20 Feet from Stardom (2013)

This Oscar-winning film shifts focus from superstars to the vocal dynamos who shaped rock's greatest hits, revealing a 0.05% royalty rate for backup singers on tracks that sold 10 million copies. Through interviews with Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill, it documents how these artists faced a 65% higher poverty rate than lead performers in the industry. When Fischer's 14-second vocal run on 'Gimme Shelter' is isolated, its raw power explains why a backup singer's career can be both transcendent and invisible.