Shakespeare call­ed music “the food of love.” Victor Hugo claimed, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that “Without music, life would be a mistake.” Music arouses such passion that it’s no wonder that so many documentaries and shows revolve around it. Here, I pick three to watch, currently available on everyone’s go-to streaming platform, Netflix.

Building The Band (2025)

This show hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. Building The Band (BTB) is a music reality show that absolutely blew me away.Streaming onNetflix, BTB is a reality music competition series where 50 singers form six bands, based solely on their voices and chemistry, without seeing each other. Once they are formed, they begin to compete in front of judges and a mentor for a $500,000 prize and the chance to become the next great music group.

The series features AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys as the host of the show, with mentors and judges that are considered pop band royalty — Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), Kelly Rowland (Destiny’s Child), and the late Liam Payne (One Direction). They were filmed in 2024, before Payne’s passing. That this is the last thing Liam Payne filmed before his untimely death is also what makes this show particularly interesting to watch.

Music takes centre stage on Netflix as three shows focus on various aspects of music production and the people who create it

We have everything in this series — drama, community, mentorship and lots of talent. There’s a little diva who thinks the band should revolve around her, a rock band that reminded me of the alternative rock scene from the ’90s and, of course, lots of nostalgia when the contestants sing pop songs from the 1990s, the 2000s and the present era, and as the judges reminisce on their popband heydays.

It’s interesting to see how the bands are formed naturally — as Kelly Rowland points out again and again, the combinations we see work so well and yet would not typically have been put together by a record label.

The performances by the contestants are nothing short of stellar. There’s a bit of controversy as the band that ended up winning was not the audience’s favourite but, as Liam Payne reminded them, One Direction (put together by Nicole Sherzinger) did not win the contest they were formed for (The X Factor); in fact, they came third. And they ended up being way more successful than the band that won in their season.

The Hitmakers (2025)

Also featured on Netflix is this somewhat decent, good-to-watch but not groundbreaking reality show called The Hitmakers.

It’s a docu-reality music series that follows a dozen professional songwriters and producers, across different genres, who take part in a high-stakes camp to craft new hit songs for global artists such as Usher, John Legend, Shaboozey and Lisa from the Korean pop band BlackPink.

The producers of the show try and force some drama but there isn’t any real storyline to follow. What’s interesting to see is how these individuals, at the top of their game, craft future hit songs together. They’re all incredibly talented, not just as writers, but as singers and artists themselves.

And it’s amazing to put a face to the creators of some of the biggest hits we’ve been listening to — ranging from songs by Justin Bieber, Beyonce, John Legend and so on — in the past few decades. Watch The Hitmakers if you’re an absolute music geek.

Becoming Led Zeppelin (2021)

For those who love rock music, especially classic rock, this is an essential watch. Becoming Led Zeppelin is a 2021 documentary film on Netflix that chronicles the iconic rock band’s journey from their beginnings in the 1960s to their meteoric rise to global superstardom by 1970.

This documentary features new interviews with surviving members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, along with never-before-heard archival audio of late drummer John Bonham. It includes unseen concert footage and personal archives, offering an intimate look at the band members’ childhoods and the creation of their seminal sound.

Most importantly, this is the only documentary that the band members have ever given interviews for. That alone makes it a very precious find. It also features a previously unheard of interview by Led Zeppelin’s late drummer, John Bonham, that the remaining band members would see and hear for the first time while filming for this documentary.

Unlike other films of a similar nature, Becoming Led Zeppelin doesn’t focus on the band’s struggle; rather this is more of a celebration of the band’s success and enduring impact on rock music. What this is, is a treasure trove for those looking for both nostalgia and the joy of classic rock music.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 6th, 2025