Having forged a 20-year run as one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the Queens NY collective known as 'A Tribe Called Quest' have kept a generation hungry for more of their groundbreaking music since their much publicized breakup in 1998. Michael Rapaport documents the inner workings and behind the scenes drama that follows the band to this day. He explores what's next for, what many claim, are the pioneers of alternative rap.

An authorized documentary on the late musician

David Byrne walks onto the stage and does a solo "Psycho Killer." Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz join him for two more songs. The crew is busy, still setting up. Then, three more musicians and two back-up singers join the band. Everybody sings, plays, harmonizes, dances, and runs. They change instruments and clothes. Bryne appears in the Big Suit. The backdrop is often black, but sometimes it displays words, images, or children's drawings. The band cooks for 18 songs, the lyrics are clear, the house rocks. In this concert film, the Talking Heads hardly talk, don't stop, and always make sense.

Shows the classic lineup of the Red Hot Chili Peppers recording their 1991 breakthrough album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik."

David Lynch takes us on an intimate journey through the formative years of his life. From his idyllic upbringing in small town America to the dark streets of Philadelphia, we follow Lynch as he traces the events that have helped to shape one of cinema's most enigmatic directors. David Lynch the Art Life infuses Lynch's own art, music and early films, shining a light into the dark corners of his unique world, giving audiences a better understanding of the man and the artist. As Lynch states "I think every time you do something, like a painting or whatever, you go with ideas and sometimes the past can conjure those ideas and color them, even if they're new ideas, the past colors them."

2016 documentary film directed by Jon Nguyen

A documentary on the cryptic cartoon band, Gorillaz.

Icelandic artist, Björk, performs songs from her eighth album with evocative visuals provided by designers from around the world.

2014 documentary film directed by Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland

"Scratch" is a feature-length documentary film that explores the world of the hip-hop DJ. From the birth of hip-hop, when pioneering DJ's began extending breaks on their party records (which helped inspire break dancing and rap), to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to its recent explosion in the form of a genuine musical movement called "turntablism," it's a story of unknown underdogs and serious turntable virtuosos who have radically changed the way we hear, play and create music. Scratch features some of the world's best DJ's, whether they're famous for solo scratching, competing in international DJ battles, producing records, playing for rap artists, or just rocking parties with the most insane records ever dug up. The film features dynamic performances and interviews with DJ's Q-bert, Rob Swift and the X-ecutioners, Steve Dee, Cut Chemist and NuMark (of Jurassic 5), DJ Craze, The Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters, The Beat Junkies (including Babu of Dilated Peoples), Z-trip, DJ Premier (Gang Starr), DJ Swamp (Beck), MixMasterMike (Beastie Boys), and many others, along with "old-school" innovators Jazzy Jay and GrandWizard Theodore (who is widely acknowledged as having invented the idea of scratching vinyl in the first place).

2001 documentary film directed by Doug Pray

A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.

A chronological look at The Doors, focusing on lead singer, Jim Morrison (1943-1971), from the formation of the band in 1965, it's first gigs, and first album, to Morrison's death, after years of alcohol and drug use. Along the journey, we see archival footage of rehearsals, performances, and private moments including a Miami concert resulting in Morrison's arrest and trial for indecency. His love of the spotlight, his desire to be a poet, and his alcohol-fueled mood swings lead to a back and forth between public and private desires, successes, and failures. The band's music plays throughout.

A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew", a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Bing Crosby.

808 is a documentary film about the inspiring story of the Roland TR-808 drum machine. It's the tale of the birth of electronic music, and how one small machine changed the musical landscape forever... by accident. It's the story of a sound that has been embraced by the world's top producers and performers, and has been name-checked on a whole host of hit records. Associated with numerous musical styles crossing both time and genre, its defining sounds are as relevant now as they ever has been. It defined hip hop and modern dance culture and it's sound continues to deliver dancefloor smashing beats today.

2015 documentary film directed by Alexander Dunn

A meditation narrative reflection of Nick Cave's process. A history that resists the narrative structure and shows the poet grasping at sensual intuitions. Filmed lovingly and richly raw that showcases the imperfections and hesitant fits of existence. This is a portrait of a self-portrait and the viewer can get lost and/or bored in this hall of mirrors music doc. Enter at your own risk.

Some Kind of Monster is a music documentary about Metallica's making of their album St. Anger and the difficulties they had to go through in the process. The directors shot over 1200 hours and followed the band around night and day for over a year to create this documentary.

Music Documentaries

More lists by Benito Mascarpone

TV Fiction To Check

Biopics