Top of the pops

Top of the Pops first aired on New Year's Day 1964 and aired from Studio A on Dickenson Road in Longsite , Manchester , which the BBC bought from Mancunian Films in 1954. The first issue of TOTP led by Jimmy Savill included The Rolling Stones (“I Wanna Be Your Man”), Dusty Springfield (“I Only Want to be With You”), Dave Clark Five (“Glad All Over”), The Hollies ("Stay"), The Swinging Blue Jeans ("The Hippy Hippy Shake") and The Beatles (" I Want to Hold Your Hand " - the chart chopper of the week).

During the first three years of the program's existence, Jimmy Savill remained its main presenter: he was replaced by Alan Freeman ( English Alan ), Pete Murray ( English Pete Murray ) and David Jacobs ( English ). As a co-host (disc-girl) was presented Mankunian model Samantha Just ( born Samantha Juste ). Initially, the program did not make long-term bets, but it lasted 42 years: 2206 TOTP issues were aired, and in the 70s it attracted 15 million viewers every week, traditionally going on Thursday evenings (Since June 14, 1996 the program was transferred on Friday, which caused widespread displeasure, as it was superimposed on the highly popular Coronation Street television series on ITV ).

Top of the Pops was MTV's forerunner in music video. In order not to come to the shooting every week, many groups recorded vivid, catchy videos (later evolved into video clips ) that increase their chances of success in the hit parade. The Beatles with commercials for Strawberry Fields Forever , Rain , Paperback Writer and Penny Lane were considered trendsetters on music television in the 1960s ^[1] . The clips for Top of the Pops were shot by The Kinks (Dead End Sreet, 1966) ^[2] , David Bowie ( Space Oddity , 1969), Small Faces and other bands and artists of the 1960s. ^{[3] [4]} In the 1970s, Queen, Black Sabbath joined them. In the early 70s, dance troupes appeared in TOTP (first - Pan's People , then Ruby Flipper, Legs & Co., Zoo), who performed the “dance version” of the hit single if the performer for some reason didn’t appeared in the studio and did not provide the video.

The show constantly underwent changes in design, style of conduct and numerous details, constantly remaining modern. It was closely connected with BBC Radio 1 and almost always its leading were radio DJs of this channel (the exception was from October 1991 to January 1994).

In the mid-1990s, when the popularity of the program began to decline, the producer of BBC Radio 1, Ric Blaxill, was called to revive it. He made radical changes: every week he began to invite celebrities as presenters. Among those who led the program were Kylie Minogue , 2 Unlimited , Chris Evans, Chris Eubank, Damon Elbarn and Jarvis Cocker .

TOTP has had strict rules throughout its history. So, the single could not get here in the event that it was already falling in the charts. These rules were canceled in the mid-1990s due to the changing nature of the UK charts (“klaymbery” in charts became rare: as a rule, the single debuted at the highest position and then dropped).

In November 2003 , TOTP underwent the most radical changes in its history: singles that were not yet on the charts, as well as interviews with musicians, began to be included here. However, a year later, after the program’s audience fell below three million, it was transferred to BBC 2 .
July 30, 2006 Top of the Pops went on air for the last time: it was led by Edith Bowman.

The Scottish group The Rezillos released in 1978 a song of the same name dedicated to the transfer. The song criticized Top of the Pops and the music industry in a sarcastic manner. However, having got this song in the top twenty of the UK, The Rezillos, ironically, performed on this program themselves.

• In 1971 ^[5] , a parody of Top of the Pops titled “Top Of The Tops” was shown in one of the episodes of the Benny Hill Show . Hill spoiled the presenters - Jimmy Savile and Tony Blackburn, singer Bobby Gentry , singers Roger Witaker and Roy Orbison , one of the members of the The Bachelors trio (the other two participants are parodying Jackie Wright and Pete O'Dell) and some viewers ^[6] . By the way, the clip for one of Hill's songs - Ernie, The Fastest Milkman In The West - was also shown in one of the releases of the TOTR (1971). ^{[7] [8]} .
• A parody of the show ^{[9] was} also in one of the episodes (1973) of the British sitcom The Goodies (1970-1981). ^[ten]
• The British comedian Ben Elton also parodied this show - in his version the program was called "Top Of The Stupid Old Gits" ^[11] .
• Often parodied manner of representing the "hot twenty" of the artists ^{[12] [13] [14] [14] [15]} .

• The old gray whistle test

• TOTP history on the BBC website
• Top of the pops 2
• Articles about TOTP
• Top of the Pops at museum.tv