To be a truly iconic rock or pop documentary feature, you need to do more than just show a band or performer playing on stage. The legendary films discussed in this list below are all a reflection of the artists performing the music. These features, directed by such legends as Martin Scorcese, Jonathan Demme, and D. A. Pennebaker, all present the music as vital cogs in a narrative that these brilliant directors are trying to tell.
Fast-paced, exciting, and often exhilarating, these five films have inspired legions of fans to take up their music, many times becoming lifelong followers. Dating back to the film Concert Magic (1948), featuring violinist Yehudi Menuhin, concert films have been awing audiences and presenting music as visual works of art. Below is our list of the five greatest concert films of all time. Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments section!
#5 Monterey Pop (1968 – dir. D.A. Pennebaker)
Jimi Hendrix sets his guitar on fire in a scene from “Monterey Pop” (1968). Photo courtesy of Leacock Pennebaker.
While Woodstock (1970) may be the most famous of the “Summer of Love” themed music festival films, D.A. Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop (1968) is the one that started it all. It’s also a film with legendary performances from Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Janis Joplin (with Big Brother and the Holding Company). The festival was also the launching pad and first major US appearances by Hendrix, Ravi Shankar, The Who, and Joplin. It also introduced Otis Redding to a US audience, six months before his untimely death.
Held over three days in mid-June 1967 at the Monterey Valley Fairgrounds in California, psychedelic rock had its coming-out party. Set a week after the first rock festival, Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival, The Monterey International Pop Festival was the turning point for the ‘Summer of Love’ movement that had started in San Francisco in 196 and was rapidly gaining steam. Organized by British journalist and publicist Derek Taylor, music producer Lou Adler, and John Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, the three-day Human Be-In featured, arguably, the greatest lineup of musicians on the same bill in the history of music, up to that point.
The genesis for Monterey Pop came from a conversation between Adler, Paul McCartney, and members of the Mamas & the Papas. Specifically, why Rock & Roll wasn’t as revered and well-respected as Jazz. Monterey was already the home of the wildly successful and critically acclaimed Monterey Jazz Festival and the timing was right to expand on the Monterey name. Most of the artists performed for free, donating what little revenue they saw to charity. Pennebaker also used top-of-the-line equipment to capture this legendary three-day event on film.
Monterey Pop purposely blended together a diverse mixture of cultures and music. Hip psychedelic-infused artists such as The Animals, The Who and The Grateful Dead shared the stage and the Good Vibrations with such artists as Ravi Shankar (Indian Sitar legend), Booker T & the M.G.s and Lou Rawls (blues), and Hugh Masekela (the ‘Father’ of South African Jazz). The underlying theme of the event, and the film, was tolerance, love, and good music. This, as the Vietnam War was raging out of control. The precursor to Woodstock, the film remains one of the most influential and celebrated festival films of all time and served as the template for all the films of this genre that followed in the ensuing five decades.
#4 The Song Remains the Same (1976 – dir. Peter Clifton and Joe Massot)
Perhaps one of the greatest examples of musical excess captured on film, Peter Clifton and Joe Massot’s The Song Remains the Same (1976) captures legendary rockers Led Zeppelin in all of their over-the-top hedonistic glory. Filmed over three hot and sweaty summer days and nights at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden in 1973, the film is a seismic shift from the ‘Summer of Love’ to the growing philosophy of ‘sex, drugs, and rock & roll.’ Along with fellow rockers Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin was ushering in a new era of balls to the walls, take no prisoners Rock and Roll. This was shown not just on stage, but behind the scenes, where hard-core drugs and ‘groupies’ were becoming the prevalent scene.
Dubbed a ‘personal and private tour of Led Zeppelin’ The Song Remains the Same is a mesmerizing yet unflattering portrayal of one of the top touring acts in the world at the time. Peter Grant, the physically imposing and bombastic manager of the band, had been wanting to make a theatrical/musical biography of Led Zeppelin since 1969. Several attempts to do this at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1970 had failed. Then, while the band was on tour in the US in 1973, Grant connected with director Joe Massot, who was already friends with guitarist Jimmy Page. Ideas were exchanged and a plan was quickly put into place to film the band during its final leg of the tour.
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in a scene from “The Song Remains the Same” (1976). Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.
Replete with Jimmy Page’s red silk and velvet ‘dragon suit,’ a police motorcade, and a massive private ‘party jet,’ the film is, at the same time, a disjointed mess and electrifying to watch. This was symbolic of early 1970s Rock and Roll. Perhaps no other band than Led Zeppelin could sound both sloppy and brilliant at the same time. And if you like drums, this is the film for you. The Song Remains the Same is, perhaps, the finest example of Rock and Roll drumming ever captured on film. The late John Bonham was the heart and soul of Led Zeppelin. He’s also the best thing about this film. The fantasy vignettes that intercut the concert and revolve around each band member are breathtakingly over-indulgent and joyous to watch, as is watching Page and lead singer Robert Plant channel their inner Frodo as they tend to their castles.
The band’s displeasure with the film has been chronicled publically. This is especially true because of continuity issues over the course of the three concerts in New York. This led to the entire show having to be ‘recreated’ at Shepperton Studios in England. Jimmy Page stated in 2008 to Uncut Magazine:
“I’m sort of miming at Shepperton to what I’d played at Madison Square Garden, but of course, although I’ve got a rough approximation of what I was playing from night to night, it’s not exact. So the film that came out in the ’70s is a bit warts-and-all”
The Song Remains the Same may not represent the best musical performance by a band on this list (that comes later). However, this film has something that none of the others have – a story. Drama. Mysticism. Going to the Pub. Auto Racing. A real-life robbery. Relaxing at home. Castles. Wizardy. This film is all over the map thematically and is a big reason why it has gained cult-like status among college campuses in the ensuing decades. It also has Jimmy Page looking really cool and shredding on a double-neck Gibson guitar. Warts and all indeed.
#3 Woodstock (1970 – dir. Michael Wadleigh)
Michael Wadleigh’s Woodstock (1970) is Monterey Pop on steroids. Bigger. Bursting at the seams. There’s so much going on during the capturing of one of the most significant cultural events in modern history, that it was decided to implement the now legendary split-screen effect. Giving the viewer more music, more chaos, more peace, more love, more mudslides. It helped to have a young Martin Scorcese and Telma Schoonmaker working the cameras and sitting in the editing bay. Scorcese will be coming up again shortly. The 1970 theatrical release of Woodstock clocks in at Coppola-esque one-hundred-eighty-five minutes. The Directors Cut, released in 1994 for the twenty-fifth anniversary, is a Woodstock-worthy two-hundred-twenty-four minutes.
Perhaps more than any other concert film in history, Woodstock has been broken down, micro-analyzed, and studied. Indeed, to almost OCD levels of detail, we know all about Max Yazgur and his farm in Bethel (Woodstock took place in nearby Bethel, NY). We know not to take the brown acid. There have been extensive books and documentary films on the founder and brainchild of Woodstock, Michael Lang. The poor sanitation. The New York State Thruway is closed…man. Jimi Hendrix’s early morning instrumental version of The Star-Spangled Banner. Joe Cocker’s tie-dye shirt. It’s all out there. The thing is, over fifty years later, the film is still brilliantly edited, and mesmerizing to watch.
A sea of people showed up for the concert at “Woodstock” (1970). Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers/Kobal/Shutterstock.
Woodstock was a critical and commercial smash. Grossing over $50 million on a meager $600,000 budget, critics raved over the concert film. In like manner, famed reviewer Roger Ebert stated in his glowing 1970 review:
“….it shows how 400,000 young people formed the third largest city in New York State, and ran it for a weekend with no violence and no hassles, and with a spirit of informal co-operation…The remarkable thing about Wadleigh’s film is that it succeeds so completely in making us feel how it must have been to be there…”
Looking back all these years later, it’s clear that Woodstock is the last dying breath of the ‘Summer of Love’ movement that started in 1967. Smoking grass and expanding your mind with psychedelic drugs had turned into speed freaks and heroin overdoses. Two weeks earlier, in Los Angeles, Charles Manson and his ‘family’ had brutally murdered actress Sharon Tate and seven others, destroying the feel-good vibes that had been building in the Hollywood hills for the past several years. Instead of flowers, actors such as Steve McQueen were now carrying guns, for personal protection.
The concert in Bethel defied the chaos in Vietnam, the Manson murders, and growing political and racial strife. It showed that 400,000 people of different shapes, sizes, and colors could converge in upstate New York for three days of peace, love, and music. The way that the local farmers and oldtimers took in and accepted the weird but harmless hippies that were converging on Bethel, is a lesson that the whole world could take heed of. It also helps to have iconic performances from Joe Cocker, Ritchie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills & Nash, Santana, Janis Joplin, The Who and so many other great artists. Woodstock remains one of the very best concert films of all time.
#2 The Last Waltz (1978 – dir. Martin Scorsese)
Martin Scorsese’s legendary concert film The Last Waltz (1978) is, by far, one of the most critically praised and widely loved films of this genre. Technically brilliant, the film revolutionized how directors would capture live concerts going forward. Scorsese, with Thelma Schoonmaker at his side, made the innovative decision to NOT show the audience, and encapsulate them in total darkness. This would again be put to good use in our next and top-ranked film. While the film is visually stunning – highlighting the Depression-era interior of San Francisco’s iconic Winterland Ballroom, The Last Waltz is not without its drama.
With an intro title card stating, “This film should be played loud!” The Last Waltz brilliantly covers The Band’s career and influences. Rick Danko. Levon Helm. Garth Hudson. Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson. All of them have their moment to shine in Scorsese’s film. Numerous guests also weave their way in and out of this laid-back rock and blues-filled concert. Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Pual Butterfield, and others add to the festivities. Neil Diamond performing ‘Dry Your Eyes’ with The Band backing seems a bit out of place.
In the ensuing years, members of The Band, especially drummer and vocalist Levon Helm voiced their displeasure about how Scorsese had structured the film. Robbie Robertson (singer, songwriter, and guitarist), a producer on the film, had worked with Scorsese to make it look like Robertson was the star of the show. As a result, the rest of The Band came across as nothing more than a backing group, as per Helm in his brutally honest book.
(L-R) Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, Van Morrison, Ronnie Hawkins, and Bob Dylan in a scene from “The Last Waltz” (1978). Photo courtesy of United Artists.
“As far as I was concerned, the movie was a disaster…For two hours [at a screening] we watched as the camera focused almost exclusively on Robbie Robertson, long and loving close-ups of his heavily made-up face and expensive haircut. The film was edited so it looked like Robbie was conducting the band with expansive waves of his guitar neck. The muscles on his neck stood out like cords when he sang so powerfully into his switched-off microphone”
-Levon Helm
Along with the in-fighting between band members, there was also excessive drug use – specifically cocaine – by people who were both in front of and behind the camera. There was a cocaine “bogger” that was hanging out of Neil Young’s nose. This was so noticeable that it had to be matted out in post-production. Scorsese has also stated that while filming The Last Waltz and New York, New York (1977) simultaneously, he was using cocaine heavily. Adding to the drama was Bob Bylan trying to back out at the last minute – during the concert’s intermission. Scorsese and Warner Brothers were enraged as Warner Brothers had agreed to fund the film only if Dylan would participate. Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham stepped in and saved the day. After tense negotiations in Dylan’s dressing room, it was settled. Dylan would film only the last two songs of his six-song set.
Through all of the backstage drama, Scorsese’s 35mm film is an undisputed masterpiece. The final performance of the night, ‘I Shall Be Released’ (with all the guests on-stage together) is one of the great live performances in Rock and Roll history. Of course, a smiling Ringo Starr on stage makes a great concert even greater. This wasn’t just a tribute to The Band. It was The Band’s tribute to all those who had inspired them. Total musical harmony. By the end of the show, everyone on stage smiles and waves to the crowd, who are now visible. The credits roll and the camera fades to black, completing Scorsese’s musical masterwork. The end of an era. The Band wouldn’t stay retired for long. They reformed and hit the road again in 1983 – without Robbie Robertson.
#1 Stop Making Sense (1984 – dir. Jonathan Demme)
Most lists rank Stop Making Sense (1984) at or near the top of the greatest concert films of all time, and there’s a good reason why. It’s no wonder that A24 – no stranger to greatness – is re-releasing the film in theaters in 4K, just in time for its 40th anniversary. The film is not just a live concert. It’s a funky, well-choreographed, often joyous work of moving art. Director Jonathan Demme is in lockstep with Talking Heads co-founder and artistic visionary, David Byrne. The resulting creation is like nothing anyone had ever seen before. The combination of great live music and mesmerizing visuals makes this film an absolute must-watch for lovers of live music. Also, there’s that oversized white suit.
Stop Making Sense was filmed over a multiple-night run of concerts in 1983 at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. Also, Demme largely followed Scorsese’s game plan for recording a live performance. That is in the same way blacken out the audience (until the very end) and use wide-angle lenses to capture the magic that was happening on stage. David Bryne spoke to Time Magazine in 2014 about how Stop Making Sense came together:
“I realized the show was ‘cinematic’ and that it sort of had a narrative arc. It might work on film, or so I believed…Jonathan followed us on tour for about a week or so prior to filming, so he knew the show pretty well…Jonathan saw things in the show that I didn’t realize were there or didn’t realize how important they were…Demme saw the interaction of the personalities on stage, how it was an ‘ensemble piece’ if it were viewed as one would a scripted film. He also realized that to suck the viewer into that ensemble, there would be no interviews and no shots of the audience until almost the very end.”
Tina Weymouth, Lynn Mabry, Ednah Holt, Alex Weir, and David Byrne perform in “Stop Making Sense” (1984). Photo courtesy of A24.
Stop Making Sense starts with Byrne onstage with only an acoustic guitar and a pre-recorded drum beat on a tape recorder accompanying him. The stage behind and around him is stripped down and unassembled. Whenever another song is performed, other members of the band join him on stage. First, bassist Tina Weymouth provides backing to an acoustic version of their song “Heaven.” Drummer Chris Frantz then joins the pair on “Thank You for Sending Me an Angel.” Every time a new member of the band comes on stage, crew members dressed head to toe in black (to blend in) begin ‘sliding’ the stage and equipment into place. Guitarist Jerry Harrison joins in for “Found a Job.” They wheel out more equipment and stage pieces. Seamlessly and organically, this is all done, while the music is playing. Backing vocalists Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, and guitarist Alex Weir are soon on stage. Thus, making the assembly and the band, complete.
Byrne leaves the stage briefly to put on what has now become known as the iconic ‘Big Suit.’ The Talking Heads frontman has stated that traditional Japanese Kabuki theater had inspired him to create the absurdly oversized and jiggling white suit. He would later state why the decision to come on stage wearing this bizarre suit came to fruition:
“I was in Japan in between tours and I was checking out traditional Japanese theater – Kabuki, Noh, Bunraku – and I was wondering what to wear on our upcoming tour…I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger, because music is very physical and often the body understands it before the head.”
To say that Stop Making Sense is both an audio and visual experience is an understatement. What’s so remarkable about the film (and concert) is that every time a new member of the band joins the stage, the sound of the group morphs into something different. It transmogrifies from stripped-down acoustic to multilayered electric funk music. It’s truly remarkable to watch. Byrne also shares a lovely dance…with a lamp. Byrne is sweating. Running. Shaking. Falling down. Getting up and running some more. It’s an astonishing performance. Further, the choreography that went into having all of the members jumping, kicking, and dancing, in perfect unison with each other (while playing instruments and singing), is magical.
Upon its release, critics and fans alike universally praised Stop Making Sense. In addition, many still consider it one of the best concert films ever released. Iconic movie critic Pauline Kael described the film as “close to perfection.” We agree and that’s why we have it atop our list of the five greatest concert films of all time. If you’ve never seen this amazing film, A24 is set to release it nationwide in IMAX theaters on September 22, and other theaters on September 29, 2023. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss it. Let us know what you think should be on this list in the comments section below as well as on social media!
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