Top Of The Pops

[Ox Fox]

End of an era.

If the fecking idiots put it on at a decent time they wouldn't have to be doing this

BBC calls time on Top of the Pops

The BBC's flagship pop music programme Top of the Pops has been cancelled after 42 years, the BBC has announced.
"The time has come to bring the show to its natural conclusion," said the BBC's director of television Jana Bennett.

In a statement, the BBC said the weekly programme could no longer compete with 24-hour music channels.

Top of the Pops was first broadcast in 1964, from a converted church in Salford, Manchester. The final edition will be shown on 30 July.

The pop programme was only commissioned for six episodes when it began in 1964.

But it proved so popular that it won a weekly slot and has been broadcast by the BBC ever since, celebrating its 2,000th show in 2002.

The very first show was presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ Jimmy Savile and the first artists to appear were the Rolling Stones, who sang I Wanna Be Your Man.

Many Radio 1 presenters hosted the show over the years, including Dave Lee Travis and Noel Edmonds. The current presenter is Fearne Cotton.

In its 1970s heyday, the show attracted audiences of 15 million, but by 2002 the figure had dropped to just 3 million.

The show was relaunched in 2003 with former presenter Andi Peters in charge, but it failed to attract new viewers and was moved to BBC Two the following year.

"The team did a stirling job in revitalising the format for our audience," said BBC Two controller Roly Keating, "but we all recognise that the time has come to move on."

 

[Melton Fox]

End of an era. Been crap for the last 10 years anyway.

Highlight of TOTP for me - Iron Maiden weren't allowed to perform live in the late 80's, so they went on and mimed, but the guitarest was on vocals, the drummer was on the bass, the singer was on the drums etc etc. Nobody noticed except me and other well educated Maiden fans

 

[drummindefender]

what about nirvana? they were pissed off that they were meant to use a backing track so kurt sang in a really strange voice and during the guitar solo preceeding to smash his guitar with it playing in the background-quality

 

[Melton Fox]

I remember when All About Eve were singing Martha's Harbour and the track was playing and the vocals had started but the dozy bint didn't sing because she couldn't hear it. WTF, the crowd could and they were only a metre away!!

That was funny

 

[MKFox]

Crikey! How will we know what's in the hit parade then?...

Do they still do the countdown on Radio1 on sunday's from 4-6 pm? I remember standing by with the tape recorder....:icon_redf ..
It really mattered then...:icon_roll

 

[Brauny Blue]

Nina's hairy armpits:icon_razz

 

[Melton Fox]

Crikey! How will we know what's in the hit parade then?...

Do they still do the countdown on Radio1 on sunday's from 4-6 pm? I remember standing by with the tape recorder....:icon_redf ..
It really mattered then...:icon_roll

I used to wait for Town Called Malice, Love Plus One, Seven Tears, and various other little ditties so I could hit the record button on my tape player. Those were the days, we thought that was "on demand"

 

[Hazzman]

Who was the first act on Top Of The Pops?!?

 

[Yorkshire Vixen]

Do they still do the countdown on Radio1 on sunday's from 4-6 pm? I remember standing by with the tape recorder....:icon_redf ..
It really mattered then...:icon_roll

im sure its 4-7pm and yup i did the same had tapes of the stuff then i tried to write down the words for the songs this was before i found smash hits....memories...

 

[highland fox]

Best one ever was when they had Dexys Midnight Runners on doing 'Jackie Wilson Says' and put up a picture of Darts legend Jocky Wilson..absolute quality

 

[Naughty Fox]

Who was the first act on Top Of The Pops?!?

Didn't read the artical on Ox's post then :icon_roll :icon_lol:

Some top memories posted so far, obviously remember the Maiden one Melts.
I too sat there with my finger hovering over the pause button and always got pissed off if I did not stop it quick enough and got the dj on at the end. As you say MK it seemed sooooo important back then.

 

[Hazzman]

Different answer to what I was given. Dusty Springfield.

 

[Ox Fox]

I liked EMFs performance when the bass player was wearing boxing gloves

 

[highland fox]

I liked EMFs performance when the bass player was wearing boxing gloves

You're Unbeliveable....

 

[Ox Fox]

You're Unbeliveable....

So's your spelling / punctuation. :icon_wink

 

[Ox Fox]

Oh and Dave Gedge from pop pickers the Wedding Present having his guitar on back to front one time.

 

[highland fox]

So's your spelling / punctuation. :icon_wink

My spellin his I admiitt hit

 

[Melton Fox]

Best one ever was when they had Dexys Midnight Runners on doing 'Jackie Wilson Says' and put up a picture of Darts legend Jocky Wilson..absolute quality

I remember that, it was a mistake wasn't it from the crew and production people, they "misheard" the briefing. Great Moment

 

[MKFox]

Pan's people, Legs and co.....doing dance routines to 'Paranoid' or 'Friggin in the riggin'......
Flick colby or someone wasn't it?

 

[Hazzman]

TOTP in Britpop era, Dad fecking hated it, I loved it.

I used to come back from Boys Bridage and it was on. Wingfield's Saturday Night being a song of my generation.