On Friday night in the U.K., BBC Four aired “We’re the Kids in America,” the final chapter in a three-part documentary series called “How the Brits Rocked America: Go West” that examines the mutli-wave British Invasion of pop music from The Beatles through Led Zeppelin and on into punk, post-punk and New Wave in the ’80s.
The third chapter — an hour-long program presented in four parts via the playlist above — picks up in the late ’70s and runs through the ’80s, featuring interviews with John Lydon, Robert Smith, Elvis Costello, Jim Kerr, Ian McCulloch, New Order’s Stephen Morris and Peter Hook, Adam Ant, Bob Geldof, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, Billy Idol, Sting and many more.
There’s also plenty of rare and vintage footage, including Geraldo Rivera reporting on an early Attractions tour and video of Simple Minds’ first-ever U.S. performance.
An OK documentary ultimately ruined by the needless inclusions of Micheal Jackson and U2. Also, Depeche Mode were the biggest british band to break america (yes, violator sold more copies in the states than rio) but barely got a mention.