For many people, there’s no greater thrill than the electric energy of a live concert. But no matter how dedicated of a fan you may be to a certain musician, it’s not always possible (or practical) to attend one.
Luckily for concert lovers, musicians often find ways to capture that lightning in a bottle in the form of concert movies. There’s no standard set up for these movies. Sometimes they focus on a certain performance and all the work and anticipation leading up to it. Other times, they follow more elements of what’s happening in the artist’s life behind-the-scenes. But they always bring the excitement of live music to the big screen.
And, as a bonus, concert films can also be lucrative. Here are some of the highest-grossing concert movies of all time, plus one that may smash all box office records going forward.
20. ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown’
Artist: Funk Brothers
Year: 2002
Total domestic gross: $1,808,679
Total worldwide gross: $2,344,256
Though many concert movies blend showing music and documentary-style footage together, the uniqueness of this story makes it the closest to a true documentary of all the movies on this list. But, because it highlights and exalts the music, it’s still considered a concert movie.
It follows the story of the relatively unknown Funk Brothers, who were the musicians who played with all the most famous Motown acts. The interviews feature not only stories about each of the musicians who were considered part of the “brothers,” and how impressive they were in their own right. But they also feature how incredibly demanding the work was, and how these unsung heroes are basically the biggest music superstars you’ve never heard of.
17. ‘Sign ‘o’ the Times’
Artist: Prince
Year: 1987
Total domestic gross: $3,000,073
Total worldwide gross: N/A
Though many people may be more aware of Prince’s beloved “Purple Rain,” the rock musical drama isn’t considered a concert film. And with this movie, the superstar embodied what it was like to see him live, as best as a film could capture in the late ‘80s.
Though it’s hard to find copies now and even more difficult to stream online, this high-grossing concert film showed snippets from Prince onstage during his European concert tour and featured songs from his popular album of the same name.
15. ‘BTS Burn the Stage: The Movie’
Artist: BTS
Year: 2018
Total domestic gross: $4,201,819
Total worldwide gross: $20,347,513
This movie is also one of the more recent additions to the concert movie space, and also focuses on the beloved K-Pop band BTS again. This boy band first formed in South Korea in 2013 and includes seven members. Because there are many band members and personalities involved in their popular music, it includes behind-the-scenes moments that fans of the group love.
In fact, the movie was so dependent on people who were already fans of the group showing up, it wasn’t even marketed to non-fans. And looking at the worldwide gross, it seems their marketing strategy was effective.
13. ‘BTS Permission to Dance On-Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing’
Artist: BTS
Year: 2022
Total domestic gross: $6,840,000
Total worldwide gross: $32,600,000
BTS continues to dominate the pop landscape and their most recent concert film is their highest-grossing to date. The film, shot in Seoul South Korea, featured some of the band’s first shows post Covid and all the hits they could pack into a two and a half hour concert film.
The movies was streamed to theaters in 75 countries with an audience of 1.4 million viewers.
11. ‘Stop Making Sense’
Evan Agostini / Invision/AP Photo
Artist: The Talking Heads
Year: 1984
Total domestic gross: $9,095,970
Total worldwide gross: N/A
With an impressive 97 percent positive critic rating (and a 98 percent positive audience rating) on Rotten Tomatoes, this concert film is one of the highest-rated concert movies of all time. Rather than including some of the (now-standard) behind-the-scenes footage or interviews with the singers or even excited crowd shots, this movie focuses on the charming eccentricities of the band and its lead singer, David Byrne.
And because the tone of both the music and their performance style is markedly different than the average rock band, this film embodies and embraces that in a way that seemed to resonate with moviegoers.
‘Stop Making Sense’ was re-released to an enthusiastic new generation of viewers in fall 2023 and it was the first time the members of the Talking Heads had seen each other in years.
10. ‘Glee: The 3D Concert Movie’
20th Century Fox/20th Television / eBay
Artist: The Cast of “Glee”
Year: 2011
Total domestic gross: $11,862,398
Total worldwide gross: $17,462,398
Interestingly, unlike many concert films, this doesn’t follow a specific band. Instead, it follows the cast of the hit TV show “Glee.” Cast members show their chops to live audiences, bringing high-energy singing to the stage.
It also has the same message the show tried to provide: It’s okay to be an outsider or to feel like a loner. It blurs the lines between reality and actors portraying something close to reality, but plenty of fans still came out and seemed to enjoy both the live performances and the subsequent movie.
9. ‘U2 3D’
AP Photo / Juan Manuel Villasenor
Artist: U2
Year: 2008
Total domestic gross: $12,898,847
Total worldwide gross: $26,170,402
This is the band’s second concert film, released 20 years after its first. It was filmed during the group’s 2006 “Vertigo Tour.” Though there were other 3D concert films (and many done in IMAX), this was technically the first concert film shot for and produced in the 3D space.
At first, the band wasn’t totally on board to participate. But the idea of experimenting with emerging technology was interesting enough to play along. The massive set up took a ton of resources to travel from one venue to another.
7. ‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience’
Artist: Jonas Brothers
Year: 2009
Total domestic gross: $19,162,740
Total worldwide gross: $30,428,831
Just one year after he directed the “Best of Both Worlds” tour with Miley Cyrus, Bruce Hendricks created and directed these Disney prodigies. Like many “rockumentaries,” it follows the personalities behind-the-scenes of the singers, who are real-life brothers. And it also delivers lots of sing-along experiences and fun cameos from other major stars, including Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato.
Plenty of reviewers weren’t exactly blown away by the film. But even people with criticisms about the movie made it clear that if you’re already a major fan of the group, this is a concert movie will be enjoyable. And based on the overall gross, millions of people were happy to pay to experience the Jonas Brothers on the big screen.
4. ‘Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert’
Chris Pizzello / A-PIZZELLO/AP Photo
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Year: 2008
Total domestic gross: $65,281,781
Total worldwide gross: $70,712,099
Capitalizing on the popularity of the Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana,” this concert movie delivered what it promised: both Miley Cyrus and her TV show rockstar alter ego, Hannah Montana, singing their hearts out to thousands of screaming fans.
The 3D concert movie was meant to deliver a fun sing-along experience to the fanbase, balancing songs by the rockstar character, Hannah Montana, and the singer herself, Miley Cyrus.
3. ‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’
Sony Pictures Releasing / Amazon
Artist: Michael Jackson
Year: 2009
Total domestic gross: $72,091,016
Total worldwide gross: $261,183,588
Though it’s only second on this list because of its domestic gross, this concert movie eclipsed the others with its overall worldwide gross.
The film followed the singer as he prepared for his final worldwide tour, which never took place. Jackson died before the tour started. This movie, which features rehearsal footage, became the last film Jackson starred in.
2. ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’
Joel Ryan / AP Photo
Artist: Justin Bieber
Year: 2011
Total domestic gross: $73,013,910
Total worldwide gross: $99,034,125
This “rockumentary” follows the internet-sensation-turned-global superstar in the days leading up to what seemed like the biggest concert performance of his fledgling career, a show at Madison Square Garden. Though this was released theatrically and did very well, it’s now available on Netflix. So if you missed it the first time (or if you miss this more innocent and baby-faced Bieber), you can currently stream it as much as your heart desires.
The 3D concert film is generally liked by both audiences and critics alike, with the majority giving it generally positive reviews. The movie includes not only performances, but also interviews of his friends and family that give a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a kid who got (and has stayed) famous via YouTube.
