The 10 best Classic Rock concert films

The Song Remains The Same (1976)

The Song Remains the Same - Original Theatrical Trailer

The "fantasy" sequences may be something of a head-scratcher these days, but at the time, Led Zeppelin's mythical reputation made it all make sense somehow. Put them to one side and you can enjoy some footage of the band performing at New York's Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1973, when the rock gods were at the height of their powers, particularly on the epic Dazed And Confused. We also get to see Peter Grant demonstrate his own particularly intimidating style of management.

Pink Floyd - Live At Pompeii (1972)

Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII - Echoes - Part 1 - Edit

The post-Syd Barrett, pre-Dark Side Of The Moon Floyd do their thing, setting their kit up under the hot sun in the lost Italian city. There's no audience, just the cameras and the band, who run through some mid-period classics like Echoes and Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. There's also a brief sidestep into Abbey Road studios to see the group working on the then-unreleased Dark Side Of The Moon.

The Last Waltz (1978)

THE LAST WALTZ (Masters of Cinema) New & Exclusive Official Trailer

Martin Scorsese, no less, was on hand to film the final, Thanksgiving 1976 performance from the pioneering country rock collective, with some incredible guest slots from the likes of Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Young and Ronnie Wood.

Queen - Live At Wembley Stadium (1986)

Queen - Under pressure (Live at Wembley)

Yes well, Live Aid wasn't really their gig was it, so here's a proper Queen show in all its pomp and glory. From the mighty rock of We Will Rock You and Hammer To Fall to the epic ballads Love Of My Life and Is This The World We Created, this is one of Queen's last hurrahs, caught on camera. Freddie Mercury, of course, treats Wembley like his front room.

The Who - The Kids Are Alright (1979)

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Shepperton Studios / 1978)

Another part-documentary, part-concert collection, this film tells the story of the veteran British band via TV appearances and interviews, interspersed with footage from shows like Woodstock and the 1975 US tour. It's the clips shot at Shepperton studios in 1978 that are the most valuable, however, as they mark the final performance of Keith Moon with The Who, before his death that September. The version of Won't Get Fooled Again is the only one you need, just for Pete Townshend's epic knee-slide across the stage.

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter (1970)

Gimme Shelter (1970) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

The Stones had been off the road for two years - an lifetime in 1960s terms - so their North American tour of 1969 was going to be memorable. And it was, but for all the wrong reasons. Documentary mkers Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin followed the band as they got to know their audience again and tried to record a new song, Brown Sugar, along the way. The concert sequences are amazing, but the film ends with the nightmare that was the Altamont open air free show, in which one man was murdered as the Stones performed. It's both a fascinating and horribly disturbing chronicle of the time.

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense (1984)

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime LIVE Los Angeles '83

Director Jonathan Demme shot this impeccable document of the post-punk legends at the height of their powers It begins with David Bryne onstage alone, playing Psycho Killer and builds from there are more musicians join him one by one. An amazing band playing some amazing songs: Once In A Lifetime, Burning Down The House and more.

David Bowie - Glastonbury 2000

David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes (Glastonbury 2000) [Full HD]

Bowie made a few concert films, but this headline appearance at the festival has recently come back into favour and it's rapidly become the definitive live document of the man's career. Only an artist of his calibre can saunter on to the Pyramid Stage and begin his set with an emotional ballad - Wild Is The Wind - and along the way, all the key moments in Bowie's musical life are visited: Life On Mars?, Changes, Ziggy Stardust, "Heroes", Let's Dance, the lot.

The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert (2022)

Chopped out of the mammoth three-part Peter Jackson documentary that detailed the making of the band's "Get Back" project, the Fab Four's final (sort of) public performance was sent into IMAX theatres in its own right for a brief spell.

The film details preparations for The Beatles' traffic-stopping concert on the roof of Apple's HQ in central London on a cold lunchtime in January 1969, plus the exhilarating performance in microscopic detail. The delight on the foursome's faces as they rediscover their old groove is clear to see.

Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII - Echoes - Part 1 - Edit

Woodstock (1970)

Woodstock - Original Theatrical Trailer

"Three days of peace and music" was captured in three hours of documentary and concert footage, resulting in a huge counter-culture box office hit. Performing at this generation-defining event are Crosby Stills & Nash, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, who closes the show with a scorching set that includes his take on The Star Spangled Banner.