Little Richard

Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, follow McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Starr as they land in New York City in February 1964 and solidify their status as the biggest band in the world.

“We were born in Liverpool but grew up in Hamburg”, John Lennon once said. This feature documentary seeks to find the truth in those words. The long and winding road that the Beatles took to worldwide fame passed through Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s. Only a couple of years before they became household names, the former Quarrymen were cutting their musical teeth on nightclub stages in the city. Hamburg had become the vice capital of Europe after World War Two, its neon-lit streets home to sailors, sex workers, drug dealers, gangs and low life. Meanwhile, the English band was still developing, still young and virtually unknown. By the time of their last German visit in 1966, the Beatles were an international phenomenon. 'No Hamburg, No Beatles' explains how learning their trade in this fascinating city helped propel them to global stardom.

Little Richard can stake a claim on having invented rock 'n' roll. A black artist who grew up in the segregated south of the United States, Richard Penniman broke down barriers and took 1950s America by storm. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones supported him and drew inspiration from his musicianship and stagecraft. He went on to influence artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Prince. Yet Little Richard spent years feeling his contribution to music had been overlooked in favour of white rock 'n' roll stars like Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. On top of that, the inner conflict between his religious beliefs and the music style he pioneered – as well as his battles with his own sexuality – led him to quit rock 'n' roll not just once, but twice.

The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.

John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Little Richard, The Doors, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, and other legendary musicians performed at the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival music festival. This behind-the-scenes look at “the second most important event in rock and roll history” culminates in John Lennon’s first public performance with The Plastic Ono Band, triggering his decision to leave the Beatles.

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.

The story of the extraordinary final chapter of Freddie Mercury’s life and how, after his death from AIDS, Queen staged one of the biggest concerts in history, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, to celebrate his life and challenge the prejudices around HIV/AIDS. For the first time, Freddie's story is told alongside the experiences of those who tested positive for HIV and lost loved ones during the same period. Medical practitioners, survivors, and human rights campaigners recount the intensity of living through the AIDS pandemic and the moral panic it brought about.

A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke color barriers, integrating MTV with rap. "Yo! MTV Raps" premiered on August 6, 1988 with hosts Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover and Doctor Dré, and shaped the careers of many of today’s hip hop superstars, while simultaneously making groundbreaking strides in introducing hip hop to the mainstream.

Documentary on the sexual revolution in America.

Presenting of some of the best moments of speeches, performances and backstage moments of the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies.