So you’re determined to somehow catch Taylor Swift and Talking Heads in concert in the same week. We hope you’re not thinking about shattering the fabric of time, when instead you can simply experience the power of the concert film with theatrical releases ofTaylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Stop Making Sense, on the big screen one after the other.
This concert-hopping was possible in the fall of 2023 when the two films were released in close succession, with Stop Making Sense on its 40th anniversary victory reunion and The Eras Tour bringing audiences together globally for Swift’s nearly 3-hour extravagant show. Both represent the musicians at the peak of their powers, and show off the concert film’s special ability to bring like-minded audiences for communal intimacy in theaters.
With that said, we’re ranking the best concert movies of all time, ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films first. Here, you’ll find arena pop extravaganzas (with a little emotion – thanks Katy Perry: Part of Me); more intimate – but no less rousing – moments of music history (witness Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace); an epic street party (remember those? Dave Chappelle does…); and some of the biggest festival events out there (from Beychella to Woodstock).
You’ll also find some of the biggest names in music: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Janis Joplin, Springsteen, Wu-Tang Clan, and more. The majority of films included are pure concert docs – recordings of live shows with little fuss and extraneous material – but a handful do take a more traditional documentary format, with interviews and behind-the-scenes tour footage. We included those because of the amount of live concert footage they feature, Marleyand Madonna: Truth or Dareamong them.
Critics Consensus: Deftly interweaving incredible live footage with a series of revealing interviews, Summer of Soul captures the spirit and context of a watershed moment while tying it firmly to the present.
Synopsis: In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary-part music film, part historical [More]
Critics Consensus: Brilliantly capturing a remarkable performer near the peak of her prodigious power, Amazing Grace is a thrilling must-watch documentary for Aretha Franklin fans.
Synopsis: Singer Aretha Franklin performs gospel songs at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972. [More]
Critics Consensus:TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR delivers exactly what it promises: A smoothly directed, impeccably performed documentary capturing the concert event of the year.
Synopsis: The cultural phenomenon continues on the big screen! Immerse yourself in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic [More]
Critics Consensus: Among one of, if not the best rock movie ever made, The Last Waltz is a revealing, electrifying view of the classic band at their height.
Synopsis: Seventeen years after joining forces as the backing band for rockabilly cult hero Ronnie Hawkins, Canadian roots rockers The Band [More]
Synopsis: This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement. [More]
Critics Consensus: Helmed in elegant and exhilarating style by Spike Lee, David Byrne's American Utopia is a concert film that doubles as a joyously cathartic celebration.
Synopsis: Singer David Byrne and a group of international musicians perform songs from the hit Broadway musical "American Utopia." [More]
Critics Consensus: Festival Express is a spellbinding documentary that nostalgically chronicles five days in the summer of 1970, when a train full of now- legendary rock perfomers jammed its way across Canada.
Synopsis: This compilation of footage from the Grateful Dead's Canadian train tour depicts the height of the band's music and fame [More]
Critics Consensus: The Boss holds court with arresting charisma and storytelling skill in this one-man show, delivering a rollicking rumination on America's past, present, and future.
Critics Consensus: Kevin Macdonald's exhaustive, evenhanded portrait of Bob Marley offers electrifying concert footage and fascinating insights into reggae's greatest star.
Synopsis: The life story of musician, revolutionary and legend Bob Marley, from the early days to international superstardom. Features rare footage, [More]
Critics Consensus:Dave Chappelle's Block Party is a raucous return to the spotlight for the comic, buoyed by witty, infectious humor and outstanding musical performances.
Synopsis: Actor, writer and comic Dave Chappelle loads up a bus with residents of his Ohio hometown and takes them to [More]
Critics Consensus:Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese lives up to its unwieldy title with a delightfully unorthodox look at a pivotal period in its subject's career.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Martin Scorsese chronicles the troubled spirit of America in 1975 along with the joyous music that Bob Dylan performed [More]
Critics Consensus: A hopeful gesture of cultural outreach set to an irresistible soundtrack, Buena Vista Social Club is an enriching and zesty experience.
Synopsis: This documentary by lauded German filmmaker Wim Wenders follows renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son, Joachim, as they travel [More]
Critics Consensus: Proving that it's neither better to burn out nor fade away, Neil Young: Heart of Gold works both as a concert film and a meditation on mortality.
Synopsis: Shot over the span of two nights in the summer of 2005 at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., this Jonathan [More]
Critics Consensus: From the stage to the street, Wattstax brilliantly captures a musical moment -- and a poignantly passionate response to painful social upheaval.
Synopsis: In 1972 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, director Mel Stuart captures the performances of the Watts Summer Festival. Organized by [More]
Critics Consensus: It may offer little new for fans, but Martin Scorsese's document of the Rolling Stones' electrifying live show should provide satisfaction to audiences.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Martin Scorsese documents the Rolling Stones' energetic performance at New York's Beacon Theatre. The concert, filmed in 2006, features [More]
Critics Consensus: Imaginatively shot and edited, Metallica Through the Never is an electrifying, immersive concert film, though its fictional sequences are slightly less assured.
Synopsis: As the rock band Metallica performs a roaring set for fans in a sold-out arena, a young roadie named Trip [More]
Critics Consensus: While it may not be the definitive concert film (or the insightful backstage look) some will hope for, Michael Jackson's This Is It packs more than enough entertainment value to live up to its ambitious title.
Synopsis: Prior to his untimely death, Jackson was in the midst of preparing for a series of sold-out concerts that were [More]
Critics Consensus: So close and yet so far away from The Beatles as their union sunsets in real time, Let It Be observes the band from a chilly remove but gives audiences a valuable peek into their artistic process.
Synopsis: Initially slated to be a television documentary about the Beatles in the studio, this film, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, instead [More]
Critics Consensus:Katy Perry: Part of Me succeeds on the strengths of the pop star's genuine likability, inspiring work ethic, and dazzling stage show, even if it plays somewhat like a PR puff piece at times.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz follow wildly popular singer Katy Perry during her yearlong California Dreams tour. During 124 [More]
Critics Consensus: By documenting arguably the most renowned music festival in history, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music achieves the rare feat of capturing the unique spirit of its time.
Synopsis: In 1969, 500,000 people descended on a small patch of field in a little-known town in upstate New York called [More]
Synopsis: Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner (The National), Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) created an album that crossed genres [More]
Synopsis: This pioneering rock music documentary combines promotional footage, television appearances and production crew- and fan-shot footage of rock legends The [More]
Critics Consensus: Part documentary, part concert film, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ shows two sides of the artist -- and they're both equally brilliant.
Synopsis: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ accentuates the journey of RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, [More]
Synopsis: Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although [More]
Critics Consensus: Equal parts essential and chilling, Gimme Shelter provides a spine-tingling look at how the Rolling Stones' music paralleled the end of the counterculture movement.
Synopsis: The landmark documentary about the tragically ill-fated Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont Speedway on December 6, 1969. Only four [More]
Synopsis: Filmed by director Taylor Hackford on the occasion of Chuck Berry's 60th birthday, this documentary presents the rock legend performing [More]
Synopsis: This documentary chronicles Madonna's controversial 1990 "Blonde Ambition" international tour, kicking off in Japan during its rainy season, then traveling [More]
Synopsis: Sign O' The Times is widely celebrated for capturing the artist at his creative peak--blending electrifying concert footage with cinematic [More]
Critics Consensus:Gaga: Five Foot Two offers an absorbing glimpse of its superstar subject's backstage life, albeit one weakened by inconsistent focus and a dearth of performance footage.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Chris Moukarbel introduces the woman behind the performer, the costumes, the glitz and the glamour. [More]
Critics Consensus: As a tour documentary, it's rather uninspired -- but as a 3D glimpse of a building pop culture phenomenon, Never Say Never is undeniably entertaining.
Synopsis: A young singing sensation prepares to dazzle the crowd at a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Legions of adoring [More]
Critics Consensus: It's mostly for the converted, but One Direction: This Is Us will be fun for fans -- and it offers just enough slickly edited concert footage to entertain the casual viewer.
Synopsis: Groomed for stardom by "X-Factor's" Simon Cowell, the members of pop supergroup One Direction -- Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry [More]
Critics Consensus: The unconverted will remain just as perplexed as ever, but for gleeful Gleeks, The 3D Concert Movie delivers exactly what it promises.
Synopsis: New Directions hits the road to perform a summer concert tour. Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith), Kurt (Chris Colfer), [More]
Synopsis: The Netflix documentary film ariana grande: excuse me, i love you follows the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum singer-songwriter around the globe on [More]
Critics Consensus:Year of the Horse might be worth a watch for hardcore fans of Neil Young or Jim Jarmusch, but it will likely test the patience of most other viewers.
Synopsis: Director Jim Jarmusch probes the minds and music of Neil Young and Crazy Horse during their 1996 concert tour. [More]
Critics Consensus: While its concert segments are presented with a whole lotta love, The Song Remains the Same gets trampled underfoot with its dull fantasy segments and middling insights into the band.
Synopsis: Filmed in 1973 over the course of a three-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden, this concert film [More]
Critics Consensus: The unerotic sex scenes quickly become tedious to watch, and the lovers lack the personality necessary to make viewers care about them.
Synopsis: A man (Kieran O'Brien) reminisces about his steamy affair with an American woman (Margo Stilley) he met at a rock [More]
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