Marc Riley
A former Fall member turned 6 Music linchpin, his eclectic taste and dry wit have defined alternative radio for a new generation.
Born 1961 (age 65)·British musician and radio presenter·Birthday: July 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Marc Riley's journey through music is a story of punk spirit evolving into curatorial authority. He cut his teeth as a bassist for The Fall during their early, formative years, absorbing the scene's raw energy before moving into radio production. At BBC Radio 6 Music, he found his true calling, building a daily show that feels less like a broadcast and more like a passionate, knowledgeable friend rifling through a vast record collection. His style is unpretentious but deeply informed, championing underground guitar music, oddball psychedelia, and forgotten gems with equal fervor. Riley's impact lies in his ability to connect the dots between punk's disruptive past and today's independent landscape, making him a trusted guide for listeners who crave something real.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Marc was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marc Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Marc's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played bass for the influential post-punk band The Fall on several albums in the early 1980s.
- Hosts a flagship weekday evening show on BBC Radio 6 Music, known for its eclectic playlist and championing of new artists.
- Previously presented the influential BBC Radio 1 evening show with Mark Radcliffe, achieving cult status and high ratings.
- Ran the independent record label In Tape, releasing early work by bands like The Wedding Present.
Did You Know?
His radio alias for many years was 'Lard', a nickname given to him by Mark E. Smith of The Fall.
He was a member of The Fall during the recording of their seminal album 'Hex Enduction Hour'.
Before full-time radio, he worked in A&R for Polydor Records.
He is an avid collector of vintage science fiction paperbacks.
“I'm drawn to music that has a bit of dirt under its fingernails.”
