I can appreciate almost any of them, there are some that are just simply mind-blowing, either in how they are constructed or in the music being played. Sometimes they are more like documentaries, and sometimes they are just raw performances, but the impact is the same. Here are some of my favorite ones.
The Last Waltz (1978)
On Thanksgiving night, 1976, The Band got together with some of their best friends in the music industry and put on what they called their final concert. Martin Scorsese brought in a crack crew of camera operators to film the whole thing and the results are amazing. The Band was joined by guests like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and Muddy Waters, and they called it, The Last Waltz.
Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll (1987)
When the legendary Chuck Berry turned 60 years old in 1986, a bunch of his friends joined him to celebrate at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in his hometown of St. Louis. With a band led by Keith Richards, Berry played all his iconic early rock n’ roll hits with guests like Eric Clapton, Julian Lennon, and Etta James, but the highlight was Berry arriving on stage in the back of his 1973 Cadillac convertible.
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2018)
Beyoncé’s performance at Coachella in 2018 was an instant classic. Luckily for all of us, it was preserved as Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé and released in partnership with Netflix. It’s an astounding show, with dozens of dancers and band members (and a marching band), and covers a number of themes important to Black Americans.
Rattle And Hum (1988)
In 1987, U2 was on top of the world. After the release of their album The Joshua Tree in 1987, they went out on a world tour and filmed some of it for the movie Rattle And Hum. It’s not a perfect movie, but there is one moment that makes it all worth it. The first part of the movie was filmed in black and white and then, about halfway through, it dramatically turns to color when a red background lights up behind the band as the play “Where The Streets Have No Name.” It’s spectacular.
Monterey Pop (1968)
The 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival was Woodstock before Woodstock. The three-day festival featured some of the biggest stars of the day, but it’s really remembered best for one transcendent performance. On the final night of the festival, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played an incredible show that ended with “Wild Thing,” when Hendrix laid his guitar on the stage and lit it on fire. It’s one of the most famous moments in rock history and it’s all in Monterey Pop.
Rock The Bells (2006)
Sadly, there aren’t a ton of hip-hop concert films, and the few that there are, really are hit or miss. One that definitely doesn’t miss is 2006’s Rock The Bells. The documentary and concert film covers the first Rock The Bells festival in 2004 featuring the reunited Wu-Tang Clan’s first show in years.
The Grateful Dead Movie (1977)
The Grateful Dead went on their first extended hiatus after playing a run of shows at The Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in October of 1974. These shows featured the return of drummer Mickey Hart as well, and they were captured on film and released in 1977. For years, The Grateful Dead Movie was one of the rare examples for Deadheads to actually watch the band, and not just hear the famous bootlegs.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
There isn’t much that can been said that hasn’t already been about Taylor Swift’s unprecedented Eras Tour or the movie that was released in 2023. Both have broken all kinds of records and since most of us don’t have the scratch to see the shows, this great movie is what we have, and it’s great.
Amazing Grace (2018)
A movie 46 years in the making, Amazing Grace is an incredible concert film starring the great Aretha Franklin performing gospel music in a Los Angeles church in 1972. There is nothing else quite like it, and it’s a rare footage of a full concert by Aretha Franklin at the height of her power.
Michael Jackson’s This Is It (2009)
Michael Jackson’s This Is It is a lot different than most of the movies on this list as it’s actually the rehearsals for a show, rather than a show. It was filmed just before the King of Pop’s death as he prepped for an upcoming run of shows in London that were canceled when he died in 2009.
Stop Making Sense (1984)
On any list ranking the best concert films, you’re sure to find Stop Making Sense at or near the very top. Directed by Jonathan Demme, the Talking Heads movie is everything anyone could ever want in a concert. It’s an amazing performance and an amazing presentation.
Woodstock (1970)
The Woodstock festival in the summer of 1969 is the most famous music festival of all time, and while the movie of the fest, released a year later, is missing a lot of the legendary performances, it’s still a mind-blowing film. Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” is jaw-dropping, as is Jimi Hendrix.
The Song Remains The Same (1976)
In the mid-’70s, Led Zeppelin was huge and they were as self-indulgent as any band, ever. 1976’s The Song Remains The Same is the perfect representation of that as bizarre staged scenes are placed between incredible live performances of the band at Madison Square Garden.
Gimme Shelter (1970)
The Rolling Stones’ concert film Gimme Shelter was supposed to be a triumphant movie of their 1969 tour of the U.S. ending with their performance at Altamont raceway near San Francisco. Instead, it turned into a nightmare when a concert-goer pulled a gun at the show and was stabbed to death by the Hell’s Angels. The movie has it all on tape, too, in addition to some great concert footage.
Wattstax (1974)
One of the more under-the-radar festivals at the time and concert film today has to be Wattstax. Documenting the incredible one-day festival in Los Angeles in 1973, it features some of the best soul, funk, and jazz you’ll ever hear.
Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016)
When Justin Timberlake decided to make a movie about his 20/20 Experience World Tour he hired Jonathon Demme to direct. Demme also directed Stop Making Sense for Talking Heads and was one of the best in the biz. The results are clear, it’s a masterpiece.
Bittersweet Motel (2000)
Long before Todd Phillips became a household name with movies like The Hangover and Joker, he made a documentary/concert film about the band Phish called Bittersweet Motel. Phillips caught the band in one of the most artistically fertile periods and it has some of the best concert footage of the band out there.
Soul Power (2008)
One of the all-time best documentaries is When We Were Kings about the legendary Rumble In The Jungle boxing match. Part of that doc includes footage of the Zaire ’74 music festival that happened around the same time. In 2008, much more footage was released as Soul Power and it’s phenomenal.
Jazz On A Summer’s Day (1959)
There is not a ton of film footage of some of the legends of mid-century jazz and early rock and roll, which is what makes Jazz On A Summer’s Day so special. With performances by Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, and Chuck Berry among others at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 it’s one of the coolest films on this list.
Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii (1972)
Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii is unique for a couple of reasons. One, it’s not performed in front of an audience. The band is along with the film crew in an ancient ruin in Pompeii. The second reason is just that too – it’s in an ancient ruin in Italy. What else would you expect from Pink Floyd?
Springsteen on Broadway (2018)
Bruce Springsteen’s residency on Broadway in New York was originally scheduled to last about a month in 2017. It ended up running for four years, and well over 200 shows. Two of the shows were captured on film and debuted on Netflix in October 2018. It’s an engaging, intimate performance by one of the all-time greats.
Shut Up And Play The Hits (2012)
When LCD Soundsystem decided to make a concert film of their shows at Madison Square Garden in 2011, they were supposed to be their final shows and that’s how this movie presents them. They ended up reuniting in 2015, but that doesn’t take away from the power of this excellent concert film.
Elvis: That’s the Way It Is
Elvis Presley was in a whole bunch of movies during his career in the ’50s and ’60s, but his first concert didn’t come out until 1970 with Elvis: That’s the Way It Is. It features The King’s return to live performance as he took up residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. It’s a powerhouse performance and a must-see for rock fans.
Festival Express (2003)
The stories surrounding the traveling festival across Canada in 1970 are too rated R to tell here, but the film gives audiences a glimpse of the wild train rides between gigs and of many of the performances from the tour from the bands on it, like The Band, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Big Brother, and Buddy Guy, among others. The bits on the train are the best part, especially an impromptu performance of an inebriated Janis Joplin, Rick Danko, and Jerry Garcia.
Sign ‘O’ The Times (1987)
Prince’s album Sign ‘O’ The Times wasn’t much of a commercial success so to promote it, he made this concert film and released it in theaters. The movie was a bomb too, and none of it makes sense. The album is incredible and the film is Prince at the zenith of his musical powers in the mid-’80s. Critics loved it, and so will you.
Instrument (1999)
Washington DC hardcore icons Fugazi are notorious protective of their legacy and while they encourage fans to make bootlegs at their concerts, they’ve been somewhat stingy about releasing their own videos of live performances. Instrument is an exception and wow is it wonderful to watch if you’re a fan of the band. Recorded between 1987 and 1998, it captures a lot of the magic that made Fugazi so special to their fans.
Let It Be (1970)
When Peter Jackson released Get Back on Disney+ in 2021, it completely changed how many fans saw the demise of The Beatles. The reason the end was seen as so dark was due to the 1970 film Let It Be which was a truncated telling of the story by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Both Get Back and Let It Be end with the triumphant rooftop concert by The Beatles, and that’s the reason to watch.
American Utopia (2020)
If you combine the musical talents of David Byrne and the filmmaking abilities of Spike Lee, the results are sure to be amazing. American Utopia doesn’t disappoint. Filmed during Byrne’s Broadway engagement of the show, Lee’s deft touch translates the live show film perfectly.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1979)
Director D.A. Pennebaker made a lot of great documentaries during his career. One of the best is Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, featuring David Bowie’s final performance as “Ziggy Stardust” in London in 1973. It’s Bowie at his best.
Truth Or Dare (1991)
Leave it to Madonna to be responsible for one of the most controversial entries on this list. Truth Or Dare, released in 1991, was condemned by some for its most risque parts, but praised by many for capturing a high point in the Material Girl’s career.
In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (1991)
In the early ’90s, one of the craziest bands to see live was the Chicago industrial band Ministry. Their 1991 tour was captured on the home video release, In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up. It can be summed up in one word: “nuts.” Words can’t even begin to describe the action, but it’s easy enough to find online, so check it out.
Under Great White Northern Lights (2009)
Under Great White Northern Lights documents The White Stripes tour across Canada in 2007. It is a mix of stage performances in front of thousands, and more intimate performances and interviews off-stage.
There are so many great concert films out there we could never list them all, but these 32 mid-blowers are a great start.
