logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2019
50m 41s

Music to land on the Moon by

Bbc World Service
About this episode

On the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings, Beatriz De La Pava researches how real life events are reflected in the lyrics of popular songs, and shows how music can paint a vivid picture of the social, political, economic, and cultural landscape. She plays the music that chronicles the history of the space race, and speaks to the people who knew it, made it and loved it.

Up next
Today
US foreign policy in five doctrines
Looking back at five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe doctrine in the 19th Century to the post-9/11 strategies of the Bush doctrine in the early 2000s. Justin Webb and his guests examine how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time, to help ans ... Show More
56m 50s
Yesterday
Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'
In the face of widespread protests, the Iranian government ‘switched off’ the country’s access to the internet on 8th January. In Uganda, prior to recent elections, the government of president Yoweri Museveni prevented its citizens from accessing the internet. Worldwide, Afghanis ... Show More
26m 29s
Yesterday
Living in Greenland
Described by Donald Trump as “a giant piece of ice,” the world’s largest island has found itself at the centre of global attention. The president’s demands to take over the self-governing Danish territory, potentially even by force, led to a diplomatic crisis and the president th ... Show More
23m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2023
Introducing: The Soul of Music
National Geographic turns 135 in 2023. In February 2023, to celebrate exploration and commemorate Black History Month, National Geographic’s flagship podcast, Overheard, will feature musicians and National Geographic Explorers in conversation on music and exploration. This is jus ... Show More
1 m
Oct 2008
What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong recorded the classic 'What a Wonderful World' in 1967, amidst civil rights demonstrations and protests against the Vietnam War. It was a song written for him. Was it naïve or a powerful anthem for peace?Featuring: Prof. Peter Ling Laurence Bergreen Simon Weston Ka ... Show More
27m 36s
Feb 2022
Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' brings lost music back to life
There were two big music festivals happening in the summer of 1969. While one defined an entire generation of culture and music... the other remained obscure — the only recorded footage placed in a basement that was said to have sat, unpublished, for decades. That is, until Quest ... Show More
29m 27s
Jul 2022
Writing is therapy, with Natalia Lacunza, Birdy, Matt Maltese and Silvana Estrada
Natalia Lacunza, Birdy, Matt Maltese and Silvana Estrada talk about the importance of being your own friend, out-of-body experiences when playing live, how being in the studio is like being a child again, and how they find the middle ground between self-doubt and ego.Spanish sing ... Show More
29m 56s
Apr 2014
Rhapsody in Blue
"I'm convinced it's the best thing ever written and recorded in the history of things written and recorded" - Moby.Rhapsody in Blue was premiered on February 12, 1924, in New York's Aeolian Hall. Through its use at the opening of Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' it’s become synonymous w ... Show More
27m 33s
Feb 2024
Dance Yourself Free (Throwback)
Beyonce's Renaissance brought house music back to mainstream audiences. But even when it wasn't gracing the Grammys, house never went away. Born from the ashes of disco in the late 1970s and '80s, house was by and for the Black, queer youth DJing and dancing in Chicago's undergro ... Show More
50m 1s
May 2017
My Favourite Things
"Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens". Guests from around the world share their special memories of The Sound of Music classic 'My Favourite Things'.Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1959, this deceptively simple song has travelled the globe to comfort and enthral chil ... Show More
27m 20s
May 2019
Fado: Portuguese soul music
In its 200-year lifetime the Portuguese song known as fado has been intertwined with the country's politics. At first it was an expression of the woes of Lisbon's underclass, which perhaps explains its predominantly melancholy character. In the early 20th century when a military ... Show More
39m 39s
Jun 2022
Pop, philosophy and politics
When philosophy turns its attention to music, it’s traditionally an exercise in high culture. Questions about the nature and function of music are often explored with reference to an established canon of “serious” music – while pop finds itself relegated to the margins. This week ... Show More
28m 27s
Jul 2023
French Evolution: The History of France in 9 Songs
The history of France is intimately connected with its music. Where there's revolution, resistance or riots, there are chansons, ballads, and marches. Roxanne Panchasi, a historian of French culture, spins records with songs that reveal tensions, myths, and memories of France thr ... Show More
54m 8s