The Pop Documentary Since 1980

Aesthetics, Performance, Creativity

Richard Wallace (University of Warwick, UK)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
04 September 2025

Documentary movies & films; Television; Rock & Pop music; Popular culture

In The Pop Documentary Since 1980, Richard Wallace examines the representation of pop music, musicians and music-making in documentary film and television. He draws together conceptual frameworks from within and outside of film and television studies - including performance studies, musicology, celebrity studies and fan studies - to provide a critical interrogation of the central issues in this genre.

A common criticism of the music documentary is that it lacks artistic integrity because of its close affiliation with its subject. Wallace argues that music documentaries can be artful and conceptually complex and be part of a broader process of image curation under the control of the artist and their management. This contradiction is key to the form’s vitality and Wallace explores two competing lines of enquiry. First, the contribution that such documentaries make to the public perception of their subjects. Second, he argues that its ‘official’ status does not preclude music documentaries from being artistic or engaging with the theoretical questions that underpin documentary media more broadly.

Other issues addressed include:

- how documentaries about song writing attempt to represent intangible concepts like ‘creativity’ and ‘inspiration’; - how the experiential and affective aspects of music are communicated through the visual image;

- ethical considerations.

Each of these conceptual questions is examined through detailed analysis of a variety of music documentaries ranging from Stop Making Sense to Tokyo Idols via Beyoncé and The Beatles.

By: Richard Wallace (University of Warwick UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 580g
ISBN: 9781350214248
ISBN 10: 1350214248
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 04 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1. On Camera: The Documentary Subject 2. On Stage: Mediatizing Live Performance 3. On The Record: Song Writing 4. On The Walls: Fans Conclusion: Two Online Contexts Bibliography Index

Richard Wallace is Assistant Professor in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. His research focuses on documentary, comedy and British film and television history. He is the author of Mockumentary Comedy: Performing Authenticity (2018).

Reviews for The Pop Documentary Since 1980: Aesthetics, Performance, Creativity

An engagingly written and balanced exploration of the contemporary music documentary. Wallace offers a fresh perspective to the genre, discussing a wide range of popular music artist documentaries, examining their aesthetics, how they shape ideas of artistry and the role of devoted fans. A thoughtful and compelling contribution to the growing work in this field. -- Jamie Sexton * Associate Professor, Northumbria University, UK *