BBC Radio 2 unveils its Autumn schedule featuring Johnny Marr as a new series host.
- Johnny Marr’s series will air on Radio 2, focusing on influential British groups.
- Listeners voted The Beatles as the Ultimate British Group in a Radio 2 survey.
- The survey panel included prominent figures like Jo Whiley and Vernon Kay.
- The popular Top 30 list spans iconic British bands across several decades.
BBC Radio 2 has announced its Autumn line-up, highlighted by a new series hosted by renowned musician Johnny Marr. This upcoming series, titled “Johnny Marr’s Great British Groups,” will begin airing from midnight to 1am on 13th, 20th, 27th October, and 3rd November. Marr, a celebrated guitarist, will guide listeners through decades of musical history, focusing on influential British bands that have made a significant impact on the music scene.
In a move celebrating British musical heritage, Radio 2 also conducted a listener survey to determine the Ultimate British Group, with The Beatles predictably taking the top spot. The voting process allowed listeners to choose their five favourite British groups, contributing to an engaging all-day musical celebration coinciding with National Album Day.
The survey was supported by a panel of Radio 2 presenters, including Jo Whiley, Sara Cox, and Vernon Kay, who sifted through nearly a hundred bands to create a definitive Top 30 list. This list showcases the breadth of British musical talent, featuring artists from the 1960s through to the 2010s, such as The Rolling Stones, Queen, and Coldplay.
Jeff Smith, the Head of Music at Radio 2 and chairman of the Mercury Prize judging panel, expressed his delight at the overwhelming response from Radio 2 listeners. “We have absolutely loved seeing the Radio 2 listeners cast hundreds of thousands of votes for their Ultimate British Group, and this Top 30 chart reflects some of music’s biggest selling, most loved and established British artists who have achieved incredible success globally across the decades,” he remarked.
In addition to Marr’s series, BBC Radio 2 will broadcast “The Great British Groups That Broke America,” a show highlighting bands that have achieved notable success in the US market. The programme will explore the transatlantic journeys of bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the Spice Girls, underscoring the global influence of British music.
BBC Radio 2’s Autumn line-up promises an engaging tribute to British musical talent, championed by Johnny Marr’s new series.
