TOTP

Last broadcast on BBC Two in July 2006 with Shakira (it kicked off with the Rolling Stones), Top of the Pops is expected to return to BBC television in the next year, following claims that there is no longer enough "popular" music on television.

Rumour has it will be back to miming and an end to the “three-minute rule”, which forced rock bands to play edited versions of their hits. However, the show will feature songs before they are released.

Some more TOTP guff:

First episode 1st January, 1964
First act The Rolling Stones, I Wanna Be Your Man
Last song Shakira, Hips Don’t Lie
Best-known theme tune Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, who never performed on the show
Number of theme tunes 9
Most appearances Cliff Richard, more than 150
Most security guards R. Kelly, 43
Hardy perennial Status Quo, who appeared in every decade
Longest-serving presenter Sir Jimmy Savile, 1964 to 1984, who returned again for the final show
Shortest song Super Furry Animals, Do or Die, 95 seconds
Most people on stage Fat Les, Jerusalem, 75

Magic Moments

Teardrop Explodes, 1981

For this infamous performance of Passionate Friend, Julian Cope made his usual effort, dressing up in his leather flying jacket and skin-tight leather trousers, and climbing up on top of the piano to sing. However, having decided to enhance the performance by taking LSD beforehand, he ran into problems: “The piano started melting and I was wading up to my thighs in it by the chorus”
All About Eve, 1988 A band now primarily known for the episode of Top of the Pops where technical problems blighted their performance of Martha’s Harbour, below. Any graph depicting their career would show it peaking at the moment Julianne Regan sat, silent, on a stool, for more than a minute of live television, the kind of performance that Andy Warhol would get very excited about

The Smiths, 1983

Always an event in themselves, the Smiths’ iconic moment came with This Charming Man, where Morrissey used a gigantic bunch of gladioli in such a manner, below, one presumed he was planning to lasso a recaltricant horse. Johnny Marr’s black Levi’s are excitingly tight

Dexy’s Midnight Runners, 1982

Yes, it was intentional. Birmingham’s finest pop-hobos perform Jackie Wilson Says in front of a huge backdrop of the porcine darts-player Jocky Wilson. Ill-informed pub debates still maintain that it was a mistake. Now you know better

Nirvana, 1991

Smells Like Teen Spirit had rung out like a chipped bell, heralding the exciting new era of grunge. The nation’s youth gathered around the television to view the first prime-time appearance by the band of the moment. But Kurt Cobain sang the whole thing in a silly low voice. “I don’t think much of this grunger music,” the nation’s mothers said. “He sounds like a cow”

Manic Street Preachers, 1994

The BBC receives a record number of complaints when the Welsh band performs Faster wearing scary balaclavas and looking like terrorists. The question still remains: art statement or coldsore?

John Peel, 1971

Playing with Rod Stewart and the Faces on Maggie May, Peel mimes along on the mandolin, looking so happy that one suspects the performance is the result of a begging letter to Jim’ll Fix It, containing the word “please” repeated 70 times

John Lennon, 1970

Performing Instant Karma live, Lennon further solidifies his reputation as “the odd Beatle” by having his wife, Yoko Ono, standing next to him wearing a sanitary towel as a blindfold

Ta to TTimes for the pilfing.




Top of the Pops was axed after its ratings – which had been 15 million in its 1970s heyday – fell to close to a million.