Radio Times: Review by:; Tony Peters

With Adele plundering the Grammys and PJ Harvey winning numerous album of the year awards here in the UK, the lot of the female singer/songwriter is currently a happy one. But until the late 1960s, when Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro and others broke the mould, the role of female singers was to perform songs written largely from a male perspective.

And, curiously, a lot of the talking here is done by two men — Bob Harris and lecturer Peter Miller — but they make interesting points about the events that provided the catalyst for the rise of the female singer/songwriter. The music selections are terrific as well; just listen to Janis Ian’s At 17 for a perfect summation of female teenage angst.

About this programme

Sally Boazman charts the rise of female singer-songwriters in the 1960s at a time of huge social and political change, which also saw music in a state of transition. She explores how artists including Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Judy Collins and Laura Nyro tackled previously taboo subjects including sex outside marriage, and helped forge a feminised voice in pop.