Music documentaries have become a staple for music lovers during Covid-19. With many TV shows and films paused or inactive and live shows canceled due to the pandemic, the ability to watch a live performance, view backstage content from your favorite rock band, or watch a concert film of a great singer has proven a boon for everyone stuck on the couch.

With the Britney Spears and Biggie Smalls documentaries in the news of late, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best music documentaries you must watch, featuring insights into music history, archival footage, uplifting stories, and the odd cautionary tale.

Check out the list below for a collection of music documentary gold across a range of genres.

1. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

The 2012 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary is brilliant because it’s so different from backstage film, rolling concert tours, and flare-ups between band members. It feels almost like a whodunnit crossed with a treasure hunt in parts.

A musician named Rodriguez, hardly known at home in the US, became a huge hit in Apartheid-era South Africa during the 70s. Later down the track, amidst rumors of his death, two fans set out to find what became of the mysterious musician…

Writer and director Malik Bendjelloul (who sadly took his own life in 2015 after struggling with depression) showed a deft touch in helping the two fans collect stories of Rodriguez to find out what happened to the man so admired in South Africa.

2. The Martin Scorcese Zone (from 1978 – present)

From his entry into the genre with 1978s The Last Waltz, chronicling the retirement party concert of The Band, to the Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese in 2019, filmmaking legend Martin Scorcese has produced or directed some brilliant music documentaries. Check out this filmography: