Movies like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz (2009)
The best movies like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz (2009) are Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026), End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003) and I Called Him Morgan (2016). If 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz hooked you with its documentary and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)8.4/10 from 623 votes
- NewestOasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)Released 2026
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)
Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnd of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Called Him Morgan (2016)
Part jazz history, part true-crime tale, Kasper Collin’s new documentary employs extensive archival footage and new interviews to tell the tragic story of the magnificently talented trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who murdered him in a New York bar in 1972.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJohn & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018)
Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last Waltz (1978)
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Beach Boys (2024)
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJustin Bieber's Believe (2013)
A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBiggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021)
Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne (2011)
Featuring never before seen footage uncovered from the archives and interviews with Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is the first documentary to take viewers inside the complex mind of rock's great icon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSomething from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)
Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)
A musical study of Los Angeles in the late 90s, where homeless teens roam the streets and profess to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs, and flouting authority.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBad 25 (2012)
Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Velvet Underground (2021)
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKaty Perry: Part of Me (2012)
Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Who: The Kids Are Alright (1979)
Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us a comprehensive look at the British pioneer rock group, The Who. It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the initial formation of the group in 1964 to 1978. It notably features the band's last performance with long-term drummer Keith Moon, filmed at Shepperton Studios in May 1978, three months before his death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElvis on Tour (1972)
This documentary captures Elvis Presley on his 1972 American tour and includes rehearsals, interviews, archival television appearances and backstage moments. With Elvis at his most flamboyant, the film features well-known hits and cover songs showcasing his country, gospel and rhythm-and-blues influences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSelena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy (2025)
Never-before-seen footage and intimate interviews celebrate the life and legacy of iconic Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla and her family band.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisStop for Bud (1963)
Stop for Bud is Jørgen Leth's first film and the first in his long collaboration with Ole John. […] they wanted to "blow up cinematic conventions and invent cinematic language from scratch". The jazz pianist Bud Powell moves around Copenhagen -- through King's Garden, along the quay at Kalkbrænderihavnen, across a waste dump. […] Bud is alone, accompanied only by his music. […] Image and sound are two different things -- that's Leth's and John's principle. Dexter Gordon, the narrator, tells stories about Powell's famous left hand. In an obituary for Powell, dated 3 August 1966, Leth wrote: "He quite willingly, or better still, unresistingly, mechanically, let himself be directed. The film attempts to depict his strange duality about his surroundings. His touch on the keys was like he was burning his fingers -- that's what it looked like, and that's how it sounded. But outside his playing, and often right in the middle of it, too, he was simply gone, not there."
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Being Hipp – First Lady of European Jazz (2026)
Jutta Hipp defied the odds and made it to the heart of the male-dominated jazz scene in 1950s New York.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime (2018)
Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Daybreak Express (1957)
Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJazz Icons: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live In '58 (2006)
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers features what many consider to be one of the fi nest line-ups in the history of jazzÂBobby Timmons (Piano), Jymie Merritt (Bass), Benny Golson (Sax) and the legendary trumpet player, Lee Morgan. Lost for nearly 50 years, this historic 55 minute concert, fi lmed in Belgium in 1958, one month to the day after they recorded their masterpiece Moanin, is the only known visual document of this infl uential band who were together for only six months.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & documentary
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Just released from prison, Jake Blues puts his old band back together with his brother Elwood to save the Catholic home where they were raised.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDer Pastor mit der Jazztrompete (1962)
When the Lutheran pastor Roland retires, the young priest Roll shall replace him. He plays the trumpet, loves Jazz and his methods are unconventional: From the first day on he offends the village's notables, but he doesn't care so much since he especially targets the youths, wants them to get back to the church again. However the mayor agitates against him, manages to endanger Roll's success. The conflict leads to vandalism and open violence against Roll.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Medeski Martin & Wood - Leverkusener Jazztage (2013)
Medeski Martin and Wood at Leverkusener Jazztage - Germany 12 November 2013 Tracklist: - 1969 - Seven Days - Black Elk Speaks - Amber Girls - Nostalgia in Times Square
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
John Scofield Uberjam Band Live At The Jazz Fest Sarajevo (2013)
In early July of 2012, Scofield released, after ten years of record pause of ensemble Uberjam, a new and long-awaited album called Uberjam Deux...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Hiromi's Sonicbloom: Live in Concert (2009)
Recorded Live at Tokyo International Forum Hall A on December 9th, 2007
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz?
The closest matches to 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz are Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026), End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003) and I Called Him Morgan (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz?
Start with Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026), the closest match to 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz.
What is the highest-rated movie like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz?
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz?
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz?
Yes: Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026), End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003) and I Called Him Morgan (2016).
How are movies similar to 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside 1959: The Year that Changed Jazz, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.