December is here! Well, that means it’s the holiday season. If you plan on relaxing or hanging out with your family, what better way to unwind than by immersing yourself in some captivating music documentaries?
Whether you’re a die-hard music enthusiast or just looking to explore the incredible stories behind the biggest tunes, music executives, or your favorite artists, Netflix has a treasure of music documentaries catering to all tastes.
From the legendary Black Godfather to the biggest pop stars like Taylor Swift, here are the 11 must-watch music documentaries available on Netflix right now.
The Black Godfather (2019)
Ever heard of Clarence Avant, aka The Black Godfather? After watching this 2019 film, I understood why Clarence earned this name. He was literally “the guy who knew everybody.” Starting his professional career in the 1950s, he is known for promoting black music talent and culture. He also advocated heavily for fair compensation.
His efforts contributed to the success of Sussex Records, where he orchestrated releases by top music stars. From the film, you can see how many powerful connections Clarence had, including with former presidents Clinton and Obama. In 2021, Clarence was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for all his work in the entertainment industry.
Miss Americana (2020)
Directed by Lana Wilson, “Miss Americana” is a documentary on American pop star Taylor Swift. This film traces her life as she transforms into a sensational global pop phenomenon. Miss Americana also provides an insider’s view of how Swift navigated different professional and personal areas in her life.
From the Grammy nominations for her album “Reputation” to songwriting sessions, voicing her political opinions and struggles, and reflections on her looks, this documentary gives you a glimpse of Taylor’s career.
Taylor is closing 2023 on a high. She just got named the Time Person of the Year!
Image source: Billboard
The Defiant Ones (2017)
Directed by Allen Hughes, The Defiant Ones is an American docu-series that follows the career paths and partnership between Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. This four-part series starts when the two music executives sold their Beats headphone company to Apple Inc. for $3 billion.
In the second and third parts, the show focuses on the start of their careers: Dr. Dre with NWA and Jimmy with Interscope Records. The last part shows how the two come together to start Beats Electronics and seal their legacies. What I loved about this series is how the two executives came from different backgrounds but were so driven by the same ideals.
Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)
Another favorite for me was this documentary about American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. Chris Moukarbel directed the 2017 film. It covers snippets of Gaga preparing for the release of her fifth album, “Joanne”. It also highlights behind-the-scenes as she interacts with her fans, promotes her brand, and deals with chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
You’ll also enjoy the scenes showing Gaga’s preparation for her successful Super Bowl LI halftime performance. If you remember that performance, you know she did the thing!
Hip-Hop Evolution (2016 – 2020)
This is one of those music documentaries I’ve watched twice. As a hip-hop lover, I felt I had missed some key parts of the series the first time. Narrated and hosted by Shad, the show features multiple in-depth interviews with leading creators in hip-hop and rap, including DJs, rappers, producers, MCs, event promoters, and music journalists.
This is the best show to watch if you want to understand the foundation of hip-hop. The 16 episodes document how hip-hop started as an underground sound to the mainstream as we know it today.
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (2023)
I can’t mention hip-hop without spotlighting this documentary. One of the latest music documentaries on Netflix, Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop, covers personal stories and contributions of women in the genre. This TV series came just in time to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop.
Named after Queen Latifah’s song “Ladies First”, this show spotlights how women in hip-hop have continued pushing their music careers while working through challenges like colorism, abuse, misogyny, and racism. I’m embarrassed to mention it’s the first time I learned about Sha-Rock, the first female emcee.
Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl (2022)
Shania Twain’s “Not Just a Girl,” documentary was directed by Joss Crowley and produced by Mercury Studios. Growing up, Shania was that popular voice on the radio. I lost count of how many times I heard “Forever and For Always.”
With this documentary, we get to see her story of how she rose from childhood in Ontario, Canada, to become a famous country star and one of the best-selling artists. She also shares more about her personal life, marriage, and finding her voice again. The film was accompanied by an 18-track compilation album, Not Just A Girl (The Highlights).
Quincy (2018)
Yet another documentary about one of the most popular music executives. Quincy, the film recounts his story as a record and film producer and singer. Over his career, Quincy has produced music for some of the greatest artists, including Michael Jackson and Ray Charles.
As you watch the documentary, you’ll notice the multiple celebrity cameos. Quincy established himself by having friends across the industry with “over 300 albums recorded; 51 film and television scores; over 1,000 original compositions”.
This is Pop (2021)
If you are a music nerd, you’ll definitely love This is Pop. The eight-episode docuseries provides historical facts about music, like the origin of autotune, the rise of Britpop, and how popular boy bands in the 90s copied the Boyz II Men blueprint.
What stuck out for me was how Swedish songwriters were behind some of the biggest pop songs in the 90s and 2000s. Think Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.
Unlike other documentaries, the episodes are organized thematically. Therefore, you can choose to watch specific episodes at any time because they all tackle a different topic.
Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022)
This three-part docuseries documents the life of American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer Kanye West. It features footage from the past two decades highlighting how Kanye started out in Chicago and his move to NYC to get a record deal as a rapper. This film was assembled and directed by his old friends Coodie & Chike.
You also get to see how his mum, Donda, played an important role in his life and music career. And most importantly how “Through The Wire” came to be!
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives (2017)
Based on the autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life, released in 2013, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a 2-hour story about this legendary American record executive and his achievements. Starting as a CBS/Columbia Records lawyer, Clive rose to become the company’s president.
The film documents how he started signing rock bands to Columbia and his skill in identifying hit records. Clive also signed Whitney Houston as a teenager and guided her career to stardom.
Other notable documentaries on Netflix include Wham, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now, What Happened, Miss Simone, Keith Richards: Under The Influence, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, JLO’s Halftime and Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly.
What other interesting music documentaries have you watched? Let me know!
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