AP’s top music documentaries of 2024: Taylor Swift, ABBA, the Boss and more — and where to watch
AP Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Once you’ve made your way through AP’s list of 2024’s best films and dried those tears after bingeing “I Am: Celine Dion” — we won’t judge — it’s time to hand over the remote.
Here are 10 of The Associated Press’ favorite music documentaries of the year, featuring artists spanning genres and generations. Most are on streaming services and Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+, MAX and Netflix all have options.
They are presented in no particular order, along with where to find them:
“Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.”
Otis Redding. Isaac Hayes. Booker T. & the M.G.’s. The Staple Singers. These bulwarks of American music history were at the heart of Memphis’ music scene in the ’50s and ’60s via Stax Records, one of the greatest and most influential record labels in U.S. history. Not only that, but Stax embraced interracial creative endeavors at a point in the nation when doing so was life-threatening. The multi-part “Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.” is a celebration of the label, a long overdue document of the institution, and offers viewers the opportunity to examine with that history.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on MAX.
“The Beach Boys”
“The Beach Boys,” by director Frank Marshall, tells the story of three Wilson brothers — Brian, Carl and Dennis — along with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, and how their sunny Southern California sound became beloved the world over through classics like “I Get Around,” “Good Vibrations” and “God Only Knows.” The film includes extensive new interviews as well as draws from archival footage to give the perspectives of Carl Wilson, who died from cancer in 1998, and Dennis Wilson, who drowned in a Los Angeles-area harbor in 1983. Brian Wilson makes current-day appearances in the film, including in an emotional scene at the end, as AP cleverly refused to spoil in its story. Just … go watch.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Disney+.
“Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood”
It is an astonishing display of transparency in the music business: In 2019, music manager Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings announced that it was acquiring Big Machine Label Group, which released Taylor Swift’s first six studio albums and owns her masters. At the time, Swift said she learned about the deal when the public did; as a result, she began re-recording those records in order to own her new versions. A new two-part documentary, “Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” interrogates the deal — and offers digestible details for those hoping to learn more about what went awry, from varying perspectives.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on MAX.
“Road D
iary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band”
It seems like there are innumerable Bruce Springsteen documentaries out in the world, and most of them are worth viewing. But those who want to dive deep into the live experience of seeing Springsteen and the E Street Band — and let’s be honest here, the live show is a key component in loving the boss — a new film attempts to scratch the itch. “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band” is directed by Thom Zimny, who was also behind the docs “Western Stars” and “Springsteen on Broadway.” This one candidly captures the band on their 2023-2024 tour, with archival footage mixed in.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
“Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour”
Last year, pop’s major players released blockbuster concert films. Both “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” and the non-narrative “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” topped AP’s 2023 best of list, for breaking the fourth wall (in the case of the former) and artfully created a near-replica of the live experience (in the case of the latter). This year, the present pop phenom Olivia Rodrigo takes the mantle with her Netflix special, “Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour.” If you missed her on the road, don’t worry. This film captures the magic.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Netflix.
“Elton John: Never Too Late”
Elton John, Time’s 2024 Icon of the Year, looks back at five decades of his career in a new documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late.” Directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, the film features never before seen footage and new interviews. Ever wonder how Reginald Kenneth Dwight became Elton John? Here’s an opportunity to learn.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Disney+.
“The Greatest Night in Pop”
Nearly 40 years ago, superstars Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, under the unimpeachable tutelage of the late great Quincy Jones, came together to record “We Are the World, a 1985 charity single for African famine relief. A new Netflix documentary, “The Greatest Night in Pop,” takes a behind-the-scenes look at the complex birth of an unexpected megahit — and just what it was like to have all that talent in one studio, for one night.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Netflix.
“Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words”
For her fans, Megan Thee Stallion is a larger-than-life figure; a fearless Houston MC that preached “hot girl s—-” and self-empowerment. Behind the scenes — and quite frankly, in front of it, too — her experience has been all but glossy. Who could forget the onslaught of criticism she received during Tory Lanez’s assault trial, what experts described as a clear example of misogynoir, a specific type of misogyny experienced by Black women? In her Amazon documentary, Megan Thee Stallion candidly discusses the highs and lows of her experience with fame, social media, mental health and everything in-between.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Amazon Prime.
“Luther: Never Too Much”
Luther Vandross — the R&B crooner with a voice like silk and a penchant for timeless melodies — died in 2005. His legacy is celebrated in a new film, “Luther: Never Too Much,” a dive into his life story. For diehard fans and curious, casual listeners alike.
WHERE TO WATCH: Currently in theaters and will premiere on CNN on New Year’s Day.
“ABBA: Against the Odds”
It might be hard to believe in 2024, but there was a period of time where ABBA, the Swedish pop group of epic proportions, were considered… kind of cheesy, schmaltzy, just all around uncool. “ABBA: Against the Odds” details their journey, beginning with the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. They won, gave the world “Waterloo,” and, well, launched into their ascent to world domination. Mamma Mia, watch it unfold.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Apple TV+.
