This is a new series under the name of the Talking Jack podcast called Rock Icons, in which we will explore the work of bands and artists who have helped define the rock genre. To launch the series, we are starting with a season about the band Pink Floyd. For this season, we will chart the timeline of this legendary group, discuss its key members, and delve into Pink Floyd’s vast discography.

This first episode provides a brief overview of Pink Floyd’s legacy and makes the case for why are icons of not just rock but the music industry in general.

Sources Cited:

Rolling Stone, 2020. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Available from: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/

Wikipedia. Pink Floyd. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2022. Pink Floyd. Available from: https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/pink-floyd

Mabbett, A. 1996. Pink Floyd: Hall of Fame Essay. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Available from: https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/pink-floyd

Gilmore, M. 2007. The Madness and Majesty of Pink Floyd. Rolling Stone. Available from: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-madness-and-majesty-of-pink-floyd-230036/

Masterclass, 2021. Psychedelic Rock: The History and Sound of Psychedelic Rock. Masterclass. Available from: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/psychedelic-rock-explained

Masterclass, 2021. Progressive Rock Guide: A Brief History of Prog Rock. Masterclass. Available from: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/progressive-rock-guide

Murphy, S. 2013. PINK FLOYD: THE PROG ROCK ARCHETYPE. Pop Matters. Available from: https://www.popmatters.com/171044-pink-floyd-the-prog-rock-archetype-2495760169.html

Weigel, D. 2017. The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock. W.W. Norton & Company: New York.

Sanneh, K. 2017. The Persistence of Prog Rock. The New Yorker. Available from: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/the-persistence-of-prog-rock

Episode 2.3

In this episode we take a brief tour of the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) world. MLMs have been on the rise since social media has made it easier to advertise, influence and reach out to consumers and sellers, and the need for quicker ways to make money was also heightened again during the lockdown measures following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, MLMs are not new. So what exactly is meant by an MLM, and just how good are the promises they make? We explore all of this as we take a look at the arguments from both sides of the debate, and this debate is growing stronger with the emergence of a vocal anti-MLM movement.

This episode is presented by Megan and discussed with Claire

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor

Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Sources cited in this episode:

· Direct Selling Association – https://dsa.org.uk/

· Flynn, E. 2019. Secrets of the Multi-Level Millionaires: Ellie Undercover. BBC Three. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p076n2hg/secrets-of-the-multilevel-millionaires-ellie-undercover

· Jani, J. 2020. The Multilevel Marketing Cults: Lies, Pyramid Schemes, and the Pursuit of Financial Freedom. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He1bgJ0sqtw

· Martin, H. 2021. What does the DSA, the ‘regulatory body’ for MLMs in the UK, actually DO? Talented Ladies Club - https://www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/what-does-the-direct-selling-association-dsa-the-regulatory-body-for-mlms-in-the-uk-do/

· Multi-Level Marketing Businesses and Pyramid Schemes - https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/multi-level-marketing-businesses-pyramid-schemes

· Napoletano, E. & Curry, B. 2021. Understanding Multi-Level Marketing - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/multi-level-marketing-mlm/

· Taylor, J.M. 2011. The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing - https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/trade-regulation-rule-disclosure-requirements-and-prohibitions-concerning-business-opportunities-ftc.r511993-00017%C2%A0/00017-57317.pdf

· The Financial Diet, 2022. A Former MLM Top Earner Breaks Down The Reality Of The Industry. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X85LvcpZlcI

· Tighe, D. 2022. Global Direct Selling Market - statistics & facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/4883/direct-selling-market/#topicOverview

· Wikipedia – Multi-level Marketing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing

· Woman’s Hour, 3 June 2020 - Drummer Meg Learmonth, Direct selling and women, Anorexia in lockdown, The Other One – BBC Radio 4, Woman’s Hour https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jmm9

Episode 2.2 On this episode we explore the world of trends. In today's digital age, we are driven by trends expediated by social media platforms but where do these trends come from and are they important? Trends have always existed in various forms and at different levels and they can help us make sense of our society and culture as well as forecast what will happen in the future. Trend sociology can help prove particuarly insightful for businesses too but what about the microtrends we attempt to fit into it or resist in our everyday lives? We explore the differences between trends and fads and the reasons why we feel compelled to follow them or when we stop caring. 

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This episode is presented by Claire and discussed with Megan.

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 2.1 On the first episode of 2023, we are delving deep into the issues surrounding mental health and specifically mental health stigma. As this topic is particuarly broad, we will be focusing on mental health diagnosis within the Western world and specifically the UK, focusing on the DSM with mentions of suicide, eating disorders, OCD, depression and anxiety. The opinions and areas dicussed in this episode reflect the presentors experiences and the information given is not be taken as compensation for a proffessional diagnosis or advice. 

Sadly, across Western culture we are witnessing a rise in mental health issues and congruently an increase in the number of people seeking help and diagnosis, it thus important to examine the possible causes of this epidemic and whether the proper care exists to deal with such demand. At the same time, awareness of such issues is increasing and in this episode we discuss to what extent mental health stigma has been broken down and what more we can do as a society. 

We urge anyone who is struggling with any of the mental health issues dicusssed in this episode to seek help through the resources below:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/ 

https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/

https://www.samaritans.org/scotland/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

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This episode is presented by Megan and discussed with Claire. 

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 1.17 On this episode we delve into the world of streaming. Focusing on the kingpin, Netflix, we briefly reflect on how Netflix started and what how it grew to becoming one of the biggest players in the media distribution industry. From humble beginnings as a tech DVD rental company, Netflix began a new culture of online streaming and binge-watching but with such successful comes plenty of competition. We examine the issues Netflix faces from major competitors, pricing and an ever increasing subscriber fatigue and ask what does the future hold for Netflix and the world of streaming and can it stay on top? 

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This episode is presented by Claire and discussed with Megan. 

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 1.16 On this episode we look into the global environmental movement, Extinction Rebellion. Focusing on the movement's origins, growth and impact in the United Kingdom, we discuss the various opinions on the movements often controversial use of civil disobiendence to draw attention to the climate change debate and incite government change. With the growth of similar groups such as Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil, we look at the effects of such movements and whether or not the actions taken are the best way to enact change both at the civil and political level. 

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This episode is presented by Megan and discussed with Claire. 

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire 

Hosted on: Anchor Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 1.14

On this episode we celebrate the Beatles upcoming 60th Anniversary by exploring what made the band so popular and if their legacy deserves its place in musical history or whether they really can be classed as overrated. The Beatles remain one of the best selling and record breaking artists of all time despite only being together for eight years. Their music spoke to a whole new generation and inspired countless more; we break down some of the myths surrounding the band, discuss some of our favourite and least favourite songs and try to explain just what made the Beatles such musical icons. 

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SOURCES:

Beatlemania: 'the screamers' and Other tales of fandom (2013) The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/29/beatlemania-screamers-fandom-teenagers-hysteria (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

Campbell, K.L. (2022) The beatles and the 1960s: Reception, revolution, and Social Change. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Feldman-Barrett, C. (2020) Beatlemania, Museum of Youth Culture. Available at: https://museumofyouthculture.com/beatlemania/ (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

Feldman-Barrett, C.J. (2022) A women's history of the beatles. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic.

MacDonald, I. (2008) Revolution in the head: The Beatles' Records and the sixties. London: Random House.

Penny lame (2003) The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/nov/18/thebeatles.popandrock (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

R/unpopularopinion - the beatles are overrated (no date) reddit. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/6y5pf6/the_beatles_are_overrated/ (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

Ramirez, K. (2020) Ramirez: The Beatles are overrated, The Heights. Available at: https://www.bcheights.com/2018/02/02/beatles-overrated/ (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

Richards, C. (2021) Perspective | the Beatles are overrated. that's our fault, not theirs., The Washington Post. WP Company. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/beatles-get-back-criticism/2021/11/30/adfd7eca-5202-11ec-9267-17ae3bde2f26_story.html (Accessed: October 7, 2022).

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This episode is presented by Megan and discussed with Claire. 

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor

Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 1.13

On this episode we take a journey into the evolution of the literary heroine. Starting from depictions in greek mythology, we examine how the heroine has changed and shaped throughout history from Shakespeare to the modern day. From the idealised virgin, the demonised spinster to the flawed and dissociative feminist of post modern literature, we see how similar tropes throughout literature are reimagined, challenged and often reinforced. What do the heroines and female characters in seminal works throughout the eras say about the treatment of women in their society and time? 

This episode is presented by Claire and discussed with Megan.

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor

Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby

Episode 1.12

On this episode we discuss theme parks; delving into the history of amusement parks and the pyschology behind such thrill seeking. The theme park as we know it today was revolutionised by the Victorian's and we look at their legacy and how they birthed some of modern days best rollercoasters. By examining the effects of rollercoasters we look at what makes them so appealing to people, whilst also delving into how dangerous they really by getting to grips with some of the most horrific ancidents across British parks.

This episode is presented by Megan and discussed with Claire.

Written and recorded by: Megan and Claire

Hosted on: Anchor

Music by: Anton Vlasov on Pixaby