BFI National Library

16+ source guides: Popular Music in film & TV

Written and compiled by Sean Delaney, Anastasia Kerameos, Victoria Crabbe, Nicola Clarke and Jóse de Esteban

Popular music emerged as a staple of light entertainment in Britain, both for ITV and the BBC, in the 1950s - the decade when a definable rock 'n' roll genre appeared. The main body of this guide looks at popular music in film and television from that point on, with special sections on rap and hip hop, music video directors, and a case study on MTV.

Download Popular Music in Film & TV (PDF)

For more information on 16+ source guides please contact the Library

Documents on this page are available in Adobe PDF, which requires Adobe's free reader. If you are having trouble viewing PDFs, please consult our help page.