A 17-part television documentary series on the history of modern pop music covering some of the many different genres that have fallen under the label of "popular music" between the mid-19th century and 1976, including folk, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville and music hall, musical theatre, country, swing, jazz, blues, R&B, rock 'n' roll and others.
Introductory programme
God's children
I can hypnotise 'dis nation (ragtime)
Jungle music (jazz)
Who's that comin'? (the blues)
Rude songs (vaudeville and music hall)
Always chasin' rainbows (tin pan alley)
Diamonds as big as the ritz (the musical)
Swing that music! (swing)
Good times (rhythm and blues)
Making moonshine (country music)
Go down, moses! (folk 'war songs')
Hail! hail! rock n roll (rock n roll)
Mighty good (the beatles)
All along the watchtower (sour rock)
Whatever gets you through the night (glitter rock)
Imagine (new directions)
NextFilm 2025