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The Rise and Fall of ...

BBC Radio 6 Music

Get to know the shocking highs and lows of the biggest stories in music.

music music history

All Episodes

21:03

8. My Way

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

In the wake of their final show, the Sex Pistols split, torn apart by addiction, betrayal, and manipulation. John Lydon returned to London, disgusted. Steve Jones and Paul Cook escaped to Rio to record with fugitive Ronnie Biggs. And Sid Vicious, already spiraling, began his final descent in New York.This is the tragic coda to punk’s most dangerous band. From the Chelsea Hotel to Rikers Island, from a heroin-induced coma to an infamous murder charge.The Rise and Fall of Sex Pistols ends here, in

20:07

7. No Fun. Implosion in the USA.

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

By the end of 1977, the Sex Pistols sat at the top of the UK charts… while simultaneously hitting rock bottom. Sid Vicious was imploding, his partner Nancy Spungen was fuelling the chaos and Johnny Rotten was growing disillusioned with Malcolm McLaren’s toxic games.Still, the band pushed ahead with a final run of gigs, including an unexpectedly wholesome Christmas Day show for children of striking firefighters. No one knew it then, but it would be their final UK performance for two decades.Then came

20:40

6. The Album, The Outrage and the Court Case

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

After the chaos of their Jubilee riverboat stunt and the media storm around God Save the Queen, the Pistols were marked men. Attacked in the streets, vilified in the press, and hated by half the country, Britain’s most notorious band were now public enemy number one.But manager Malcolm McLaren had no intention of retreating. Amid rising paranoia, infighting, and Sid Vicious’s self-destruction, the Pistols did what no one expected: they released one of the most incendiary debut albums of all time -

18:30

5. Anarchy on the Thames

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

1977, and as Britain prepared to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, the Sex Pistols were plotting something else entirely. Fresh from being dropped by two major labels, they signed with Virgin Records and unleashed God Save the Queen… a blistering punk anthem that tore into the monarchy and shattered British tradition.It was banned by the BBC, blacklisted from shops, and allegedly kept from reaching Number 1. And then, on Jubilee Day, the Pistols took to the Thames in a now-legendary riverboat

22:21

4. Cancelled

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

In the aftermath of the Bill Grundy interview, the Sex Pistols became Britain’s most notorious band, not for their music, but for the chaos that followed. To some, they were a threat to society itself, and instead of ignoring them, middle England lost its collective mind.Episode 4 of the Rise and Fall of Sex Pistols plunges into the wreckage of that moment: a UK tour collapsing date by date, sackings from two major labels in just six months, and how manager Malcolm McLaren spun outrage into art.From

19:02

3. The Filth and the Fury

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

In just three months, the Sex Pistols went from unknowns to the most feared band in Britain. After headlining the infamous 100 Club Punk Festival, they landed a major-label deal with EMI and released their debut single, Anarchy in the UK.Radio wouldn’t touch it, and record shops banned it. No matter, as within weeks the Pistols were on everyone’s lips… for an entirely different reason.Episode 3 of The Rise and Fall of Sex Pistols focuses on one of the most notorious moments in British television

23:08

2. Year Zero

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

Britain in the summer of 1976 was hot, angry, on strike and broke; a country on the brink. In the shadows, four raw, unpolished young punks were limbering up on the sidelines, unaware of the impact they would make.From half-empty art school shows to now-legendary gigs at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall and London’s 100 Club Punk Festival, Episode 2 takes you inside the band’s earliest and most shambolic shows.At the heart of it all: a band more interested in provocation than perfection. As

17:38

1. No Future

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/10/27

“Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” spat a deflated Johnny Rotten before walking off stage in San Francisco. The Sex Pistols were finished. One album, a handful of singles, and a trail of chaos that changed British music.But where did it all begin? How did a green-haired kid from Finsbury Park, nearly killed by meningitis and raised in poverty, end up fronting the most incendiary band in British history?In Episode 1 of The Rise and Fall of Sex Pistols, Gina Birch, a founding member of The

23:38

8. Not Nineteen Forever

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

So here we are, twenty years on... The UK indie guitar scene was a brief, bright moment where exciting new bands emerged from all corners of the UK, and made themselves available to fans. It was a time when young people controlled the culture and left the major record labels in the dust. It was an intoxicating era of community, messiness and hedonism. And actually, there is a hunger for all of that now. Many of the bands from that time are still going, and are playing to more people than they ever

16:09

7. Bang Bang You're Dead

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

Just six action-packed years after the start of the UK indie sleaze music scene, The Word magazine coins the derisory term “Landfill Indie” to describe the oversaturation of guitar music, turning the entire genre into a joke. Major labels are falling over themselves to sign the next big indie thing, but many of these hopefuls aren’t ready for the limelight. And audiences seem ready for a new, entirely different, sound ... one that's less male-dominated, for starters. Cue Kate Nash, Adele, Laura

20:39

6. When The Sun Goes Down

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

The UK indie guitar music scene hits the tabloids. Johnny Borrell, Pete Doherty and Luke Pritchard partner up with A-List celebrity girlfriends. Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse become unhealthy media obsessions. And most shockingly of all, Preston from the Ordinary Boys goes on Celebrity Big Brother and actually has a great time. This red top frenzy builds to a messy crescendo that includes phone hacking, divorce, band break-ups, and a devastating fatality.Featured interviewees include Alexandra

16:26

5. Can't Stand Me Now

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

What’s a music scene without fighting and feuding? Brace yourself for Art Brut versus Bloc Party, Razorlight versus The Kooks, and The Libertines versus themselves. With all the booze, drugs, and partying, things are bound to get messy. Especially at the notorious NME Awards, where Ryan Jarman of the Cribs has a near death experience. Featured interviewees include Luke Pritchard, Johnny Borrell, Eddie Argos, Pete Doherty and Ryan Jarman. Presented by Kate Nash Produced by Jack Howson & Rich

18:00

4. Golden Touch

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

2005 to '06 is the pinnacle of UK Indie Sleaze, as Razorlight, Arctic Monkeys, The Kaiser Chiefs and The Kooks well and truly take over the mainstream. Scrappy guitar bands are now dominating the BRIT Awards and playing to an audience of 2 billion at Live 8. But with success comes the inevitable backlash...Featured interviewees include Johnny Borrell and Luke Pritchard Presented by Kate Nash Produced by Jack Howson & Rich Power A Peanut & Crumb production for BBC Sounds & 6 MusicWarning:

20:09

3. Hey Scenesters!

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

A new tribe is born: The Indie. You can spot an Indie a mile off. They are in skinny jeans, scarves, and trilbies, in a random configuration designed to look as dirty and debauched as possible. The early internet - MySpace and band forums - solidifies this fun new scene, and breaks down barriers between artist and fan. 'Guerilla Gigs' become a thing, with spontaneous shows sprouting up in funeral parlours, tube trains, pub roofs ... and drug dens. Featured interviewees include Alexandra Haddow, Gary

16:26

2. Boys In The Band

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

Now that being in a band is cool again, and now that grotty indie guitar music seems a viable career choice, every corner of the UK sprouts an exciting new group ... or two, or three. Glasgow's Franz Ferdinand seize the moment, winning the Mercury Music Prize. They are the undisputed early leaders of this new scene-without-a-name, setting a tone that is unashamedly artistic and literate. And also quite boozy.Featured interviewees include Alex Kapranos, The Cribs and Paul Smith Presented by Kate

16:50

1. Foundations

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2025/07/25

Noughties UK indie music was iconic, fashionable and thrilling. These days the kids call it 'Indie Sleaze', although at the time there was no cohesive name for the collection of bands - from Franz Ferdinand to The Libertines, The Long Blondes to The Cribs, Bloc Party to Razorlight, Arctic Monkeys to The Kooks - that erupted from all corners of Britain. These young artists exploded with attitude, tunes, vitality, and misconduct, creating an army of costumed disciples. This is the story of the UK’s

31:53

9. The Masterplan… The Rise and Fall and Rise of Oasis

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2024/09/06

It's the moment so many people had been hoping for - Oasis are back. Steve and Jo reunite to tackle the biggest musical story of the year, the return of Noel and Liam. But what do we know about the reunion so far?Presented by Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley Written and produced by Paul Sheehan and Phil Smith for BBC Audio

24:08

8. To The End

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2024/08/10

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Britpop!

20:40

7. The Drugs Don't Work

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2024/08/10

As the 90s hurtled towards a new millennium, Britpop wasn't just making big headlines, it had also become very big business.As money flowed through the UK music industry, everyone was desperate to be part of Cool Britannia. However, with the arrival of money came the arrival of excess.In Episode 7 of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, legendary Evening Session hosts Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq re-unite to look back at what life was like for those in the eye of the storm.The Rise and Fall of Britpop was

16:54

6. It Could Be You - The Battle of Britpop

The Rise and Fall of ... ·

2024/08/10

In August 1995, battle lines were drawn and the North vs South rivalry was reignited as Blur and Oasis battled it out for the top spot in the UK charts. What started off as banter soon became a full Britpop war, with offices, classrooms and friendship groups divided. In episode six of The Rise and Fall of Britpop, Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley tell the real stories behind the ‘Battle of Britpop’. Listen only on BBC Sounds. Presented by Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq Written by Steve Lamacq and Paul

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The Rise and Fall of ...

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