Popular music is an essential part of our daily lives. Yet we know comparatively little about it – where it came from, how it developed, how it has influenced or been influence by social change. Today, the popular music industry controls billions of dollars; it has a greater revenue than the combined efforts of the cinema, theatre, sport, and all the other entertainment industries put together. Yet the industry depends, ultimately, on the creative talents of a group of remarkable individuals. The story of popular music, therefore, is a story of the struggle by these individuals to survive the demands of this gigantic industry. This introductory episode explains some of the aims and ambitions of this seventeen part spectacular entertainment. featuring Aretha Franklin Billie Holiday Bing Crosby Bo Diddley Buddy Rich Dizzy Gillespie Duke Ellington Dusty Springfield Edith Piaf Eric Clapton Everly Brothers Glen Campbell Hoagy Carmichael Jerry Lee Lewis Joan Baez Judy Garland Liberace Muddy Waters Paul McCartney and Wings Richard Rodgers Ruth Etting The Beatles The Bee Gees The Rolling Stones