The Why Factor: Walk on the Wild Side

All this week there have been tributes to Lou Reed who died at age 71. He was the rock star who led Velvet Underground in the 1960s – a pop group that had little to no commercial success. As a solo artist he had few chart hits and yet his work is described as some of the most important in modern contemporary music. We ask: why did Lou Reed matter?

The Why Factor: Walk on the Wild Side is not an appreciation, but an explanation, although you may end up appreciating what the fuss has been about. Mike Williams talks to critics, fans, academics and historians to try and explain why Lou Reed mattered so much to modern music and the modern world.

Please note that this is an extended edition of The Why Factor. Assignment and Click will be dropped to accommodate this program n Saturday, November 2nd during the 1300 ET hour. This program will observe the usual BBC World Service program clock.

Program Details:

Program Duration: 49 minutes 30 seconds (23 minutes & 26 minutes 30 seconds) or 59 minutes including news bulletins, billboards & promos

Transmission time: Saturday, November 2nd at 1306 ET

Available to broadcast: Download from the BBC Partner Site and air from November 2nd to November 7th

Clock: This program follows the usual BBC World Service Clock