Seven Ages of Rock

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Seven Ages of Rock was a BBC Two series, co-produced by BBC Worldwide and VH1 Classic in 2007 about the history of rock music.

It had six 60-minute episodes (reduced to 48 minutes for VH1 classic), with a final episode of 90 minutes, and aired on Saturdays at 21:00 (repeated on BBC One on Sundays). Each episode focused on one type of rock music, each typified by one or two artists or bands. The series producer was William Naylor, and the executive producer for the BBC was Michael Poole, a former editor of the 1990s BBC music, arts and culture programme The Late Show. The production was based at BBC Bristol and each programme was narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt on the BBC and Dennis Hopper on VH1 classic.[1][2]

The series also included additional material broadcast on BBC radio and available on the BBC website.

[edit] Series structure

The series makes heavy use of archive material. These early performances of musicians are interspersed with interviews with various other musicians. Naylor could use interviews from various other music series he had made for the BBC, such as with David Bowie, who was not available for an interview this time.

In an interview about the series, Naylor says that he has noticed the time is ripe for a revival of rock because he sees a growing popularity of slightly uncomfortable music and a somewhat arrogant attitude, precisely what rock needs.[citation needed] He also claims the series finally says what needed to be said, that England made Jimi Hendrix. He even states that rock music started on 24 September 1966 in London, when Jimi Hendrix went there.

The series did receive some criticism from the press as it ignored rock and roll's contribution to the birth of rock. Neil McCormick, music critic for the Daily Telegraph (who appeared in one of the episodes as an interviewee) said: "...popular music only really gelled into what we now know as rock when Hendrix arrived in London in 1966."[2]'

[edit] Episodes

Title Genre Main artist(s) Original BBC air date Origin of Title
1 The Birth of Rock Blues rock Jimi Hendrix 19 May 2007 The First Episode in the series
VH1's 1 My Generation The Birth of Rock The Rolling Stones
The Who
No BBC broadcast, 17 December 2007 On VH1 Classic The Who's first Album/ Song from the album (1965)
2 White Light, White Heat Art rock Pink Floyd
David Bowie
26 May 2007 The Velvet Underground's second Album/ Song from the album (1968)
3 Blank Generation Punk rock Sex Pistols
The Clash
2 June 2007 The Voidoids first album/Song from the Album (1976)
4 Never Say Die Heavy metal Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne
9 June 2007 Black Sabbath's eighth album/Song from the Album (1978)
5 We Are the Champions Stadium rock Queen
Bruce Springsteen
16 June 2007 Song by Queen from News of the World (1977)
6 Left Of The Dial US Alternative rock Nirvana
R.E.M.
23 June 2007 Song by the Replacements from Tim (1985)
7 What The World Is Waiting For British Indie rock The Smiths
The Stone Roses
Oasis
The Libertines
30 June 2007 Song by the Stone Roses, released as a double A-side with Fools Gold.

[edit] Programme 1: The Birth of Rock

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
Jimi Hendrix
Howlin' Wolf
The Rolling Stones
The Yardbirds
Bob Dylan
The Who
Tim Rose
Cream
The Beatles

Jimi Hendrix grew up in Seattle in the 1950s, learning the Twelve bar blues as a teenager. Whilst in the army he came under the influence of the electric blues of artists such as Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King and Muddy Waters. After he was discharged in 1962 he became involved in the Chitlin circuit, playing with figures such as Little Richard.

Former Animals member, Eric Burdon, says Hendrix could not get off the ground in the US because black blues was not popular there. Meanwhile, the English music scene was learning to play the blues from the US records they bought, with bands forming like The Rolling Stones, who began by copying American blues numbers. When they started to write their own songs they gave them a sexual swagger and a new direction. Whites playing the blues made it more acceptable to the white US audience reintroducing the style to America. When Hendrix moved to New York he came under the influence of British blues music, especially that of Jeff Beck of the Yardbirds and Eric Clapton, who had become famous with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. While Living in Harlem he also came under the influence of Bob Dylan, whose Like A Rolling Stone revolutionised rock. For Hendrix this inspired him to begin singing, having previously been self-conscious about his voice. Another English band, The Who, inspired him most. With a roughness and a high octane sound, they created the modern stage presence with the theatrics of destroying their equipment, such as playing the guitar by ramming it against the floor and speakers.

Jimi Hendrix came to London in late 1966 after having been discovered and invited by his future manager Chas Chandler of the Animals, on the sole condition that he would be introduced to his guitar heroes. He arrived at the height of swinging London with Cream being the most important band around. At one of their concerts, Hendrix asked if he could join in a jam. That was already audacious, playing with 'God', but then he blew Clapton away, who went back stage and had a hard time lighting a cigarette because his hands were shaking too much. Stealing Cream's thunder, Chandler put together The Jimi Hendrix Experience, who beame famous faster than almost any other rock band.

However, despite his UK success, Hendrix was still largely ignored in his home country. This was to change when he played the Monterey Pop Festival at the height of The Summer of Love. The Who played first, with an aggression never before seen in the U.S.A. Hendrix stunned the crowds further with his explosive sound and showmanship culminating in setting fire to his guitar.

In 1966, the Beatles had taken refuge in the studio, transforming themselves from a pop band to psychadelic pioneers. When Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band was released in 1967, Hendrix covered it on one of the experience's next shows. Having seen the power of the studio album he went on to create Electric Ladyland. However, it led to Hendrix becoming more deeply involved in drugs and Chas Chandler leaving as manager.

By 1968 America and Europe were being torn apart by conflict at home and abroad. The Rolling Stones tapped into these feelings with a new creative zeal. However, their performance at Altamont became one of the most violent days in rock history. The Altamont festival was meant to mirror the Woodstock Festival, where Hendrix delivered a seering version of the Star-Spangled Banner, which many saw as a political statement against the Vietnam War. However, Hendrix began to tire of stage performance and at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 he gave a lack lustre performance. In September he died of an accidental overdose. Along with the deaths of Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin and the breaking up of The Beatles, this brought this age of rock to a close.

[edit] Alternative Programme 1: My Generation

The broadcast of the VH1 episode is very differently structured and features several different songs, interviews, and artists, as well as the main focus, Jimi Hendrix, being completely removed and the new focus being the Rolling Stones. This is not an issue with other episodes which are only mildly different.

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
John Lee Hooker
Howlin' Wolf
The Rolling Stones
The Yardbirds
The Kinks
The Who
The Animals
Bob Dylan
Cream
The Beatles

In the early 1960s the music for teenagers was sweet and soulless, manufactured pop with a beat for crooners such as Bobby Vinton and Bobby Vee. The music of blues singers such as John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf was powerful and rebellious and had come out of struggle in a way that spoke to the British Working Class, who were not politically constrainted as they were in white America.

In 1962, the Rolling Stones formed and started playing in the Crawdaddy club in Richmond. Their Blues with a British twist proved a hit with teenage audiences. Their space at the Crawdaddy club was taken by The Yardbirds, who attempted to produce their own twist on the blues, helped by their guitarist Eric Clapton, who was considered by some to be God. However, he split from the Yardbirds after their commercial success to become a serious blues musician. The Rolling Stones began create their own songs loaded with arrogance and sex.

A new wave of British bands were now emerging. The Kinks produced an electrified gritty sound expanding musical possibilities. Inspired by them, The Who combined a macho image, pop art and fast driven rock. In 1965, year zero of rock, the Who released a song that defined the era, My Generation and was incredibly innovative in both its sound and rebellious message.

The Animals had first opened the path for these bands with the reimagining of the House of the Rising Sun, which they came across when it was covered by Bob Dylan from the New York folk scene. He now took inspiration from these new British bands by going Electric to produce "the Wild Thin Mercury sound of Rock Music", which added sophisticated lyrics to Rock.

Back in Britain, Eric Clapton had found creative freedom in his own band Cream, which were much more musically skilled than most other groups at the time. They took the language and feel of the blues producing the 'endless-solo'. Disraeli Gears took the blues and combined it with the drug-filled psychadelia, showing the artistic potential of rock.

When the Who went to the Monterey Pop Festival, they innovated the live performance by channelling aggression, playing at high volume and destroying their instruments. This established the festival as the centre of the rock performance but also signalled the end of the innocent optimism of the summer of love. Anxieties over the Vietnam war and social unrest rising and, after the Woodstock Festival, business started to take over what artists were doing. This new mood was channelled by the Rolling Stones using darkness as a new creative zeal. However, they were plunged into their own darkness with the death of Brian Jones and the chaos of Altamont, where the innocence of the Sixties finally died.

Many of this episodes featured songs are completely different so are listed separately here:

Artist Song Year UK
Chart
US
Chart
John Lee Hooker Boom Boom 1962 - -
Howlin' Wolf Spoonful 1960 - -
The Rolling Stones Not Fade Away 1964 3 48
The Rolling Stones Around and Around 1964 (Five By Five EP) 1 (EP chart) -
Howlin' Wolf How Many More Years 1951 - -
The Rolling Stones Little Red Rooster 1964 1 -
The Yardbirds For Your Love 1965 3 6
The Rolling Stones The Last Time 1965 1 9
The Rolling Stones Satisfaction 1965 1 1
The Kinks You Really Got Me 1964 1 7
The Who I Can't Explain 1965 8 97
The Who My Generation 1965 2 74
The Animals House of the Rising Sun 1964 1 1
Bob Dylan Like A Rolling Stone 1965 2 4
Cream I Feel Free 1966 11 116
Cream Crossroads 1968 (Wheels of Fire Album) 3 1
Cream Sunshine of Your Love 1967 (Disraeli Gears Album) 5 4
Cream White Room 1968 (Wheels of Fire Album) 3 1
The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter 1969 (Let It Bleed Album) 1 3
The Rolling Stones Sympathy For The Devil 1968 (Beggar's Banquet Album) 3 5

[edit] Programme 2: White Light, White Heat

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
Pink Floyd
The Velvet Underground
David Bowie
Hype
Roxy Music
Genesis

In 1967, Pink Floyd published "Arnold Layne", a song about a clothes-stealing transvestite, introducing a new concept in pop music, psychadelia. Like Andy Warhol did with Velvet Underground in the US, they turned their shows into multimedia spectacles. Warhol came up with the idea of projecting films on the background of the stage. With Peter Jenner seeing Pink Floyd as the English version of the Velvet Underground, they decided to use this medium to illustrate the songs they were singing, projecting what effectively were the first music clips on a large screen behind the band. The shows grew ever more weird, and others followed. David Bowie was inspired by the weirdness of Velvet Underground and the madness of Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett (as exemplified by his Jugband Blues). Bowie created an alter-ego named Ziggy Stardust, which gave him an excuse to dress up on stage. Genesis' Peter Gabriel took Bowie's stage act even further dressing in even more elaborate and bizarre costumes; "Compared to what Gabriel wore on stage, Bowie was dressed for a night at the pub".

Another new thing in rock music was experimenting with sounds. Roxy Music introduced an oboe to rock. And when Pink Floyd wondered what a piano would sound like through a Leslie speaker, they came up with the intro to Echoes, a piece that lasted the entire second side of the album Meddle. The stage performances of songs could also last much longer than the album versions. The performances grew so large that Pink Floyd felt ever more alienated from the audience and decided to 'protest' against that by putting up such a large performance with huge puppets for the stage show of The Wall that the band became almost invisible. During the show they built up a wall on stage between themselves and the audience making them literally invisible. This performance lasted only four shows and marked the end of this age of rock.

It should be noted that the VH1 version is slightly different. David Bowie's early influences are discussed in less detail, there is no discussion of Bowie and Roxy Music playing the Rainbow theatre and Hang On To Yourself- David Bowie, Ladytron and Re-make Remodel are not featured with the section on Roxy Music being much smaller and Supper's Ready- Genesis is played but not discussed except in relation to costumes.

In this episode some of the featured songs on the BBC website were not the same as featured in the episode as The Velvet Underground - Venus In Furs is replaced by The Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties.

[edit] Programme 3: Blank Generation

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
The Ramones
Patti Smith
Television
Richard Hell & The Voidoids
The Damned
The Sex Pistols
The Clash
The Buzzcocks
The Slits
Public Image Ltd.
The Ramones
The Ramones

In 1975, New York City was near bankruptcy and no fun at all. London was little better. In this tale of two cities, from the worst of times came the best of times: punk rock. Punk went back to the roots. If people saw a show they should get the feeling that they could do that themselves; that is what rock & roll is all about. Punk was DIY; the bands invented themselves and the punkers made their own clothes.

The Ramones sang about the street life experiences of kids in Queens. The Sex Pistols started with covers of mod classics by the Who, but of course they soon went DIY too in that respect, although that didn't prevent Glen Matlock from letting ABBA's SOS inspire him for the guitar riff in Pretty Vacant.

Punk was class rage. "The New York punks were bohemians or aspired to be, and the London punks were yobs or aspired to be." According to Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten the indignation wasn't put on; "We suffer and you can fuck off for it."

Punk was about doing new things and punk girl bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Slits were new in a new way; "We wanted to do our own girlie whalloping thing and punk was open enough for us to do that." And Patti Smith wasn't about music, but about language, almost like a free style rapper; "Spitting out something that goes right into your head."

When the Sex Pistols went to the US, they wanted to show them what punk was really about, but instead it destroyed them. They had no fun, so they decided to take that to the extreme in their last show in San Francisco in 1978, playing a typically raucous show, and ending (as an Encore) with a cover of the Stooges song 'No Fun'. Before going off stage, Johnny Rotten remarked "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" Rotten later commented: "That was directed to the whole world, including us."

It should be noted that in this episode some of the featured songs on the BBC website were not the same as featured in the episode. These include the episode not opening with Iggy and the Stooges-No Fun but the Sex Pistols version (although is not named until the end of the episode), the Buzzcocks-Time's Up, being replaced with Ever Fallen in Love, The Slits only featuring one song Typical Girls, rather than the three featured on the website, and Public Image Ltd-Poptones appearing in the episode.

It should also be noted the VH1 broadcast was substantially different to the BBC. No discussion was made of Johnny Lydon joining the Sex Pistols or the recording of New Rose, an increased discussion around the Ramones and their Radio City Hall gig, The Clash's Career Opportunities replaced White Man in Hammersmith Palais and featured prior to White Riot. Also there was no mention of The Buzzcocks, the Punk girl bands or Public Image Limited, instead the episode playing out to London Calling by the Clash.

[edit] Programme 4: Never Say Die

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
Black Sabbath
Deep Purple
Judas Priest
Iron Maiden
Mötley Crüe
Ozzy Osbourne
Metallica
Black Sabbath at the Cal Expo 1973
Black Sabbath at the Cal Expo 1973

Heavy metal is the music critics love to hate, but also the longest lasting mainstay of rock music. More than any other band at the time, Black Sabbath were influenced by their surroundings, heavily industrialised Birmingham. This was even more true for guitarist Tony Iommi, who cut off the tips of two fingers in a steel factory. When he tried to solve this problem by melting a washing up liquid bottle, and forming two 'thimbles' for his fingers, he found that by tuning his guitar down three tones (to C#), he could play just as easily, and also get a very different, altogether much darker sound (although this wasn't used until their third album). Another inspiration for the band came from the movie theatre across the street. Sabbath decided that if people were eager to pay money to be scared, then maybe they should play scary music. In 1971, when Deep Purple were in Montreux to record the album Machine Head, they were themselves scared by a fire in the casino when "some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground" during a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Since their recording studio was also in the casino, they decided to make the album in their hotel. On the last day they needed to record one more song and decided to simply tell the story of their recoding session, which became the lyrics to Smoke on the Water.

Judas Priest introduced twin lead guitars in rock music. When in 1976 Punk dominated the rock scene, they adopted a leather and studs look, which they thought went rather well with their macho look, not knowing the gay background it came from - singer Rob Halford, who suggested it, hadn't yet 'come out of the closet'. Priest were rewarded for continuing Heavy Metal when it slumped in the late 1970s. But a few years later, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was spearheaded by Iron Maiden. In the US, a new twist emerged with Glam metal, with a fluffy hair spray look inspired by Hollywood and made known by Mötley Crüe. Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne made the most unexpected return in rock, despite his 'recreational pursuits' (involving lots of alcohol and cocaine).

By the end of the 1980s, Metal had become too commercial for some fans, with groups like W.A.S.P, Hanoi Rocks and Poison having huge success. Influenced by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, another new sound had risen to prominence in the US, where metal had a huge following: thrash metal, a style that went beyond in many respects, being faster and heavier than anything that had come before. But playing the guitar ever faster had reached a ceiling and at the turn of the decade, Metallica, one of the inventors of thrash, decided to turn that around and adopt a very slow, heavy, sound. The result was 'The Black Album' which went on to sell over 15 million copies and "proved that metal, never in fashion, but never out of fashion, will always just keep on going".

[edit] Programme 5: We Are the Champions

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
Led Zeppelin
Kiss
Bruce Springsteen
Queen
The Police
Dire Straits
U2
Bruce Springsteen in Norway 1981
Bruce Springsteen in Norway 1981

One of the first big bands of stadium rock was Led Zeppelin, who played to audiences of 50,000. They were so successful that they could take 90% of the revenue, leaving only 10% for the promoters, who were used to taking the largest slice of the pie. But in the case of Led Zeppelin even 10% was worth their while. Queen took this even further and played for audiences of 130.000, filling big stadiums. This was in part due to the act they put on. In the US, Kiss took that even further, ignoring the music and focusing purely on the act. They made their money largely from merchandise, which was bought by kids who knew nothing of Rock and Roll and the merchandise alone gave them a revenue of 50 million dollars per year. In the US, Bruce Springsteen also became one of the icons of stadium rock, almost against his own will. He kept playing clubs when he could have been playing theatres and he kept playing theatres when he could have been playing stadiums. But ironically, it was exactly this 'regular guy' attitude that made him big.

When The Police had made it in England, they first financed their own tour of the US (where for a while they became the biggest band) and then started going to countries where few other western bands had gone before. Queen did something similar by touring South America and filling huge football stadiums. And in Japan they were received like the Beatles. This was all topped by Live Aid, which was heard by a third of the world population. Bob Geldoff: "It turned out the lingua franca of the world was not English, but Rock and Roll."

U2 was the last great band to emerge from stadium rock. Zoo TV brought the tv on stage. And they introduced another new phenomenon, the B stage, in the middle of the audience, where they were totally surrounded by them, thus reversing the ongoing development of the bands getting ever further separated from their audiences.

[edit] Programme 6: Left of the Dial

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
R.E.M.
Black Flag
The Replacements
Husker Du
Mudhoney
Nirvana
Pearl Jam
Pixies

"Seattle, Washington, USA. In the early 1990s the music capitol of the world. Home to grunge, teen sprit and the kings of alternative rock, Nirvana, the band that brought the sound of the American underground to a mass audience." Alternative rock was a reaction to the shock treatment of reaganomics, leading to generation X, that couldn't identify with the studio-polished rock that filled mainstream radio and MTV. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic were part of this generation and inspired by groups such as Black Flag, who played a more fitting musical style, hardcore punk. Alternative rock was in the early 1980s called college rock because it was mostly played by campus radio stations, who broadcasted in the lower bandwidths that were not shown on the dials of radios, so listeners had to turn the knob 'left of the dial'. These were also forced to tour constantly and play in small venues with groups such as The Replacements and Sonic Youth.

Nirvana c.1992
Nirvana c.1992

The founding band of alternative rock, R.E.M., toured non-stop from 5 April 1980 to the end of 1989, so they laid down their guitars and Peter Buck picked up a mandolin, resulting in the song "Losing My Religion", that would be the start of the sound that gave them worldwide fame. Nirvana experienced a similar change, starting with Cobain's song "About a Girl", which he was unsure about because it was so 'poppy'. Another inspiration for their new sound was the way they started every recoding session, taking half an hour for a free-style jam, in which they experimented with how soft or how loud they could play. Cobain liked the contrast and had always wondered what it would sound like if one mixed Black Sabbath with the Beatles. He dreamed of noise and melody, hard guitars and harmonies. Nirvana created a sound that blended the fury of grunge with a new feel for melody and the mass commercial appeal of R.E.M., leading to what would become alternative rock's anthem, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". There were some reservations about the song because it sounded like a Pixies rip-off, a band that had been playing exactly that dynamic mix of soft and loud music. Thanks to the success of Nirvana, R.E.M. and Mudhoney, Alternative Rock and Grunge went mainstream and record companies bought up as many of these small bands as possible, leading to the commercial success of groups such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam

Nirvana put Seattle on the map, so REM went there too. There was even talk of the two bands performing together, but Kurt Cobain's untimely departure prevented that. Cobain admired R.E.M. because they had achieved everything without compromise, while he had become part of the machine he despised. After he had already become rich, he still bought cothes in Salvation Army stores. Fans knew this, so there would be some 80 of them waiting at the store, just to watch what clothes he would buy, even cracking the window as they peeked in. Some can handle that sort of attention, some can't. Kurt couldn't. He joked about naming their new album I hate myself and I want to die (in stead it would be called In Utero). Five months after Nirvana's famous unplugged session, in April 1994, he killed himself, despite efforts by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe to get him back on his feet again. Cobain's suicide note read the words of Neil Young "It's better to burn out than to fade away".

It should be noted the VH1 broadcast was different from the BBC. The End of the World As We Know It - R.E.M. does not feature and instead opens to Here Comes A Regular - The Replacements (although unnamed), Husker Du do not feature and are not mentioned, Sonic Youth's Goo album is mentioned and shown in relation to their signing to a mainstream label, Pearl Jam are discussed in slightly more detail, Something In The Way and Comes As You Are by Nirvana are not featured and the discussion of unplugged is reduced and only featured in relation to Cobain's suicide.

[edit] Programme 7: What The World Is Waiting For

Performing bands,
in order of appearance
The Smiths
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Stone Roses
The Happy Mondays
The Inspiral Carpets
Blur
Oasis
Suede
Coldplay
Stereophonics
The Libertines
Arctic Monkeys
Franz Ferdinand
Kaiser Chiefs

The British Indie scene flourished in Manchester in the early 1980s. Manchester was transformed by The Smiths, through Morrissey's lyrics into a place of epic romance as part of a critique of the hard northern working class life under Thatcher. The Indie scene was diverse and contained bands such as The Cocteau Twins, The Fall and The Jesus and Mary Chain. By 1986, The Smiths had become one of Britain's most established band's, a record deal with label EMI had been agreed and they began to play larger and larger venues in the U.S. However, this brought its own pressures and eventually this contributed to The Smiths splitting in the summer of 1987.

This split coincided with the rise of house music and the development of a new wave of indie bands giving the music “a psychedelic twist”. The Stone Roses, combined indie, house and a "west-coast" psychedelic feel, with rhythms at the forefront of the music and instrumentals crossing into the world of dance. In 1989 they played the The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, popularising the new scene and led to the media spotlight falling on “Madchester”, containing groups such as The Happy Mondays and The Inspiral Carpets. Blur were made to put out a record based around the Madchester sound, but this was not the band's own sound but following there record company's wishes.

Oasis performing in 2005
Oasis performing in 2005

In the summer of 1993 Oasis signed to Creation Records and began gigging up and down the country, then moving to London once they had an established fan base. This was perfectly timed as the centre of Indie music had moved from Manchester to London due mainly to the influence of Suede. Suede had an image around dark glamour and sexual ambiguity, being declared the leaders of Britpop. This section is where reductive shades into absurd. Blur's second and third albums truly launched Britpop, going to the top of the album charts crossing them to mainstream, this was soon followed by Oasis’ debut, creating a scene encompassing groups from Pulp to Elastica. In August 1994, Blur and Oasis had a sales battle for the number one spot with Blur getting to number one just. However, Oasis’ (What's the Story) Morning Glory? became one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with them being called the “Voice of a generation”. They sold out football stadiums and indoor arenas making it hard for them to find venues. In early 1996 they organised a festival at Knebworth for 125,000 people to which one in 20 people in the UK applied for tickets. However, this was as big as Indie music was going to get, as many felt they could no longer be truly called Indie. It simply became a general term for the sound of British rock fuelled by market chasing with bands producing “insipid records”, including groups like Travis, The Verve, Coldplay and Stereophonics.

The Libertines attempted to bring Indie music back down to earth. Like The Smiths before them there concerts focused around direct interaction between band and audience. They also held spontaneous guerrilla gigs at fans homes and pioneered the use of the internet for bands. However, when Doherty's drug habit spun out of control, creating tension in the band, it eventually lead to their split in 2005. Many new guitar bands have risen to prominence in recent years, such as Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, with some, such as Arctic Monkeys, displaying their influence from the Libertines.

[edit] Additional material

As well as the TV Series the BBC also produced radioshows and created the website, which contains much additional information. Also a series of short films are available on the website, usually 3-5 minutes long, most of which do not appear on the finished programmes. These are:

[edit] Blues-based rock

Note:Actually links to 'David Byrne on the Talking Heads', so all that is available is a clip of Cross saying "The Lyrics to the Blues had always been about Sex"

  • Tommy: Recollection of the creation of Tommy. Features Roger Daltrey.

[edit] Art rock

  • Art Schools: Discussion on the importance of Art Schools in the creation of Rock artists and groups. Features Charles Shaar Murray, Barry Miles and Pete Jenner.

[edit] Punk

  • New Rose: Discussion on the creation of 'New Rose' and its influence. Features Charles Shaar Murray and Brian James

[edit] Metal

  • Recording Black Night, London, August 1969-January 1970: Recollection of the creation of Black Night. Features Ian Gillan and Roger Glover.
  • Metallica Supports Ozzy, Master of Puppets tour 1986: Recollection of Metallica supporting Ozzy Osbourne on the Master of Puppets Tour. Features Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield and Geezer Butler.

[edit] Stadium rock

[edit] Alternative rock

  • My Hardcore Punk Rock Youth: Recollection of the early days of Henry Rollins in Black Flag and hardcore. Features Henry Rollins.
  • Here Comes Your Man: Recollection of Here Comes Your Man. Features Kim Deal and Charles Thompson.

[edit] Indie rock

  • Marr on Morrissey: Recollection of Steven Morrissey and Johnny Marr's partnership in the Smiths. Features Johnny Marr

[edit] Audio CD

On 28 January 2008, an audio CD to accompany the series was released. It contains 19 tracks, 12 of which are featured in the show, 5 different songs by featured artists and 2 by artists who are mentioned but do not feature:

[edit] Songs featured in the series

Dates given are by earliest release. When cited as from an album, charting data is for the album. Recording and release dates are given if released posthomously.

Artist Song Year UK
Chart
US
Chart
Episode
Jimi Hendrix Experience Purple Haze 1967 3 65 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience Wild Thing Rec:1967 Rel:1970 (Monterey International Pop Festival Album) - 16 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Hear My Train A-Comin 1970 (Band of Gypsys Album) 6 5 Birth of Rock
Howlin' Wolf How Many More Years 1951 - - Birth of Rock
The Rolling Stones Little Red Rooster 1964 1 - Birth of Rock
The Rolling Stones (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 1965 1 1 Birth of Rock
The Yardbirds Over Under Sideways Down 1966 10 - Birth of Rock
Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues 1965 9 39 Birth of Rock
Bob Dylan Like a Rolling Stone 1965 4 2 Birth of Rock
The Who I Can't Explain 1965 8 97 Birth of Rock
The Who My Generation 1965 2 74 Birth of Rock
Tim Rose Hey Joe 1966 - - Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Hey Joe 1966 6 - Birth of Rock
Cream White Room 1968 (Wheels of Fire Album) 3 1 Birth of Rock
Cream Crossroads 1968 (Wheels of Fire Album) 3 1 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience Killing Floor Rec:1967 Rel:1986 (Jimi Plays Monterey Album) - - Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience Foxy Lady 1967 6 67 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience Like a Rolling Stone Rec:1967 Rel:1970 (Monterey International Pop Festival Album) - 16 Birth of Rock
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album) 1 1 Birth of Rock
The Beatles A Day in the Life 1967 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album) 1 1 Birth of Rock
The Beatles Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds 1967 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album) 1 1 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Rec: 1970 Rel:1972 (Hendrix in the West Album) 12 - Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience Gypsy Eyes 1968 (Crosstown Traffic B-Side) - 52 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Experience All Along the Watchtower 1968 20 5 Birth of Rock
The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter 1969 (Let It Bleed Album) 1 3 Birth of Rock
The Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil 1968 (Beggars Banquet Album) 3 2 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix The Star-Spangled Banner Rec:1970 Rel:1971 (Rainbow Bridge Album) 16 15 Birth of Rock
Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Chile 1968 (Electric Ladyland Album) 6 1 Birth of Rock
Pink Floyd Arnold Layne 1967 20 - White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd See Emily Play 1967 6 134 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Interstellar Overdrive 1967 (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Album) 6 131 White Light, White Heat
The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat 1968 - - White Light, White Heat
The Velvet Underground I'm Waiting for the Man 1967 (The Velvet Underground and Nico Album) - 171 White Light, White Heat
The Velvet Underground All Tomorrow's Parties 1966 - - White Light, White Heat
The Velvet Underground Venus In Furs 1967 (The Velvet Underground and Nico Album) - 171 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Jugband Blues 1968 (A Saucerful of Secrets Album) 9 - White Light, White Heat
David Bowie Space Oddity 1969 5 15 White Light, White Heat
Hype I'm Waiting For The Man Rec:1972 Rel:1994 (Santa Monica '72 Album) - - White Light, White Heat
David Bowie Ziggy Stardust 1972(The Jean Genie b-side) 2 72 White Light, White Heat
David Bowie Starman 1972 10 65 White Light, White Heat
David Bowie Five Years 1972 (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Album) 5 75 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Echoes 1971 (Meddle Album) 3 70 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Brain Damage 1973 (The Dark Side of the Moon Album) 2 1 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Money 1973 - 13 White Light, White Heat
David Bowie Hang on to Yourself 1971 - - White Light, White Heat
Roxy Music Re-Make/Re-Model 1972 (Roxy Music Album) 10 - White Light, White Heat
Roxy Music Virginia Plain 1972 4 - White Light, White Heat
Roxy Music Ladytron 1972 (Roxy Music Album) 10 - White Light, White Heat
Genesis I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 1973 17 - White Light, White Heat
Genesis Supper's Ready 1972 (Foxtrot Album) 10 - White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall, Part II 1979 1 1 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Goodbye Cruel World 1979 (The Wall album) 3 1 White Light, White Heat
Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb 1979 (The Wall album) 3 1 White Light, White Heat
Iggy And The Stooges No Fun 1969 (The Stooges Album) - - Blank Generation
The Ramones Blitzkrieg Bop 1975 - - Blank Generation
The Ramones Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue 1976 (Ramones Album) - 111 Blank Generation
The Ramones I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You 1976 (Ramones Album) - 111 Blank Generation
Richard Hell And The Voidoids Blank Generation 1977 (Blank Generation Album) - - Blank Generation
Patti Smith Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer (de) 1975 (Horses Album) - 47 Blank Generation
Patti Smith Gloria 1975 (Horses Album) - 47 Blank Generation
Television Little Johnny Jewel 1975 - - Blank Generation
The Damned New Rose 1976 - - Blank Generation
The Sex Pistols Anarchy in the U.K. 1976 38 - Blank Generation
The Sex Pistols God Save the Queen 1977 2 - Blank Generation
The Sex Pistols Pretty Vacant 1977 6 93 Blank Generation
The Clash White Riot 1977 38 - Blank Generation
The Clash London Calling 1979 11 - Blank Generation
The Clash (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais 1978 32 - Blank Generation
The Buzzcocks Boredom 1976 (Spiral Scratch (EP)) - - Blank Generation
The Buzzcocks Time's Up 1976 (Spiral Scratch (EP)) - - Blank Generation
The Buzzcocks Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) 1978 12 - Blank Generation
The Slits Typical Girls 1979 60 - Blank Generation
The Slits Instant Hit 1979 (Cut Album) - - Blank Generation
The Slits So Tough 1979 (Cut Album) - - Blank Generation
The Sex Pistols No Fun 1977 (B-Side To Pretty Vacant) 28 - Blank Generation
Public Image Ltd. Poptones 1979 (Metal Box Album) 18 - Blank Generation
Black Sabbath Paranoid 1970 4 61 Never Say Die
Black Sabbath N.I.B. 1970 - - Never Say Die
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath 1970 - - Never Say Die
Deep Purple Black Night 1970 2 66 Never Say Die
Deep Purple Smoke on the Water 1972 (Machine Head Album) - 4 Never Say Die
Black Sabbath Snowblind 1972 - - Never Say Die
Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody Sabbath 1973 - - Never Say Die
Judas Priest Breaking the Law 1980 12 - Never Say Die
Judas Priest Rock Forever 1978 (Killing Machine Album) 32 128 Never Say Die
Judas Priest Hell Bent for Leather 1978 (Killing Machine Album) 32 128 Never Say Die
Judas Priest Living After Midnight 1980 12 - Never Say Die
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden 1979 (The Soundhouse Tapes EP) - - Never Say Die
Iron Maiden Running Free 1980 34 - Never Say Die
Iron Maiden Run to the Hills 1982 7 - Never Say Die
Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast 1982 18 - Never Say Die
Mötley Crüe Take Me to The Top 1981 (Too Fast For Love Album) - - Never Say Die
Mötley Crüe Looks That Kill 1983 (Shout at the Devil Album) - 17 Never Say Die
Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train 1980 49 9 (Main. Rk) Never Say Die
Ozzy Osbourne Mr. Crowley 1980 46 - Never Say Die
Mötley Crüe Girls, Girls, Girls 1987 26 - Never Say Die
Metallica No Remorse 1983 (Kill 'Em All Album) - - Never Say Die
Metallica Master of Puppets 1986 - - Never Say Die
Mötley Crüe Dr Feelgood 1989 50 - Never Say Die
Metallica Enter Sandman 1991 5 16, 10 (Main. Rk) Never Say Die
Led Zeppelin Rock and Roll 1971 (Led Zeppelin IV album) 1 2 We Are the Champions
Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven 1971 (Led Zeppelin IV album) 1 2 We Are the Champions
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody 1975 1 9 We Are the Champions
Queen We Will Rock You 1977 (We Are The Champions B-Side) 11 4 We Are the Champions
Queen We Are The Champions 1977 11 4 We Are the Champions
Kiss Rock and Roll All Nite 1975 - 68 We Are the Champions
Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road 1975 (Born To Run Album) 36 3 We Are the Champions
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run 1975 - 23 We Are the Champions
Bruce Springsteen Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 1973 (The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle Album) - 59 We Are the Champions
The Police Roxanne 1978 - - We Are the Champions
The Police Can't Stand Losing You 1978 42 - We Are the Champions
Queen Crazy Little Thing Called Love 1979 2 1 We Are the Champions
The Police Every Breath You Take 1983 1 1 We Are the Champions
Bruce Springsteen Dancing In The Dark 1984 4 2, 1 (Main. Rk) We Are the Champions
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 5 9, 8 (Main. Rk) We Are the Champions
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 16 - We Are the Champions
Dire Straits Money for Nothing 1985 4 1 We Are the Champions
Dire Straits Walk of Life 1985 7 7, 6 (Main. Rk) We Are the Champions
Queen Radio Ga Ga 1984 2 16 We Are the Champions
U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday 1983 - 7 (Main. Rk) We Are the Champions
U2 Bullet the Blue Sky 1987 (The Joshua Tree Album) 1 1 We Are the Champions
R.E.M. It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 1987 39 69, 16 (Main. Rk) Left Of The Dial
Black Flag Six Pack 1981 - - Left Of The Dial
Black Flag Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie 1981 (Damaged Album) - - Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. Radio Free Europe 1981 - - Left Of The Dial
The Replacements Here Comes A Regular 1985 (Tim Album) - 183 Left Of The Dial
The Replacements Left Of The Dial 1985 (Tim Album) - 183 Left Of The Dial
Hüsker Dü Pink Turns To Blue 1984 (Zen Arcade Album) - - Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. The One I Love 1987 51 9, 2 (Main. Rk) Left Of The Dial
Mudhoney Touch Me I'm Sick 1988 - - Left Of The Dial
Nirvana About A Girl 1989 (Bleach Album) 33 89 Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. Turn You Inside Out 1988 (Green album) 27 10 Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. Losing My Religion 1991 4 19, 1 (Main. Rk/Mod. Rk) Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Verse Chorus Verse 1993 (uncredited contribution to No Alternative Album) - - Left Of The Dial
Pearl Jam Alive 1991 (Ten Album) 18 2 Left Of The Dial
Pixies Gouge Away 1989 (Doolittle Album) 8 98 Left Of The Dial
Pixies Where Is My Mind? 1988 (Surfer Rosa Album) 8 98 Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit 1991 7 6, 1 (Mod. Rk) Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Something In The Way 1991 (Nevermind Album) 7 1 Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. Nightswimming 1992 (Automatic For The People Album) 1 2 Left Of The Dial
R.E.M. Everybody Hurts 1992 (Automatic For The People Album) 1 2 Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Serve The Servants 1993 (In Utero Album) 1 1 Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Come As You Are 1991 (Nevermind Album) 7 1 Left Of The Dial
Nirvana Where Did You Sleep Last Night? Rec:1993 Rel:1994 (MTV Unplugged in New York Album) 1 1 Left Of The Dial
The Smiths This Charming Man 1983 25 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Smiths Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now 1984 12 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Jesus And Mary Chain In a Hole 1985 (Psychocandy Album) 31 188 What The World Is Waiting For
The Smiths Hand in Glove 1983 124 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Stone Roses Waterfall 1989 (The Stone Roses Album) 9 86 What The World Is Waiting For
The Stone Roses I Wanna Be Adored 1989 (The Stone Roses Album) 9 86 What The World Is Waiting For
The Stone Roses I Am The Resurrection 1989 8 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Happy Mondays Step On 1990 5 57, 9 (Mod. Rock) What The World Is Waiting For
The Inspiral Carpets She Comes in the Fall 1990 27 - What The World Is Waiting For
Blur There's No Other Way 1991 8 82, 5 (Mod. Rock) What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis I Am the Walrus 1994 (Cigarettes and Alcohol B-Side) 7 - What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Live Forever 1994 10 2 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For
Suede Metal Mickey 1992 17 - What The World Is Waiting For
Suede Animal Nitrate 1993 7 - What The World Is Waiting For
Blur For Tomorrow 1993 28 - What The World Is Waiting For
Blur Girls & Boys 1994 5 59, 4 (Mod. Rock) What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Shakermaker 1994 11 - What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Cigarettes and Alcohol 1994 7 - What The World Is Waiting For
Blur Country House 1995 1 - What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Roll With It 1995 2 - What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Wonderwall 1995 2 8, 1 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For
Oasis Champagne Supernova 1995 ((What's the Story) Morning Glory? Album) 1 4 What The World Is Waiting For
Coldplay Yellow 2000 4 48, 6 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For
Stereophonics Have A Nice Day 2001 5 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Libertines The Boys In The Band 2002 (Up The Bracket Album) 35 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Libertines The Boy Looked at Johnny 2002 (Up The Bracket Album) 35 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Libertines Can't Stand Me Now 2004 2 - What The World Is Waiting For
The Arctic Monkeys I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor 2005 1 103, 7 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For
Franz Ferdinand Do You Want To 2005 4 76, 9 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For
Kaiser Chiefs Na Na Na Na Naa 2005 (Employment Album) 2 86 What The World Is Waiting For
Franz Ferdinand Take Me Out 2004 3 66, 3 (Mod. Rk) What The World Is Waiting For

[edit] Featured artists who are listed only on the BBC website

Artist Years active "Key Releases" Year of releases UK
Chart
US
Chart
"Related Programme"
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers 1963- Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton 1966 6 - The Birth of Rock
Radiohead 1985- OK Computer 1997 1 21 The Birth Of Rock\ What The World Is Waiting For
Talking Heads 1974-1991 '77 1977 - - Blank Generation\ Left Of The Dial
John Cale 1965- Fear 1974 - - Blank Generation
New York Dolls 1971-7 The New York Dolls 1973 - 111 Blank Generation
The Strokes 1998- Is This It? 2001 2 - Left Of The Dial\ What The World Is Waiting For
The White Stripes 1997- White Blood Cells 2001 55 61 White Light, White Heat\ Left Of The Dial\ What The World Is Waiting For

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ BBC website: Seven Ages of Rock (accessed 4 July 2007)
  2. ^ a b The Daily Telegraph 19 May 2007: Turn on, tune in - but who's dropped out? No Elvis, no Zeppelin: a new TV rock music documentary is more interesting because of who it ignores, says Neil McCormick

[edit] External links