Movies like The Wind-Up Tape (1984)
The best movies like The Wind-Up Tape (1984) are The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980), Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015) and Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026). If The Wind-Up Tape hooked you with its music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGhosts (1997)8.1/10 from 305 votes
- NewestApple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026)Released 2026
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980)
A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKeith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisApple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026)
For Apple Music Live, Gaga presents MAYHEM Requiem, a celebration and musical reimagining of MAYHEM.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisGhosts (1997)
In the town of Normal Valley, an eccentric magician named Maestro entertains the local children every day in his spooky mansion. One stormy night, the town's mayor leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion in an attempt to run Maestro out of town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Wrecking Crew (2008)
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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDaft Punk Unchained (2015)
Daft Punk Unchained is the first film about the pop culture phenomenon that is Daft Punk, the duo with 12 million albums sold worldwide and seven Grammy Awards. Throughout their career Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have always resisted compromise and the established codes of show business. They have remained determined to maintain control of every link in the chain of their creative process. In the era of globalisation and social networks, they rarely speak in public and neither do they show their faces on TV. This documentary explores this unprecedented cultural revolution revealing a duo of artists on a permanent quest for creativity, independence and freedom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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 music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetallica: Through the Never (2013)
Trip, a young roadie for Metallica, is sent on an urgent mission during the band's show. But what seems like a simple assignment turns into a surreal adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSlipknot - Day of the Gusano (2017)
Slipknot' 'Knotfest' performance is chronicled through live footage and behind-the-scenes looks at the event.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSuburbia (1984)
When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society. The runaways hold on to each other like a family until a tragedy tears them apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Band Called Death (2013)
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early '70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMeeting People Is Easy (1998)
Meeting People Is Easy takes place during the promotion of Radiohead's 1997 release OK Computer, containing a collage of video clips, sound bites, and dialogue going behind the scenes with the band on their world tour, showing the eventual burn-out of the group as the world tour progresses. The inaugural show of the OK Computer tour began on 22 May 1997 in Barcelona, Spain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAirheads (1994)
The Lone Rangers have heavy-metal dreams and a single demo tape they can't get anyone to play. The solution: Hijack an FM rock radio station and hold the deejays hostage until they agree to broadcast the band's tape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar! (1968)
Gertrude Lawrence rises to stage stardom at the cost of happiness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLemmy (2010)
Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies 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 music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2020)
The story of the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs and have 20 No. 1 hits throughout their career, transcending more than five decades of changing tastes and styles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMake Your Move (2013)
A pair of star-crossed dancers in New York find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers' underground dance clubs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
SnoozefestMovies like thisMo' Better Blues (1990)
Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLet It Be (1970)
A documentary chronicling the Beatles' rehearsal sessions in January 1969 for their proposed "back to basics" album, "Get Back," later re-envisioned and released as "Let It Be."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Offspring: Live at Rock am Ring Germany 2014 (2014)
The Offspring live in concert at the Rock am Ring at the Nürburgring in Germany. Tracklist: Nitro (Youth Energy) Bad Habit Gotta Get Away Genocide Something to Believe In Come Out and Play It'll Be a Long Time Killboy Powerhead (Didjits cover) What Happened to You? So Alone Not the One Smash Self Esteem Intermission All I Want You're Gonna Go Far, Kid Staring at the Sun Why Don't You Get a Job? (Can't Get My) Head Around You Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) The Kids Aren't Alright
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Please Kill Me (2011)
Going backstage and behind closed doors to chronicle the music of sex, drugs, and power struggles that were the fabric of the punk community. Adapted for stage by Mathieu Bauer. The punk era of Television, Richard Hell, Ramones, Iggy Pop...flirting with death, drowning in art, design and a new way of communicating.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
DEADCHAIN - Kawakami Forever (TBA)
A documentary showcasing a series of tributes to deceased D-beat legend, Kawakami.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
The Secret Lives of Bill Bartell (2025)
Bill Bartell was a multifaceted individual who traversed the punk rock scene, law enforcement, rodeo riding, and country music. Known for his unique contribution to punk rock through his label Gasatanka Records and band White Flag, Bartell's life defies conventional boundaries, blending hyper-masculinity with subcultural rebellion. His story, filled with mysterious and seemingly contradictory roles, offers a compelling narrative about identity, transformation, and the unexpected paths life can take.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Assjack: Gates of Hell (2006)
A "best of" compilation of live clips of various ASSJACK shows taped live at Alley Katz in Richmond, VA from 2003 - 2006 and clips of 1 show from May 2005 at Bluecats in Knoxville, TN. Special cameos by Dancing Outlaw Jesco White, Randy Blythe from Lamb of God and Chris Arp from Psyopus.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs (2005)
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs features a brief history of the Dead Kennedys' early years up to their first UK tour, never before seen live performances, interviews with Klaus Fluoride and East Bay Ray, comments by music journalists, and insights from the key people involved with the recording of the DK's first album. Jello Biafra's 1979 run for mayor is also highlighted.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Life After Death from Above 1979 (2014)
From 2001 to 2005, Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger played 546 shows around the world. In 2006, they played zero. This is the story of the life, death, and reunion of Canadian dance-punk two-piece band Death From Above 1979.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Uncle Tupelo: The Last Leg of the Andodyne Tour (1994)
The great alt-country band Uncle Tupelo played its last concert on May 1, 1994, at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis, Missouri. By the time of this show, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar were already not getting along well. Soon after the performance, they would both go on to create other bands, with Farrar founding Son Volt and Tweedy forming Wilco, but on that night in May 1994, there was one last grasp at combined harmony and greatness. In the video below, Tweedy and Farrar trade off on the lead vocals, with drummer Mike Heidorn joining the band on the final song of the set, “Looking for a Way Out,” and also singing on the encore with Brian Henneman and the Bottle Rockets on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Gimme Three Steps.”
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Steam Powered Giraffe: The Quest for the Eternal Harp of Golden Dreams (2012)
Filmed back in 2011, watch robots Rabbit, The Spine, and The Jon from the band Steam Powered Giraffe come to life in this madcap, phantasmagorical musical escapade. This video showcases recorded performances of the band Steam Powered Giraffe fan-favorite songs, a fantastical fantasy side story about a sorcerer and his band of heroes, and also a behind-the-scenes peek into the humorous inner workings of Colonel Peter Walter's Steam Man Band. Steam Powered Giraffe songs performed in this film (in order): Ju Ju Magic Steam Man Band/Clockwork Vaudeville On Top of the Universe Electricity is in My Soul Sound of Tomorrow Honeybee Automatonic Electronic Harmonics Out in the Rain Captain Albert Alexander Me and My Baby Steam Man Band (Reprise) Brass Goggles
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
The Godfathers of Hardcore (2018)
Documentary following Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma of the band, Agnostic Front who played a key role in defining, shaping and establishing the sound and cultural code of conduct for the still-thriving movement. Unlike the dozens of bands that have come and gone, Agnostic Front is still going strong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Like The Wind-Up Tape and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Wind-Up Tape?
The closest matches to The Wind-Up Tape are The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980), Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015) and Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Wind-Up Tape?
Start with The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980), the closest match to The Wind-Up Tape.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Wind-Up Tape?
Ghosts (1997), rated 8.1/10 by 305 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Wind-Up Tape?
Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Wind-Up Tape?
Yes: The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980), Keith Richards: Under the Influence (2015) and Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026).
How are movies similar to The Wind-Up Tape chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Wind-Up Tape, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.