The WORST episodes of Classic Albums

#1 - The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets

Season 11 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/12/2019

The story behind The 'Chirping' Crickets, the debut album by The Crickets, the only one featuring Buddy Holly released during his tragically brief career, which ended with his accidental death aged 22. It survives as the purest testament to his skill and diversity as a singer, a pioneering guitar player and not least as a songwriter in an age when few of his peers composed their own material. This documentary celebrates its success and assesses its influence. Contributors include former band member Jerry Allison, singer Cliff Richard and writers John Beecher and Frank Blanas.

#2 - The Who: Tommy

Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/9/2013

#3 - The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/17/2010

#4 - The Who: Who's Next

Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/2006

Interviews with Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, along with the late John Entwhistle, who reminisce about the failed attempt to present a rock musical stage show called Lifehouse, tell us how the project evolved into the 1971 classic, Who's Next. Some archival footage is presented, and we are shown by Pete how he developed the synthesized keyboard riffs that gave sonic charges to the album.

#5 - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/4/2003

Engineers Chris Thomas and Alan Parsons peel layers off the master tapes from this 1973 masterpiece. The songs are dissected methodically, and Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Rick Wright are on hand, (though separately).

#6 - Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces Of A Man

Season 13 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/24/2021

A look at what made the first album from the highly influential soul and jazz musician so unique and inspiring when it was first released in 1971.

#7 - Jay Z: Reasonable Doubt

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/7/2007

A behind the scenes look at the recording of Jay Z's album 'Reasonable Doubt'

#8 - Primal Scream: Screamadelica

Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/6/2011

A look at the creation and recording process of classic 1991 album Screamadelica.

#9 - Frank Zappa: Freak Out!

Season 13 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/8/2021

The debut album from The Mothers Of Invention comes under the microscope. It won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award and gained a cult following in the U.S.

#10 - Grateful Dead: American Beauty

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/15/1997

This 1970 release was an important step in the rise of the Grateful Dead to legend status. Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, along with some interviews with Jerry Garcia, discuss what went into the writing and recording.

#11 - Paul Simon: Graceland

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/14/1997

This premiere episode spotlights Paul's 1986 Grammy-winning 'comeback' album. Introduced by Ringo Starr, each song is examined from the studio perspective. Paul considers the title track to be "The best I ever did". He describes how he came up with the musical and lyrical ideas, and we hear comments from the engineers and from prominent critics, and some of the South African musicians who contributed.

#12 - Carly Simon: No Secrets

Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/5/2017

Carly Simon is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. The classic album that made her a global star was No Secrets, which included the enigmatic song You're So Vain. The album spent five weeks at number one in the US chart. In this new interview Carly ties together her life and work on No Secrets - she is at her most honest, sometimes defiant, but with a wit and wisdom that comes from her rich and turbulent life. She tells of how the second single from the album, Right Thing to Do, was a refreshingly realistic love song, choosing to ignore her lover's problems. That lover was James Taylor; Carly wrote the lyrics on a plane after looking over at James and thinking 'there's nothing you can do to turn me away.'

#13 - Lou Reed: Transformer

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/26/2001

Co-produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, this 1972 landmark album took Lou Reed from cult idol to glam superstar status. Here Reed examines each track, discussing with engineer Ken Scott the creation process. Bassist Herbie Flowers shows us how the riff for 'Walk On The Wild Side', was recorded, and we see some archives of Lou's performances.

#14 - Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/9/1999

In 1977, Marvin Lee Aday, aka Meat Loaf, shocked the music world by releasing this 30 million-selling blockbuster. Previously little-known as an actor and singer , he hooked up with writer Jim Steinman, producer Todd Rundgren, and vocalists Ellen Foley and Carla Devito, to create one of the top five sellers of all time. Kasim Sultan and Max Weinberg, who also played on the album are heard from, and Todd isolates some of the masters to show how the sounds were created.

#15 - Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/16/1997

Stevie's 1976 double album is looked at here. Stevie had already released the smash album, Innervisions, but as Berry Gordy explains, he took the experimentation to a new level. Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock are in the studio with Stevie, along with some other top musicians who contributed, as we examine the creation and recording process, of what many consider Stevie Wonder's finest hour.

#16 - Peter Gabriel: So

Season 10 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/23/2012

So stands as one of the greatest records of the 1980s, helping define its time to become a true classic album. The film features interviews with Gabriel himself, co-producer Daniel Lanois, bass players Tony Levin and Larry Klein, performer Laurie Anderson, drummer Manu Katché and Rolling Stone editor David Fricke amongst others.

#17 - Don McLean: American Pie

Season 10 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/8/2017

The story of Don McLean's second album American Pie. Crowned by its titular overture and the song Vincent, McLean's equally moving tribute to Van Gogh, American Pie is a classic of the folk-rock genre. Earning its place alongside Carole King's Tapestry, Joni Mitchell's Blue and Neil Young's After The Goldrush as one of the landmark singer-songwriter LPs of 1971, a year recently celebrated in a book by award-winning journalist David Hepworth as 'rock's golden year'. Don McLean features in extensive new interviews, discussing the intricacies of his songs, the sometimes fraught recording process, and the album's legacy.

#18 - The Wailers: Catch a Fire

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/7/2016

This edition looks at the making of the 1973 Wailers album, Catch a Fire, the album that brought international recognition to Bob Marley. Already big names in their native Jamaica, it took until this release for Marley and Co to finally go global. It features interviews with key musicians and engineers who helped make the album, as well as record label boss Chris Blackwell, who talks about how the band had song-writing and performing skills in abundance but needed to be put through the equivalent of a "rock blender" to make them palatable to a wider audience. Through first-hand accounts, this programme tells how they did just that. The programme takes a track-by-track look at the making of the record. In London, the producer Chris Blackwell and original engineer Tony Platt lead viewers through the original multi-tracks of Slave Driver, Concrete Jungle, Stir it Up, Rock It Baby and others. Rabbit Brundrick (keyboards) and Wayne Perkins (electric guitar) tell how they were brought back in to add the rock and roll parts to the songs. It is illustrated with archive footage from the Wailers in concert, early interviews with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, plus television performances and rare home movies - all of which provide a unique insight into the process behind the recording of this landmark album.

#19 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes

Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/9/2010

A look at the recording process and history behind the classic 1979 album - Damn the Torpedoes.

#20 - John Lennon: Plastic Ono Band

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/24/2008

Classic Albums: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band examines in detail the creation of this album and the effect it had on music, and the people who created it. This included Ringo Starr on drums, Klaus Voormann (a member of Manfred Mann, and old friend from the early Hamburg years of the Beatles) on bass, and Billy Preston; sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle on piano. And of course Lennon himself on guitar.

#21 - Judas Priest: British Steel

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/10/2001

The metal classic 'British Steel' is examined here. The band, minus drummer Dave Holland, explain the songwriting process and lyrical ideas, interspersed with live footage of performances from that period. Producer Tom Allom demonstrates how the sound effects were achieved, and the two guitarists show how their 'trademark' twin guitar sound is generated.

#22 - U2: The Joshua Tree

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 12/7/1999

'Joshua Tree' elevated U2 to superstar status internationally, and confirmed their position as one of rock's most influential and powerful forces. Here we examine the making of the album, with the four group members, along with producers Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite, and Daniel Lanois. Elvis Costello is also on hand to lend friendly comments.

#23 - Motörhead: Ace of Spades

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/1/2005

This album, while not a huge seller in the US, was definitely a landmark in the annals of crushingly loud hard rock. Bassist/singer Lemmy and drummer Phil Taylor are in the studio reminiscing about the making of the music, and life while touring. Guitarist Fast Eddie Clark is interviewed separately, but all three discuss candidly what went into the making of the songs. Included are clips from live shows, and even one of Lemmy while with his earlier band, Hawkwind.

#24 - Suede: Coming Up

Season 13 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/7/2021

The 1996 Mercury Prize nominated album from the British alt-rock band comes under the microscope.

#25 - Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

Season 11 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/14/2018

Series looking at the creation of some classic rock albums looks at Amy Winehouse's second album Back To Black from 2006 and how it transformed the beehived girl from north London into a global star, with hits like Rehab, the title track and Love Is A Losing Game. Back to Black helped launch a wave of soul-influenced British chanteuses including Adele and Duffy and has since sold over 20 million copies. This film reveals Amy Winehouse the artist, focusing firmly on her lyrics, influences and vocal talents. Using unseen footage from the Miami and New York sessions and rarely seen archive of Amy in interview and performance, producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi and their respective musicians shine a light into the making of Back to Black and offer their firsthand accounts of Amy's genius and her emotional turmoil. Featuring producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, the Dap-Kings band, Amy's colleagues and friends, Island president and A&R director Darcus Beese and Ronnie Spector.