Rolling Stone magazine asked their readers to name the best rock documentaries of all-time and they’ve come up with a pretty decent list.
The Last Waltz - The Band
Topping it is Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Waltz, a concert film of the final appearance by The Band. Of course, the wide array of guest stars that night also adds to the allure of the film from Bob Dylan to Neil Young to Neil Diamond.
Second is the Academy Award winning film for Best Documentary, Woodstock. The fact that so much footage was available for this expansive film based on the festival’s logistical nightmare makes it one of the great wonders of documentary film making, rock or not.
Then, the list goes quite a bit awry. We’re not sure if the readers actually realize that Spinal Tap is not a real group or that the film was a mockumentary, not a documentary, but they voted Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap into the number three position.
Rounding out the list are some truly great films including classics as Gimme Shelter, The Kids Are Alright and No Direction Home.
The Rolling Stone list:
- The Last Waltz (Band)
- Woodstock
- This is Spinal Tap
- Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
- The Kids Are Alright (Who)
- Pearl Jam Twenty
- No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
- The Beatles Anthology
- Beyond the Lighted Stage (Rush)
- It Might Get Loud (Jimmy Page, the Edge, Jack White)
