Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Radio 6 Music,23 Mar 2026,22 mins,

SeriesMadchester

8. What the World is Waiting For

The Rise and Fall of ...
Contains very strong language.

Available for over a year

As Tony Wilson once told Newsweek Magazine in 1990 - "If there is any idea at all, it is about community and collective strength. There is power in people being lovely to each other." It might be more than 30 years ago but today, Madchester both made its mark and left its mark. Madchester did more than just transform the music of its own city – it rewrote the rule book on how a movement could emerge, free of music industry controls, and produce the sort of bands, DJs and records that labels could never create. It brought dance culture to the masses and laid the foundation for Britpop. In this final episode of the The Rise and Fall of Madchester, presenters Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell share their take on what it stood for, who it influenced, the changes it brought about and the legacy that still lives on, featuring archive interviews with Tony Wilson, Mani, Shaun Ryder and Noel Gallagher. “The Rise & Fall of Madchester’ is a BBC Audio Production for BBC Sounds. It was presented by Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell. It was produced in Salford by Catherine Earlam. The Editor for BBC Audio was Helen Hobday. It written by Philip Smith, Catherine Earlam and Steve Lamacq. Technical Production by Philip Smith. The Commissioner was Will Wilkin, and the Commissioning Producer was Hannah Clapham. The producers wish to thank all the contributors and archive interviewers and interviewees.

Programme Website
More episodes