This is about the only entry in "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" series where I was saying to myself, let's get over with it already. That's not to say it was bad, but I found it veering off into rap and hip-hop territory which I'm not particularly fond of. A good portion of the early going keys in on the influence of MTV as the first global TV network, and with it, the controversy created by programming that denied a voice to black artists until Michael Jackson broke that strangle hold with videos of 'Billie Jean' and 'Thriller'.
What I found interesting in hindsight is that the documentary did not show or even mention the very first video shown on MTV - 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles. Given all the emphasis on how MTV transformed the musical landscape and the industry, one would think a mention at least would have been in order, especially since what the song was about was essentially true, Top 40 Radio was already a dinosaur.
Beyond MTV, the program delves into the burgeoning musical styles of rap and hip-hop, with a fair amount of time given over to groups like Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy. Chuck D of Public Enemy and Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels were the primary on-screen exponents of their style. Brief mention is made of the alternative rock scene that followed on the heels of rap music, but not enough to be definitive. Being 1995 when this series was produced, and the film makers were nearing the end of that period, there's a bit of a rushed feeling to it all. But for an overview of the late Eighties/early Nineties music scene, it serves it's purpose given the constraints involved.
What I found interesting in hindsight is that the documentary did not show or even mention the very first video shown on MTV - 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles. Given all the emphasis on how MTV transformed the musical landscape and the industry, one would think a mention at least would have been in order, especially since what the song was about was essentially true, Top 40 Radio was already a dinosaur.
Beyond MTV, the program delves into the burgeoning musical styles of rap and hip-hop, with a fair amount of time given over to groups like Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy. Chuck D of Public Enemy and Darryl 'D.M.C.' McDaniels were the primary on-screen exponents of their style. Brief mention is made of the alternative rock scene that followed on the heels of rap music, but not enough to be definitive. Being 1995 when this series was produced, and the film makers were nearing the end of that period, there's a bit of a rushed feeling to it all. But for an overview of the late Eighties/early Nineties music scene, it serves it's purpose given the constraints involved.