It is hard to name a really classic film without also mentioning music. Although I could probably come up with a much longer list, here are ten of my all-time favorite music films.

1. "This Is England" (2006)

Directed by my favorite director, Shane Meadows, "This Is England" portrays the British skinhead subculture in the 1980's. The subculture was characterized by a love of reggae, ska, and soul music and its followers would wear staples like Doc Martens, Fred Perry polos, stonewashed jeans, and braces. It follows a group of skinheads who befriend a young boy who hasn't quite found his place in the world yet. The film shows the darker side of the subculture, which was its association with white nationalists who were members of a racist group called The National Front. The music featured in the film includes songs from Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Percy Sledge, and more. The montage where the group is looking cool, walking in slow motion to "Louie Louie" by Toots and the Maytals is probably my favorite film sequence of all-time.

2. "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)

The Beatles' first of many full-length films came in 1964 with "A Hard Day's Night." The film features music from the band's album of the same name with songs like "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Can't But Me Love", and the iconic intro sequence with the band being chased to the song "A Hard Day's Night." One of the great things about the movie, apart from the music, is the band showing off their incredible sense of Liverpudlian humor, personality, and charm, especially from the lesser-known Beatles, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Sure, it may not have been an accurate portrayal of the band considering it was fictional storyline rather than a documentary, but it was a chance for fans to catch a glimpse of the band outside of their media and onstage personas.

3. "Upside Down: The Creation Records Story" (2010)

The film is a documentary about my favorite record label of all-time, Creation Records. The label was run by Alan McGee, a crazed Scotsman who formed the label in 1983 after meeting Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes. Gillespie and Innes would eventually both go on to form the band, Primal Scream, one of the label's most successful acts. Other bands on the famous indie label included Ride, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Heavy Stereo, My Bloody Valentine, Teenage Fanclub, Slowdive, Superfurry Animals, Swervedriver, and the label's most successful act, Oasis. The label's claim to fame was their ability to compete with major labels for many years and their willingness to sign acts that were seen as "misfits" or "sociopaths" that would've presumably had trouble signing with other labels. The movie features interviews with McGee, Gillespie, Noel Gallagher, and more and the soundtrack was done by Ride's Mark Gardener.

4. "Spike Island" (2012)

Directed by Mat Whitecross, the film follows a group of teenagers who are obsessed with famous Manchester band, The Stone Roses, and they'll do anything they can to try to see the Roses' iconic 1990 gig at Spike Island. The group are also in a band of their own called Shadowcaster, or incorrectly written by Dodge (played by Nico Mirallegro) as Shadowcastre, and they record a demo tape that they bring to the show to try to give to the Roses. If you love The Stone Roses just as much as I do, you'll absolutely adore the film and so much so that it'll give you goosebumps. The film is a wonderful love letter to the Roses and was generously funded by Coldplay, who had done a lot of work with Whitecross in the past. Also, if one Stone Roses film just isn't enough to fuel your obsession, check out "Made of Stone" as well, which was directed by the amazing Shane Meadows.

5. "Amy" (2015)

"Amy" is a 2015 documentary about the life and tragic death of singer, Amy Winehouse. It went on to become the highest grossing British documentary of all-time after its opening weekend. It features home movie and concert footage of Amy at different times of her life and it has an understandably bittersweet mood throughout. After watching this movie, several things stick out like what a raw, absolute talented singer-songwriter she was and what a complicated, misunderstood life she lived. The film features wonderful music from Amy Winehouse like "Stronger Than Me", "What Is it About Men", and my personal favorite, "Valerie."

6. "Born To Boogie" (1972)

The movie is about glam rock legends, T. Rex and it was directed by none other than Beatles' drummer, Ringo Starr. It features concert footage from T. Rex's Wembley Empire Pool show and has scenes with the band in the recording studio with Elton John and Starr. The movie takes obvious influence from The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour"film and it showcases the brilliance and 'it" factor that T. Rex frontman, Marc Bolan, had. It shows the band at the height of the career and the craze surrounding the band that was fittingly nicknamed "T. Rextasy." It's got performances of T. Rex classics like "Jeepster", "Hot Love", "Baby Strange", and more.

7. "Charles Bradley: Soul Of America" (2012)

This film is a documentary about Charles Bradley, a former James Brown impersonator who finally got his big break as a funk and soul singer in his sixties. In 1962, he was blown away by seeing funk legend, James Brown at a concert and he was a changed man ever since. After living humbly and working odd jobs and playing small shows as a James Brown tribute act for most of his life, he was eventually discovered by Daptone Records and released his debut album in 2011 at the age of 63. The film showcases the incredible life story and music of Charles Bradley and watching the movie will make you realize what a gracious, wonderful man and singer he really is. Maybe one day, he'll have his own tribute act.

8. "Submarine" (2010)

Directed by the amazing actor/comedian Richard Ayoade, this film's subject may not be about music directly, but it's got my favorite original soundtrack of all-time, so I had to include it on this list. The soundtrack is comprised of six original, acoustic songs by Arctic Monkeys' frontman, Alex Turner and it features additional instrumentation by James Ford, one of Turner's usual collaborators. The film, based on a book of the same name, is a coming-of-age story about a particularly quiet and quirky boy named Oliver Tate. He's fallen in love with a girl named Jordana and simultaneously tries to save his parents' marriage. The sequences of the movie with Turner's songs are just breathtaking due to Ayoade's wonderful cinematography and Turner's heartfelt lyrics.

9. "Northern Soul" (2014)

The film is about a genre called Northern Soul, which was an American soul and Motown craze that took place in England in the 1970's and was another British subculture that rejected the mainstream music of the time. The scene was about going to dance at "all-nighters" at clubs like The Twisted Wheel and Wigan Casino to obscure American soul records (on labels like Tamala Motown). The film follows John, who is a kid that is not really sure who he is until he meets a kid named Matt, who's a huge follower of the Northern Soul scene. The music is unlike anything you've heard before and my personal favorites include Shirley Ellis' "Soul Time" and Edwin Starr's "Time." Overall, it's a great tribute to the Northern Soul movement, but it's also a great story about friendship and finding your own identity.

10. "Quadrophenia" (1979)

Quadrophenia is based on The Who's album of the same name, but even more than that, it's a manifesto of the growing mod subculture that was taking place in Britain in the 60's. It follows Jimmy, a young mod who's dissatisfied with mainstream life and working a normal job, so instead, he focuses all of his free time and interest in dancing, sharp clothes, music, his Lambretta scooter, and brawling with the mods' enemies, the rockers. The film largely takes place in Brighton, which was the hub of the mod subculture in the 60's and it showcases music by The Who, who were mod icons at the time, with songs like "The Real Me" and "My Generation."