TPT is proud to present sixteen episodes of Classic Albums available exclusively on TPT Passport.
This groundbreaking series covers the history of sixteen classic albums. With rare archival footage, exclusive interviews, and lots of music, each installment takes the viewer on a journey back in time. From Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and a look at Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and Carly Simon’s No Secrets, this series leaves no stone in classic rock unturned.
Classic Albums is a great way to wind down, relax, and take a deeper look at these albums that still influence artists today. Take a look below at all the artists featured.
If you don’t have access to TPT Passport, why are you waiting?
TPT Passport is a member benefit for those who give $60+ annually to TPT that gives you extended access to many of your favorite shows on-demand anytime, anywhere.We rely on viewers, like you, to provide support in order for TPT to continue creating and providing high-quality educational media to viewers across the state. Your commitment to TPT means access to education, entertainment and online resources for over 86% of the population. Thank you.
TPT Passport is a member benefit for those who give $60+ annually to TPT that gives you extended access to many of your favorite shows on-demand anytime, anywhere.We rely on viewers, like you, to provide support in order for TPT to continue creating and providing high-quality educational media to viewers across the state. Your commitment to TPT means access to education, entertainment and online resources for over 86% of the population. Thank you.
Recently Added Classic Album Episodes:
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
Explore the making of John Lennon’s 1970 first post-Beatles album. Widely regarded as one of his finest, it includes some of the most personal songs he ever wrote, including “Mother,” “Love,” “Working Class Hero,” “Isolation” and “God.” The documentary includes exclusive interviews with Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and bassist Klaus Voorman along with recorded interviews and archival footage of Lennon.
The Band – The Band
Dive into The Band’s eponymously titled second album, with its musical and lyrical take on America that resonates as strongly today as it did upon its release in 1969. It showcased their brilliant ability to merge a variety of influences and confirms for many music lovers why they will always be The Band. Features interviews with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and surviving members of the group.
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Learn the story behind the writing, recording and success of this groundbreaking 1970 album, which defined the sound and style of Heavy Metal more than any other record in rock history. Songs on the band’s second LP, arguably its finest, include “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “War Pigs” and catapulted Black Sabbath into the rock stratosphere.
Carly Simon – No Secrets
Singer-songwriter Carly Simon and key collaborators lay bare the creative process of writing and recording her No Secrets album, including the classic single “You’re So Vain.” On this album, Simon perfected her unique style, an intimate and confessional form of song that spoke to a generation, especially young women.
Cream – Disraeli Gears
Arguably the world’s first supergroup, Cream achieved global success and was ensured a place in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with this 1967 album. Disraeli Gears transformed the band from blues-based revivalists to psychedelic pop/rock heroes. Archival footage and Interviews with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and more tell the story of this pivotal record.
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Re-visit 1973, a prolific year for songwriting duo Elton John and Bernie Taup in, when Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sessions proved so fruitful that it was released as a double album. It produced four top 10 singles and was John’s first number one album on both the American and British charts. Archival concert performances and rare footage of the recording sessions in France are featured.
Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley
Learn the story behind the making of the King’s first album for RCA Records in 1956 and his meteoric rise to superstardom. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips recounts those groundbreaking days when he auditioned, produced and befriended Elvis. Scotty Moore (guitar) and D.J. Fontana (drums) tell how they helped “EP” record his album in Nashville and New York, aiming for “feel, not perfection.”
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
Learn the definitive story of the making of an album that truly earned its place in the pantheon of rock music history. Fleetwood Mac’s hugely successful Rumours was released in 1977, selling 15 million copies worldwide and was christened Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammy Awards. The LP remained on the U.K. charts for a staggering 433 weeks and on the U.S. Billboard album charts for 130 weeks.
Grateful Dead – From Anthem to Beauty
Explore the evolution of the Grateful Dead from their albums Anthem of the Sun to American Beauty. The experimental Anthem of the Sun (1968) bewildered and frustrated their record company. But The Dead’s music changed and American Beauty (1970) was an acoustic album of outstanding folk-based melodies. Rare footage from TV, recording sessions, home videos and extensive interviews are included.
Meatloaf – Bat Out Of Hell
Discover the arduous, but fateful story of one of the top-selling albums of all time. Meat Loaf and producer Jim Steinman recall the day they met and manager David Sonenberg discusses the many fruitless attempts to get a record deal. But perseverance eventually led to triumph when 1977’s Bat Out Of Hell became a phenomenal success.
Phil Collins – Face Value
Uncover the process behind the making of Face Value, the 1981 album that launched Phil Collins’s solo career. The documentary includes previously unseen performances, rare home movies and archival footage of studio sessions where Collins worked closely with Hugh Padgham and the Earth, Wind & Fire horn section to produce classics like “In The Air Tonight,” “Behind The Lines” and “I Missed Again.”
Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
Listen as all four band members tell the story behind one of the greatest albums ever made. Pink Floyd’s masterpiece and a monument of rock history, 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon claimed a place in the world’s record books when it sold more than 30 million copies and spent 740 weeks on the U.S. charts. It transformed Pink Floyd from a band with a cult following to global stadium superstars.
Queen – A Night At The Opera
Explore the story behind the album that made the band a global rock phenomenon in 1975. One of the most expensive, expansive and creative LPs of its time, it propelled them into rock and roll history. The mix of hard rock, pop, opera, music hall camp and traditional folk, utilizing multi-layered guitars, vocal harmonies, piano, a harp, a ukulele and ‘no synthesizers’ combine to make it a classic.
Rush – 2112 & Moving Pictures
Explore the two albums that illustrate the lyrical ideals of Canadian band Rush, who invented the Progressive Heavy Rock genre and, to this day, remain its leader. Released in 1976, 2112 represents the zenith of the band’s concept phase, while Moving Pictures is the crystallization of their skills as songwriters.
The Who – Who’s Next
Discover the story of an abandoned multimedia project that became what many critics call one of the greatest rock albums of all time. A testament to the songwriting talent of Pete Townshend and the musical power of The Who, Who’s Next was the 1971 follow-up to the ground breaking album Tommy. Features interviews with Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle, plus previously unseen performances.
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