Behind the Music

An intimate look into the personal lives of pop music's greatest and most influential artists.

Behind the Music (1997-2014) is a British and American music documentary series created by Gay Rosenthal for VH1. Each hour-long episode follows a single pop or rock act through the arc of its career, from early struggles and breakthrough hits to the excess, conflict and fallout that followed. Narrator Jim Forbes guides viewers through the story while artists and their intimates speak directly to the camera, including Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, John Frusciante, Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti. The engine of each installment is the question of how talent and fame collided with drugs, money and volatile relationships, assembled from archival concert footage, old interviews and new testimony. Shaped as a long-running episodic docuseries rather than a single story, it offers a frank, sometimes shocking look at the personal lives behind famous songs. Fans of VH1 music retrospectives such as Storytellers and the rock-doc tradition of Heavy: The Story of Metal will find resonance in its candid, nostalgic register and its unvarnished view of stardom.

• Here and Nowshared documentary format tracing musicians' rise, excess and downfall through archival footage and interviews
• The Mind of Marc Jacobsshared docuseries focus on celebrity lives and career retrospectives told through interviews
• Heavy: The Story of Metalshared music-industry retrospective tone of rise, excess and fallout told through first-person testimony

Created by

Gay Rosenthal

Release Date

1997-08-17

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.4 / 10 (18)

What is Behind the Music about?

A VH1 docuseries that revisits the careers, rises and falls of famous musicians through their own candid accounts.

What is Behind the Music like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Behind the Music as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Behind the Music violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Behind the Music.

Which shows are like Behind the Music?

Shows with a similar feel include Here and Now, The Mind of Marc Jacobs, and Heavy: The Story of Metal.

How long is Behind the Music?

Behind the Music: 1 season, 230 episodes.

Is Behind the Music still running?

No, Behind the Music has ended.

Where can I watch Behind the Music?

In United States, Behind the Music streams on Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.