Plot Synopsis

Executive produced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, SOUNDTRACKS: SONGS THAT DEFINED HISTORY is a one-hour documentary series that explores music tied to pivotal moments in history. From the March on Washington to the riots at Stonewall -- every episode illuminates how music has played an integral role in celebrating, criticizing, and amplifying these seismic events in the world's collective history. SOUNDTRACKS features rare archival footage alongside interviews with legendary musicians, journalists, historians and other notable figures including Dwayne Johnson, Billy Joel, Smokey Robinson, Andra Day, Pat Benatar, Patti LaBelle, Ben Harper, Paul Simon, Melissa Etheridge, Master P, George Clinton, Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, Dan Rather, Billie Jean King, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Reverend Al Sharpton, and more. The series premiere, "The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.," explores the music that kept the spirit of the civil rights movement alive following King's death -- from James Brown's black power anthem, "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" to Kendrick Lamar's searing protest song, "Alright," inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. The music in the episode celebrates the strength and solidarity of the African American experience while reminding us how far we still have to go. Subsequent episodes cover 9/11, Kent State and the Vietnam War, Hurricane Katrina, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the moon landing, the Stonewall riots and the famous tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs which galvanized the women's movement.