BBC Documentaries

Great American Rock Anthems - Turn It Up To 11 (2013x234)

: 26, 2013

It's the sound of the heartland, of the midwest and the industrial cities, born in the early 70s by kids who had grown up in the 60s and were now ready to make their own noise, to come of age in the bars, arenas and stadiums of the US of A. Out of blues and prog and glam and early metal a distinct American rock hybrid started to emerge across the country courtesy of Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad et al, and at its very heart is the Great American Rock Anthem. At the dawn of the 70s American rock stopped looking for a revolution and started looking for a good time - enter the classic American rock anthem with big drums, a soaring guitar, a huge chorus and screaming solos. This film celebrates the evolution of the American rock anthem during its glory years between 1970 and 1990, as it became a staple of the emerging stadium rock and AOR radio and then MTV. From Schools Out to Smells Like Teen Spirit, these are the songs that were the soundtrack to teenage lives in the US and around the world, anthems that had people singing out loud with arms and lighters aloft. To track the emergence of this distinct American rock of the 70s and 80s, Huey Morgan narrates the story of some of the greatest American rock anthems including Schools Out, We're an American Band, Don't Fear the Reaper, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Don't Stop Believin', I Love Rock n Roll, Eye of the Tiger, I Want to Know What Love Is, Livin' on a Prayer and Smells Like Teen Spirit. Contributors include: Alice Cooper, Dave Grohl, Butch Vig, Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Richie Sambora, Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, Survivor, Toto and Foreigner.