THE SHORTLIST
1 SUMMER OF SOUL (dir: Questlove)
The documentary as act of reclamation. The concert film as relentless carnival of spiritual intensity. The Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson duet was devastating.
2 GET BACK (dir: Peter Jackson)
After six hours, you’ll feel like you were in The Beatles (with all this going on, no wonder George walked). Then the ‘full rooftop’ blows you away.
3 THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (dir: Todd Haynes)
Cale, Tucker, eyewitnesses and candid footage contributed to aptly hypnotic yet seriously rigorous dive into history’s most brilliantly challenging pop group.
4 ZAPPA (dir: Alex Winter)
Labour of love doc with brilliant footage and revealing talking heads (especially the wonderful Ruth Underwood) even Frank Zappa sceptics should see. Most non-non-non-bogus.
5 MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (dir: George C Wolfe)
Big, bold musical bio-drama, richly bedded in the blues and jazz of the ’20s. Viola Davis was dynamite as Rainey. Chadwick Boseman, RIP, a riveting scene-stealer as her cornet foil.
6 DELIA DERBYSHIRE: THE MYTHS AND THE LEGENDARY TAPES (dir: Caroline Catz)
Doc and biopic blend fleshed out the distaff electronic music pioneer. Cosi Fanni Tutti helped out, mysteriously. Also enjoy: the wider-ranging Sisters With Transistors.
7 THE SPARKS BROTHERS (dir: Edgar Wright)
Superfan Wright dived into the heart of Mael bros’ strange symbiosis. Also, in a year of Marmite Sparks flicks, check out Annette, which they wrote and scored.
8 RESPECT (dir: Liesl Tommy)
Aretha done proud with perfect musical set-pieces, atomic singing by Jennifer Hudson and able support from Forest Whitaker as scary preacher dad.
9 WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT (dir: Tamara Savano/Paul Whitfield)
Doc exploring the love triangle between Guy Clark, wife Susanna and Townes Van Zandt – Heartworn Highways meets Jules Et Jim. Susanna’s audio diaries starred.
10 McCARTNEY 3,2,1 (dir: Zachary Heinzerling)
Sir P and Rick Rubin crouched over a mixing desk in the gloom, playing Macca music and picking over its peculiarities in this surprisingly fab Hulu/ Disney+ series.