11 Upcoming Music Documentaries That Will Change How You Listen to Music in 2024-2025

Warning: Watching these might turn you into a total music nerd.

The next couple of years are shaping up to be an incredible time for music documentaries. We’re in for a wide range of musical stories from different genres and time periods, with each showing us more about the artists and songs we love.

From rock legends to disco pioneers, classical music to pop icons, these upcoming films will take us deep into the stories that have shaped our music world.

Here are the best titles to look out for:

1. Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude

Dan Aykroyd takes fans through the rich history of the Blues Brothers in this Audible original. This documentary features interviews with Jim Belushi and Paul Shaffer that you won’t hear anywhere else. Plus, an unreleased interview with the late John Belushi.

• Release Date: July 25, 2024
• Where to Watch: Audible

2. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Ban

For all you Boss fans out there, “Road Diary” gives the most in-depth look ever at how they create their famous live shows.

Directed by Thom Zimny, this documentary will let us peek into scenes we’ve never seen before about Springsteen and the E Street Band’s epic live shows. We’re talking intimate access to their 2023-2024 world tour – from sweaty practice sessions to backstage chats and everything in between.

But it’s not just about the music. This film dives deep into themes of life, loss, and the power of community, with rare archival footage thrown into the mix

• Release Date: October 2024
• Where to Watch: Hulu and Disney+

3. Nöthin’ but a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ‘80s Hair Metal

This three-part series on Paramount+ will take us back to the wild days of ’80s hair metal.

Based from Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock’s book and directed by Jeff Tremaine, the series captures the feel of a decade known for its larger-than-life personalities and loud guitar riffs.

You can also look forward to open interviews with stars like Bret Michaels and Stephen Pearcy. All of which will guide us through the biggest highs and deepest lows of a time that changed rock ‘n’ roll.

Time to style your hair big and put on your tightest leather pants!

• Release Date: Late 2024
• Where to Watch: Paramount+

4. Becoming Led Zeppelin

After its exciting premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2021, this long-awaited doc is finally ready to hit theaters.

Sony Pictures Classics has bought the rights to what many are calling the “definitive Led Zeppelin documentary”.

Here, we’ll see fresh interviews with the surviving members – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Plus, a treasure trove of never-before-seen concert footage and personal archives.

Much of the live material dates back to 1969, giving us a raw glimpse into the band’s meteoric rise. But, this isn’t just a recount of their career. It’s an intimate exploration of the chemistry and cultural impact that made Zeppelin the stuff of legend.

• Release Date: 2024
• Where to Watch: Theaters

5. Luther: Never Too Much

Get ready to ‘feel the love’, because Luther Vandross is finally getting the documentary treatment he deserves.

Directed by Dawn Porter, “Luther: Never Too Much” follows Vandross’s journey from being a background singer to becoming a soul music icon.

The film features a star-studded lineup of interviewees, including Jamie Foxx and Mariah Carey. And, it also dives into Vandross’s collaborations with legends like David Bowie.

But what sets this doc apart is its use of extensive archival footage, allowing Luther to narrate much of his own story.

• Release Date: 2025
• Where to Watch: CNN, OWN, and Max

6. Disco’s Revenge

Directed by Omar Majeed and Peter Mishara, this documentary looks at the lively history of disco music and how it still affects popular culture. In short, it calls you to dust off your platform shoes and hit the dance floor!

But, it’s more than a scratch on the surface.

This documentary is expected to open everyone’s eyes on the facts about Disco, where it came from, and how it became as big as it is.

It looks at how disco goes beyond just a music genre. Born from the civil rights movement and the Stonewall uprising, it was a cultural revolution.

With insights from music legends like Nile Rodgers, Billy Porter, and Grandmaster Flash, this documentary aims to fix wrong ideas about disco’s cultural importance and look at its roots in social movements.

• Release Date: 2024
• Where to Watch: TBD

7. Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity

For classical music fans, director Larry Weinstein is taking a fresh look at Beethoven’s timeless Ninth Symphony.

This documentary explores how this masterpiece, with its themes of hope and freedom, continues to resonate in our modern world.

It includes views from surprising sources like psychologist Steven Pinker and even the Peanuts comics. And, promises to be an interesting look at how the symphony has influenced culture and history over time.

• Release Date: 2024
• Where to Watch: Theaters

8. Eno

This unique documentary explores the life and work of Brian Eno – a pioneering musician and producer known for his ambient music and work with famous artists like David Bowie and U2.

What makes this documentary unique? Well, director Gary Hustwit is using special technology aided by AI to create a viewing experience that’s as innovative as Eno’s music.

With this, each screening will have different scenes and music. So, you’ll never see the same thing twice. This new approach matches Brian Eno’s own artistic ideas, creating a unique documentary experience that reflects the subject’s creative principles.

Basically, it makes you want to watch it more than once. (How they’ll actually do that, we’ll never know until we see it.)

Of course, the film also includes hours of never-before-seen footage and unheard music.

• Release Date: 2024
• Where to Watch: Theaters

9. One to One: John & Yoko

Director Kevin Macdonald is set to give us an intimate look at John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s life in early ’70s New York.

The doc focuses on the One to One Concerts – Lennon’s only full-length shows after the Beatles. This is complemented with fully restored footage with audio remixed by Sean Ono Lennon himself.

But beyond the music, viewers can also expect to see footage and personal archives that have never been shown before. We’ll also get a close-up view of the couple’s personal life and their tireless efforts for peace during a difficult time.

• Release Date: TBD
• Where to Watch: TBD

10. Lilith Fair

Dan Levy and Elevation Pictures dive deep into the 90s’ all-women music festival, Lilith Fair.

It talks about the festival started by Sarah McLachlan to fight against sexism in the music industry. This shows how the festival became a platform for female artists when they were often sidelined at major music events.

With heartfelt interviews with McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, and Bonnie Raitt, the documentary shows the challenges and successes behind the scenes. All of it comes together in a highlight on the festival’s role in raising over $10 million for women’s charities.

• Release Date: 2025
• Where to Watch: CBC

11. My Way

“My Way” delves into the rich history of one of the most iconic songs ever recorded and looks at why this timeless tune is loved by so many people all over the world.

It starts from the song’s simple beginnings by Claude François’ pool in 1967. All the way to becoming a global anthem.

This also follows the song’s journey through the voices of legends like Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, and even Sid Vicious. It promises to capture the soul of “My Way,” showing how a single song can cross cultural and generational lines to become part of our shared musical history.

• Release Date: 2024
• Where to Watch: Theaters