Music
116 timelines
Al Green: Let's Stay Together
The smoothest voice in soul — Al Green from Hi Records and …
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
A jazz voice from north London, Back to Black and a life to…
Antonio Vivaldi
The life and works of Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), one of t…
Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul
From her father's church in Detroit to Respect and the Rock…
B.B. King
The life and career of B.B. King (1925-2015) — born Riley B…
Big Bill Broonzy: Key to the Highway
From Delta fiddler to Chicago blues pioneer to folk-blues a…
Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass
A mandolin, a high lonesome voice and a band named after Ke…
Billie Holiday: Lady Day
From Harlem clubs to Strange Fruit and Lady in Satin — Bill…
Billy Joel: Piano Man
From Long Island to Madison Square Garden 150 times — Billy…
Black Sabbath: Paranoid
Four lads from Birmingham who invented heavy metal — Black …
Bo Diddley: The Originator
A square guitar and a beat everyone borrowed — Bo Diddley, …
Bob Dylan: The Voice of a Generation
From Greenwich Village folk clubs to the Nobel Prize — six …
Bob Marley: Exodus
From Trench Town to the world — Bob Marley and the Wailers,…
Bob Seger: Night Moves
A Detroit hero for a decade before the world caught on — Bo…
Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run
From the Jersey Shore to Born in the U.S.A. and Broadway — …
Buddy Holly: That'll Be the Day
Eighteen months of hits that shaped the Beatles and the Sto…
Carlos Santana
A curated timeline tracing the life and career of guitarist…
Carole King: Tapestry
From the Brill Building to Tapestry — Carole King, the song…
Charlie Parker: Bird
From Kansas City to 52nd Street — Charlie Parker, Bird, the…
Chuck Berry: The Father of Rock and Roll
Chuck Berry wrote the rule book of rock and roll guitar — f…
Classical Composers
The great composers of Western classical music from the Med…
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Swamp Rock from California
Four boys from El Cerrito who sounded like they came from t…
Crosby, Stills & Nash: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Three voices from the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Ho…
Curtis Mayfield: Move On Up
From People Get Ready to Super Fly — Curtis Mayfield, the s…
David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust
Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Berlin, Let's Dance and Black…
Dire Straits
From a kitchen in London to 100 million records sold — the …
Duke Ellington: Beyond Category
Half a century of Duke Ellington — the Cotton Club, Take th…
Eagles: Hotel California
From Linda Ronstadt's backing band to Hotel California and …
Elton John
The life and career of Sir Elton John (born 1947) — English…
Elvis Costello: This Year's Model
Angry young man, country singer, classical collaborator — E…
Elvis Presley
The life of Elvis Presley, from Tupelo and Sun Records to H…
Eric Clapton
The life and career of Eric Clapton (born 1945) — English r…
Fats Domino: Blueberry Hill
The rolling piano of New Orleans — Fats Domino from The Fat…
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
From Peter Green's blues band to Rumours and The Dance — th…
Foo Fighters: The Colour and the Shape
From a one-man demo to stadium headliners — Dave Grohl's Fo…
George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
The quiet Beatle — George Harrison from the Quarrymen to th…
Gil Scott-Heron
The life and work of Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) — American…
Grateful Dead: American Beauty
Acid Tests, the Wall of Sound and thirty years on the road …
Hank Williams: Your Cheatin' Heart
Twenty-nine years, a dozen country standards — Hank William…
Howlin' Wolf: Smokestack Lightnin'
Six foot six with a voice like gravel — Howlin' Wolf from C…
Jackson Browne: Late for the Sky
Laurel Canyon's most literate songwriter — Jackson Browne f…
James Brown: The Godfather of Soul
The hardest-working man in show business — James Brown from…
James Taylor: Sweet Baby James
Fire and Rain, Carolina and a gentle voice — James Taylor, …
Janis Joplin: Pearl
From Port Arthur to Monterey, Woodstock and Pearl — Janis J…
Jeff Buckley
The life and career of Jeff Buckley (1966-1997) — American …
Jerry Lee Lewis: Great Balls of Fire
The Killer — Jerry Lee Lewis, from Sun Records and Whole Lo…
Jim Morrison
The life and career of Jim Morrison (1943-1971) — American …
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
Four years that changed the electric guitar forever — Jimi …
Johann Sebastian Bach
The life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), on…
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
From Miles Davis' quintet to Giant Steps and A Love Supreme…
John Lee Hooker: Boogie Chillen'
One chord, one stomping foot — John Lee Hooker from Detroit…
John Lennon: Imagine
Liverpool art student, Beatle, peace campaigner and househu…
John Mellencamp: Small Town
From Johnny Cougar to Pink Houses and Farm Aid — John Melle…
Johnny Cash
The life and career of Johnny Cash (1932-2003) — American s…
Joni Mitchell: Blue
From Saskatoon coffeehouses to Blue, Court and Spark and ja…
k.d. lang: Constant Craving
From cowpunk in Alberta to Constant Craving and Hallelujah …
Kurt Cobain: Come as You Are
From a logging town in Washington to the voice of a generat…
Kylie Minogue
A curated timeline tracing Kylie Minogue's journey from Mel…
Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven
Twelve years, eight albums and the biggest tours of the 197…
Little Richard: The Architect of Rock and Roll
A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop — Little Richard, from Macon to Tutti F…
Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive?
Just another band from East L.A. — Los Lobos, from Mexican …
Ludwig van Beethoven
The life and works of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), com…
Manu Chao
The life and career of Manu Chao (born 1961, Paris) — Franc…
Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
Motown hitmaker turned soul prophet — Marvin Gaye from Stub…
Metallica: Master of Puppets
From LA thrash to the Black Album and a concert in Antarcti…
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Bebop, cool, modal, electric — Miles Davis changed jazz aga…
Muddy Waters: Father of Chicago Blues
From the Stovall Plantation to the South Side of Chicago — …
Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps
From Winnipeg garage bands to Harvest, Crazy Horse and Rock…
Nick Cave
A curated timeline of Nick Cave's life and career, from his…
Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
From Aberdeen garages to knocking Michael Jackson off numbe…
Otis Redding: The King of Soul
Five years at Stax, one night at Monterey and a song finish…
Parliament: Mothership Connection
From a New Jersey barbershop to the Mothership — George Cli…
Patsy Cline: Crazy
From Winchester, Virginia to the Grand Ole Opry — Patsy Cli…
Paul McCartney: Beatle, Wings and Beyond
From a Liverpool church fete to Wings, the Olympics and the…
Pearl Jam: Ten
Out of the grief of the Seattle scene came Ten — Pearl Jam,…
Peter Gabriel: So
From Genesis's theatrical singer to Sledgehammer, WOMAD and…
Phil Collins
The life and career of Phil Collins (born 1951) — English d…
Pretenders: Brass in Pocket
An American in London with a punk band — Chrissie Hynde's P…
Prince: Purple Rain
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and showman — Prince from M…
Public Enemy: Fight the Power
Chuck D's voice and the Bomb Squad's noise — Public Enemy, …
Ravi Shankar: Godfather of World Music
From his brother's dance troupe in Paris to Monterey, Woods…
Ray Charles: The Genius
Blind at seven, a pioneer of soul at 24 — Ray Charles mixed…
Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues
Twenty-nine songs, two recording sessions, a crossroads leg…
Roy Orbison: Oh, Pretty Woman
Dark glasses and an operatic voice — Roy Orbison from Only …
Sam Cooke: A Change Is Gonna Come
Gospel star, soul pioneer, businessman and civil rights voi…
Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Two boys from Queens who became the voices of a generation …
Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On
Black and white, men and women, funk and rock — Sly and the…
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood
From the Austin clubs to Carnegie Hall — Stevie Ray Vaughan…
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
From twelve-year-old Motown prodigy to the run of albums th…
Tears for Fears
From childhood friends in Bath to global synth-pop icons — …
The 27 Club
From Robert Johnson in 1938 to Amy Winehouse in 2011 — the …
The Allman Brothers Band: At Fillmore East
Two guitars, two drummers and endless jams — the Allman Bro…
The Band: Music from Big Pink
Four Canadians and an Arkansan who backed Ronnie Hawkins an…
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Surf songs to Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations — the Beach Bo…
The Beatles
From a skiffle group in Liverpool to the most influential b…
The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man
A twelve-string Rickenbacker and three-part harmonies — the…
The Clash: London Calling
The only band that matters — The Clash, from punk's first w…
The Doors: Light My Fire
Venice Beach poetry, an organ and a Lizard King — The Doors…
The Drifters: Under the Boardwalk
A group whose name outlived dozens of members — the Drifter…
The Kinks: Village Green Preservation Society
From the power chords of You Really Got Me to Waterloo Suns…
The Miracles: The Tracks of My Tears
Motown's first stars — Smokey Robinson and the Miracles fro…
The O'Jays: Love Train
From Canton, Ohio to the Sound of Philadelphia — the O'Jays…
The Police: Synchronicity
Bleached hair, white reggae and Every Breath You Take — the…
The Rolling Stones
From a blues club in London to the world's greatest rock an…
The Shadows
From a Newcastle skiffle group to Cliff Richard's backing b…
The Temptations: My Girl
Five voices and the Temptation Walk — the Temptations from …
The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico
The banana album sold few copies, but everyone who bought o…
The Who: Maximum R&B
Smashed guitars, rock operas and the loudest band in the wo…
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes
From Gainesville to the Traveling Wilburys and Full Moon Fe…
U2: The Joshua Tree
From a Dublin kitchen to the Sphere in Las Vegas — U2, the …
Van Morrison: Into the Mystic
From the Belfast R&B of Them to Astral Weeks and Moondance …
Willie Nelson: Red Headed Stranger
Nashville songwriter turned outlaw — Willie Nelson from Cra…
Wilson Pickett: In the Midnight Hour
The Wicked Pickett — from gospel in Alabama to In the Midni…
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The life and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), …
Woody Guthrie: This Land Is Your Land
Dust storms, boxcars and a guitar that killed fascists — Wo…
Xavier Rudd
A curated timeline of Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavi…