With the cult of the Carpenters continuing to rival that of those other 70s stars, Abba, here is another chance to see the Carpenters' debut BBC concert, recorded on their first British tour in September 1971. Hits include Close to You, Superstar and We've Only Just Begun, together with the odd Beatles tune and a Bacharach/David medley. Karen's drumming and Richard's keyboards are supported by their five-piece touring band and an orchestra under Johnny Pearson.
A rare chance to see rock icon David Bowie in concert at the BBC Radio Theatre in front of a small invited audience. Recorded at the end of June, shortly after his memorable appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, the set includes Wild Is the Wind, Ashes to Ashes, Absolute Beginners, The Man Who Sold the World and Fame.
Vintage performances from the archives including Curtis Mayfield , Dusty Springfield, Bill Withers and Aretha Franklin.
The legendary soul singer Barry White captured live in concert at London's Royal Albert Hall back in 1975.
In a 70-year career, John Gielgud gave some of his best performances for, and most revealing interviews to, the BBC. This film charts the acclaimed actor's special relationship with the corporation. No Man's Land follows.
British jazz from the BBC's archives over the past 25 years, including performances by Stan Tracey, Annie Whitehead, Courtney Pine and Soweto Kinch.
A selection of appearances from over three decades including highlights from such shows as Later.... with Joofs Holland, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Wogan and The Late Show.
Archive footage of pioneering conductor and composer Pierre Boulez. New.
An intimate concert from Television Centre in which the bestselling balladeer plays such hits as You're Beautiful and High, and talks about his life from Harrow school days to a Los Angeles recording studio.
Performances by the Small Faces and Lane's band Slim Chance.
Archive and new performances from veterans including Ewan MacColl , Martin Carthy and AL Lloyd.
Compilation, featuring such artists as Donovan, Richard Thompson , Pentangle and Sandy Denny.
Elvis Costello , Dr Feelgood and Ian Dury , live from the archives
Madness, Ian Drury and the Pogues are among the Stiff Records artists featured in the Top of the Pops archives.
Highlights of the chart-topping diva's one-off show in front of a specially invited audience at TV Centre.
From the streets of New York City to the studios of the BBC comes the cream of the New York rock scene, including classic archive performances from The Ramones, New York Dolls, Television, Blondie, Lou Reed and many more.
Folk Hibernia at the BBC The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem - I’ll Tell Me Ma Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar Horslips - Dearg Doom The Chieftains - Woman Of The World The Pogues & The Dubliners - Irish Rover Sinéad O’Connor - Black Boys On Mopeds Christy Moore - Well Below The Valley / Missing You Altan - Ril Gan Ainm Clannad - I Will Find You Sharron Shannon - Retur Hirondell / Tune For Found Harmonium The Pogues - Aisling Paul Brady - Crazy Dreams Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - Tunes Van Morrison - Celtic New Year Damian Rice - The Animals Were Gone Christy Moor - Ride On
A collection of some of the greatest soul performances from the BBC's archive, featuring Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Isaac Hayes, Solomon Burke and Percy Sledge.
Clips from the archives featuring Andre Previn and Dudley Moore.
A Time Shift collection of archive performances.
First part of a compilation of BBC performances by the original Stiff Records artists and those closely associated with the maverick label. Featuring Elvis Costello's debut on Top of the Pops, Dr Feelgood on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Ian Dury and the Blockheads from In Concert.
Second part of a compilation of BBC performances by the original Stiff Records artists and those closely associated with the maverick label, including Madness, Ian Dury, the Pogues, Lene Lovich and Jona Lewie.
The musician's most memorable studio performances.
An exclusive gig live from outside BBC Television Centre in front of 600 fans.
A vintage collection of Nana Mouskouri's performances from the BBC archive, including her entry in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest and musical collaborations with Michel Legrand, Charles Aznavour and Cliff Richard.
Compilation of some of the greatest names and British bands in what they still dare to call prog rock, filmed live in the BBC studios in the early 1970s. Expect to see stadium names like Yes, Genesis and Emerson, Lake and Palmer alongside much-loved bands of the era including Caravan, Family, Atomic Rooster and more.
To mark the 50-year anniversary of Motown in 2009, a compilation of some of the iconic record label's greatest names filmed live in the BBC studios. Visitors from Hitsville USA over the years have included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.
The Irish band perform songs from their latest album, No Line on the Horizon, and chat to Jo Whiley and Chris Evans.
Compilation of performances by bands who have recorded on the label, including The Smiths, Robert Wyatt. Violent Femmes, Pulp and Antony and the Johnsons .
Compilation of performances by the singer/songwriter, who died in January. With footage from The Old Grey Whistle Test and his last appearance on Later.... with Jools Holland in 2004.
1979 Christmas special featuring Kate Bush. She performs Gymnopedie No 1, Symphony in Blue, Them Heavy People, Madrigal, December, Wedding List, Egypt, Ran Tan Waltz, Man with the Child in His Eyes and Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbreak. Guest star Peter Gabriel sings Here Comes the Flood and duets with Kate on Another Day.
Collection of performances by British and American blues artists on BBC programmes such as The Beat Room, A Whole Scene Going, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Late Show. Includes the seminal slide guitar of Son House, the British R&B of The Kinks, the unmistakeable electric sound of BB King and Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker, as well as less familiar material from the likes of Delaney and Bonnie, Freddie King and Long John Baldry.
A journey through Eric Clapton's performing life at the BBC and elsewhere, from his 60s blues days to his noughties blues days. Clapton has been described as the best guitarist in the world and has a life story and career that would make anyone's hair curl. By way of extensive BBC archive footage, the programme charts his varied and ever-changing career - from the beginnings with The Yardbirds until he left to join the purist blues of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, to the dynamism and musical synchronisation with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, which produced the turbulent Cream, to Clapton's collaboration with Stevie Winwood that would spawn Blind Faith, to his brief sojourn in the Plastic Ono Band and his unforgettable contribution to Lennon's heroin hell tribute Cold Turkey, to his low-profile spell with rootsy US act Delaney and Bonnie, to the band he formed with Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominoes, that produced one of the most famous unrequited love songs in Layla, and on to his successful solo career since then. Along the way Clapton has successfully survived heroin and alcohol abuse, been accused of being a racist, stolen his best friend's wife, changed bands as often as his shirt, and lost a son in the most tragic of accidents. Through it all, he has produced some of the best music of the 20th century.
Compilation of performances from the BBC archives of top Island Records artists, including Cat Stevens's Father and Son, Roxy Music's Do the Strand and Stir It Up by Bob Marley and The Wailers, plus tracks from Steel Pulse, U2, PJ Harvey, Baaba Maal and Amy Winehouse.
With the Moogs turned up to 11, a 1970s and 80s journey through the BBC's synthpop archives from Roxy Music and Tubeway Army to New Order and Sparks.
Compilation of memorable heavy metal performances from BBC TV shows, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Motorhead.
Elton John's career tracked in archive from performances, interviews and news clips.
Cleo Laine introduces a tribute to the late jazz musician, big band leader and composer for TV and film, John Dankworth, featuring a variety of performances from the BBC archive.
An archive celebration of Tom Jones's performances at the BBC from the start of his pop career in the mid-60s to Later...with Jools Holland in 2010 and all points in between, including Top of the Pops and The Dusty Springfield Show. A chronological celebration of Sir Tom through the years that is also a history of music TV at the BBC over most of the past 50 years.
It's a time for guilty pleasures, for courtship, for declarations of love, for looking someone in the eye and whispering sweet nothings, accompanied by a compilation of some of the greatest and squishiest love songs from the likes of Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes, Jason and Kylie, 10cc and Lionel Richie, all from the Top of the Pops era. If Hot Chocolate and Chaka Khan don't get the temperatures rising, then nothing will.
An archive celebration of great reggae performances filmed in the BBC Studios, drawn from programmes such as The Old Grey Whistle Test, Top of the Pops and Later... with Jools Holland, and featuring the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Desmond Dekker, Burning Spear, Althea and Donna, Dennis Brown, Buju Banton and many more.
Compilation of easy listening tracks that offers the perfect soundtrack for your cocktail party. There's music to please every lounge lizard, with unique performances from the greatest easy listening artists of the 60s and 70s, including Burt Bacharach, Andy Williams, Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66, The Carpenters and many more.
The story of The Kinks, one of the UK's most important and influential bands, as told from the vaults of the BBC archive. From their humble beginnings in north London, brothers Ray and Dave Davies, school friend Pete Quaife and local drummer Mick Avory exploded onto the music scene of early 1960s London. From this series of unique archive performances, we learn that blues was their first love and Dave's signature guitar sound would go on to influence a generation of guitar players. As Ray's uniquely English songwriting style developed, the spectre of Ray and Dave's rocky fraternal relationship continually loomed in the background, through concerts for The Old Grey Whistle Test in the 1970s to appearances on Top of the Pops in the 1980s. The inevitable band split came in 1996, and the BBC archive continues with Ray's reinvention as a solo artist with performances on the Electric Proms and up to the present day on Later... with Jools Holland. All the while the brothers continue to tease and goad the press - and one another - with talk of a Kinks reunion.
Compilation of international hits from the BBC archives that paint exotic musical portraits of far away countries or instantly conjure up memories of holidays abroad. This smorgasbord of foreign pop delights includes performances by Demis Roussos, Vanessa Paradis, Gheorghe Zamfir and Sylvia, amongst many others.
A journey through some of the finest moments of acoustic guitar performances from the BBC archives, from Jimmy Page's television debut in 1958 to Oasis and Biffy Clyro. Other highlights include Neil Young's Heart of Gold, David Bowie's Starman, Donovan's Mellow Yellow, Joan Armatrading's Woncha Come on Home, Bert Jansch, Johnny Marr and Bernard Butler, and Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning.
A selection of Lionel Richie's greatest moments from the BBC archives, from his first Top of the Pops appearance with The Commodores in 1979 to highlights from his 2009 concert at the BBC's Maida Vale studios.
Hip-hop through the decades from the BBC archives, including the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, Run DMC, LL Cool J and Eric B & Rakim in the 80s, Ice-T, Monie Love, Fugees and the Roots in the 90s and concluding with Dr Dre & Eminem, Dizzee Rascal and Jay-Z.
Grab your partner by the hand - the BBC have raided their archive and brought to light glittering performances by country artists over the last four decades. Star appearances include Tammy Wynette, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and, of course, Dolly Parton. All the greats have performed for the BBC at some point - on entertainment shows, in concert and at the BBC studios. Some of the rhinestones revealed are Charley Pride's Crystal Chandeliers from The Lulu Show, Emmylou Harris singing Together Again on The Old Grey Whistle Test and Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy from The Val Doonican Music Show. We're brought up to date with modern country hits from Top of the Pops and Later...with Jools Holland.
A selection of some of the best performances by African-American artists of the 1980s from the BBC archives, featuring Cameo, Shalamar, Salt-n-Pepa, Chaka Khan, Kid Creole, Doug E Fresh, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross.
In September 2011 R.E.M., the rock band from Athens, Georgia, decided to call it a day after 31 years. This collection from the BBC archives includes performances of Pretty Persuasion from the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1984, Orange Crush on Top of the Pops in 1989 and special acoustic versions of Losing My Religion and Half a World Away on The Late Show in 1991, along with performances on Later with Jools Holland and Parkinson. Also, vocalist Michael Stipe and bassist Mike Mills reflect on the band ending.
The BBC delves into its archive for the best romantic duets performed at the BBC over the last 50 years. Whether it is Robbie and Kylie dancing together on Top of the Pops or Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge singing into each other's eyes on the Whistle Test, there is plenty of chemistry. Highlights include Nina and Frederik's Baby It's Cold Outside, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Sonny and Cher, Shirley Bassey and Neil Diamond, Peaches and Herb, and a rare performance from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
A foot-stomping return to the BBC vaults of Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later with Jools as the programme spins itself to a time when disco ruled the floor, the airwaves and our minds. The visual floorfillers include classics from luminaries such as Chic, Labelle and Rose Royce to glitter ball surprises by The Village People.
Archive performances by classic Southern rock acts on shows including The Old Grey Whistle Test, In Concert and Wogan. Featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Charlie Daniels Band, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, Dickey Betts, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Black Oak Arkansas, Greg Allman with Cher, and Edgar Winter.
A mixture of songs, interviews and rarely seen documentary footage offers a glimpse as to how American crooner Barry Manilow's career has evolved on screen for more than forty years. Classics such as Mandy, Copacabana and Could It Be Magic were played to millions of viewers first time around and are revisited in clips from Top of the Pops, Parkinson and various filmed shows including his pivotal open-air concert at Blenheim Palace in 1983 - it's a miracle!
An archive celebration of studio performances from the British bands that broke through courtesy of punk between 1975 and 1982. Starting with Dr Feelgood and Eddie and the Hot Rods and culminating in Gang of Four, with performances from Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Something Else and other shows by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Damned, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees and many more. Hey ho, let's go!
A collection of performances from the BBC archives, celebrating the sights and sounds and the ups and downs of London through the words and songs through the years - from Petula Clark singing A Foggy Day in London Town in 1965 to Adele performing her love letter to the city in Hometown Glory, filmed in October 2007 on the roof of the BBC car park in Shepherd's Bush. Also featured are the likes of The Jam, Eddy Grant, Tom Paxton and Lily Allen plus many more.
An archive celebration of BBC studio performances from the British bands that broke through courtesy of punk, from its pub rock roots with Dr Feelgood to its explosive heyday with The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and many more.
David Bowie in concert at the BBC Radio Theatre. Songs include Wild Is the Wind, Ashes to Ashes, Absolute Beginners, The Man Who Sold the World and Fame.
Compilation of performances from the BBC archive spanning 35 years of Paul Weller, from the Jam to the Style Council to his solo career. From the heady days of mod-punk trio the Jam there's In The City on TOTP, The Eton Rifles on teen pop culture show Something Else and more, up to their final single Beat Surrender. Jazz-funk-soul collective the Style Council take over with first single Speak Like a Child on Sight & Sound and a storming Walls Come Tumbling Down on the Whistle Test. Weller's persistently successful solo career is chronicled on Later with Jools Holland - where he's the most frequently featured artist in the show's history - with Sunflower to the Attic (from 2012's Sonik Kicks album), plus an acoustic rendition of the Jam classic That's Entertainment with Noel Gallagher. Amongst other treats are a rarely-seen performance from the Electric Proms of Etta James's Don't Go to Strangers, where the changingman is joined onstage at the Roundhouse by Amy Winehouse.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UK chart, a selection of hits that reached number one, including The Bee Gees, T. Rex, Donna Summer, John Lennon, Culture Club and Adele.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones we delve into the BBC vaults to deliver some timeless Stones archive. From the early days of their career and some unforgettable performances on Top of the Pops with the Last Time, Let's Spend the Night Together and Get Off of My Cloud through the late 60s and early 70s era of prolific song writing when the band were knocking out a classic album every other year and offering up such classics as Honky Tonk Women and Gimme Shelter. The late 70s brought a massively successful nod to disco with Miss You and the early 80s a stomping return to form with the rock 'n' roll groove of Start Me Up. Peppered amongst the performances are snippets of wisdom from the two main men - the Glimmer Twins, aka Mick and Keith. Plus as a special treat, some lost footage of the band performing 19th Nervous Breakdown on Top of the Pops in 1966 - recently discovered in a BBC documentary from the 1960s about women with depression.
Don your best platforms and sequinned hat and join Noddy, Jim, Dave and Don aka Slade for a trip down memory lane as we uncover some of Slade's finest appearances from the vaults of the BBC archive, introduced by none other than Noddy Holder himself. Rock out to the classics of Coz I Luv You, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Gudbuy T'Jane and C*m On Feel the Noize and see how Slade's all-important look evolves after their first TV appearance on the BBC back in 1969. Most performances come from their 70s heyday and from BBC studio shows like Top of the Pops, Crackerjack, Blue Peter and Cheggers Plays Pop. Noddy both introduces the compilation and reflects on Slade's glory daze at the BBC.
A selection of Dusty Springfield's performances at the BBC from 1961 to 1995. Dusty was one of Britain's great pop divas, guaranteed to give us a big melody in songs soaring with drama and yearning. The clips show Dusty's versatility as an artist and performer and include songs from her folk beginnings with The Springfields; the melodrama of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me; Dusty's homage to Motown with Heatwave and Nowhere to Run; the Jacques Brel song If You Go Away; the Bacharach and David tune The Look of Love; and Dusty's collaboration with Pet Shop Boys in the late 1980s. There are also some great duets from Dusty's career with Tom Jones and Mel Torme.
Compilation of BBC performances by Dame Shirley Bassey, who began her rise to fame as a 16-year-old singer in 1953 and over 60 years later is still going strong. This trip down memory lane uncovers some of her finest performances from the vaults, ranging from early appearances on Show of the Week and The Shirley Bassey Show, via the Royal Albert Hall and Glastonbury 2007, right up to her show at the Electric Proms in 2009. Iconic songs featured include The Performance of My Life, Goldfinger, Big Spender and Diamonds are Forever.
If you fancy an hour's worth of irresistible guilty pleasures from Anni-Frid, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha, this is the programme for you. ABBA stormed the 1974 Eurovision song contest with their winning entry Waterloo, and this programme charts the meteoric rise of the band with some of their greatest performances at the BBC.
In the mid-90s, Britpop stamped its presence onto the British music scene and made boys wearing eyeliner cool again. What better reason to raid the BBC archives for a rich treasure trove of the joy and the time that was Britpop? Featuring the girls (Elastica, Sleeper) and the boys (Suede, Menswear) and many of the other bright young things that contributed to five years of Cool Britannia, Blur v Oasis and Camden being the centre of the universe. Britpop at the BBC reminds us all why we were all so proud to be British again in the 1990s.
Compilation of BBC performances featuring some of the best axe men and women in rock 'n' roll, from Hendrix to The Kinks, Cream to AC/DC, The Smiths to Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead to Foo Fighters. Whether it is The Shadows playing FBI on Crackerjack, Jeff Beck with The Yardbirds, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love from their final gig, Pixies on the Late Show, AC/DC on Top of the Pops or Fools Gold from The Stone Roses, this compilation is a celebration of rock 'n' roll guitar complete with riffs, fingerstylin', wah-wah pedals and Marshall amps.
Compilation of Rod Stewart's finest performances at the BBC. We revisit the early 70s with The Faces performing Stay with Me and Three Button Hand Me Down on Sounds for Saturday. The BBC charted Rod's solo success over the years and there are classic performances and interviews that will make you dance, sing and pull on your heartstrings. Songs include Sailing, You're in My Heart, I Don't Want to Talk about It and Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? We also have Rod's performance from Glastonbury 2002 of the classic Handbags and Gladrags, and we dip into the Great American Songbook with his version of the Dorothy Fields classic I'm in the Mood for Love. Finally, rounding off over five decades in music is a performance from Rod's Radio 2 concert from May 2013.
Between 1978 and 1994, Kate Bush appeared on a variety of BBC programmes including Saturday Night at the Mill, Ask Aspel, the Leo Sayer Show, Wogan and Top of the Pops. This compilation showcases her performances of hit songs such as Wuthering Heights, Babooshka, Running up That Hill and Hounds of Love alongside other intriguing and lesser-known material in the BBC studios.
A 60-minute showcase of beastly basslines, scything guitars, tormented lyrics, piercing synths, leather, lace and fashion on the edge! This programme celebrates the Goth aesthetic that began in early 80s British clubland and traces its evolution in music throughout that decade and beyond. Featuring classic BBC TV performances from Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, The Sisters of Mercy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey and many more.
Classic female country stars in action on a variety of BBC studio shows and featuring Bobbie Gentry, Anne Murray, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette, Billie Jo Spears, Crystal Gayle, Taylor Swift, Lucinda Williams with Mary Chapin Carpenter and more. A chronological celebration of country queens at the BBC whether on Top of the Pops, OGWT, Later with Jools Holland, Parkinson or their own entertainment specials.
Classic male country singers from the BBC vaults, journeying from The Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis to Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, and featuring classic songs and performances by Glen Campbell, Charley Pride, George Hamilton IV, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Johnny Cash, Eric Church and more. This 50 years-plus compilation is a chronological look at country kings as featured on BBC studio shows as varied as In Concert, Wogan, The Late Show and Later with Jools Holland, plus early variety shows presented by the likes of Lulu, Harry Secombe and Shirley Abicair.
Classic Bee Gees studio performances from the BBC and beyond including all the big hits, rare 60s performances from European TV, including a stunning I Started a Joke, a rarely seen Top of the Pops performance of World, the big hits of the 70s and some late performances from the 90s, with the brothers Gibb in perfect harmony.
Compilation of performances and appearances by Nigel Kennedy from the BBC archive, following his music development and career from a seven-year-old child on Town and Around to his virtuoso showstopper Czardas from the Last Night of the Proms 2013. Featuring interviews with him through the years, and demonstrating a versatility of styles from classical to experimental to a jazz duet with Stephane Grappelli.
The Carpenters' debut BBC concert, recorded in September 1971. They perform hits including Superstar and We've Only Just Begun, the odd Beatles' tune and a Bacharach/David medley.
A whistle-stop tour of rock from over the water, taking in some of the finest Irish rock offerings from the early 70s to the present day, as captured on a variety of BBC shows from The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops to Later... with Jools Holland. Kicking off with Thin Lizzy's 1973 debut hit Whiskey in the Jar, the programme traces Irish rock's unfolding lineage. Performances from guitar maestro Rory Gallagher, Celtic rock godfathers Horslips and John Peel favourites The Undertones feature alongside rivals Stiff Little Fingers, with their Top of the Pops performance of Nobody's Hero, followed by post-punk U2's 1981 debut UK performance of I Will Follow from The Old Grey Whistle Test. Then there is Sinead O'Connor's debut single performance of Mandinka, and The Pogues play the Ewan MacColl classic Dirty Old Town from 1986. Into the 90s, there is The Frank and Walters and Therapy? on Top of the Pops, along with early performances on Later...with Jools Holland from Ash and The Divine Comedy. There is rockabilly with Imelda May's debut hit Johnny Got a Boom Boom, and then more recently Cavan's The Strypes and Hozier, whose Take Me to Church completes this hit-driven tour through Irish rock.
Celebrating the men whose vocal stylings have carried the torch for soul across six decades. It showcases the rarely-seen but infectious Brenton Wood's Gimme Little Sign and offers the velvet voice of Curtis Mayfield singing Keep On Keeping On. There are groundbreaking artists from the '60s to the noughties, with performances from Billy Preston, Bill Withers, Billy Ocean, Alexander O'Neal, Barry White, Bobby Womack and many more.
The sisters are truly doing it for themselves in this celebration of the legendary female singers whose raw emotional vocal styles touched the hearts of followers worldwide. Featuring the effortless sounds of Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight, Randy Crawford, Angie Stone, Mary J Blige and Beyonce, to name a few. The Queens of Soul presents the critically acclaimed and influential female singers who, decade by decade, changed the world one note at a time.
Compilation of some indelible hits by artists we hardly heard from again, at least in a chart sense. Featuring Peter Sarstedt's Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? - a number one in 1969 and a hit he never really matched, Trio's 1982 smash Da Da Da, Phyllis Nelson's 1985 lovers rock-style classic Move Closer, and The New Radicals' 1999 hit You Get What You Give. We travel through the years selecting some of your favourite number ones and a few others that came close, revealing what's happened to the one-off hitmakers since and exploring the unwritten laws that help make sense of the one-hit wonder phenomenon.
A celebration of rock 'n' roll in the shape of a compilation of classic artists and songs, featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and Dick Dale who all featured in the Rock 'n' Roll America series, alongside songs that celebrate rock 'n roll itself from artists such as Tom Petty (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll), Joan Jett (I Love Rock 'n' Roll) and Oasis (Rock 'n' Roll Star).
Much-mourned national treasure Cilla Black commenced her eminent career as a TV host in 1968 on the BBC. Her career as perhaps the nation's favourite female pop singer of the decade had already been established after landing her first Number 1 with Anyone Who Had a Heart, the biggest-selling hit by a female singer in the 1960s. This tribute compilation celebrates the BBC's coverage of Cilla's 60s pop star years on programmes like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's Not Only...But Also, The Ken Dodd Show, Top of the Pops and The Royal Variety Performance, before selecting just some of the golden moments from the long-running self-titled series she hosted for the BBC between 1968 and 1976 including the Paul McCartney-penned theme song Step Inside Love and that 1973 famous duet with Marc Bolan on Life's A Gas.
Errol Brown, who died aged 71 in May 2015, was probably the most famous and ubiquitous black British pop star of the 70s and early 80s. He co-founded Hot Chocolate with Tony Wilson in 1970 and the band went on to have a hit every year between 1971 and 1984. This compilation of BBC performances and rare interview extracts celebrates Errol and Hot Chocolate, showcasing their Top 10 hits alongside rarely seen early performances and cult fan favourites. We journey through over 15 years of chart smashes showcasing all the infectious numbers - Every 1's a Winner, Emma, So You Win Again and It Started With a Kiss - and of course, The Full Monty scene-stealer You Sexy Thing, a song that was in the charts in the 70s, 80s and 90s. There are reminders of just how many Top 10 moments they had, with Girl Crazy and No Doubt About It, the hit that got away - Mindless Boogie - and their first appearance on BBC television with Love Is Life. Hot Chocolate were that rarity, a 70s British pop band who largely wrote their own tunes and arrangements and a mixed race band who perhaps inadvertently helped foster an early sense of British multi-culturalism. In Errol, they had a frontman who was not only a great singer, songwriter and frontman, but also resolutely and undemonstratively always himself, at ease in his own skin.
Charismatic conductor and composer Andre Previn looks back at some of his greatest television moments, from thrilling performances of orchestral favourites by Mozart and Berlioz to his classic comedy encounter with Morecambe and Wise.
A look back through the archives at some of the classic tunes from the world of indie music through the 80s and early 90s, including the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Primal Scream and many more.
It is a quarter of a century since the death of Leonard Bernstein, composer, conductor and icon of 20th-century music. This programme features 50 years of great archive performances and interviews, some unseen since their original broadcast, including music from West Side Story, Elgar's Enigma and Beethoven.
A compilation from the depths of the BBC archive of the creme de la creme of 1960s British psychedelic rock from programmes such as Colour Me Pop, How It Is, Top of the Pops and Once More with Felix. Featuring pre-rocker era Status Quo, a rustic-looking Incredible String Band, a youthful Donovan, a suitably eccentric performance from The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, a trippy routine from Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, a groovy tune from The Moody Blues, a raucous rendition by Joe Cocker of his version of With a Little Help From My Friends and some pre-Wizzard Roy Wood with The Move. Plus classic performances from the likes of Procol Harum, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and The Who.
Compilation celebrating some guitar band performances at the BBC that feature some of the best female musicians in rock. Beginning with the oft-forgotten American group Fanny performing You're the One, it's a journey along rock's spectrum from the 1970s to now. The selection includes the powerful vocals of Elkie Brooks on Vinegar Joe's Proud to Be a Honky Woman, the mesmerising poetry of Patti Smith's Horses and the upbeat energy of the Go-Go's on We Got the Beat. Mighty basslines come courtesy of Tina Weymouth on Psycho Killer and Kim Gordon on Sugar Kane, whilst we trace the line of indie rock from the Au Pairs through Lush, Elastica and Garbage to current band Savages.
In the first of a two-part series, the BBC delves into its archives to discover British acting greats as they take their first tentative steps on the road to success. Long before they were knighted for their services to drama, we see early appearances from Michael Caine in a rare Shakespearean role, Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon. Featuring unique behind-the-scenes footage alongside a wealth of classic British productions like War and Peace, the Mayor of Casterbridge and the Singing Detective, it reveals many career-defining moments from the first generation of acting talent to fully embrace television drama.
Smash hits from 60 years of great cover versions in performance from the BBC TV archive. Reinterpretations, tributes and acts of subversion from the British invasion to noughties X Factor finalist Alexandra Burke. Artists as varied as The Moody Blues, Soft Cell, Mariah Carey and UB40 with their 'retake' on someone else's song - ultimate chart hits that are, in some cases, perhaps even better than the original. Arguably The Beatles, alongside Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys, introduced the notion of 'originality' and self-generating artists writing their songs into the pop lexicon in the 60s. One of the most fascinating consequences of this has been the 'original' cover version, a reinterpretation of someone else's song that has transformed it into pop gold with a shift of rhythm, intent and context. The pop cover has proved a remarkably imaginative and durable form and this compilation tracks this pop alchemy at its finest and most intriguing.
Today, they are at the centre of British cultural life and among our greatest exports - the acting dames, an exclusive club of stage and screen greats who were honoured for their services to drama. But, lurking in the BBC archives - from long before their talents were recognised by royal decree - we find the early work and some career defining moments of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg and Helen Mirren. David Tennant narrates the story of our dames of classic drama, from a golden age of British television drama.
Adele performs some of her biggest hits as well as new material in front of a live studio audience. She talks to host Graham Norton about her life and career, and the singer also gets up close and personal with some of her biggest fans. The show includes Adele's first television performance of Skyfall since the 85th Academy Awards in February 2013, where she won Best Original Song for the title track to the James Bond film.
Strictly Come Dancing - today one of the most popular shows on television - is the latest manifestation of the BBC's enduring love affair with dance. Whether it was profiling stars such as Margot Fonteyn, reluctantly teaching us how to do the twist or encouraging us to dance like John Travolta, the BBC's cameras were there to capture every move and every step. From ballet to ballroom and beyond, this is Dance at the BBC.
Tom Service presents 40 years of great BBC archive featuring the French composer, conductor and musical icon Pierre Boulez, who died on 5th January 2016 at the age of 90. Opinionated and challenging, Boulez transformed the way that musicians and audiences all over the world think about contemporary music. With orchestras including the BBC Symphony, he rehearses and performs Debussy, Stravinsky and Bartok, as well as a selection of his own extraordinary compositions. Boulez's relationship with the BBC began in the 1960s and blossomed during his years as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra - leaving a vivid legacy in the BBC's TV archive.
Performances by celebrated pianists including Benno Moiseiwitsch, Solomon, Myra Hess, Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, Alfred Brendel, Mitsuko Uchida and Stephen Hough.
Violinist Nicola Benedetti explores 60 years of BBC archive to celebrate the world of the violin and its most outstanding performers. From Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman and Isaac Stern to Yehudi Menuhin, Itzhak Perlman and Nigel Kennedy, Nicola gives us a violinist's perspective on what makes a great performance in a tradition which stretches back to the 19th-century virtuoso Paganini. Filmed at the Royal Academy of Music Museum, London.
Fifty years of spellbinding performances from one of the guitar's greatest players, John Williams. Gold from the BBC's archive that takes in classical masterworks, the prog rock of Sky and comedy with Eric Sykes, as well as duets with fellow guitar maestro Julian Bream.
An exploration of the BBC's long love affair with the lives and works of the Bronte sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne. For over half a century, the ill-fated literary dynasty has proved irresistible to drama and documentary makers alike, keen to reinvent their novels for new audiences. So we get Bronte heroines reimagined for each emerging generation, first as classic 1950s housewife material, then wild child '60s 'chicks', Gothic waifs and, finally, empowered modern women. The Bronte males, meanwhile, are restyled as assorted prigs, wife-beaters, even brooding prog rockers and, of course, wouldn't you know it, new men. Wonderful stuff.
Claudia Winkleman meets Michael Buble in this entertainment spectacular. Michael performs classic tracks including Cry Me a River and Feeling Good alongside songs from his brand new album, including Nobody but Me. Michael also goes undercover as a sales assistant at a London department store to surprise a few unsuspecting fans.
Julian Lloyd Webber takes an extraordinary musical journey through the BBC archives from the 1950s to the present to celebrate the world of the cello through some of its greatest interpreters. From dazzling performances by legendary masters such as Paul Tortelier, Jacqueline du Pre and Mstislav Rostropovich to some of today's leading interpreters including Yo Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis and Mischa Maisky, Julian gives us a cellist's perspective on an extraordinary virtuoso tradition.
Clips from the BBC archive giving an overview of David Bowie's career from 1964 to 2016, blending interviews and performances from music programmes, documentaries and chat shows.
The charismatic New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa looks back at her life in song through forty years of classic performances from the BBC archives, from her first TV performance on The Harry Secombe Show in 1971 to her appearances on Top of the Pops to sing the rugby anthem World in Union in 1991, plus performances from the Last Night of the Proms and Terry Wogan's chat show. Dame Kiri's dramatic and operatic skills are captured in the Royal Opera's production of Puccini's Manon, she describes working with Leonard Bernstein, Georg Solti and on Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, and she recalls the royal wedding in 1981 at which she sang Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim to a global TV audience of 700 million. There's documentary footage of the house where Kiri grew up in New Zealand (now a car park), she vividly evokes the East End of London, where she studied as a student when she first came to London, and we see her goofing around on the golf course with Placido Domingo. As Dame Kiri says in her candid new interview for this programme in which she reflects on her BBC appearances, "If I look back what you have is snippets of my life, I suppose.".
Dazzling duets from four decades of BBC entertainment, from Parkinson to the Proms. Whether it's pianos or banjos, violins or voices, kora, erhu or harmonica, this is a journey full of striking partnerships and extraordinary combinations. Oscar Peterson, Larry Adler, Ballake Sissoko, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy and Bela Fleck are just some of the featured artists bringing us a musical feast, full of fun and surprises.
Drawing on the BBC's rich archive, this documentary reveals the working practices, lives and opinions of some of the greatest photographers of the last 60 years. From Norman Parkinson to David Bailey, Eve Arnold to Jane Bown, Henri Cartier-Bresson to Martin Parr, for decades the BBC has drawn our attention to the creators of what has become the most ubiquitous contemporary art form. Pioneering BBC programmes like Arena, Monitor and Omnibus have given unique insights into the careers of photography's leading practitioners. Through a selection of fascinating clips, this programme brings into focus the key genres - fashion, portraiture, documentary and landscape - and the characters behind the camera who have helped defined them.
Clemency Burton-Hill celebrates the rich and ravishing world of the string quartet in a journey through 50 years of BBC archive. Some of the world's greatest ensembles including the Amadeus, Chilingirian, Borodin and Kronos quartets perform in myriad styles and settings, from stately homes to helicopters. Music ranges from Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert to Steve Reich, Elvis Costello and Pete Townshend, in a tradition which stretches back to Haydn in the 18th century.
Solo show-stoppers from the world's greatest musicians in a journey through fifty years of BBC Music. From guitarist John Williams and cellist Jacqueline du Pre to trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and violinist Nigel Kennedy, this is a treasure trove of musical treats and dazzling virtuosity. Whether it's James Galway's Flight of the Bumblebee performed at superhuman speed, Ravi Shankar's mesmerising Raag Bihag or Dudley Moore's brilliant Colonel Bogey March, every performance has its own star quality and unique appeal. Parkinson, Later with Jools Holland, The Les Dawson Show, Music at Night and Wogan are among the programmes featuring instruments ranging from marimba and kora to harp and flamenco guitar.
It's 2017 and synth giants Depeche Mode are back with their 14th studio album Spirit, the band's "timeliest work yet". As the rave reviews fly in, here is a look back at the journey of one of the UK's longest-lasting and most successful bands who emerged from the UK's post-punk scene over three decades ago by featuring clips from various BBC programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Synth Britannia, The OZone, Def II and The Whistle Test. From their first appearance on Top of the Pops in 1981 and the tales of how they got there, to performing on Later...with Jools Holland in 2009, the programme shares archive testimony and recent interviews from core members Dave Gahan, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher. New Life, Just Can't Get Enough, Blasphemous Rumours and Personal Jesus are among some of the classic tracks performed.
A spangly celebration of the outburst of far-out pop and fuzz-filled rock that lit up the British charts in the early 1970s. Top of the Pops is our primary arena and its gloriously gaudy visual effects are used here aplenty! The compilation also utilises footage from a selection of BBC concerts as well as from Crackerjack and Cilla. It features classic BBC TV performances from T. Rex, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro, Slade, The Sweet, Elton John, Queen, Sparks and many more.
In a BBC Music exclusive, Harry Styles performs new tracks from his number one debut album as a solo artist, alongside covers of classic songs. He's accompanied by his band and performs in front of a live studio audience. Nick Grimshaw talks to Harry about his extraordinary career in music to date, his future ambitions and his debut acting role in Dunkirk. Harry and Grimmy also have some fun with some very special friends as they take time away from the studio to spend a day out in Manchester.
Sam Smith performs tracks from his latest album alongside some of his biggest hits, including Stay With Me and the Oscar-winning Writing's on the Wall, accompanied by his band and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Host Fearne Cotton chats with Sam about his incredible career and life to date. There are some fun moments with his fans backstage, and Sam gives one special couple the surprise of a lifetime on their wedding day.
Drawing on the BBC's rich archive, this documentary reveals the working practices, lives and opinions of some of the greatest photographers since the 1950s. From Norman Parkinson to David Bailey, Eve Arnold to Jane Bown, Henri Cartier-Bresson to Martin Parr, for decades the BBC has drawn our attention to the creators of what has become the most ubiquitous, contemporary art form. Pioneering BBC programmes like Arena, Monitor and Omnibus have given unique insights into the careers of photography's leading practitioners. Through a selection of fascinating clips, this programme brings into focus the key genres - fashion, portraiture, documentary and landscape - and the characters behind the camera who have helped define them.
Arctic Monkeys perform live for BBC Radio 1 at the legendary Maida Vale studios, with tracks from their new album Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino, and classics from their back catalogue of hits.
Davina McCall chats to Ariana Grande in this musical extravaganza. Ariana performs songs from her latest album and some of her biggest hits accompanied by her band and an all-female orchestra.
Spend an hour in the company of musical innovator Van Morrison in this vintage compilation of his most memorable BBC performances.
Dazzling entertainment from the Man with the Golden Flute as Sir James Galway reflects on a television career spanning over 40 years. Following an extraordinary journey from the Belfast docks to principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Galway went on to cross all musical boundaries in the late 1970s to become a BBC TV superstar. From Val Doonican to Top of the Pops, Wogan to Celebrity Proms, and Parkinson to Songs of Praise, Galway brought the sound of the flute to audiences of millions. With stunning performances of the great classics and iconic TV moments on piccolo, mouth organ and tin whistle, this is a journey full of fun and surprises. The Chieftains, Cleo Laine and The Cambridge Buskers are just some of the musicians who feature in a wealth of BBC archive paying tribute to one of the best-loved entertainers of his generation on his 80th birthday.
As the Peter Pan of Pop reaches the milestone of his 80th birthday, the BBC celebrates with a look back through its archives at some of his most memorable performances and biggest hits. Starting with the release of Sir Cliff’s first single Move It in 1958, we follow his incredible career through his appearances on a variety of BBC music programmes and television specials. The programme takes in his early, much-loved songs of the 1960s, the comeback and credibility of his work in the 1970s, the successes he enjoyed throughout the 80s and 90s, as he consolidated his reputation as a pop superstar, right up until the controversy and vindication that came with his Millennium Prayer. Amongst the classic songs featured are The Young Ones, Living Doll, Bachelor Boy, the Eurovision Song Contest contenders Congratulations and Power To All Our Friends, Devil Woman, Miss You Nights, Wired for Sound and Cliff’s much-praised 80s duet with Van Morrison, Wherever God Shines His Light.
A look back at a wide-ranging selection of the top songs performed by the music acts that came here from the Land Down Under, and the appearances on a selection of BBC shows that saw them get a grip on the UK charts. Over the decades, those bringing a bit of Australian sunshine and spirit to British screens have included Aussie pop pioneers The Easybeats, rock legends AC/DC, and the new sensations who became one of the nation’s most successful acts of all time, INXS. Also featured are groundbreaking Aborigine band Yothu Yindi and a true giant of the Australian music scene, John Farnham, whose hit You’re the Voice has achieved almost national anthem status. A selection of songs from the 80s, 90s and noughties will have you singing along to Love Is in the Air, blushing to ‘I Touch Myself’ and stepping back in time with Kylie and Jason, Kylie and Nick Cave and, of course, some classic solo Kylie too
In 2020, we said a sad farewell to Dame Vera Lynn. In a special programme, the BBC celebrates the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ with a look back through the archives at some of her favourite performances and biggest hits. As well as the many classic songs that helped unify the nation throughout World War II, this retrospective captures a side of Dame Vera that many have forgotten about, with upbeat song-and-dance performances from her 1970s series The Vera Lynn Show, which saw her covering many popular tunes of the 60s and 70s.
A retrospective marking the 80th birthday in 2020 of legendary singer Dionne Warwick that looks back at her very best performances over the years at the BBC. From her collaborations in the 1960s with Burt Bacharach and Hal David on classics like Walk On By and I’ll Never Fall In Love Again through to 80s hits like Heartbreaker, composed by the Bee Gees, this is a collection of songs that remind us of a voice and a talent that made songwriters want to work with Dionne, and audiences fall in love with her, all over the world.
A selection of songs by one of soul music's biggest-ever voices, illustrating why the world sat up and listened when Whitney Houston burst onto the scene in 1985 with Saving All My Love for You. This playlist traverses the '80s, '90s and '00s, leading to the star's early death in 2012, which was wildly regarded as a tragic loss to the world of contemporary music.
A look back over the decades at some of the brightest and best BBC moments from legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. This compilation features performances from the early 1970s of hits like Sweet Caroline, Forever in Blue Jeans and Solitary Man, and appearances on a range of BBC programmes including Wogan, The Shirley Bassey Show, Later... with Jools Holland and, of course, Top of the Pops. Alongside all the hits are some rarely seen interview clips that capture Neil’s feelings about his enduring career and show how his dislike of fame has always sat in conflict with his passion for performing the songs that he and his fans love so much.
To mark 100 years since the birth of comedy legend Tommy Cooper, Sir Lenny Henry - one of Tommy’s biggest fans - takes a look back through the BBC’s archives and shares some of the great man’s finest and funniest moments. This collection features some of Cooper’s most famous routines, and shows that his reputation for terrible tricks that inevitably went wrong was all based on an act.He was actually a master magician, perfectly suited to television’s golden age.
Actor and comedian John Thomson looks back at the life and work of his friend and comedy colleague, the late and greatly missed Caroline Aherne. From rarely seen early routines from Caroline’s days on the Manchester stand-up circuit, through to some favourite moments from The Fast Show, Mrs Merton and The Royle Family, John is our guide as we wallow in a special selection of clips, characters and magic moments. To misquote Mrs Merton’s famous line to Debbie McGee – this is a collection that reveals exactly what it was that first attracted us to one of British television’s best-loved writers and performers.
U2 - Beautiful Day The Undertones - Teenage Kicks The Pogues - Streams of Whiskey Sinead O'connor - Nothing Compares To You Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap Cranberries - Zombie The Divine Comedy - Something In The Woodshed Thin Lizzie - Whiskey In The Jar The Coors - Breathless The Saw Doctors - Small Bit Of Love Boyzone - Love Me For A. Reason Ash - Girl From Mars Enya - Orinoco Flow B*Witched - C'est la vie Westlife - Swear It Again Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars Van Morrison - Gloria The Pogues & The Dubliners - Irish Rover
A celebration of the finest performances and appearances by the New Romantic sensations on the BBC. They came out of Birmingham in the early 80s, took over the world, and helped define the look and sound of an entire decade. Then, through constant reinvention, they kept themselves relevant even to this day. Although pioneers of the pop video age, this collection of hits and rarities – from Planet Earth to Ordinary World and beyond - captures the impact and excitement of their music on a huge selection of BBC shows, from the Old Grey Whistle Test to Wogan and, of course, Top of the Pops.
To mark St George’s Day, join BBC Four for a trip through the archives and a selection of songs celebrating English history, landmarks and places. This eclectic mix features a huge array of musical styles and tastes, ranging from Elton John to Maddy Prior and Joe Strummer, as well as one of English football’s oddest cheerleading combinations in The Spice Girls and Echo & The Bunnymen
Turn back time on a journey through the BBC archives to celebrate singing superstar Cher and her 75th birthday. This selection of songs and chat show moments features many of the hits that have made Cher the only artist to have US number ones in each of the past six decades. Including favourites like Believe, Love and Understanding, Walking in Memphis and her first UK chart topper I Got You Babe, recorded with ex-husband and singing partner Sonny Bono
A collection of performances from one of the greatest singers and live performers in modern music - the legendary Tina Turner. This selection of tracks comes from appearances Tina made on various BBC programmes over the years, featuring some of her biggest hits from the 1970s, 80s and 90s
A look back through the BBC’s archives with the man who, against all odds, went from being the drummer in Genesis to one of the biggest solo performers of the 1980s and 90s.
It’s time to Canuck n’ Roll as we celebrate Canada Day with a trip through the best of the BBC’s music archives, exploring some of that great nation’s finest music stars. It’s a collection encompassing song-writing legends like Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang and Leonard Cohen, with added pop perfection in the shape of Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne. You Oughta Know, we’ve also got Alanis Morisette, Arcade Fire, Nickelback and Bryan Adams, and with some added Celine Dion, Michael Buble and Shania Twain, the one thing you won’t be saying is: “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
A musical celebration for International Pride Month, with a collection of the BBC archives' biggest stars– including Kylie, Elton John, and Lady Gaga. Our Pride playlist features controversial classics like Relax and Smalltown Boy; enduring anthems like Born This Way, I Will Survive and Glad to Be Gay; and the unforgettable sounds of disco, Dolly and Dusty. These are the songs and performances that helped to create some of the entertainment world’s greatest icons - capturing the delight, desire and defiance of the Pride movement, whilst also dominating the charts.
A collection of the some of the finest female voices and performances ever broadcast, showcasing those special superstars who, thanks to a combination of tonsils, talent and temperament, are so much more than just singers. Featuring the likes of Whitney, Beyonce, Mariah, Grace, Cher, Aretha, Tina, Diana and Adele: it’s a list of leading ladies all music fans are on first name terms with - and all crazy in love with too
Since his breakthrough in the 1970s, Sir Simon Rattle has performed alongside the world’s leading orchestras and soloists. This collection focuses attention on some of his finest broadcast moments from the BBC archive. Renowned for interpreting the work of composers such as Mahler, Stravinsky and Gershwin, the programme also features his work at the BBC Proms as well as his love of contemporary music. It is a compilation that highlights the breadth of a career that to date spans five decades and which shows no signs of slowing.
Cerys Matthews takes us on a journey through the archives to celebrate one of Britain's greatest drummers and his musical projects and passions. Including a Later… with Jools Holland performance from his side outfit The ABC & D of Boogie Woogie, a recently recorded jazz session for BBC Four, and a Rolling Stones gem.
To celebrate Beyonce reaching her fortieth birthday, this gift to her fans takes a trip through the archives for a selection of the best of Queen Bey at the BBC. The collection shows why we are all Crazy in Love with her and features several iconic live performances, with hits like Naughty Girl, Irreplaceable and of course Single Ladies, underlining how she has become one of the biggest musical stars on the planet.
To mark 25 years since Geri, Emma, Victoria and the Mels first exploded onto the world stage, we take a trip into the music archives to uncover the performances that every Spice Girls devotee really, really wants to see again. These are the Fab Five’s finest appearances on a range of BBC shows from over the years and includes all the favourites, from their breakout number one Wannabe through to their final release as a girl band, Headlines. Our playlist also contains a selection of the hits the girls enjoyed when they’d said ‘Goodbye’ and launched themselves as solo stars.
A collection of classic hits from the stable of one of Britain’s greatest and most successful music producers, the legendary Trevor Horn. From his early days as frontman with The Buggles right up to recent collaborations with the likes of Robbie Williams, this film examines how Trevor has become the go-to producer for acts keen to tap into the musical genius that defined the sound of the 1980s. Featured artists include Yes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones, ABC, Seal and Pet Shop Boys, and of course the song that kicked things off for the MTV generation, Video Killed the Radio Star.
Since winning BBC Young Musician in 2005, Nicola Benedetti has become one of the country’s leading classical soloists. She has performed across the globe, alongside many of the world’s most renowned ensembles and conductors. Her passion for the music she plays has made her one of the most high profile advocates for the genre, and she combines this with a huge commitment to music education and the mentoring of young talent. She has been recording music throughout her career, won a Grammy for her work on Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto in 2020, and Brits in 2012 and 2013 for Best Female Artist. She is known for her interpretation of composers such as Bruch, Korngold, Saint-Saëns and many others. This compilation draws on the breadth of her work at the BBC, from the Proms to Blue Peter. Throughout, her drive to share the work that she so obviously loves shines through.
A compilation of TV appearances from the post-Beatles career of Britain’s most successful singer-songwriter. This playlist shows how the Fab Four’s split didn’t stop the hits and features some of Paul McCartney’s most popular songs and iconic performances on some of the biggest BBC shows of the past five decades, from Top of the Pops to the Electric Proms. Alongside tracks like Band on the Run, Jet, Coming Up and Live and Let Die, there is rarely seen backstage footage, interviews and a range of familiar faces, including a recent encounter with die-hard Beatles fan Bob Mortimer.
A trip through the archives that serves up an hour of killer Queen material, featuring some of the band's greatest musical moments ever delivered to our screens. The legendary band’s huge international status and punishing touring schedules meant that over the years they made surprisingly few appearances on programmes like Top of the Pops, and tragically for their fans, several of those performances were either lost or never recorded. This collection brings together the very best of what’s survived from one of the most enduring and best-loved acts in British rock, featuring perhaps the most charismatic and best-loved frontman of all time. Amongst the gems are moments from the band’s celebrated 1975 concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and highlights from their trips to the prestigious Montreux Pop Festival in the 1980s – an event that would attract the cream of the world’s music acts every year. Songs featured take us from the band’s first ever UK hit, Seven Seas of Rhye, through to These Are The Days of Our Lives, Queen’s last hit before Freddie’s untimely death, as well as all the biggest hits, including the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody, frequently voted the nation’s favourite ever song.
From Texas to Travis, Annie Lennox to Lulu, and Primal Scream to The Proclaimers, this collection of the best of Scottish rock and pop is the perfect way to celebrate St Andrew’s Day. With performances from a range of BBC shows across the decades, this selection also features the likes of Emeli Sande, Simple Minds, Sheena Easton and Deacon Blue.
A look back at a selection of magical Madonna moments on various BBC shows, from her first Top of the Pops appearance with Holiday in 1984 right up to the present day. This collection covers Madonna's journey from Material Girl to Queen of Pop and captures how over the years her ability to combine charisma, controversy and classic pop tunes has made her the female icon of her times and a true global superstar.
A celebration of the work of one of the great songwriters and lyricists, Stephen Sondheim, who passed away in November 2021 at the age of 91. A giant of musical theatre, Sondheim first found international fame in 1957 as the lyricist for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and would inspire generations from that moment on. This selection includes some of Sondheim’s finest songs, broadcast on the BBC over a period of 60 years, with performances from a cast of his friends and fans that features some of the biggest names of stage and screen, including Shirley Bassey, Sammy Davis Jr, Michael Ball and Liza Minnelli.
From the moment her debut single Just Dance hit the top of the UK charts, Lady Gaga has captivated music fans across the world. This collection of her appearances on the BBC over the years, including her duet with Tony Bennett on Strictly Come Dancing, underlines why she's considered one of the most creative, innovative stars of the 21st century.
A look back at the 60s icon, girl-group pioneer and frontwoman of The Ronettes, Ronnie Spector, who was known for hits like Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain. This journey through the archives features Ronnie in her own words discussing her life and career through the years, as well as great performances in shows such as Later… with Jools Holland, David Essex, and The Old Grey Whistle Test - and not forgetting her most recent appearance on the Park Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2016.
Dolly Parton is one of the biggest and best-loved music stars on the planet. Here, we celebrate all things Dolly with a look back at some of her greatest performances on the BBC, incorporating all her biggest hits and finest moments. From Jolene and 9 to 5, to Islands in the Stream and Here You Come Again, this collection showcases the enduring songwriting talents and the sense of humour that first made her name back in the 1970s.
Elaine Paige OBE is Britain’s biggest and most enduring star of musical theatre, enjoying success for over four decades in the West End, on Broadway, and on TV, radio and the pop charts. This selection of some of her best-loved songs and finest performances at the BBC features huge hits like Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Memory and I Know Him So Well. There are also rarely seen archive gems from the earliest days of Elaine’s career, as well as her own unique interpretations of musical masterpieces from shows like Chess and Anything Goes, which all underline why she has stayed at the very top for as long as she has.
The Motown child prodigy who evolved into a true genius, Stevie Wonder is one of soul music's all-time legends, a groundbreaking master blaster responsible for some of the best - and best-selling - songs to grace the pop charts. This collection gathers together some of Stevie's best BBC moments, from huge hits like I Just Called to Say I Love You and Happy Birthday to fan favourites like He's Misstra Know-It-All and Love's in Need of Love Today. Together, these songs underline why Stevie remains one of the music world's most respected artists and showcase how, even after all these years, this most aptly named star still leaves audiences with a true sense of wonder.
o celebrate St David’s Day, this trip through the BBC’s music archives features a selection of tracks from some of the most important and innovative Welsh artists of the past few decades. The programme includes performances by Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals, Marina and the Diamonds, Stereophonics, Feeder, Shakin’ Stevens, Bonnie Tyler, Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Tom Jones.
They're Britain's best-loved and most enduring boys-to-men band, and here we celebrate a selection of Take That's greatest BBC appearances from their long and varied career. This collection contains all the biggest hits that you'll never forget, from both phases of the band's existence: the glorious early days of nonstop number ones, when Gary, Robbie, Mark, Howard and Jason were everyone's favourite pop pin-ups; and then the 21st-century comeback that nobody expected, where the fans' patience paid off and the band reinstated themselves at the top of the charts. Of course, everything changes over the years, and we capture them as a five-piece, a quartet and a trio, but what shines through at all times are the quality of the songwriting and performances, and that magical connection with the audiences that's made them such a hit for so long.
It's been over 30 years since the Mistress of Melisma Mariah Carey stepped onto our screens and started giving us Emotions. To celebrate the singer who conquered the 1990s and changed the sound of pop and R&B forever, we delve into the BBC archives to bring you all of her best-loved hits, from Vision of Love through to Honey and Shake It Off. We embrace the highest notes in pop with Open Arms and prove once and for all that when it comes to our Hero Mariah, it's true that We Belong Together.
She’s got one of pop’s most powerful voices and has belted out some of the greatest love songs of all time, so prepare to swoon as Celine Dion gets the At the BBC treatment. This collection of Celine’s best performances from the biggest shows includes all her most famous hits and moments, from the 1988 Eurovision performance that first introduced her to British audiences to the Oscar-winning soundtrack smashes she enjoyed with Beauty and the Beast and, of course, Titanic’s My Heart Will Go On.
She's been one of the world's most successful and talked about performers of the century, and last year's triumph of the #FreeBritney campaign means she's still relevant more than two decades after she first grabbed our attention. Her explosive arrival on the music scene aged just 16 made Britney a frequent visitor to some of TV's biggest shows, and here we've captured the biggest and best of those performances, with hits including Crazy, Overprotected, Toxic and Oops! I Did it Again. So, why not join us and revisit her best BBC moments One More Time?
Join us for this celebration of pop's greatest LGBTQ+ stars whose gender and sexuality are central to the story of their individual careers and the amazing songs they've created. Our rainbow alliance of amazing artists includes George Michael, Boy George, Freddie Mercury, Beth Ditto, MNEK, Lil Nas X and Barry Manilow. Some pushed boundaries and challenged gender stereotypes from the very start, others only revealed their true selves after years of success and speculation – but all have played their part in changing the world of popular music and the sounds that we listen to and love.
A look back through the BBC's archives, celebrating the best Brummie bands, artists and performances from the past five decades. This collection of Birmingham's finest acts showcases how England's second city has led the way when it comes to musical diversity, with a range of tracks covering reggae, metal, ska, dance, rap and pure pop. Amongst the hit acts featured are UB40, Dexys Midnight Runners, Duran Duran, Judas Priest, Joan Armatrading, ELO, Laura Mvula, The Streets and Black Sabbath, whose classic track Paranoid gets its first BBC outing since 1970 – a rare chance to see a young Ozzy Osbourne doing what he did best before becoming a reality TV superstar.
Enjoy the Thrill of It All and Dance Away the Evening for this dive into the BBC's archives to look over some of the finest performances from both Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. As a band, they were innovative, helping create the look and sound of the 1970s, and Ferry's solo career saw him hit new heights as the embodiment of sophisticated cool. Amongst the hits included are classics like Do The Strand, Avalon, Slave to Love and In Every Dream Home a Heartache…but the programme covers their entire careers, do prepare for More Than This.
A journey back in time for a selection of Kylie's best and biggest performances on the BBC. It's a journey from the early, girl-next-door days with Stock Aitken Waterman to the boundary-pushing dance sounds of the 90s, 00s and beyond. Along for the ride are some of the eclectic mix of stars Kylie has collaborated with over the years, including Robbie Williams, Nick Cave and Jason Donovan. Together, this collection of magical BBC moments highlights why Kylie has always had a special place in the British public's hearts.
A special tribute to the much-loved star, who died in August 2022 at the age of 73 after a music career spanning over five decades and years spent raising awareness of breast cancer.
A special celebration of Dame Cleo Laine's finest moments on the BBC to coincide with her ninety-fifth birthday. Britain's ‘First Lady of Jazz' became a star after joining The John Dankworth Seven in the 1950s and then marrying the bandleader. Internationally renowned for her mastery of the ‘scat' singing style, and with a voice that has been described as ‘one of the richest contraltos in recording history', Cleo has now enjoyed over six decades of success and acclaim here and across the world.
Ed Sheeran at the BBC A look back at the best BBC moments of Ed Sheeran, who’s been bringing his A game to viewers and listeners since before his first big hit, The A Team. Since that debut, he has enjoyed 13 number ones and had so many hits that the rules on how many singles could enter the charts had to be rewritten. It’s a career that’s seen Ed dazzle audiences on a huge range of BBC shows and special concerts, so prepare for Shivers with this selection of his most Perfect performances. Release date: 29 October 2022 59 minutes On TV Tomorrow 20:35 BBC TWO
Key songs and anthems taken from a selection of Coldplay's finest TV performances, following the incredible journey that's taken the band from promising new talents to stadium-filling superstars.
As the legendary Petula Clark prepares to celebrate her ninetieth birthday, we look back on an extraordinary career that has stretched across eight decades and made her one of our most popular, successful and enduring stars.
A collection of songs from the kings and queens of the keyboards, whose performances have captivated audiences over the decades and across a selection of the BBC’s best-loved music programmes. From piano pioneers like Little Richard, Nina Simone and Ray Charles, who showed the world that the new sounds of pop and rock didn’t just revolve around guitars, right through to modern maestros like Elton John, Lady Gaga and the BBC’s own Jools Holland, these are the big names who got us tapping our feet by letting their fingers do the talking.
Robbie Coltrane at the BBC A look back at the life and career of Robbie Coltrane, one of Britain’s best-loved stars and a giant of both the big and the small screen. His death earlier this year was one of the big shocks of 2022. Here, Celia Imrie narrates an affectionate tribute to one of Scotland’s favourite sons, telling his story through a selection of interviews and special moments from his appearances on BBC shows over the decades. This retrospective is a reminder of how Robbie first grabbed audiences’ attention as an exciting new comedy star in the 1980s, and the transition he made in the 1990s into cinema success and international stardom with roles in some of the movie world’s biggest blockbuster franchises. Release date: 26/12-2022 at 21:00 BBC 4
A chance to look back at an amazing 12 months of live music at the BBC. Lauren Laverne leads us through a year of unforgettable performances – from the 6 Music Festival to Glastonbury, Radio 1’s Big Weekend to Later... and featuring some of the world’s biggest artists as well as some exciting new talent.
A celebration of the work of songwriter Lamont Dozier, who passed away in 2022, featuring a rich selection from the BBC’s archive of performances of his work from over the decades. As one of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland trio, Lamont helped create the Motown sound that spread right across the globe in the 1960s, setting a new standard in popular songwriting and winning over fans like Bob Dylan and the Beatles with songs like You Keep Me Hanging On, Baby Love, This Old Heart of Mine and Reach Out I’ll Be There. This collection features Dozier’s best loved and most recognisable hits, performed by the artists like Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Four Tops, and Martha and the Vandellas, whom he helped turn into international stars, as well as those who have kept his work alive and relevant to this day including Phil Collins, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart and Rag'n'Bone Man.
Rod Stewart has already been honoured with one BBC celebration of his great career, but the man Elton John called Phyllis has had so many hits and is held in such affection by his army of fans that it's time for another deep dive into the TV archives. This second collection of songs from the gravel-voiced legend brings us up to date with some of Rod’s more recent appearances and features some magic mic-stand-twirling moments from exclusive live shows. Plus rarely seen BBC performances of some of his biggest hits from over the years, including Tonight’s the Night, It’s a Heartache, Have I Told You Lately and Sailing.
A deep-dive into the BBC’s archives to celebrate the great Roy Orbison – full-time rock 'n’ roll legend, part-time Traveling Wilbury and the man Elvis famously described as ‘the best singer in the world’. The Big O’s story was in many ways a tragic one, full of family tragedies and heartbreak, and his extraordinary voice captured all those emotions and more, bringing a new dimension to popular music. This programme features some of the hits that had fans enraptured and fellow music superstars singing his praises, with performances from his many visits to the UK including Only the Lonely, Crying and Oh Pretty Woman.
A selection of classic heartbreaking BBC performances from some of music’s biggest stars, including George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and soul legend Dionne Warwick.
A stunning selection of perfect performances of love songs from the BBC's music archives, including the sounds of Nat King Cole, Shania Twain, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran and many, many more.
A selection of some of the best BBC moments and classic archive performances from those singers and bands who cracked Hollywood as well as the pop charts. These are the tunes that get hummed when leaving the cinemas over the years from blockbusters, Oscar winners, comedies and family favourites, featuring a selection of soundtrack stars including Destiny’s Child, Paul Simon, All Saints, Simple Minds and Dolly Parton.
A second chance to explore the BBC’s archives with one of British music’s biggest and best-loved stars, Dusty Springfield. The great soul diva and her haunting voice are captured once again in selection of BBC performances from over the years, including You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Son of a Preacher Man, and Bacharach and David’s Look of Love. Together, these songs underline why Dusty earned her reputation as one of pop’s great talents, who deserves her ranking alongside fellow singing legends like Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick.
Chaka Khan at the BBC BBC Two Chaka Khan at the BBC Ain’t Nobody quite like Chaka Khan, and the proof of that comes courtesy of the BBC’s music archives, which have been plundered for this celebration of one of the all-time great queens of soul. This selection of Chaka’s finest BBC moments covers five decades of performing, reflecting a career that started in the 70s with her partnership with Rufus and eventually led to the massive number one hit I Feel for You, which helped bring rap right into the mainstream, and I’m Every Woman, an instant anthem that made her a lifelong female icon. Show less Release date:
Andrew Lloyd Webber at the BBC BBC Two Runtime 89min Main content Andrew Lloyd Webber at the BBC To mark his 75th birthday, Andrew Lloyd Webber takes a nostalgic journey through the BBC archives, looking back on some of his biggest and best-loved songs. Alongside performances from stars like Barbra Streisand, Elaine Paige, Diana Ross, Michael Ball and Michael Crawford are stories that Andrew shares from behind scenes of his most popular works - shedding light on how he knew Madonna would perform Evita years before she did, how the cast of Starlight Express ended up on roller skates, and how Jason Donovan and his Technicolour Dream Coat had a whole new generation falling in love with musical theatre. Release date: 2023-03-25 at 21:25 GMT on BBC Two
BBC Two at 21:00 GMT= 22:00 CET Burt Bacharach at the BBC When Burt Bacharach passed away in February 2023 at the age of 94, the world said goodbye to one of the all-time songwriting greats. This celebration of the man and his music features a selection of the finest songs from his extraordinary back catalogue and some ‘magic moments’ from the BBC’s archives. With performances from artists like Aretha and Adele, Dusty and Dionne, Cilla Black and the White Stripes, this is a collection that highlights exactly why Burt was considered a legend by fans, critics and fellow artists, demonstrating once again the why he and his compositions are universally loved by ‘anyone who had a heart.’
Carole King and Her Songs at the BBC BBC Two Carole King and Her Songs at the BBC She was just 17 when she wrote the pop classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - a calling card that over the years Carole King has delivered on time and time again. The most successful female singer-songwriter of all time, and one of modern music’s standout geniuses, Carole’s catalogue of hits, many written with her songwriting partner and first husband Gerry Goffin for both herself and some of pop and rock’s biggest stars, is second to none. This celebration of the best of Carole King features a collection of irresistible performances from her and a range of other great artists, taken from a selection of BBC shows from over the decades.
Sounds of Liverpool at the BBC BBC Two at 21:30 GMT This programme will be available shortly after broadcast Sounds of Liverpool at the BBC It’s the city that gave birth to the Beatles, inspired Gerry to ride that ferry, and spawned Bunnymen and Atomic Kittens. Now with all eyes – and ears – on Liverpool for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, a look into the BBC’s archives for a selection of performances from some of Merseyside’s biggest and best-loved musical stars. Forget house music - this is scouse music, rich and varied, with some songs that conquered charts across the world and others that struck a special chord here – from The Story of the Blues to You’ll Never Walk Alone, and inevitably, in a city with two massive football teams, Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Two Tribes.
Pet Shop Boys at the BBC A look back at one of British music’s most enduring and significant partnerships, the Pet Shop Boys, with highlights from Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s many appearances on the BBC that demonstrate their dedication to both style and substance. It’s a journey that takes us from the early days of just two men and a synth right up to the fun and flamboyance of their modern live shows, including hit collaborations with Liza Minelli, Dusty Springfield and David Bowie - proving that Pet Shop Boys stand alongside the great pioneers of pop.
When the great Barry Humphries passed away last month, the world said goodbye to a comedian whose antics had for years had kept presenters, interviewers and chat-show hosts on their toes, half-excited and half-terrified of what outrageous statement he, Dame Edna Everage or Sir Les Patterson might utter on live television. Alex Jones looks back at the highlights of Barry’s career on a selection of BBC shows, sharing her own memories alongside some of Barry’s funniest, rudest and most revealing moments from over the decades. It’s a collection that demonstrates exactly why Sir Les and Dame Edna were loved by comedy fans across the world while also highlighting how, while his two comic creations may have got all the attention, it was Barry who was really one of a kind.
Ever since his breakthrough single in 1975, Barry Manilow has inspired huge loyalty from legions of adoring fans. With a string of hits in the 70s and 80s and a succession of hugely successful albums, Manilow, who is still recording today, has carved a unique place as both performer and songwriter. His love of touring in the UK is reflected by the BBC archives, which include concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Blenheim, plus Top of the Pops, as well as more recent guest appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and the Proms.
George Michael was one of Britain’s best-loved and most acclaimed music stars. With Wham!, the group George formed alongside best friend Andrew Ridgely, he created an 80s phenomenon – heartthrob chart-toppers across the globe and the first Western pop act ever to perform in China. His subsequent solo work took his career to a whole new level, making him one of the key cultural figures of the day. This collection of George’s solo performances and Wham! classics comes from his appearances on a selection of BBC programmes that demonstrate perfectly why he remains so fondly remembered, featuring hits such as Club Tropicana, Freedom, Faith, Outside and Amazing.
Over the years, Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave have helped to change the face of British music, constantly evolving and leaving musical rivals in their wake. This collection of blur’s greatest performances on the BBC delivers all the hits and more, capturing the band’s crowd-pleasing side through fan favourites like Country House, Parklife, and Girls and Boys as well as their more sensitive and soulful side with tracks including Coffee + TV, Beetlebum, Tender and Out of Time.
A collection of Shania Twain’s biggest moments from the BBC archives, including live performances, her earliest UK TV appearances from the days of her debut hit ‘Still The One,’ and the karaoke classics That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like a Woman! So grab a hairbrush, and - to quote the title of her biggest-selling album - Come on Over.
Bananarama are the girl group with more chart entries than any other in the world, and now they are getting the ‘at the BBC’ treatment with this collection of performances from the BBC archives, featuring many of the 25 Top 40 singles they released over their career. It’s a selection that covers those early days when The Fun Boy Three first introduced pop fans to the original line-up of Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey, as well as the end of the 1980s when Siobhan left and was replaced by Jacquie O’Sullivan. We also bring things right up to date and feature the band’s current status as a duo, with Sara and Keren keeping the flame alive. Over all those years, Bananarama have never claimed to be the greatest singers or dancers, but together they somehow still created pop magic – so fans, settle back and witness how their durability proves beyond doubt
From practising on a second-hand piano in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen aged seven right through to international and Grammy success, fame and acclaim, Alicia Keys has been one of the music industry’s most respected stars for over two decades. The reasons for this are plain to see in this collection of her appearances on a selection of BBC programmes, which capture all the elements of her uniqueness as a performer, musician and songwriter, and include hits like Fallin’, No One, Girl on Fire and Empire State of Mind
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman were the producers who came, SAW and conquered the UK charts in the 1980s, spinning the music scene right round like a record with their instantly recognisable brand of disco floor-filling pop hits. The trio divided the nation between those who loved their Hi-NRG sound and the singers they transformed into tabloid sensations, and a music press that loathed them for turning record producing into a production line. Today, many of SAW’s most memorable hits are considered classics of their time, and the very best of them are celebrated in this new selection, featuring such artists as Rick Astley, Dead or Alive, Donna Summer, Bananarama, Mel & Kim and, of course, Kylie and Jason
A celebration of R&B superstar Mary J Blige that spans the highlights of her groundbreaking career and features the very best of her appearances on a selection of BBC shows. From the early songs of the mid-1990s right up to her acclaimed 2015 performance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, this collection demonstrates why Mary has been labelled as ‘the queen of hip-hop soul’, featuring such hits as Just Fine, Everything and No More Drama. The programme also includes her collaborations with U2, George Michael and the man who once said Mary possesses 'one of the best voices you’re ever going to hear', Sir Elton John.
A celebration of one of the most successful Anglo-American musical partnerships of all time with this look into the BBC’s archives of Fleetwood Mac. This programme charts their development from a blues band performing hits at the BBC such as Albatross and Oh Well in the 1960s under the direction of founder members Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood to pop rock stars in the 1980s with their seminal album Rumours. We hear from the band in archive interviews and see solo performances from band members such as Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie as they went their own way at various points in their career.
A trip through the BBC archives for this chance to ‘Shout’ about one of the greatest, best-loved and most enduring entertainers – Lulu. This collection of her most popular hits, covers and classics features magic moments from the 1960s right up to recent years and performances on a huge range of shows, including her own multiple series and TV specials that were a hallmark of the BBC’s light entertainment schedules. This compilation also sees Lulu duetting with a variety of big name singers, including Neil Diamond, Bill Withers, Shirley Bassey and Al Green, and features iconic songs like To Sir with Love, The Man with the Golden Gun and the Bowie-penned The Man Who Sold the World.
The relationship between The Beatles and the BBC has always been a special and fascinating one. This programme looks back at some key moments that saw the BBC document the band’s journey as they went from Merseybeat heroes with mop-tops and MBEs to seeing out the sixties as long-haired heroes of the counter-culture. In the early years, an interview on the BBC was something the band would pursue and embrace, but as their fame spread, their TV appearances became increasingly rare. The changing dynamic is captured here through a combination of classic music performances and the very best moments from the BBC’s archives. Songs featured include the fresh sound of She Loves You to the era-defining special performance of All You Need Is Love.
When Blondie first exploded onto the music scene with their debut UK hit Denis, they were an immediate sensation and instantly embraced by the British record-buying public. Debbie Harry’s inimitable cool and the band’s pioneering new wave, New York sound made them one of the most significant bands of the era – and gave them an impressive six number one singles. With them every step of the way have been the BBC’s biggest music shows, and this programme takes a trip through the archives to sample the best of Blondie over the years, with appearances from the late 1970s up to recent times and performances confirming the enduring strength of songs like Call Me, Atomic, Picture This, Rapture and The Tide Is High.
Another slice of disco delight with a celebration of nightclub classics taken from the very best of the BBC’s archives, including Rock Your Baby, Ring My Bell and Yes Sir, I Can Boogie.
Rory Bremner looks back at the life and career of Mike Yarwood, master of the imitation game and one of the BBC's most successful stars of the 1970s and 80s. Yarwood captured the British public's imagination with his huge range of impressions featuring the biggest names from the world of showbiz and politics, and in his 70s heyday, his affectionate takes on the likes of Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and Denis Healey were the bridge between the 60s satire of That Was the Week That Was and the far crueller caricatures of Spitting Image in the 1980s. Rory assesses Yarwood's style, impact and legacy and shares his own favourite moments from his hero's career using archive clips and interviews that Yarwood gave over the years - often to the very people he was impersonating
Another fantastic selection of dancefloor disco classics, featuring a wealth of performances from the BBC’s music archives, including Tina Charles, The Real Thing, Sister Sledge and The Bee Gees.
Aretha Franklin is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest singers of all time, and yet more proof of that can be found in this collection of her performances screen on a selection of BBC programmes from across the decades. From a stunning 2015 performance of You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman) that had President Barack Obama in tears to gems from the 1970s when Aretha dropped in to be the guest star on shows hosted by Cliff Richard and Lulu, these songs and her voice will remind everyone why she is still to this considered the ultimate queen of soul.
Her incredible voice delivered so much more than most other singers, so it feels only right to return to the BBC archives for a second collection of great songs and lung-busting performances from the girl from Tiger Bay. This programme features Shirley’s inimitable take on a rich collection of hits - from pop favourites to film themes and songs from the shows, taken from a selection of programmes she appeared on over the years and her own hugely popular TV show that ran throughout the 1970s. Amongst the classic tracks featured here are My Way, The Way We Were, Copacabana and even her own, unmissable version of The Beatles’ iconic Hey Jude.
There's more musical time-travelling through the BBC’s archives with this trip back to 1984 which proves that, unlike Orwell’s predictions, this was a truly great year. Wham! were offering the prospect of Freedom, Frankie were encouraging everyone to Relax, U2 filled us all with Pride and Phil Collins was battling Against All Odds. And that was just the UK’s biggest chart stars - when it came to American acts, Stevie just called to say he loved us, Madonna was still Like a Virgin and Lionel Richie just offered a simple Hello. All were huge hits then, and they - and many more - remain some of the best-loved and most familiar songs.
A celebration of the songs of Cyndi Lauper, who took the charts by storm in 1984 with her debut international hit Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, released in the same week as Madonna’s first hit, Holiday. Cyndi surprised the critics of the day almost immediately and showed she deserved so much more than labels like ‘kooky’ and ‘quirky’, with sensitive songs like Time After Time and True Colors that still resonate as strongly today as they did back in the 1980s. This trip through the BBC’s archives follows Cyndi’s journey from the start, and captures why she became, and remains, one of the most positive female forces in modern pop music.
This collection of hits includes several of Elaine Paige’s personal favourites from the BBC's song and dance archives, some of the world’s best-loved musicals ranging from Cats and The Lion King to Funny Girl and My Fair Lady, Sunset Boulevard and West Side Story to A Little Night Music and The Sound of Music. Together, they promise an irresistible mix for lovers of show tunes, highlighting some of the amazing performances that have lit up stage and screens over the past few decades.
It's one of the reasons the music charts have always been so compelling: the cruel reality that the exciting new act that has taken the Top 40 by storm may not in fact be the next Beatles, Beyonce or even Basement Jaxx – but could be one more case of here today, gone and forgotten tomorrow. Or almost forgotten – because this is a look into the darkest corners of the BBC’s music archives for a reminder of songs by the likes of The Las, The Mock Turtles, Joan Jett and Kim Carnes. There are also some surprising names on the list: Don Henley, Patti Smith, Curtis Mayfield and John Denver - stars who perhaps enjoyed hit albums, or success with other groups, but when it came to singles, once was sadly enough.
A look into the BBC’s music archives to examine the all-time classic tracks that seem to have been around forever, and get everywhere - apart from the UK Top 40. It’s a journey that sees us heading back in time to the Summer of ‘69 with Bryan Adams and takes in Bowie’s Changes, Dolly’s 9 to 5 and Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire – just some of the most surprising favourites to feature in this selection of the biggest, most enduring tracks ever written that mysteriously failed to have an impact on the charts the first time around. With crowd-pleasers that still get everyone on their feet and anthems everyone can sing along to, these songs are forever part of the soundtrack to people's lives but always leave them wondering 'why was this not a hit?'
This third volume of romantic hits from the BBC archives includes classic tracks from the 70s, 80s and 90s, with songs from likes of The Carpenters, The Three Degrees, Simply Red, Meatloaf and Sting - as well as some 21st-century songs to swoon to, from Rihanna and Harry Styles.
More of the greatest sad songs ever, featuring classic tracks from the likes of Sade, The Righteous Brothers, Toni Braxton, Lewis Capaldi and many more stars who broke the charts whilst also breaking hearts.
Some more of the greatest movie themes to light up the UK pop charts from the BBC's archives, including Lulu's To Sir with Love, Kate Bush's This Woman's Work and Lisa Loeb's Stay.
Sharleen Spiteri takes a dive into the music archives for a look back at some of Texas’s greatest appearances across the BBC, including such hits as I Don't Want a Lover and Black Eyed Boy.
A look back through the BBC’s archives at the work of an artist to whom nothing compares - the acclaimed, unique and always controversial Sinéad O’Connor.
A celebration of the best BBC performances from soul legend Diana Ross, featuring such hits as Baby Love, I’m Still Waiting and Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
A trip into the BBC’s archives to look back on Terry Hall’s extraordinary, genre-hopping career. Featuring performances of hits including Gangsters, Thinking of You and Sense.
Ella Fitzgerald was one of the best-loved, most respected and successful stars of the 20th century – often referred to as the ‘First Lady of Song’ and noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction and improvisational abilities, she recorded more than 200 albums and over 2000 songs.
As ABBA mark 50 years since winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, it's time to take another voyage into the archives for more of the Swedish supergroup’s best BBC moments.
A look through the BBC archives for moment after moment from the 'empress of soul’, Gladys Knight, including songs like Baby Don't Change Your Mind and The Way We Were.
Bonnie Greer looks back on the extraordinary life of one of literature’s most significant and inspirational figures, Maya Angelou, through an exploration of the BBC archives.
This collection of Bon Jovi performances at the BBC celebrates the band’s 40th anniversary and serves as a reminder of how they became one of the biggest rock bands of the 20th century.
A collection of hits from one of pop music’s greatest geniuses - Prince, aka ‘The Artist Formerly Known as Prince’, aka ‘the Unpronounceable Symbol’, and more.
Craig Charles leads us through some of Sarah Vaughan's best-known tracks recorded for the BBC, featuring her sassy interpretations of classic songs, including Send in the Clowns.
An unpredictable but joyous collection of weather-related chart hits, courtesy of two of the BBC’s most formidable forecasters - Carol Kirkwood and Tomasz Schafernaker.
A selection of Girls Aloud's greatest musical moments on the BBC, from their chart-topping debut Sound of the Underground to Something Kind of Ooooh, Can’t Speak French, Call the Shots and beyond.
A collection of performances from the BBC’s archives from Sting's solo career and from the Police, including Roxanne, Fragile, Message in a Bottle, Brand New Day and Every Breath You Take.
Katherine Ryan presents a celebration of one of the biggest comedy talents to ever appear on our small screens – the razor-sharp-tongued first lady of laughter, Joan Rivers.
An epic collection of over 40 tracks featuring bona fide classics from some of the biggest, best and most enduring artists of all time, including Gloria Gaynor, Destiny's Child and Survivor.
A collection of performances from the BBC Archives that highlight the wit and intelligence of Kirsty MacColl, including such hits as A New England and Days.
As broadcasting legend Angela Rippon celebrates her 80th birthday, we join her for a special programme looking at her career as one of British broadcasting’s most familiar faces.
Expect the unexpected on this journey through the BBC’s magical music archives, a Top 40 with a difference.
Joan Bakewell looks back at her extraordinary career at the BBC, sharing some of her most memorable moments and discussing how, at 91, she's not ready to stop talking yet.
Some of the saddest but finest songs from the BBC’s music archives, with hits from Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, The Smiths, Randy Crawford, Coldplay, Dolly Parton Eric Clapton and Eric Carmen.
A celebration of The Cure, Robert Smith and the unique songwriting talents that meant their long list of singles were always destined to be embraced by a far wider audience.
It’s time for a return trip through the best of the BBC’s music archives, celebrating more of the songs that are so good, other artists haven’t be able to resist recording their own versions.
From Take That to 1D, JLS to BTS, the Backstreet Boys to Boyzone and East 17 to Westlife, this is a celebration of the groups, made up frequently gorgeous guys, who’ve always played a vital role in pop’s dominance of modern music – sometimes not taken seriously, despite some seriously catchy songs, but loved forever by those who fell for them first time around.
Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi DeMacque and Shirlie Kemp present a selection of Wham!'s biggest and best performances from the BBC archives, including hits like Last Christmas and Young Guns Go for It.
A collection of Eurythmics' best moments from the BBC's music archives, showcasing the bold, innovative, stylish and unpredictable pair who became one of Britain's biggest bands of the 1980s.
Annie Lennox has been described as the most successful female artist in British music history, and this collection is a celebration of the stunning solo side of her accomplishments.
Celia Imrie narrates a celebration of the life, work and TV appearances made over the years by one of Britain’s greatest and best-loved acting icons, Dame Maggie Smith.
