Top of the Pops 1964-2006

mike65

Sniff!

Well okay not really. While one of my earliest clear memories is of Slade singing Mery Xmas Everybody and the fabulous CCS version of Whole Lotta Love theme its not been part of my life for about 25 years. From 20 million every week to less than 2 million now means TOTP was doomed for some time. Still there's a wealth of great archive footage that'll be in re-run heaven/hell for the rest of recorded time

Mike.

fade2black

I find it surprising that 2 million watch it now. More of a reflection on the crap that's been in the charts in the last 10 years I think. (I'm sure the internet has played its part too)

Dudess

Top of the Pops used to be absolutely ace!!

Yeah, it needed to be put out of its misery though (Simpsons writers - take note). Haven't been bothered with it since the early 90s but I think that's simply because pop music has gotten particularly bad since then. There was always crap music in the charts but there were plenty of great gems too but they have become significantly fewer (I think) in the last 15 years or so. And that's not because I started getting into indie/alternative/whatever around then. I always had a thing for a decent pop tune. Adored TOTP in the eighties. Did anyone else, like me, await Thursday nights at 7.00 with unbearable excitement? Remember Garda Patrol would be on beforehand and it would drag on forever, even though it was only around 10 or 15 minutes long?!
My earliest TOTP memory would be around 1982 - Toyah!

mike65

I wanna be fweeeeeeeeee!

Mike.

Dudess

Oh my God, I just ADORED Top of the Pops! I was only four in 1982 yet I still remember it clearly - having my dinner, watching TOTP, having my bath and going to bed. Wish I had been old enough for the likes of Adam and the Ants and the New Romantic stuff. Now there was a time when pop was top-notch! Last year VH1 had an Every Number 1 from 1980 to 2005 marathon and the stuff that was number one back in 1980/81 was of such quality - Dexys Midnight Runners, Blondie, The Jam, The Specials. These weren't just getting into the top 20 - they were going to number 1!

DublinWriter

I'm surprised it lasted that long. Back in the 60's, a band had to be shifting millions of singles to make No.1, now 'acts' like Westlife can sell a couple of tens of thousand units and make No.1 in the UK.

The beeb should have put in a replacement instead of axeing it totally.

But the current format was hugely dated.

Rantorama

I remember having a flat oldschool tape recorder ,which when holding two buttons down gave you record.

When the best Top of The Pops song ever as a kid, Axel F(from beverly hills cop) came on I would hold it up to the TV to record.But at that vital moment the buttons always jammed or the tape reached the end.:mad:

trishw78

Don't know what year it was but my earliest memory was the birdie song it must have been the early 80's. I made up my own dance to that and now I do it at weddings when I'm very drunk.

I'll miss the show even if it has gone down hill very fast. Remember Pans People

BaZmO*

trishw78 wrote:

I'll miss the show even if it has gone down hill very fast.

I wouldn't call 40 years "very fast"

Rantorama wrote:

I remember having a flat oldschool tape recorder ,which when holding two buttons down gave you record

Almost ruined the recording industry that did!

Dudess

trishw78 wrote:

Remember Pans People

Don't remember them but they regularly feature on archive programmes. Drove all the dads crazy apparently. Seriously naff. Their dances were literal translations of the song - eg, for The Clash's Bank Robber, they dressed up in black and white "jailbird" gear. Cringe. Worse again, for Laurie Anderson's O Superman, the opening line of which is "O Superman, o judge, o mom and dad", they featured, yes, a guy dressed up as superman, someone dressed up as a judge and... well, you get the idea.

trishw78

BaZmO* wrote:

I wouldn't call 40 years "very fast"

I was refering to the last 10 years

BaZmO*

trishw78 wrote:

I was refering to the last 10 years

I wouldn't call 10 years "very fast"

Lump

2 Years may be quick, 18 months fast and a year Very fast..... DAVINA on the other hand, that went down hill in lightning speed.... it was **** half way through the first show

John

fuzzywiggle

I won't miss it

GoldieBear

I will miss it, as it was a big part of my life growing up (we had no MTV/MT USA in our house!) My first memory is seeing Shake N' Stevens singing 'Green Door'. IThe audience were waving lke mad and for that reason i thought that the audience was Shakin Stevens! (and not the guy Mike Barrett on stage). Used to sing along with a skipping rope for a mike each week. Love Top of the Pops 2 on UKTV GOLD.

Sheil

Dudess

That joker knocked The Specials' Ghost Town off the number 1 spot in '81, he did!

mike65

and back then people would care about that sort of outrage these days no-one knows who's number one....(possibly).

Mike.

BaZmO*

GoldieBear wrote:

I will miss it, as it was a big part of my life growing up (we had no MTV/MT USA in our house!) My first memory is seeing Shake N' Stevens singing 'Green Door'.

I take then that you're not from Ireland? Wasn't Shakin Stevens around before MTV? Might be wrong about that though. Also, wasn't MTV USA broadcast on RTE? It's been a very very long time so my memory ain't that great.

mike65

Green Door was a hit in 1981 the same year MTV debuted. MT-USA was on air for 3 years (?) in the mid 80s.

Mike.

Hippo

Won't miss it as I haven't watched it in ages, and the format was very outdated...but I have sweet memories of when I started watching it; the first band I remember on it was Family around 1970 doing 'In my own time', wonderful. Essential viewing for at least the following 20 years.

ShiverinEskimo

mike65 wrote:

and back then people would care about that sort of outrage these days no-one knows who's number one....(possibly).

Mike.

You know what now that you say it I don't have a clue of any number ones in the last 2 years. I used to be able to recite the top forty when that mini-clip show on RTE did be on. (think it was geniusly named "ireland's top 40 - correct me people if you know better)

Since then tho I don't know and frankly care less.

Dudess

I haven't had a clue of what's number one for the past five years at least. It all meshes into one horrible mess of manufactured crap.