BBC - Seven Ages of Rock

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1. Birth of Rock

20 Jan 1969

1963
London Blues Scene
The rather unpromising sounding London Skiffle Centre becomes the hub for a generation of young blues players clustered around their father figure Alexis Korner.

6 June 1965
Rolling Stones release 'Satisfaction'
Keith Richards plugs in a fuzzbox and creates one of the most iconic riffs of all time.

25 July 1965
Dylan goes electric
The saviour of American folk music walks on stage with an electric guitar and a full band; chaos ensues.

3 December 1965
The Who release 'My Generation'
Townshend and company arrive with a furious slice of proto-punk containing some (almost) bad language and a bass solo.

5 July 1966
Chas Chandler discovers Hendrix
Ex Animals bass player Chandler sees Hendrix in New York at the suggestion of Linda Keith, and is blown away.

1 October 1966
Hendrix jams with Cream
While Clapton may have been God, Hendrix proves himself to be slightly higher up the scale at the Central London Polytechnic.

1 June 1967
Hendrix covers Sgt Pepper two days after its release
The guitarist buys a copy of the album and performs the title track (in front of an audience that included its creators) just 48 hours later.

16 June 1967
Hendrix at Monterey Festival
Jimi Hendrix truly arrives with an explosive set which culminates in the ritual burning of his Stratocaster.

15-19 August 1969
Woodstock Festival
Three days of peace, and music turn into a war zone as Hendrix turns The Star Spangled Banner into an anguished howl of protest at the war in Vietnam.

6 December 1969
Rolling Stones at Altamont
Mick, Keith and co disprove the notion that hiring The Hell's Angels to handle security a large open air gig is a good idea.

1970
Isle of Wight Festival
Over half a million people descend on an island with a population of 100,000 to see out the last gasp of the hippy era.

18 September 1970
Death of Hendrix
End of an era, Jimi's body was found on 18 September at the Samarkand Hotel, he was only 27. A first it looked like a drug overdose, but the truth was even more unsettling...

2. Art Rock - Aladdin Sane

20 Jan 1969

1966
Exploding Plastic Inevitable
Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground mount the first multi-media rock show in front of an audience of psychiatrists.

1967
'Velvet Underground and Nico' released
Virtually ignored on its release, the Velvet's debut album would go on to be cited as the most influential of all time.

1967
Pink Floyd's 14 Hour Technicolour Dream
Ahead of the release of their debut album, Pink Floyd top a list of 41acts in a highpoint of the psychedelic era; if you were there, you probably won't remember it.

1967
Syd Barrett goes mad
The pressure of fame and an over-reliance on LSD forces Pink Floyd's golden boy into ever more disturbing and erratic behaviour.

1970
Hype Concert at Roundhouse
The first meeting of David Bowie, Mick Ronson and some silly costumes results in the first stirrings of glam rock.

1972
Ziggy and Roxy at the Rainbow
Bowie pulls out the stops with a theatrical tour de force involving Roxy Music, mime artists and a lot of costume changes.

1972
Bowie performs 'Starman' on TOTP
David Bowie puts his arm round Mick Ronson and outraged parents up and down the country throw things at their televisions.

1973
'Dark Side of the Moon' released
Pink Floyd hit the big time with the release of one of the biggest selling albums of them all.

4 August 1980
First date of The Wall
Pink Floyd take their concept album out on the road with the help of some giant inflatable puppets and 45 tons of equipment.

3. Punk

20 Jan 1969

16 August 1974
The Ramones first play CBGBs
The Ramones' CBGBs sets would become the stuff of legend; lasting barely half an hour and stuffed with a primal energy that was an inspiration to many.

1975
Johnny Rotten joins the Sex Pistols
The young John Lydon finds himself auditioning for a job he didn't want, all because of a Pink Floyd T-shirt.

1975
Patti Smith's 'Horses' released
Smith's spiky fusion of three chord rock and poetry inspired a generation of musicians and made a young Michael Stipe throw up.

4 July 1976
The Ramones play The Roundhouse
The Ramones turn the former hippy palace into a sweaty garage in front of a crowd of nascent UK punks. A seminal moment.

4 September 1976
Sex Pistols appear on 'So It Goes'
The Pistol's first TV appearance on a local late night programme (courtesy of future Factory boss Tony Wilson) electrifies all who watch it.

17 September 1976
The Damned release 'New Rose'
The first recording issued from the UK punk scene appears courtesy of maverick label Stiff and some cheap cider.

26 November 1976
The Sex Pistols release 'Anarchy in the UK'
Though pipped to the post by the Damned, the Sex Pistols' debut single is a fierce, monolithic statement of intent.

1 December 1976
The Sex Pistols and Bill Grundy
The moment which launched a thousand tabloid headlines; TV presenter Bill Grundy goads the Pistols into using four letter words on live television.

18 March 1977
The Clash release 'White Riot'
Inspired by the Notting Hill Carnival riots of the previous year, The Clash's first single is a positive rallying cry for disaffected white youth.

14 January 1978
The end of The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols implode on stage at the end of their disastrous American tour, leading to Rotten's defection from the band.

4. Metal

20 Jan 1969

13 February 1970
Black Sabbath release their debut
Recorded in 12 hours for £600, Sabbath's debut changes the face of the emergent metal scene for ever.

15 April 1972
Deep Purple release 'Machine Head'
Purple's seventh album in three and a half years contained the rifftastic 'Smoke On The Water'.

1979
Ozzy kicked out of Black Sabbath
Ozzy Osbourne's difficult behaviour and increasing reliance on chemical stimulants forces his exit from Sabbath at the hands of guitarist Tony Iommi.

14 April 1980
Judus Priest release 'British Steel'
One of the first albums to define the New Wave of British Heavy Metal; harder, faster and grittier.

16 August 1980
First Monsters of Rock Festival
The first festival devoted to metal, featuring Rainbow, The Scorpions, Judas Priest and some equally heavy rain.

1980
Ozzy launches his solo career
Osbourne proves himself to be a big seller with the help of virtuoso guitarist Randy Rhoads.

29 March 1982
Iron Maiden's 'Number of the Beast' goes #1
Energised by the presence of new vocalist Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden take metal to the top of the UK charts.

1990
Judas Priest subliminal message suicide trial
Heavy Metal finds itself in the dock, and not for the first or last time as Judas Priest are accused of encouraging fans to kill themselves. 12 August 1991
Metallica's 'Metallica' transatlantic gets #1
With the 'Black Album', Metallica turn themselves into superstars with the help of aptly named producer Bob Rock.

5. Stadium Rock

20 Jan 1969

15 August 1965
Beatles play Shea Stadium
The first ever stadium gig, featuring poor security, a band who couldn't hear what they were playing and an audience who were louder than the band.

4-5 May 1973
Led Zep's record breaking concert attendance
Plant, Page and company play to over 100 000 people in two days and get themselves in the record books in the process.

1 September 1975
Springsteen releases 'Born to Run'
The album that propelled Springsteen to superstar status and became the industry's first ever Platinum record.

18 September 1976
Queen play Hyde Park
Freddie Mercury and the boys stage a free concert in Hyde Park to well over a hundred thousand people, and are almost arrested in the process

18 August 1983
Police play Shea Stadium
One of the biggest bands of the 80s play the scene of the Beatles' disaster nearly 20 years earlier and sell 15 000 more tickets.

29 June 1984
Start of the 'Born In The USA' tour
Springsteen tours the stadiums once more, prompting one critic to refer to his gigs as 'a masterwork of crowd control'.

13 July 1985
Live Aid
The largest single event in rock history; 1.5 billion viewers, 100 countries, $280 billion raised

27 April 1987
U2 appear on cover of Time
The Joshua Tree breaks U2 into America and makes them 'rock's hottest ticket'.

29 February 1992
Zoo TV tour
With live satellite feeds and video projections, U2's tour in support of 'Achtung Baby' took the rock tour into the multimedia age with a vengeance.

6. Alternative Rock

20 Jan 1969

5 April 1980
REM form in Athens, Georgia
One of the world's most renowned bands make their debut at a birthday party in a church hall.

21 August 1981
Henry Rollins joins Black Flag
One of the most intense Californian punk bands pick up a new singer and get a new lease of life in the process.

1 September 1987
REM release 'Document'
REM make their first platinum seller together with new producer Scott Litt.

21 March 1988
Pixies release 'Surfer Rosa'
The Pixies debut album is unleashed on an unsuspecting public (including Kurt Cobain).

August 1988
Sub Pop's first single: Mudhoney's 'Touch Me I'm Sick'
The first stirrings of grunge are heard in this raw, gritty and explosive debut single.

1989
REM conclude the 'Green' Tour
After 8 months on the road, REM take a breather before recording their biggest album yet.

30 August 1992
Nirvana headline Reading Festival
A defining moment for Cobain and co as they confound their critics and take a 50 000 strong crowd by storm.

24 September 1992
'Nevermind' knocks Michael Jackson out of the album chart
The self-styled 'King of Pop' loses his crown to three scruffy white boys from Seattle, and the world takes notice.

5 April 1994
The Death of Kurt Cobain
After absconding from rehab, Nirvana's frontman is found dead at his home with a shotgun wound to the head.

7. Indie

20 Jan 1969

24 November 1983
The Smiths perform on TOTP
Morrissey and Marr make their television debut with the help of a bunch of gladioli and a sense of humour.

August 1987
The Smiths break up
The end of an era as Morrissey and Marr part company ahead of the release of their last album.

27 May 1990
Stone Roses at Spike Island
The Roses open the decade with the ultimate expression of the Madchester vibe and move into the glare of the mainstream.

16 February 1993
Suede perform 'Animal Nitrate' at the Brits
Ahead of the release of their debut album, relative unknowns Suede perform at the Brits thanks to pressure from the NME.

1994
Blur single 'Girls and Boys'
A song written in praise of Club 18-30 holidays becomes one of the defining moments of Britpop.

10 September 1994
Oasis release 'Definitely Maybe'
After three classic singles, the release of their debut album made Oasis the new kings of British rock.

14 August 1995
Blur v Oasis
The Britpop rivals battle it out for the #1 slot; class war, evidence of the North-South divide or just record company hype?

11 August 1996
Oasis At Knebworth
Oasis really hit the big time with their biggest, brashest performance to date in front of a quarter of a million people.

April 2003
The Libertines guerrilla gigs
Hailed as the UK's best new band, Pete Doherty's outfit decide to hold a series of gigs in a flat in Bethnal Green, attracting the attention of the local constabulary.

Birth of Rock Art Rock Punk Rock Metal Rock Stadium Rock Alternative Rock Indie Rock X Clear All

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7 Films, Charting the History of Rock

A definitive landmark series charting the emergence and re-emergence of rock music as a global force, told through the musicians who have shaped this most enduring of genres.

Sat 19 May 2007, 9pm BBC Two

The Birth Of Rock (Blues-based Rock) 1963-1970

The rock revolution of the 1960s seen through the life and music of Jimi Hendrix. The first doomed icon of rock, Hendrix was the synthesis of everything that had gone before him and all that was to come. The Birth Of Rock also explores the influence of rhythm & blues on a generation of British musicians such as The Rolling Stones, Cream and The Who, and how the song-writing of Bob Dylan and studio developments of The Beatles transformed the possibilities and ambitions of rock.
Sat 19 May 2007, 9pm BBC Two
Sun 20 May 2007, 9pm BBC One
26 May 2007, 9pm BBC Two

White Light, White Heat (Art Rock) 1966-1980

The story of how artistic and conceptual expression permeated rock. From the pop-art multi-media experiments of Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground to the sinister gentility of Peter Gabriel's Genesis, White Light, White Heat traces how rock became a vehicle for artistic ideas and theatrical performance. We follow Pink Floyd from the fated art school genius of Syd Barrett through the global success of Dark Side of the Moon to the ultimate rock theatre show, The Wall. Along the way, the film explores the retro-futurism of Roxy Music and the protean world of David Bowie.
Sat 26 May 2007, 9pm BBC Two
Sun 27 May 2007, 9pm BBC One

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