We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast
This brand new pop culture history podcast is nothing like anything you've heard before, and it's everything you need to understand the modern world. Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce, an American pop culture buff and a British music lover, have taken the smash-hit song by Billy Joel and turned it into a podcast. Billy lists 120 people, places, and things in 'We Didn't Start The Fire', and Katie and Tom will do an episode on every single one to create the most fascinating, random and original history of the post-war world. Over the next two and a half years, we're going to learn about politics, rock 'n' roll, sport, space, television, the Cold War, guided along the way by historians, eyewitnesses, and mega-fans. Billy started it. We're going to finish it. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @spreadthatfire, email us at fire@crowdnetwork.co.uk, and go to spreadthatfire.com to buy merch.
Our Editor's Take
We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast is clever and inventive. It expands on every event, person, political, cultural, and social phenomenon mentioned in Billy Joel's song of the same title.
The iconic musician and songwriter released the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" in 1989. It was first as a single, then on his album Storm Front. It tells the story of the 20th century with historical and chronological accuracy. Billy Joel laments that his generation wasn't responsible for past issues. The song encapsulates a long-gone era whose echoes still resonate today.
We Didn't Start The Fire: The History Podcast leads listeners through significant world events. All happened between the late 1940s and the 1980s. The show offers a remarkable history lesson, using everything mentioned in the lyrics. Topics range from Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe to Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. The podcast also explores Lawrence of Arabia and the Reagan and Eisenhower years. Other episodes discuss Jack Kerouac, Chubby Checker, Marlon Brando, and Princess Grace. Those who have wondered who the "new queen" is referring to or why Little Rock is mentioned may appreciate this podcast. It's part history, part pop culture, and all entertainment.
Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce preside over this epic task. While the song has an American view of current events, both podcast hosts are from the UK. Katie is a broadcaster and columnist best known for hosting The Word and Pajama Party. She writes for The Guardian and runs a blog and YouTube channel, Katie Puckrick Smells. Cohost Tom is an author and sports journalist. He worked with the BBC as a sports writer and blogger for many years. He also cohosts a different podcast with British soccer legend Peter Crouch. The We Didn't Start The Fire podcast benefits from the duo's years of experience.
Guests include authors, historians, and other experts who are leaders in their profession. They discuss everything from Harry Truman to the Cola Wars. Billy Joel, the man behind the song, even makes an appearance on We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast.
Episodes