Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History

Explore the music that kept the spirit of the civil rights movement alive following King’s death–from James Brown’s black power anthem, “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” to Kendrick Lamar’s searing protest song, “Alright,” inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.

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.

The episode charts the course of the Cold War in Berlin through music revealing how it helped to sow the seeds of rebellion.

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.