"Planet Rock" is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song featured Marvella Murray, Yvette Murray, Melissa Johnson and Sandra Wheeler on additional background vocals. Although it was primarily an underground hit in the United States, Canada, and UK, it helped change the foundations of hip-hop and dance music and became one of the most influential pieces and a milestone and eventually an icon of the hip-hop, breakdance, and electronical music culture. It is credited with pioneering the genre and developing the electro style, building on the work of Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra, combined with distinctive Roland TR-808 beats, and helped pave the way for other genres such as techno,house and trance. In November 2004, the "Planet Rock" placed at #240 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #10 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs. "Planet Rock" peaked at number four on the soul chart and number forty-eight on the Hot 100, and went to number three on the dance charts.
Planet Rock is a multiple Sony Award-winning radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Bauer Radio. The station broadcasts classic rock music. It is available nationally via DAB on Digital One, Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat and Online. Planet Rock forms part of Bauer's National portfolio of radio brands.
Planet Rock was founded in 1999 as the only classic rock radio station in the UK at that time.
On 11 February 2008, the previous owner GCap Media (now Global Radio), announced that the station would close by 31 March 2008, along with sister station theJazz, unless a buyer was found. According to a statement by former presenter Fish, this was not due to the profitability of Planet Rock itself, which had been reported to be good, but rather to GCap's overall financial state. The station's relative popularity on digital radio brought controversy to the closure threat. Although theJazz ceased broadcasting on schedule, a campaign by listeners meant that a number of buyers expressed interest in Planet Rock, including a consortium publicly headed by Queen guitarist Brian May.
Planet Rock: The Album is an old school hip hop album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force, released in 1986 as a collection of previous singles. The song "Planet Rock" was one of the earliest hits of the hip hop music genre and remains one of its pioneering recordings. The single's liner notes include members of Kraftwerk with the songwriting credits. In creating the track, portions of Kraftwerk's "Numbers" and "Trans-Europe Express" were interpolated (re-recorded in the studio, rather than through the use of a digital sampler), along with portions of songs by Captain Sky and Ennio Morricone.
The song "Planet Rock" was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #240 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and went on to become the first gold-certified vinyl 12-inch single. Slant Magazine listed the album at #84 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s". The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. "Renegades of Funk", the third track, was covered by Rage Against the Machine on its Renegades album.
Planet Rock may refer to: