Soundbreaking explores the history of recorded music. Featuring more than 150 original interviews, the series charts a century's worth of innovation and experimentation, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds.

Soundbreaking is an 8-part, in-depth look at the art of music recording and how it's evolved, from The Beatles' groundbreaking use of multi-track technology to the synthesized stylings of Stevie Wonder, from disco-era drum machines to the modern art of sampling.

Music is a deep cultural, social and political shared experience at the heart of our lives. But when man started making music those sounds were fleeting, experienced only by the few listeners close enough to hear. Recording changed all of that, capturing lightening in a bottle and transforming the very nature of music. This program charts the sonic revolution of recorded music and takes us behind the scenes for original interviews with the some of the most celebrated artists, producers and music industry pioneers of all time. It's an all-access pass to the seminal moments in recorded music, and lends unprecedented insight into the creation of the iconic songs that became the soundtrack of our lives. The film covers the groundbreaking studio work of George Martin and the Beatles, Stevie Wonder's break with Motown to embrace the synthesizer, the concept records of Sinatra, Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye, and the game-changing music videos of Michael Jackson and Madonna, and so much more. Luminaries like Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Daltrey, Quincy Jones, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Nile Rogers, Barry Gibb, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash share their experiences creating music and shed light on how their songs came to be.—KQED Public Television

Music had been a constant throughout human history, voice and instrument joining in much the same ephemeral way for centuries. Then sound recording transformed music forever. This eight-part mini-series traces this ongoing sonic revolution, and explores the nexus of cutting-edge technology and human artistry that has created the soundtrack of our lives.