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50 greatest music films ever
From Wagner to Elvis, Cliff to Cobain, and Walker to Ryder, a multitude of musicians have stepped out of the studio and on to the big screen – often, it must be said, to disastrous effect. But sometimes the union of sound and vision produces magical movies and, to prove it, our film and music teams join forces to find the 50 best ever.
First off, an apology. Nowhere in this list of fantastic films about
musicians will you find ‘This is Spinal Tap’. As much as we love
Christopher Guest’s mockumentary, the band never actually existed
(sorry to break it to you, Tap fans). Instead we’re celebrating great
films – dramas and documentaries – about real musicians. We’ve polled
our film and music writers for their personal favourites and looked
beyond the obvious to include films about jazz, films about opera,
films about Finnish polka rock and films about Gilbert and Sullivan.
Why?
Partly to coincide with the release of ‘Control’, Anton Corbijn’s new
film about Joy Division, and partly because we recently saw ‘I’m Not
There’, Todd Haynes’ movie about Bob Dylan, which reminded us just how
superb films about musicians can be. Here we offer you 50 excellent
cinematic creations and guarantee that the one we’ve picked for the
Number One spot may not be to everyone’s taste. We, however, think it’s
a work of genius. But if you disagree, we want to hear from you. Have your say.
2 Don't Look Back (DA Pennebaker, 1967)
3 Gimme Shelter (David Maysles/Albert Maysles/Charlotte Zwerin, 1970)
4 24 Hour Party People (Michael Winterbottom, 2002)
5 Topsy-Turvy (Mike Leigh, 1999)
6 Monterey Pop (DA Pennebaker, 1968)
7 Be Here to Love Me (Margaret Brown, 2004)
8 Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould (Francois Girard, 1993)
9 Cocksucker Blues (Robert Frank, 1972)
10 Bird (Clint Eastwood, 1988)
11 The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese, 1978)
12 Rude Boy (Jack Hazan, David Mingay, 1980)
13 Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (Stephen Kijak, 2006)
14 Bound for Glory (Hal Ashby, 1976)
15 The Decline of Western Civilization Parts I & II (Penelope Spheeris, 1981, 1988)
16 The Devil and Daniel Johnston (Jeff Feuerzeig, 2005)
17 Sweet Dreams (Karel Reisz, 1982)
18 Notes from a Jazz Survivor (Don McGlynn, 1982)
19 Elgar (Ken Russell, 1962)
20 Rust Never Sleeps (Neil Young, 1979)
21 The Future is Unwritten (Julien Temple, 2006)
22 'DiG!' (Ondi Timoner, 2004)
23 Some Kind Of Monster (Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky, 2004)
24 A Hard Day's Night (Richard Lester, 1964)
25 Jimi Hendrix (Joe Boyd, 1973)
26 Sid and Nancy (Alex Cox, 1986)
27 Elvis (John Carpenter, 1979)
28 The Last of the Blue Devils (Bruce Ricker, 1980)
29 Rough Cut & Ready Dubbed (Hasan Shah & Dom Shaw, 1981)
30 Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984)
31 Stop Making Sense (Jonathan Demme, 1984)
32 Charlie is My Darling (Peter Whitehead, 1966)
33 Magic Fire (William Dieterle, 1955)
34 A Joyful Noise (Robert Mugge, 1980)
35 Coal Miner’s Daughter (Michael Apted, 1980)
36 Last Days (Gus Van Sant, 2006)
37 Wonderful Life (Sidney J Furie, 1964)
38 'Round Midnight (Bertrand Tavernier, 1986)
39 Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (Gimpo, 1995)
40 The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub, 1968)
41 Buena Vista Social Club (Wim Wenders, 1999)
42 Soul to Soul (Dennis Sanders, 1971)
43 Hilary and Jackie (Anand Tucker, 1998)
44 Made in Sheffield (Eve Wood, 2001)
45 Jazz on a Summer’s Day (Bert Stern, 1959)
46 So You Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star? (Mark Kidel, 1976)
47 Leningrad Cowboys Go America (Aki Kaurismäki, 1989)
48 MC5: A True Testimonial (David C Thomas, 2002)
49 Sign O’ The Times (Prince, 1988)
50 Catch Us If You Can (John Boorman, 1965)
Author: Dave Calhoun. Written by Derek Adams, Geoff Andrew, Dave Calhoun, Wally Hammond, Michael Hodges, Martin Horsfield, Martin Hoyle, David Jenkins, Trevor Johnston, Eddy Lawrence, Sharon O'Connell, Chris Parkin, Graeme Thomson, Peter Watts
User comments on this story
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- Harry said...
- The Chuck Berry film Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll is a great documentary about the contrary genius. And your admiration for Keith Richards can only increase - he displays inifinite patience when Chuck corrects his playing. Posted on Mar 29 2008 20:49
- Report as inappropriate
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- A Sad Man said...
- What about the Monkees film "Head" its a surrealist, psychadelic classic. And Velvet Goldmine too. Posted on Jan 31 2008 15:22
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- Holly said...
- Nice...personally, i like "Raise your voice!", "Confessions of a teenage drama queen"...something more modern :D:D Posted on Jan 31 2008 14:22
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- KevinT said...
- I would have to include the documentary 'A Great Day In Harlem' - one of the best films about jazz musicians. Posted on Oct 17 2007 17:20
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- Brendan Thorpe said...
- How about "Born to Boogie"? Marc Bolan at the height of TRextasy - the arty bit may not be great, but the concert stuff is excellent! Posted on Oct 16 2007 15:37
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- J said...
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Taste is subjective, so we'll cut you some slack... But how could you snub "Ray" or the Cash film "Walk the Line?" "Rockers" was pretty amazing. "The Wall..." and the new release of "The Grateful Dead Movie" is hot. The bonus features (esp. the performances uncut) kick ass. AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock" & come on... "Yellow Submarine."
Personally I think "Spinal Tap" & "Hedwig & The Angry Inch" should be included. The bands may have been born out of the movies (the original play in Hedwig's case), but they are rocking bands nonetheless. Posted on Oct 14 2007 12:52 - Report as inappropriate
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- Alex Murillo said...
- Just to correct a common mistake..."This Is Spinal Tap" is not "Christopher Guest's mockumentary", as you said...it was directed by Rob Reiner. Guest was indeed a co-writer, and of course the film bares a resemblance to Guest's later films, but I think it's unfair to both Reiner and the other members of Spinal Tap (McKean, Shearer) to label the film as Guest's alone. Posted on Oct 11 2007 02:49
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- alex said...
- Actually I'm positive Spinal Tap did a few novelty shows back in the L80's/E90's (8 in all I believe) one at the lamented CBGB/OMFUG in NYC. Even one novelty show brings a band into the plane of existence as anyone knows who has ever been in bands. I've been in a lot, some did only one show, and they ALL existed even if no one but the three of us knew it. So Spinal Tap existed. QED. Posted on Oct 10 2007 16:23
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- Graz said...
- I also forgot to metion the Rock n' Roll, Australian Japanese Surfing Road Movie " Bondi Tsunami". 2004. Check it out. Posted on Oct 10 2007 04:32
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- Graz said...
- What about B.Middler in t"The Rose". Garland and Striesand in thier versions of " A Star is Born" . The briilant "Hair" and now also "Hairspray". But absoutley " Once" is brillant. Who compiled this list? Posted on Oct 10 2007 03:28
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- kay said...
- where the hell is PURPLE RAIN?!?!?! this surely has to be in the list?! Posted on Oct 08 2007 14:58
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- Don said...
- You've missed some of the truly great performances by real bands while playing up other performers imitating the stars. And some are as much fantasy as reality based on someone's interpretation of what happened. That is not a true documentary, just fiction passed off as one. Posted on Oct 08 2007 13:42
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- kanna77 said...
- this is great ! Posted on Oct 08 2007 03:47
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- Vince said...
- this list is horse shit, wot's the deal, because the brits hate the irish you can't out "the commitments" or "once" up in the top 50? and did you forget about a movie one of your own made called "the wall"? and the number one film listed is a bloody movie about the world's worst singer karen carpenter? wot the hell???? Posted on Oct 06 2007 05:04
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- Massimo said...
- The worst movie ever, with the best soundtrack ever: Streets of Fire! Posted on Oct 05 2007 20:53
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