How Queen and Pink Floyd were judged before they were famous | Hacker News Reader

How Queen and Pink Floyd were judged before they were famous

bbc.com

47 pointsbauta-steen18 comments

Interesting information, but I must say I hated the delivery. A faux slideshow format with animated graphics in between very busy images with overlaid text.

Oh how I miss the good old simple web page with a block text on a white background, an image, a block of text, an image... etc. as you scroll down the page.

Personally I liked it. Looking at those authentic, old, typewritten documents added a certain charm, and brought me back in time. I wish the "animated" segments were longer, and included audio, though. I was even looking for an "unmute" control on the first one.

I also thought the delivery was pretty good. But found the image quality too low to easily read the notes in the background (and would also have liked audio for the videos).

I got stuck on the Who page for a bit. I found it hard to distinguish between a white arrow and the tan background.

It honestly made me close the tab after one "page"

I didn't like it either. It was slow and sluggish and the images behind the text too distracting.

At least it wasn't a slideshow just so they could show adverts though!

Arriving on the page, I'm prompted to run 11, no... 13 scripts. After allowing everything from BBC and reloading, the page is still borked and I'm prompted to run 34 scripts.

All of these third-parties surely have nothing but the best of intentions when executing code in my browser, but I'd still appreciate a simplified alternative for viewing the content.

I won't bother to read the article anymore if the readability function in my feed reader can't fetch the content. Straight to the discussion. Life's too short.

I quite liked it. I don't mind the BBC experimenting with new forms of presentation.

It's almost as if the website was aimed at a different target audience

Fascinating that The Who were considered an R&B group early in their career, then transitioned to hard rock.

As for Led Zeppelin, I'm amazed that they still had to pass an audition after they released the eponymous Led Zeppelin record (the one with the Hindenberg exploding on the cover). That's got to be one of the best albums of the 1960s, if not in the whole of rock. Looks like the jury was out at that early stage of things, though.

Same with The Rolling Stones and quite a few other early British rock bands. US R&B was a big thing in the early scene.

It's interesting to read because it's easy to think of the BBC is a staid, state organization whereas this demonstrates how it actively tries to fulfill its public service.

A while ago I went to an exhibition of the work of Oliver Postgate[1] who produced a number of very well known and delightful children's programmes for the BBC in the 1950s to 1980s.

There was a wonderful letter written by someone at the BBC about Postgate: https://twitter.com/jgrahamc/status/782295197078224896

"I feel it is our loss that we have so far been unable to find employment for this odd but valuable person".

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Postgate

>very well known and delightful children's programmes for the BBC in the 1950s to 1980s.

That's an understatement! The Clangers and Bagpuss are up there with the Daleks for recognisability in Britain.

Don't forget Noggin the Nog.

"Elton John – 1968...Pretentious material, self-written. Sung in an extremely dull fashion without any feeling and precious little musical ability. Thin piercing voice with no emotional appeal.”

Heh. All that lack of ability and emotion sure held him back.

Just imagine what he could have been if he had ability and emotion ;)

Top gear was originally a music program? That’s unexpected.

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