Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music (Unedited Version)

The producer’s role can vary from Sir George Martin’s inspired guidance of the Beatles to Phil Spector's dictatorial insistence on his signature sound; from Rick Rubin’s gentle coaxing that brought Johnny Cash back to greatness to the fierce creative independence of artist-producers like Joni Mitchell and Prince.

The advent of magnetic tape and multitracking technology allowed artists to experiment with music in new ways, from the 4- and 8-track productions born of the friendly rivalry between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, to the 16- and 24-track productions created by Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, to the digital innovations that today fuel the work of artists such as Beck, Bon Iver, and Radiohead.

Featuring rare studio footage of some the world's most renowned vocalists--divas like Adele and Christina Aguilera, suave crooners like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and rock star screamers--this episode considers the gamut of tricks and techniques that can enhance and alter the human voice while exploring the ineffable emotional quality that makes a vocal track truly great.

From the invention of the electric guitar to the evolution of synthesized music, electricity allowed musicians to invent brand new sounds. This episode examines the process by which science and engineering become sound, illustrated through blues music and artists like the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and the Who.

If the vocal track is the heart of a song, the rhythm track--the beat--is its body. Charting the progression of the beat from drum and bass to beatbox and beyond--from Little Richard and James Brown to disco and EDM--this episode listens in on the ongoing dialogue between dance floor and recording studio, and captures the ever-evolving process of building an irresistible beat.

Beginning with the pioneers of hip-hop, this episode tracks the way in which sampling--the practice of borrowing fragments from existing records--created a new genre, upended the establishment, and set in motion a controversy over copyright that has yet to be resolved.

Chronicling the era in which MTV forged an indelible link between recorded music and the newly emergent music video, this episode considers what it means to see music as well as hear it. Offering unprecedented exposure to artists with a knack for the form--Michael Jackson, Madonna, Billy Idol, the Eurythmics--MTV turned singles into smash hits and musical performers into international celebrities.

The final episode shifts the focus to the experience of listening to music. From vinyl discs to the cassette tape, the CD, and the MP3, each generation has had a new way to make music its own--a way of listening that determines not only how and where we listen, but also the manner in which we collect, store, and share the music we love.