Long before the advent of Facebook or Twitter, pirate radio was a vital social network. In the 1980s and through the ’90s, rebel transmissions and illegal stations dominated the airwaves – in London especially, but also across the UK – providing an outlet for forms of music shunned by the mainstream. Radio stations like Invicta, Kool FM, Rude FM and DBC operated as community hubs, promoting raves and club events, and pushing resolutely un-commercial genres, allowing them to flourish in the underground.

At the end of the ’80s, pirate radio became a means for UK dance music to expand and evolve. Hardcore and house station Centreforce paved the way from its Newham base for the incipient rave culture, and in the early ’90s, Kool FM pushed the then-new sound of jungle, a sound which pirates would become associated with forever more. Stations such as Rude FM and Rinse – before it was awarded its community FM broadcast license in 2010 – were dedicated to bringing the rawest rhythms to their listeners, despite the scrutiny and regular raids of the law.

Due to its illegal nature, and the stories of certain stations' elaborate ways of evading police – from “fortresses” of barricades and booby traps to the constant shifting of the aerial transmitters — pirate radio retains an aura of romance and danger, and it has continued to captivate the attentions of generations of DJs, producers and listeners. UK garage, grime and dubstep have also been given a platform by pirates and, though the internet has made DIY broadcasting far easier, pirate radio persists as a dissident voice on the airwaves.

Here are some of the best pirate documentaries on YouTube, delving deeper into the subject.

1. London Underground

“A lot of people regard it as something you’re not supposed to do… and other people want to be into that, because you’re rebellious,” says Kool FM MC Shockin . He's just one of the voices with illuminating things to say about London’s pirate takeover in this worthwhile mini doc. London Underground also details the methods anti-pirate body the RCA used to prevent radio piracy, and the means that pirate crews employed to prevent detection.

2. Making Waves

A film from the Discovery channel, Making Waves delves back into the 1960s roots of UK pirate radio, and charts its progress as a DIY phenomenon, from Kiss FM up through the ’90s jungle pirates. It’s also fascinating to see the technology used by the RCA detailed, and watching their fruitless attempts to stem the piracy tide.

3. The Importance of Pirate Radio: Rinse | Born & Bred Episode 2

An entertaining vignette of Rinse FM’s early years as a pirate, The Importance of Pirate Radio is brought to life by the words of some of Rinse’s most respected DJs and founders. Slimzee , DJ Ron , Marcus Nasty , Jammer and Josey Rebelle all feature, and Rinse co-founder Geeneus makes an especially important point. “Without the tower blocks, the stations would have got nowhere," he notes, explaining that the height of the buildings enabled the signals to transmit across the capital.

4. Arena: Pirate Radio

This mid ’90s BBC 2 doc is especially good for its footage of alarmist news stories aimed at the prominent pirates, and detailing of the deployment of police helicopters to arrest them. Focused specifically on Rush FM, Pirate Radio really brings to life the way the pirates stayed one step ahead of the authorities’ attempts to prosecute them.

5. Radio Renegades – Kool FM Documentary

Despite its received-pronunciation properness and sensationalist tone, Radio Renegades is fascinating for its glimpse of Kool FM in its prime. Featuring interviews with prominent DJs, from Brockie and DJ Ron to Nicky Slim Ting , and more enlightening insights from DTI investigators determined to catch the pirates – including one admitting his grudging admiration for the renegades – it’s one of the best docs out there.

6. The Last Pirates: Britain’s Rebel DJs

The most recent of these films, The Last Pirates is an excellent and eye-opening look at how London pirates developed, delving back into the 1980s and the genesis of legendary stations Kiss FM (illegal when it started), reggae specialist Dread Broadcasting Corporation, and Invicta, a soul, jazz and funk outlet that was an early launch pad for DJ Gilles Peterson . With a charismatic host in MC Rodney P , it’s an essential primer for those wanting to get au fait with pirate radio’s history.

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