The 30 Best Concert Movies of All Time

Fugazi concert footage — and plenty of it — isn't the only reason to tune into this wide-ranging look at the punk band's career, utilizing video shot over the course of 11 years, from 1987 to 1998. Instead, it's an opportunity to look at the full spectrum of their ups and downs, as well as their eclectic history as a group. If nothing else, you must watch this one for the opportunity to see the band interviewed by the toughest of music journalists: an eighth grader with a public access TV show. — L.S. Miller

Watch Instrument now on The Criterion Channel or via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

At the time, critics were quick to deem U2's post-Joshua Tree rock doc pretentious, but nearly 35 years later, the film sings with inspiration. As director Phil Joanou chronicles U2's 1987 North American tour, the band's songs are given sublime reinterpretations and their appreciation for gospel, blues, and American folk music is on full display. It allows the viewer to bear witness to the sheer power that U2 wields live, while also showing a totally different, more vulnerable side to the band. Rattle & Hum is a decidedly earnest look at a group that just kept getting bigger. — Paolo Ragusa

Watch U2 Rattle and Hum now on DVD via Amazon.

Taylor Swift is at the height of her powers here for an epic-length run through her entire discography to date (the title coming from how the show spotlights each of her "eras"), a dance-centric visual extravaganza that director Sam Wrench manages to bring to the screen with minimal fuss. If nothing else, The Eras Tour might be one of the 21st century's most important cultural documents, capturing for future generations why, exactly, so many people today might make Taylor Swift a part of their personality. The full force of her charisma is on display here, in a way that should make even her most passionate haters appreciate her ability to own her audience. — L.S. Miller

Watch The Eras Tour now on Disney+.

In 1973, Bob Fosse became the only person to win an Emmy, an Oscar, and a Tony in the same year, and the Emmy was for this: a rich and intimate capturing of Liza Minnelli on stage. It's an eclectic performance, with Minnelli gleefully singing literal nursery rhymes and an explanation of how to spell and say her name, and Fosse's editing mastery keeps the flow from one song to the next tight yet not restrictive. Sometimes, you don't need fancy cameras and elaborate set-ups, to make some magic. Sometimes, all you need is Liza. — L.S. Miller

Watch Liza with a Z now on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Sometimes, all you want from a concert movie is for the director to get out of the way and just show you what happened, and that's exactly what director James Barnes achieved with Black Sunday Live at Royal Albert Hall. One of the best self-fulfilling prophecies to come from The Simpsons, this collaboration between Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra uses a dazzling number of cameras to give us a detail-oriented look at both Cypress and the 70-piece orchestra backing them. What the film really captures is how this pairing might have been the literal result of a joke written 28 years ago, but dang it, it works, elevating both sides for some truly magical moments. A detail I personally loved: Every once in a while, a camera catches a glimpse of the sheet music in front of a violinist or percussionist as they go balls-out. — L.S. Miller

Watch Black Sunday Live at Royal Albert Hall now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Taking inspiration from films like Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same (also on this list), this Nimród Antal-directed “thriller concert film” sets up a fictional descent into madness alongside an explosive concert in Vancouver’s expansive BC Place. James Hetfield growls his way through songs like “Creeping Death” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” dwarfed by set pieces so huge they’d make Spinal Tap weep (that collapsing statue of Lady Justice during “...And Justice For All” — never accuse Metallica of subtlety).

But every so often, we cut back to an unrelated side plot, starring Dane DeHaan as a roadie traversing the empty streets of Vancouver and being chased by a hellish masked rider on horseback. Okay, that part doesn’t really go anywhere, but points to Antal et al for injecting apocalyptic thrills into what’s otherwise a pretty handsomely-made showcase for the band. — Clint Worthington

Watch Metallica: Through the Never now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

If you have ever cared for someone as they fade away into Alzheimer’s, you understand that what Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga accomplished on their final tour is as close to a miracle as music can get. With dementia lurking, the aging crooner delivered a final series of powerhouse performances for MTV Unplugged, borne along by a lifetime of instincts and the compassion of his scene partner. (The television special One Last Time is also quite good, but we prefer the unfussy simplicity of Unplugged.)

On stage, Gaga works to make Bennett feel comfortable by elegantly giving him clues to guide the performance. She also studied his habits, knowing that during some choruses he’d probably turn out and face the audience, so that they could do it in unison. During “Night and Day,” the pair even manage to point at each other three times while singing “You, you, you!” — when they start the first “You,” you can see Bennett’s arm resting at his side. But after Gaga makes eye contact and raises her arm, Bennett quickly picks up on the signal, ensuring that they match each other for the final two “you"s. Though the moment is fleeting, it's the kind of connection that makes music feel immortal. — Wren Graves

Watch MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga now on YouTube.

The gimmick's right in the title: For their 2004 concert at Madison Square Garden, Beastie Boys gave 50 fans digital cameras to film their POV that night, and the footage was then edited together to capture a singular experience. A necessary disclaimer: Because this concert movie was shot relatively early in the rise of digital cinematography, the footage... It doesn't look great today. (Especially if you happen to be watching via a bootleg link.) But the sound is really solid, and it's the best available evidence of how incredible this trio was on stage. So, a little graininess is excusable. — L.S. Miller

Watch Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! now on DVD via Amazon.

The Song Remains the Same is breathtaking, imaginative, ambitious, and riddled with production hurdles. Initially filmed over three nights at Madison Square Garden by Joe Massot, Zep’s manager, Peter Grant pulled Massot off the project and replaced him with Peter Clifton, who filled in the gaps by recreating the concert at Sheppeton Studios. The final result is self-indulgent in the way only Zeppelin can achieve: lengthy solos, fantasy sequences featuring members of the band on horseback wielding swords, bursts of kaleidoscopic color. All that, and thumping versions of “Black Dog” and “Stairway” that have to be seen to be believed. — C. Worthington

Watch The Song Remains the Same now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

While his 2003 Madison Square Garden appearance would not end up being his true retirement, JAY-Z still puts on a helluva show, as filmed by directors Patrick Paulson and Michael John Warren. The behind-the-scenes components reveal the kind of pressure that Mr. Knowles Carter puts himself through, but on stage he's a dynamic force, blasting through the hits like only he can. "I want y'all to see how far we can take it as hip-hop artists," he tells the crowd, before engaging them in some electric call and response; the best concert films also serve as something of a portrait, and that's especially true here. — L.S. Miller

Watch Fade to Black now on Tidal or on DVD via Amazon.

Okay, it's not his most famous recorded performance, and the studio-shot ’68 Comeback Special remains iconic. However, for the opportunity to see a mature King engage with a live audience, That's the Way It Is can't be beat. Shot at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, That's the Way It Is also offers a behind-the-scenes look at a playful, engaged Presley preparing for the big show, as well as a reflection on Elvis Presley's stardom, with the then-editor of Tiger Beat and real-life teenage fans defining fandom as it was understood in the early 1970s (spoiler alert, it's not much different from today). — L.S. Miller

Watch Elvis: That's the Way It Is now on Tubi or on VOD Apple TV+ and Amazon.

There isn't as much concert footage as you might anticipate in D. A. Pennebaker's iconic documentary about Bob Dylan on tour in England in 1965. Instead, it's a much more wide-ranging look at the artist as he interrogates his own celebrity. Some of its most striking moments of live performance come in more intimate settings, like an extended sequence featuring Dylan and Joan Baez jamming together on Hank Williams classics. But there's still plenty of Dylan on stage, proving his indelible talent, in between sequences revealing what life on the road is really like... at least for Dylan at that time. The film also notably opens with what could be considered one of the first music videos: Dylan's card-flipping take on "Subterranean Homesick Blues." — L.S. Miller

Watch Don't Look Back now on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Pink Floyd always had a streak of theatricality: From the psychedelia of their early live shows to full-blown concept records, the group couldn't help themselves but chase whatever ambitious idea was haunting them at the time. In 1972 (pre-Dark Side of the Moon, mind you), that idea just so happened to be performing a full set of progressive art-rock in the ruins of Pompeii. Surrounded by giant stacks of amplifiers and smokey imagery of what's left of the city's Roman structures, the film captures Floyd at a turning point in their career. Their commercial and critical high point is just around the corner, and watching them play through epics like "Echos," it feels inevitable. For that, Live at Pompeii exists as a uniquely prescient concert film, one that just so happens to include incredible performances of incredible songs as well. — Jonah Krueger

Watch Live at Pompeii now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

D.A. Pennebaker’s verité look at the titular 1967 music festival is still one of the giants of the form: pulse-pounding performances filtered through grainy 8mm footage and the giddy glee of the attendees. The Monterey International Pop Festival was a sort of proto-Woodstock, a chance for acts like Simon and Garfunkel, Ravi Shankar, The Mamas and the Papas, and more to reach a vast audience and immortalize their impact on the world of ‘60s pop music. Beyond that, though, there are the iconic moments, like Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire, or Pete Townshend swinging his guitar into the stage and smashing it to pieces. If you don’t have three hours to spare for Woodstock, the brisk, exciting 80 minutes of Monterey Pop is an incredible showcase for the greatest artists of the 1960s. — C. Worthington

Watch Monterey Pop now on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

When Bruce Springsteen began his epic Broadway run in 2017, it was obvious that someone should film the show for posterity — that someone became Netflix, with director Thom Zimny winning an Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special Emmy for his work in bringing the full scope of Springsteen's intimate performance to the screen. (The movie also received a nomination for Outstanding Pre-Recorded Variety Special.) The intimacy is what's key about Springsteen on Broadway, as following the title card, we're immediately hit with a tight close-up on Bruuuuuuce’s face as he begins to speak, with his signature grounded lyricism, about the act of performance. Zimny's spare approach is more than effective in capturing just why Springsteen means so much to so many, as the rocker works through big hits and deeper cuts. — L.S. Miller

Watch Springsteen on Broadway now on Netflix.

Jake Scott’s documentary encapsulates the beloved Britpop band’s pair of landmark concerts at the height of their careers. At Knebworth, Noel and Liam Gallagher and co. played cuts from their two most notable albums, Definitely Maybe and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, for a crowd of 500,000 fans who went absolutely mad for it. Knebworth 1996 can almost make you believe the band’s claim of being “the last great rock n’ roll band,” with Scott using both helicopter shots and the wild crowd reactions to capture the madness of Britpop mania and Oasis’ own moment in the sun. Now, we just have to wait and see how the inevitable documentary of their smash reunion tour compares. — Sun Noor

Watch Oasis Knebworth 1996 now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

In 1981, Daryl Gates, the LAPD Chief of Police at the time, wrote a letter demanding any future showings of The Decline of Western Civilization be shut down — and if that isn't fucking punk rock, I don't know what is. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, the documentary/concert film depicts the burgeoning California punk scene on the cusp of the 1980s. With footage of Black Flag, X, Germs, Circle Jerks, Fear, and more, the hardcore energy transcends the screen as viewers watch punks do what punks do: mosh, scream, cause trouble, and band together to form one of the most legendary communities in popular music. Plenty of documentaries and concert films have attempted to cover the punk world, but perhaps no film embodies the genre's spirit like The Decline of Western Civilization. — J. Krueger

Watch The Decline of Western Civilization now on Prime Video, Kanopy, The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Shout TV or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Whether you’re watching the three-hour theatrical cut released in 1970 (just a few months after the watershed festival itself), or the nearly four-hour director’s cut released in the ‘90s, Michael Wadleigh’s chronicle of the seminal moment in American counterculture is one of the best to ever do it. Taking an anthropological approach to the festival, Wadleigh dives into the motivations and wants of the organizers, artists, and attendees for whom the even represented a rare moment of fellowship. There’s split-screens, candid interviews with townspeople, and crucially, the acts themselves (Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens) putting in some of their boldest, most vibrant work. Roger Ebert once called it “[maybe] the best documentary ever made in America.” He might well be right. — C. Worthington

Watch Woodstock now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

This long-gestating film documents the recording of Aretha Franklin's titular gospel album, using footage shot by director Sydney Pollack in 1972 that was unusable at the time, due to sync issues. When the footage was successfully restored and compiled into a film in 2011, Franklin protested its release, and the film in fact was not released until after her death in 2018, with her family's permission. Franklin's issues with the film weren't related to its content, to be clear, and being able to see it now means coming away with a whole new appreciation for the Queen of Soul's musical artistry. Franklin literally and figuratively takes her audience to church, the power of her voice ringing out so clearly in this stripped-down production. — L.S. Miller

Watch Amazing Grace now on Kanopy and Tubi or on VOD via Apple TV+.

It's unclear whether T.A.M.I. is supposed to stand for "Teenage Awards Music International" or "Teen Age Music International" — what it is, though, is a wild accumulation of great and soon-to-be great artists of 1964, filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in front of a screaming adolescent audience. Standout acts include The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Lesley Gore, and The Barbarians (whose drummer, having lost one of his hands as a teenager, had modified his prosthetic to hold a drumstick). Plus, you get to see James Brown literally show Mick Jagger how it's done; Brown's set precedes The Rolling Stones, and he blows the damn door off the place. It's a staggeringly alive collection of performances, one that might make you feel like a teenager yourself. — L.S. Miller

Watch The T.A.M.I. Show now on YouTube or DVD via Amazon.

D.A. Pennebaker’s 1973 concert documentary reveals the rise and fall of David Bowie’s enigmatic stage persona. Filmed in 35mm at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, the footage follows Bowie’s final show as Ziggy, from the glam chair to his remarkable performance, marking the end of an era — and arguably the greatest concert tour of all time. Pennebaker seamlessly pieces together scenes from the mob of fans waiting to enter the venue, to the backstage glitz and glamor as Bowie morphed into the alien rock star one last time, alongside Weird, Gilly, and The Spiders from Mars. Bowie may be gone, but Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust is immortal. — S. Noor

Watch Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

For so many music fans, Prince inspires one of two thoughts: "Oh god, I'm so glad I managed to see him perform live at least once," or, "Goddamn it, I wish I'd been able to see him perform live at least once." For those who might tragically say the latter, Sign o' the Times is a godsend — an opportunity to watch one of music's true titans own the stage for 85 minutes, performing tracks off his titular ninth album. Prince, of course, directed the concert film himself, and made sure to give us both huge wide shots as well as tight angles on his brilliant collaborators; the opportunity to watch Sheila E. annihilate a drum set is worth the price of admission alone. What makes this movie so remarkable — aside from the fact that it's Prince, y'all — is that while the intention was originally to use nothing but pure live footage, most of said footage from concerts filmed in Belgium and the Netherlands was deemed unusable, and much of what actually made the cut was from reshoots conducted at Paisley Park Studios. You either can't really tell or don't really bother to care — because, ahem, it's Prince. — L.S. Miller

Watch Prince: Sign o' the Times now on Prime Video, Roku Channel, Hoopla, Tubi, and Pluto TV or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

By the time Nirvana graced the stage of Sony Music Studios in New York City in November of 1993, they were already the biggest band in the world. But their episode of MTV’s series of stripped-down studio concerts, Unplugged, showed them in astonishingly reflective form: There’s Dave Grohl with his ponytail and turtleneck, Krist Novoselic’s enormous bass, the quiet awe of the crowd.

Then there’s Cobain himself, mere months before his untimely passing, shifting uncomfortably in his cardigan and wooden chair as he groans through a setlist comprised of what were, at the time, some of the band’s deeper cuts (“Come As You Are” was probably their most famous track to that point), alongside covers of tracks like Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” and Lead Belly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.”

It’s a rare look at a band, and an artist, openly trying to reset — to become more accessible after their anti-establishment ethos threw them right into the heights of fame and fortune. And the album that would come from the special would turn into one of the best live albums in alternative rock history. — C. Worthington

Watch MTV Unplugged: Nirvana now on Paramount+ or via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Back in 1969, only those who were on the grounds at the infamous Altamont Free Concert in California were witness to the carnage that ensued — until Charlotte Zwerin and Albert and David Maysles' 1970 concert documentary Gimme Shelter provided an unapologetic look at everything that went down. The documentary covers the conclusion of The Rolling Stones' 1969 North American tour, but much of the film is dedicated to the origins, fallout, and overall tense aura of the Altamont concert, an event that resulted in a murder and several injuries.

Of course, the plethora of footage from The Rolling Stones' rousing performances detail a band in their prime as a quintet — but what makes Gimme Shelter so significant is the juxtaposition between their passionate, haywire rock songs and the air of chaos that surrounded this performance. Its fearless depiction of how a concert can be both liberating and dangerous was a foundational moment in music media, and after watching, it may be hard to hear "Sympathy for the Devil" in the same way. — P. Ragusa

Watch Gimme Shelter now on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Before 2021, you might not have even heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival, but then Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson went and won an Oscar for bringing it to a whole new audience. While 40 hours of footage from the 1969 festival was shot by television producer Hal Tulchin at the time, only excerpts were used for network television specials; the rest was largely ignored for decades, until producers David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, and Joseph Patel approached the Roots frontman with the idea of transforming it into a feature.

What makes the film both important and impressive is how it encompasses so much about a period of time both culturally and politically, while also remaining exceptionally lyrical: Even when the film verges on documentary territory, the music of the festival remains ever-present, and some of the performances are truly extraordinary. "How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?" Nina Simone says in an interview before taking the stage for her set; it's a statement Thompson himself embeds in the very fabric of his work here. — L.S. Miller

Watch Summer of Soul now on Disney+ and Hulu or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

Martin Scorsese's immersive, stylish concert documentary film chronicling The Band's farewell concert was noteworthy for several reasons. There's the music: simultaneously classic while also being undeniably alive, it was a comprehensive look at what made the Canadian-American band so beloved. Then there's the interviews: the way Scorsese highlights each band member's identities and attitudes, specifically that of the dripping-with-cool, chain-smoking guitar wizard Robbie Robertson, helps ground the group.

And then, there are the barrage of high-profile guests: Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Emmylou Harris were just a few members of the star-studded guest list. From Levon Helm's soulful, passionate rendition of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," to The Band busting out their classic "The Weight" with The Staple Sisters in tow, The Last Waltz is a definitive ode to American folk rock, a document of passionate artists working at the height of their talents. — P. Ragusa

Watch The Last Waltz now on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Tubi or on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.

There had never been a festival set like this before, and it's hard to believe there could ever be one like this ever again. As the first Black woman to headline Coachella, Beyoncé created a transcendent cultural event with her 2018 performance, captured and housed on Netflix for us to enjoy time and time again in HOMECOMING: A Film by Beyoncé. In addition to the immaculately edited footage from both festival weekends, the documentary takes us behind the scenes into the grueling, meticulous rehearsal process that allowed Beyoncé and over 100 dancers and instrumentalists to blow our minds.

Building off a foundation of the unique and specific joy cultivated during homecoming weekends at historically Black colleges and universities, the relatively simple set — risers for her dancers and orchestra — put Beyoncé front and center. The live vocals are undeniable. The choreography is so sharp that the editors can — and did! — transition from one weekend's performance to the next and end up without a hair out of place. The moment when Bey dips out for a costume change and three silhouettes rise for a Destiny's Child medley is chill-inducing.

All in all, the documentary (written, directed, and executive produced by Queen Bey herself) shows the triumphant joy of the performance and offers a detailed look into the hard work that went into it. It's unforgettable. — M. Siroky

Watch Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce now on Netflix.

Some concert films excel because they offer a closer look at an artist whom many only see from nosebleeds in the biggest stadiums in the world. Some play with form by adding interviews or a fictionalized narrative, while others coast off of some sort of novelty, be it an unusual location or a special event. Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme's remarkable Stop Making Sense, though, doesn't rely on any such gimmick. The band is playing to a fairly standard concert hall; the filmmaking, while excellent, observes more than it interacts; and, ironically, there are no Talking Heads talking heads interrupting the setlist. It's simply a faithful snapshot of Talking Heads as a live band, and thanks to that, it's the greatest concert film of all time.

Beyond the music, which is undisputed, the very construction of the show results in a more compelling sense of progression than any inserted narrative ever could. David Byrne starts the concert alone with a prop boombox before building the band up song by song, with the visuals and sonics becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable as the set goes on. Then there are the actual performances, which not only ooze with energy, but showcase what made the band and its members so unique: Byrne's almost alien-like convulsions, Chris Frantz's hoots and hollers during "Genius of Love," Jerry Harrison's steady composure, and Tina Weymouth's contagious dancing.

There's not a note, shot, or choreographed step out of place. Forty years later, Stop Making Sense remains a shining example of what live musical performance can accomplish — thank god they had the sense to put it to tape. — J. Krueger

Watch Stop Making Sense now on VOD via Apple TV+ and Amazon.