As recommended by: zanyhorse & WilliamSykes
Julien Temple's 2000 'rockumentary' charts the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols. Archive footage contextualises the story – which is told from the viewpoint of the band members. WilliamSykes is not quite sure how this one got away from the list. Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features
As recommended by: mullets & jpegs87
Director Cameron Crowe combed through 12,000 hours of archive footage to create the Pearl Jam rockumentary, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. The film documents the success of the band, as well as some of its most tragic moments. It includes everything from how the group was formed after the fatal heroin overdose of Andrew Wood (singer of pre-Pearl Jam band Mother Love Bone) to its public battles with Ticketmaster. Photograph: PR
As recommended by: jakupsson
Grammy Award-nominated, 1998's Meeting People is Easy follows Radiohead on their world tour following the success of their album OK Computer. The documentary concentrates on music writing, concerts and the promotion and touring of a record. More than 100 shows later, we see the near-burnout of the group. Photograph: PR
As recommended by: TodayIamtheZodiac
TodayIamtheZodiac tell us how Last Days Here “is pretty good. It's about the singer from Pentagram trying to get off drugs and get his shit together and make a comeback.” The documentary follows the lead singer in question, Bobby Liebling, in his recovery from drug addiction. Photograph: PR
As recommended by: FreakyChucker1
This documentary follows jazz musician Melody Gardot, who accidentally fell into a music career after a doctor recommended music therapy as part of her recovery from a road accident. FreakyChucker1 found the documentary incredibly moving. “It's enough that she is simply a phenomenal talent, but to see what she has had to go through just to sometimes bring that to an audience is heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure.” Photograph: Linda Nylind
As recommended by: Neil Davies, chromite, Benjamin86 & insomniacboy
Winner of the 2004 documentary grand jury prize at Sundance, Dig! documents the love-hate relationship between the bands the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Insomniacboy says “Dig! Is well worth seeing for the way the film contrasts their differing fortunes and how much these are down to character or luck.” The bands' respective frontmen, Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Anton Newcombe, both criticised the film for being unfair in its portrayal of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Newcombe said: “Our hard work was reduced at best to a series of punch-ups and mishaps taken out of context.” Photograph: PR
As recommended by: Dormant4 & johnzandt1
The 2003 documentary, Some Kind of Monster, is a no-holds-barred look at Metallica – a band reaching breaking point. A 'performance-enchancing coach' is hired by management, so that the group can get a better understanding of one another as friends, bandmates and human beings. Photograph: Annamaria DiSanto/Radical Media
As recommended by: mullets, boxplayer & robbo100
Directed by Martin Scorsese, No Direction Home traces the life of Bob Dylan. It focuses on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in 1961, and his 'retirement' from touring in 1966 following his motorcycle accident. Boxplayer says Dylan “is talkative and transparent; the archive footage is essential.” Photograph: Barry Feinstein/BBC
As recommended by: mullets, ciderhead & Kemster
Scorsese features again, but this time as the director of the 2011 George Harrison documentary. It follows Harrison from his early life in Liverpool to the height of Beatlemania, features unseen footage and interviews with friends, Harrison's widow Olivia – who was also a producer of the film – and their son, Dhani. Photograph: PR
