Paramount+ subscribers can be deeply invested Yellowstonesequel series, Dutton Ranchpremiere tonight, or maybe even hunkered down a South Park binge session. Either way, when the credits roll and the algorithm dries up, finding your next watch can be a part-time job. I’ll be the first to recommend a good documentary to blow your mind.
I’ve been in a bit of a music documentary mood lately, and browsing Paramount+’s library led me to reboots of key music documentaries from the ’90s and an emotional and intimate portrait of the final days of heavy metal’s biggest star. But I also know that true-crime docs are always in style, so I rounded out the list with a well-organized hunt for a con artist.
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Behind the Music
Legendary music documentaries streaming is refreshing
If you grew up in the late 90s like I did, on VH1 Behind the MusicIt was a major music documentary series that ran from 1997 to 2014 that both made and broke all the major tastemakers in the music industry, from Madonna to Motley Crue to Courtney Love and more. You were nobody if you didn’t get BTM treatment.
In 2021, the docuseries got a much-needed overhaul under the Paramount+ and MTV banner, and there are two great seasons and 37 episodes to binge on to your heart’s content. With a mix of all-new episodes and remastered “legacy” episodes, Behind the Music does his best—using on-camera interviews with music luminaries, interviews interspersed with archival footage, and narration to tell the stories of the highs and lows of some of music’s biggest stars.
The hour-long episodes are well-crafted and fun to watch, including Wolfgang Van Halen talking about his father Eddie’s addiction, cancer and death, and Bell talking about Biv DeVoe’s 40-year arc from New Edition to ex-R&B artists. Some of the remastered legacy episodes include notable episodes from Sinéad O’Connor, 50 Cent, Milli Vanilli, The Notorious BIG, Ice-T and more.
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Ozzy: There’s no running from now
An intimate journey through the final days of a metal legend
No one can ever argue that Ozzy Osbourne’s life has not been good. The Prince of Darkness has enjoyed 76 years of sensational wealth, rock stardom, reality TV stardom and Hall of Fame-level success. But it was also riddled with drug addiction, a hard life and medical misfortune that would bring the icon down and eventually take his life about a year earlier.
But as you’ll learn in Tania Alexander’s intimate documentary, Ozzy: There’s no running from nowthe charismatic legend did not go without a fight and worked until the end for the love of his fans and the music to which he dedicated his life.
Quiz
Music streaming services
Trivia challenge
From Spotify to Tidal — see how well you know the biggest names in music streaming.
SpotifyApple MusictideYouTube MusicAmazon Music
In what year was Spotify officially released to the public?
Correct! Spotify went public in October 2008, founded by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon in Sweden. It started with an invite-only model before opening up to a wider audience.
Incomplete — Spotify was launched in October 2008. Although the company was founded in 2006, it took two years of development before it was ready to go public.
What music service did Apple acquire in 2014 to help create Apple Music?
That’s right! Apple acquired Beats Electronics, including Beats Music, for $3 billion in 2014. Beats Music’s streaming technology and talent became the foundation of Apple Music, which launched in 2015.
The correct answer is Beats Music. Apple’s $3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics in 2014 brought not only the headphone brand, but also Apple’s revamped streaming service Apple Music, which it launched in June 2015.
Which artist collective famously relaunched Tidal in 2015 with a star-studded press event?
Correct! Jay-Z purchased Tidal through his company Project Panther and relaunched it in March 2015 with artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye West and Madonna. The goal was to create an artist-specific streaming alternative.
The answer is Jay-Z and a group of music artists. Jay-Z bought Tidal for $56 million and relaunched it in 2015 with a high-profile event where co-artists like Rihanna, Kanye West and Beyoncé held hands on stage.
Which previous Google music streaming service has replaced YouTube Music since its default in 2020?
Spot! Google Play Music was officially shut down at the end of 2020, and YouTube Music took over as Google’s primary music streaming platform. Users were encouraged to transfer their libraries and preferences to YouTube Music.
The correct answer is Google Play Music. Google ran two overlapping music services for years before finally retiring Google Play Music in 2020 and consolidating everything under YouTube Music.
Which Amazon Music tier offers a free, ad-supported listening experience with limited required features?
Correct! Amazon Music Free is an ad-supported tier that gives listeners access to a curated selection of music without a subscription fee. Offers limited on-demand listening compared to paid Prime and Unlimited tiers.
The correct answer is Amazon Music Free. Amazon offers several tiers—Free (ad support), Prime (included in Amazon Prime), and Unlimited (access to the full catalog)—each with an increasing level of on-demand functionality.
What’s the name of Spotify’s AI-powered feature that creates a personalized playlist every Monday based on your listening history?
Exactly right! Discover Weekly launched in 2015 and has become one of Spotify’s most beloved features. It uses machine learning to analyze your listening habits and create a 30-track playlist of songs you haven’t heard but might enjoy.
The answer is Discover Weekly. Launched in 2015, this Monday playlist has been a huge hit for Spotify, with more than 1.7 billion tracks streamed from Discover Weekly playlists alone in its first year.
Tidal is best known for offering what sound quality feature that sets it apart from many of its competitors?
True! Tidal has built its brand on offering lossless FLAC and hi-fi sound quality, appealing to audiophiles who want the highest fidelity streaming experience. Its HiFi Plus level even supports Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) tracks.
The correct answer is lossless and hi-fi audio streaming. Tidal has long established itself as a premium choice for audiophiles, offering lossless FLAC streams and MQA masters at higher quality levels than standard compressed audio.
About how many songs does Apple Music claim to have in its streaming library by 2024?
Correct! Apple Music boasts a catalog of over 100 million songs, making it one of the largest music libraries available on any streaming platform. This gives it an advantage in niche genres and rare entries compared to some competitors.
The answer is 100 million songs. Apple Music has aggressively grown its catalog and now claims to have more than 100 million songs — significantly more than the first streaming catalogs, which typically have around 30-50 million songs.
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With never-before-seen access to Ozzy, his wife Sharon and their children Kelly, Jack and Aimee, this beautifully raw and emotional documentary follows Ozzy’s life after his horrific fall in 2019 and his slow decline from Parkinson’s disease. It features some of music’s biggest artists, including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Billy Idol, Jack Black, Tom Morello and more. They are with Ozzy as he prepares to take the stage for his Hall of Fame induction and Black Sabbath’s final concert, which he performed just days before his death.
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Love Fraud
Finding a Serial Cheater
Before Netflix’s Emmy nomination The Tinder Cheater Romance scams are all the rage on broadcast, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady – the Oscar-nominated team behind Camp Jesus— 2020 documentaries have already covered serial fraudster Richard Scott Smith. LFraud. Over the course of 20 years and using several identities and aliases, Smith used dating sites and forums to target middle-class women in the Midwest, charming, marrying, and financially draining 10 to 11 women (and more that he didn’t marry).
But there’s a twist to this excellent four-parter: the cameras start rolling before Smith is caught. Frustrated by the inaction of the police, Smith’s old friends banded together to take him down. They started a blog that attracted more unknown victims, followed his movements and hired a chain-smoking bounty hunter to sniff him out. They also teamed up with Ewing and Grady to film it all and talk to the women, many of whom shared their experiences in engaging and candid interview segments.
With a high rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Love Fraud addictive; you can follow it to its final, satisfying conclusion.
Documentaries that keep it real
Three very different true stories for when you want something real to challenge your brain. But if you’re looking to lean into prestige drama or weekend comfort hours, How-To Geek is also weekly stream roundups between Netflix, HBO Maxand Prime Video and more.
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Yes, $8 a month
- Synchronous streams
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- Live TV
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Select live sports (NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League)
- Price
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It starts at $8 per month or $60 per year
