1987 – a year marked by triumph and disaster. As Mrs Thatcher secured a third term as PM, the Channel Tunnel began construction and Wall Street’s movie representative Gordon Gecko purred ‘Greed is good’ – Britain was battered by the Great Storm, despaired at Black Monday and was horrified by the sinking of The Herald of Free Enterprise and the King’s Cross fire. \n\nAnd while epic events unfolded in the outside world, the Top of the Pops studio provided a haven for those who wanted to escape. With a new groundbreaking twin show broadcast from the USA, Top of the Pops could sidestep the videos of MTV and bring the very biggest names to UK audiences. In Television Centre, Stock, Aitken and Waterman provided the floor-fillers as hip-hop and rap made their mark on the chart along with home-grown house. From the rock aristocracy to pure pop hits and the irresistible new funk grooves, the youth could pick their own soundtrack and pump up the volume.\n\nTerence Trent D’Arby, Curiosity Killed the Cat, PWL stablemates Rick Astley and Kim Appleby, Andy Bell, Carol Decker and Belinda Carlisle lead us through a smorgasbord year in music.
Source: BBC 4
Christmas Special 1995
Bjork and Jack Dee introduce the biggest-selling songs of 1995, plus the Christmas Day Number One.
19-04-2024
BBC 4
17/04/1986
Gary Davies presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 17 April 1986. Featuring Big Country, Falco, A-ha, Janet Jackson, It's Immaterial, George Michael and Whitney Ho ...
19-04-2024
BBC 4
16/04/1981
Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, featuring Bad Manners, the Beat, the Cure, the Nolans, the Jacksons, Whitesnake, Spandau Ballet, Sugar Minott, Bucks Fizz and Ennio Mo ...
19-04-2024
BBC 4
11/04/1974
Noel Edmonds presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 11 April 1974 and featuring Limmie & The Family Cookin', Mud, Slade, Mungo Jerry, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye, The ...
12-04-2024
BBC 4
11/04/1985
John Peel and Janice Long present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 11 April 1985. Featuring Tears for Fears, The Rah Band, Dream Academy, King and Philip Bailey & Phi ...
12-04-2024
BBC 4
09/04/1992
Femi Oke and Tony Dortie presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 9 April 1992 and featuring Praga Khan, Curtis Stigers, Altern 8, Vanessa Williams, Right Said Fred, ...
12-04-2024
BBC 4
21/12/1995
Ronan Keating and Stephen Gately present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 21 December 1995 and featuring Corona, Mary Kiani, Queen, The Levellers, Madonna, Jimmy Nail ...
12-04-2024
BBC 4
14/12/1995
John Peel presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 14 December 1995 and featuring Everything but the Girl, Childliners, The Beatles, Simply Red, Molella ft The Outhe ...
05-04-2024
BBC 4
30/11/1995
Jack Dee presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 30 November 1995 and featuring Berri, PJ & Duncan, Passengers, Garbage, Childliners, The Beatles, Coolio ft LV, Eny ...
05-04-2024
BBC 4
08/04/1976
Classic Top of the Pops from April 1976, as Noel Edmonds introduces performances from Abba, Hot Chocolate, Brotherhood of Man, Sheer Elegance, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, The Fo ...
05-04-2024
BBC 4
25/12/1986
Peter Powell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on Christmas Day 1986. Featuring Billy Ocean, The Communards, a-ha, Europe, Doctor and the Medics, Cliff Richard & ...
18-12-2023
BBC 4
12/11/1992
Mark Franklin presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 12 November 1992 and featuring En Vogue, The Supremes, Michael Bolton, Vanessa Paradis, Undercover, Jason Dono ...
29-04-2022
BBC 4
01/10/1992
Mark Franklin and Claudia Simon present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 1 October 1992 and featuring Stereo MC's, Crowded House, Doctor Spin, Dr. Alban, Bob Marley a ...
01-04-2022
BBC 4
The Story Of 1976
The nation grew up with Top of the Pops and it was always a talking point, but 35 years ago a particular kind of Top of the Pops programme and tone held sway. This documentary e ...
05-01-2024
BBC 4
17/02/1994
Simon Mayo presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 17 February 1994 and featuring Saint Etienne, Cappella, Crowded House, Dina Carroll, Sinead O'Connor, The Wildhea ...
03-02-2023
BBC 4
26/03/1992
Mark Franklin and Claudia Simon present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 26 March 1992 and featuring Erasure, Annie Lennox, Vanessa Williams and Soul II Soul, Right S ...
28-01-2022
BBC 4
03/11/1983
Peter Powell and Mike Read present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 3 November 1983. Featuring ABC, Donna Summer, Elton John, Status Quo, Madness, Shakin' Stevens and ...
04-11-2022
BBC 4
16/04/1987
Janice Long and Peter Powell present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 16 April 1987, featuring Fine Young Cannibals, David Bowie, Herb Alpert, Bon Jovi and Madonna.
14-04-2023
BBC 4
05/02/1987
Janice Long and John Peel present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 5 February 1987. Featuring The Blow Monkeys, Randy Crawford, The Smiths, Curiosity Killed the Cat, ...
03-02-2023
BBC 4
17/06/1993
Tony Dortie presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 17 June 1993 and featuring Sting, Gabrielle, The Time Frequency, Sister Sledge, Haddaway, Terence Trent D’ ...
02-09-2022
BBC 4