The pirate radio station that broadcast from a boat

A closer look

Before podcasts allowed any comedian to ramble into a microphone, British rebels had to commit actual maritime crimes just to play rock and roll. In the 1960s, the BBC had an iron grip on the airwaves, refusing to play modern pop music. Enter pirate radio: DJs anchored massive ships just outside international waters to beam unapproved comedy sketches and outlawed Beatles tracks to millions of music-starved teenagers on the mainland.