‘Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives’: The 2017 Movie to Watch Remembering the Legendary Music Titan

Published 06/22/2026, 12:08 PM CDT

Credits: clivejdavis via Instagram

Music has lost one of its greatest conductors, and this time, the maestro never stepped onto the stage. Clive Davis, the legendary record executive behind Columbia, Arista, and J Records, died peacefully on June 22 at 94 following a recent hospitalization. Across five extraordinary decades, Davis discovered and championed Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow, and Kelly Clarkson. Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, which is available on Apple TV+ and Prime Video, chronicles that remarkable 50-year career and the enduring legacy Davis left behind.

While revisiting those timeless hits is one way to remember Davis, Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives offers an equally rewarding journey through the career that transformed popular music.

Where to watch Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives?

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Watching Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives is refreshingly simple. The documentary is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home. Those ready to add it to a permanent collection can also purchase it for $12.99 on the same platforms.

At 123 minutes, the PG-13 documentary packs five decades of music history into one engaging watch. Whether revisiting Whitney Houston's rise, Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough, or Alicia Keys' arrival, the film offers a backstage pass to the career of the executive who helped shape generations of stars.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers will not find the documentary included with the standard catalog, although the service does feature similar music documentaries. Renting remains the quickest route to experiencing Davis' remarkable story, with high-definition streaming available across all major digital retailers.

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Music fans rarely sings from the same songbook, but Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives has come surprisingly close.

Why to watch Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives does far more than recount a celebrated career. It reveals how a Harvard-trained lawyer with no formal music background became the industry's ultimate starmaker. The documentary follows Davis, who missed out on the Oscars repeatedly, from Columbia Records to Arista and J Records, showing exactly how he discovered many big names such as Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys, and Barry Manilow before the rest of the world caught on.

The documentary also explains why Davis earned a reputation for having 'golden ears.' Through firsthand stories, viewers see how his instinct for the perfect song reshaped careers and even revived legends. Carlos Santana's blockbuster Supernatural comeback and Rod Stewart's hugely successful Great American Songbook era stand as two of Davis' boldest creative triumphs.

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Just as compelling are the moments when the spotlight turns away from success. The film explores Davis' dramatic departure from Columbia Records, his remarkable rebuilding of Arista Records, and his deeply personal bond with Whitney Houston through commentary from Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Paul Simon, and Lorne Michaels. In remembering Davis, few tributes feel as complete as revisiting the remarkable story behind the voices that defined generations.

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Will you be watching Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives in remembrance of the famous record executive? Let us know in the comments!

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Iffat Siddiqui

1051 articles

Iffat is an Entertainment Journalist at Netflix Junkie. A word wizard, she had the sorting hat smoke at the seams owing to her excellence in everything Hollywood and cinema until it finally declared that she belonged to the Royals, specifically Meghan Markle. Boasting over 300 articles (and counting), each one tastefully infused with the right mix of facts, wit, opinion, and essentially everything to make a perfect pop culture piece, she is the epitome of a trustworthy entertainment journalist.

Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra

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