Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History

2017 • CNN
3.7
3 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (8)

1 The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
4/20/17
Exploring the music that kept the spirit of the civil rights movement alive following Martin Luther King Jr.'s death.
2 September 11th
4/27/17
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, songs like Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" took on a new and heightened meaning and politically charged country music took center stage.
3 Kent State & The Vietnam War
12/4/17
Following the killings of four Kent State University students during anti-Vietnam War protests, politically driven songs from Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and others became popular.
4 Hurricane Katrina
12/4/17
Following Hurricane Katrina, international artists from U2 to Kanye West joined New Orleans musicians in benefit concerts to help ensure the city's rich traditions survived.
5 The Berlin Wall And The Fall Of Communism
12/4/17
Charting the course of the Cold War in Berlin through music revealing how it helped to sow the seeds of rebellion.
6 The Space Race
12/4/17
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk inspired musicians from David Bowie and the Byrds to Parliament-Funkadelic and Sun Ra to imagine a cosmic future for mankind.
7 Battle of the Sexes
12/4/17
Billie Jean King's win against Bobby Riggs in their famous tennis match was a galvanizing moment for the women's movement and ushered in music that delivered messages of female empowerment.
8 Out, Loud, & Proud
12/4/17
Tracking the beginning of the gay rights movement in America following the riots at Stonewall Inn and how music has played a vital role in celebrating and preaching tolerance of the LGBT community.

About this show

Soundtracks explores the music tied to iconic moments in history. Every episode covers a tragedy, triumph, or the start of a movement - and the music that came to define it. From the March on Washington to the riots at Stonewall, the moon landing to Hurricane Katrina - music has played an integral part in celebrating, criticizing, and amplifying these seismic events in our collective history.

Ratings and reviews

3.7
3 reviews
A Google user
April 11, 2018
I use these episodes in my Current Issues and US History class. Students understand the power of music and they connect with historical events in a completely different way through music.
6 people found this review helpful
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