Top 10 WTF Top Of The Pops Performances kzread.info/dash/bejne/hYZ3yJKmg5mth9I.html

@user-zf9en2lt4m

Жыл бұрын

Annoying voice, annoying video. Bad puns. Avoid.

The Top of the Pops performance that really sticks in my mind, nearly 50 years later, is Sparks: This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us.

@1171karl

Жыл бұрын

Ron Mael used to make me hide behind the sofa. Took some years for me to realise its a great song!

@mangelwurzel476

Жыл бұрын

My stand out performance too - first single I ever bought!

@SIRDKA

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely unforgettable.

@dellafenton2417

Жыл бұрын

Unforgettable!

@colinpumpernickel2605

Жыл бұрын

Me too, Jerry.

Bowie didn't die, Earth was just a stop on his tour.

Seeing Debbie Harry with Blondie 1978 for the first time singing Denis.

Roxy Music Virginia Plain should have been on the list, that was a game changer.,

Sparks - this town ain't big enough for the both of us (1974)

Couldn’t agree more with Starman ….. life changing moment for me.

@kevinruddy448

2 жыл бұрын

Then you'd be better off changing your underwear sunshine 😂

@benjack8477

Жыл бұрын

Space Odyssey was a game changer

I was glued to TOTP when Alice Cooper sang School's Out

Kate Bush is a STAR. Absolutely unique. Before Gaga. Before Madonna. Stunning talent.

@myalfie

2 жыл бұрын

And she was only 19 years of age, unbelievable really and her song writing was outstanding to say the least.

@raven_ous2585

2 жыл бұрын

She's absolutely brilliant 👍👌

@MrMusicbyMartin

2 жыл бұрын

She predated artists like Bjork, the Cocteau Twins and Joanna Newsom, and her songwriting always avoided the formulaic and the familiar.

@minigrande1939

2 жыл бұрын

Totally insult her bye comparing her to music promoted artist created by a management team. Kate Bush was pure talent no million dollar videos and costume. When would you ever see the preproduced nonsense you mention wear a simple black dress on stage

@minigrande1939

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrMusicbyMartin. Thank you someone mentioning real talent not maddonna and lady gaga wtf?

I don't think young people today could ever grasp the gigantic impact of that first performance of Gary Numan. I remember being at my friends house after school when Numan came on and we were all stood motionless mesmerised.

I remember always being excited for "Top of the Pops" each week, I couldn't wait to see which band or celebrity would be performing that night!

@franklingoodwin

2 жыл бұрын

It was appointment viewing. Every Thursday night at 7.30pm in its heyday

@vixxxenfoxxx3660

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a pretty awesome show, unfortunately, I'm in the U.S so I missed out.

@ewantaylor483

2 жыл бұрын

Until you discovered Ready Steady Go , when they had to play live

@santorini8423

2 жыл бұрын

Brings back memories of watching with my late older sis, and also listening to the Sunday charts when they were deemed a must

@imgoingtocountdownfromthir4580

2 жыл бұрын

Required viewing for anybody aged between 5 & 25 back then.... Thursday nights 7.30, I remember Tomorrow's world being on right after it.

Seeing David Bowie on TOTP was like Boy George a decade later, amazing and very different. My favourite TOTP performances The Jam playing In The City and the banned possibly deleted Ian Dury and The Blockheads playing I Want To Be Straight dressed as police officers.

@sdw1106

Жыл бұрын

Jam all around the world is the performance that changed my life. Can't argue with that Bowie performance as no.1 though.

Spot on with the number 1! Bowie was amazing in ‘72! And SO pleased to see Slade in this list - such an underrated band, but one of the most successful artists of the 70’s (with many number one singles and albums).

@feargal2433

2 жыл бұрын

Well said and let us remember Sweet, another under rated band from the same era.

@turokforever007

Жыл бұрын

UK radio hated slade for some reason

@DeanJuvenal

Жыл бұрын

Bowie was a nasty, xenophobic racist. It was in reaction to his, and Clapton’s, outbursts that RAR was formed (Rock Against Racism). I’m pleased to say that I was one of the 100s who booed him off the stage over his racist remarks at the “Babylonian Mouthpiece Show” hosted by John Peel.

@siypic

Жыл бұрын

Yep! spot on with Starman on TOTP in 72, August /September I think it was...... never forget seeing it .....

@simoncurtis2827

Жыл бұрын

Who the hell ever underrated Slade!

Without a doubt that performance of Starman was always gonna go down in history. We woke up in a Bowie/Ziggy world The next day in school everybody including the teachers were talking about it

Bowie deserves his#1........i saw him live spring 73.....unless you were there you cannot imagine the power he had over the audience....1 minute into the show and he owned us for life.

I knew Bowie doing Starman would be No.1 but I was amazed Roxy Music doing Virginia Plain was not in the Top Ten. Not even an honourable mention 😮

@robin231176

2 жыл бұрын

Just what I was thinking!

@sysop224

2 жыл бұрын

Or Alice Cooper

@chrisoneill3999

Жыл бұрын

A very gay-friendly selection. The Cis listing would be just as interesting.

@julianaylor4351

Жыл бұрын

Should have had a mention.

Here’s a bunch of classic 70s performances that are missing… Just saying… (Didn’t include Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols (77) as it wasn’t performed in the TOTP studios, ITV actually but….stands shoulder to shoulder) Killer Queen - Queen (74) Schools Out - Alice Cooper (72) Virginia Plain - Roxy Music (72) Get It On - T Rex (71) Blockbuster - Sweet (73) including Steve Priest in Nazi regalia! You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart (72) Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles (79)

@Zett76

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I expected Killer Queen to be in the top ten.

@frithst

Жыл бұрын

Yep all good choices, remember being struck by all of these appearances when aired except virignia plain - must have missed that episode.

Jilted John should have been on the list. The hand-dancer really was something special.

Bowie's performance of Jean Genie was also a great performance and should have been mentioned and was, AFAIK, performed live with Bowie paying homage to The Beatles with the mouth harp solo.

@22448824

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. “Feel the raw power of David Bowie” was so accurate.

Kate Bush and David Bowie, the goddess and the god of music. RIP, Mr. Bowie. You are missed.

@sage6336

2 жыл бұрын

Fat little man

Totally agree that Bowie performance in 72 completely 'freaked' me... I went out and bought Ziggy the next day....

Bowie! No one else could be nr. 1. That was an historic moment, if I ever saw one. What a genius!

Lennon, Bowie, and Kate Bush… As a Canadian artist/ singer I wonder if everyone there were high or experiencing one of the best true blessing of music composed and given to our fucked up world to us hope for our future…. Love. From Quebec, Canada.

So glad the iconic Bowie and Ronson performance was in here, if it hadn't been I would've been outraged 🥰

I'm shocked by some of the omissions from here: Trex and Elton John doing Get it on(Bang a gong)... Queen doing Killer queen... Procul Harum doing Whiter shade... Sabrina's Boys Boys Boys was a pretty entertaining performance too 😲😆

@tartgreenapple

Жыл бұрын

The purpose of Top lists is to motivate disillusionment. Then straight to commenting to reveal the omission. 👌👌👌

@irishmaninporto3510

Жыл бұрын

Surprised Sabrina wasnt in it also .. it was certainly memorable !!!😆

I remember the Bowie and Starman, but mainly because i was living in Hull where the Spiders came from. I would have been ten. Happy days.

One of the most memorable for me was when Tenpole Tudor made their debut, we had no warning it was going to happen and I'd never heard of them before, but when they appeared to perform Swords of A Thousand Men I was blown away.

@kevinruddy448

2 жыл бұрын

I reckon you were a groupie for the wombles also sunshine 😂

@feargal2433

2 жыл бұрын

I remember it & yeah I had the same reaction.

@leopold7562

Жыл бұрын

It was Eddie Tudorpole’s athletic leaps that I remember most

@matoko123

Жыл бұрын

I recall it well.

@cherylthommo1

Жыл бұрын

I saw that moron being a complete nasty piece of work to the staff at KFC in Tottenham Court Road in 1980.

Anything with the stranglers in it cause they are brilliant 😎👍

Gary Numan is still a brilliant artist and Are Friends Electric still stands the test of time, in my opinion

@thespochanal2

2 жыл бұрын

yeah it was also on the soundtrack for need for speed carbon that came out in 2006 nearly 30 years since it was relesed still sounds fresh as it did then

@donbrashsux

2 жыл бұрын

His more recent re recording of are friends electric is epic

@kevinruddy448

Жыл бұрын

Great times for screwing and party people 🎉🇬🇧😂👍

@brettbigham8420

Жыл бұрын

My iTunes used to have a counter and a list of the 25 top-played songs. Are Friends Electric was in my top 10. The counter disappeared years and years ago but I always thought it interesting to see what songs I played the most.

@CdEmm50

Жыл бұрын

That little **** copied a phase Bowie went through. Numan was a pound shop one trick pony.

This FGTH "Relax" performance was on the 20th Anniversary episode January 5th 1984. The record was banned by the BBC a week later. It was number one by the end of January and stayed in the chart for 48 weeks.

@frankschlanker

2 жыл бұрын

to think originally neither of them played on the track, only Holly sung!! Fair play to them though they learned it and smashed it

@llanelli14

2 жыл бұрын

@@frankschlanker it was a ‘viral campaign’ in an era before anyone could even dream of such a strategy.

Hawkwind and Silver Machine. Hawkwind told the BBC they'd have to film them live, so they did. I think it's the only time you heard live music on TOTP?

@matoko123

Жыл бұрын

Deffo not the only live performance. Hawkwind ..... fantastic.

The Bowie performance is one of the all time iconic music performances on television. Kudos as well for including Numan and Boy George, they were also seminal.

Marc Bolan and T.Rex should have been on here he started it all of in the early 70s

@markforster2794

2 жыл бұрын

Perhaps you should watch it again

@markharrisllb

2 жыл бұрын

According to a certain Mr David Bowie, he was the greatest loss to British music. Many Bolan Fans will never forgive Gloria Jones, I think that’s why Soft Cell strangled Tainted Love. You know he was on just before Bowie don’t you?

@johnmc3862

2 жыл бұрын

@@markforster2794 What?

@benjack8477

2 жыл бұрын

Bolan created glam Rock

@arnoldcorns8879

Жыл бұрын

@@benjack8477 sry, thats b***sh*t. Actually it was bowie with the Hype. it happend to have a Guy called Marc f. In the audience...

I wonder what happened to the boy who is dancing behind Bowie and Ronson in the rainbow tank top? Little did he know he would be immortalised in the greatest moment in Top of the Pops history. He's got to be in his mid sixties by now

Culture Club's first appearance made history.

I started watching this thinking 'If they don't have David Bowie doing 'Starman' I'll go all 'Grrrr-ey'. Safe to say I was not disappointed!

Numans performance in 79 changed my life ! 🎤🎹🔺😊💖

The stranglers might be an honourable mention? And I thought that the Undertones Teenage Kicks would have been number one because it defined happy drumming.

Bowie - simply awesome! RIP David.

I agree with many of your picks, especially the Bowie top vote. If you folks are looking for new material, I suggest a TOTP greatest top 10 dance performances of Legs & Co and Pan's People...upscaled to 4k for modern audiences and aging pervz like me.

Thanks a lot really interesting video and topic! In France they have done a Top Of the Pop show at the beginning of 2000's but it didn't last! but we had Hit Machine and it was awesome!

I still remember Bowie's performance, I thought it was a dream. Genius😱

Trust WM to not do their research, in 1979 when Tubeway Army released Are Friends Electric, punk rock was on its way out and New Wave bands had been on the scene since 1977 at least, The Jam, The Stranglers, Boomtown Rats, The Police, Elvis Costello And The Attractions and Ian Dury And The Blockheads to name a few were all under the New Wave umbrella and all had big chart hits prior to 1979. Tubeway Army and Gary Numan in particular was the transition from New Wave to the synth bands of the early 80s

Wow, all of my favourite pop artists are in top 6 - Slade, John Lennon, Kate Bush, and David Bowie. I'd have included Rod Stewart and T Rex in the Top for sure, instead of Spice Girls and a couple of guys who I never heard of. My other favourites are all prog and metal bands, don't expect they ever made it to TOTP.

great!!!! request 20 top of the pops perfomances.

Withering heights.. FFS MOJO it's WUTHERING!

Clicked because of John Lennon... Stayed for him as well

@tz6414

Жыл бұрын

Looked like Ono cut his fringe with the blindfold on too.

Culture club, Bowie & Kate Bush were my faves! 👌🏼😎👌🏼😎👌🏼😎

Great list!

Great list. As an American, I only got to see what showed up on KZread. David Bowie @#1 is always a wise choice. When I searched for bands like XTC and Talking Heads at this venue they were ALWAYS top notch☮️

@kevinruddy448

Жыл бұрын

Get some led zeppelin down yer, for fxxks sake sweetheart 🇬🇧🤣

@batgurrl

Жыл бұрын

@@kevinruddy448 stairway to Heaven the most overrated song in the history of rock songs. For decades now it comes in number 1 of the annual top 1043 songs from NYC Q1043, now played nationally. Sorry, of the ‘British Invasion, I enjoy the Kinks a lot more’ But enjoy Zep more than The Who, they had about 4-5 great songs, the rest is average. Behind Blue Eyes🤢🤢

@batgurrl

Жыл бұрын

@@kevinruddy448 there was The Beach Boys. I will never ever worship Zep

What about Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us? Bizarre for 1974 but truly awesome!

Sat here watching this video, expecting Jeffrey Daniel's performance to be overlooked. So happy to be proved wrong!

Surprised Nirvana's 'performance' of Smells Like Teen Spirit didn't get at least an honourable mention. A fantastic bit of subversion.

@martinkulkarni3569

2 жыл бұрын

I believe the acts had to be on the TOTP stage to count. Otherwise, Bo Rhap would have been No.1. Besides, Nirvana (Yawn) stole the riff from Boston’s More Than A Feeling.

@durhamfox5271

2 жыл бұрын

@@martinkulkarni3569 They were on TOTP stage

@duncancurtis1758

2 жыл бұрын

What Kurt's anti drugs message?

@the_local_bigamist

2 жыл бұрын

@@martinkulkarni3569 lol Smells Like Teen Spirit does not have the same riff to that crappy Boston song. It may not be anywhere close to being Nirvana's best songs, but it is a unique chord progression. Not difficult or complex but clearly appealing enough to become a massive hit. The only similarity with More Than a Feeling is the strumming pattern, but that's only on the first few strums anyway.

@martinkulkarni3569

2 жыл бұрын

@@the_local_bigamist ‘crappy’ Boston song. 😂😂😂😂😂 Funny man! Is that the same ‘crappy’ song from the all time best selling ‘crappy’ debut album until the Guns ‘n Roses one? Don’t just take my word for it. It is well considered amongst many musicians to be extremely familiar to that drug-addled arseholes ‘noise’.

I remember my mother used to tell me this programme was the bomb back in the day

David Bowie and the spiders SO deserved the number 1 !

The turnaround in Frankie Goes Hollywood's song relax was mainly due to Radio 1 DJ Simon Bates or Mike Reid wanting the song banned. The Kate Bush appearance was one of those WOW! WTF have I just witnessed. She was what the music industry needed at that time

@1171karl

2 жыл бұрын

I could be wrong but I think the Frankie performance was after the ban was lifted

@JCesar-xf2bk

2 жыл бұрын

Mike Reid decided to boycott the song, so he instantly made people curious to hear the song. They ran out to buy the single, making it 1984's biggest selling single after Band Aid's ''Do They Know It's Christmas''

@richardharding8438

Жыл бұрын

@@1171karl Pretty sure it wasn't, my mate was one of the few people we knew who had a VCR at the time, he had that TOTP episode recorded and it was in high demand because they weren't on again because of the ban.

Great list but sorry Ian Dury and The Blockheads with Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick isn't in there somewhere...it's immense.

The King Bolan.

Most hits and performances at Top of the Pops; Status Quo!!!! Like it or not!

@woodysmodels6175

2 жыл бұрын

I was just about to say , no mention of status quo ? Most appearances on top of the pops 108 times i think

@matoko123

Жыл бұрын

Really? A great band, they deserve it.

The Who July 1971 Won't Get Fooled Again. Starman July 1972. Also, the Christmas 1973 and 1979 editions are two of the best ever.

Got this list pretty spot on

I can’t disagree with some of these, but I’d happily replace a few. One I felt should be there was All About Eve’s “Martha’s Harbour”. After a technical hitch screwed up their mime performance, they played live the following week and were exceptional, especially Julianne Regan’s lyrics which were gorgeous. Won me over enough to be a fan.

Amongst the kids influenced by David Bowie's performance was a 15 year old girl called Susan Dallion - better known as Siouxsie.

Motorhead playing 'Bomber' LIVE!

Awesome video

Imagine promoting a single and you send a band member to simply dance to it. Take a bow Jeffrey Daniel. 1982. Incredible!!

@mikeomolt4485

Жыл бұрын

Jeffrey says, Jody Watley was pregnant at that time. As Night To Remember began to climb, Jeffrey was sent on his own when Shalamar was asked do TOTP. The rest, as they say, is history.

Kate Bush - so beautiful, so talented, so unique

@raven_ous2585

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely 👍👌

@chrisplunkett2814

2 жыл бұрын

After all these years she still has the power to hypnotise me with stage presence that modern singers can only dream about having.

@pateris

2 жыл бұрын

Unique because it was a perfect storm of talent, nurtured by people who cared (her family was very supportive and she earned her mettle in her brother's band), then finding people who knew people (David Gilmour) who went on a limb, and were right to do so.

Madness missing?..all of their performances where entertaining.they never disappointed.

@billslocum9819

2 жыл бұрын

Madness was one of the most creative mime bands. They clearly put thought in every performance.

@duncancurtis1758

2 жыл бұрын

Buster Bloodvessel in drag to Can Can 1980.

@LarsSomers

2 жыл бұрын

Or the performance of Ghost Town is also great!

my honourable mention: kylie minogue & fischerspooner doing their remix of her hit "come into my world".

T-Rex wow that’s an interesting honourable mentions

In Australia during the 70's and 80's there was a Top of the Pops equivalent known as Countdown and arguably the most infamous appearance on that show was from Iggy Pop and his over the top performance of 'I'm Bored'. If it had been on TOTP's it would definitely make the top ten, highly recommended.

@hovefactually7505

2 жыл бұрын

It was on the TOTPs.

@zapkvr

2 жыл бұрын

He was still miming

@rvegas81

Жыл бұрын

In the US we had three or four different kinds: American Bandstand/ TRL, BET, a Saturday Morning l version, and Soul Train. All four went away by the early 2000s, which sucks. Miss those days.

@rvegas81

Жыл бұрын

We also got TOTP here in the US. BBC programming shown quite a bit here lol!

@cliffyoung4612

11 ай бұрын

There was also an 'interview' with Mollie Meldrum after the performance !

This is before my time and I love it

You mention Bowie and Ronson’s interaction on stage and then cut it out! Fire the editor 🤦🏻‍♂️

So many future stars were watching Starman and say it was a life changing moment. George Michael, Boy George and Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunnymen among a few who have spoken about it.

@coldercoronet6248

Жыл бұрын

And Ian Curtis from Joy Division.

@eileengoehring6080

Жыл бұрын

George Michael !!!!!

List should include Maria McKee's live performance of Show Me Heaven and Gladys Knight singing Midnight Train to Georgia live and pregnant in 1976.

I love David ....😘

Lennon = brilliant

Nothing from the 60s? You can always identify the age of the person performing the rankings.

For me, it has to be Roberta Flack's rendition of "The first time ever I saw your face" back in 1972 on TOTP. Blew me away then and still brings tears to my eyes, her best version of this song and on TOTP live too ! Just breathtaking. You can find it on youtube.

@kevinruddy448

2 жыл бұрын

Man up for fxxcks sake and grow a pair sweetie, get some led zeppelin down yer ☘️😜!

@kevinruddy448

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, and Gary glitter with the (the first time I sew your arse) chart hit 🚽😛

Amazing to watch Shalamar for moon walking and right on the money....6:31.

Good stuff

The Smiths - This Charming Man, 1983

love this show

Two that come to mind that weren't mentioned are 'Word Up' by Cameo, with the lead singer in his red codpiece, and Julian Cope climbing over his weird shaped microphone stand to sing 'World Shut Your Mouth'!

I loved the funny mistake when Dexy’s Midnight Runners performed Jackie Wilson Said but the studio put up a picture of darts player JOCKEY Wilson! 😂😂😂

How can you forget to mention Mud with Tigerfeet when the roadies were dancing on stage? Such an energy.

@SIRDKA

Жыл бұрын

Haha that was a 70's classic.

@mikedonoghues4018

Жыл бұрын

They were brilliant with the ventriloquist’s dummy on “Lonely This Christmas” on TOTP too!

So Kate Bush was the only one on the list that sang live. Showing the 'take no prisoners' approach that would define her records.

Love Gary numan still buying his music today

Starman is my favourite totp performance.. Its nice to agree with these lists for a change.

Bowie, Kate Bush, T Rex the end!!

Thing with top of the pops is it's only in its final phase that full live performances were possible. 70s had the top of the pops orchestra; 80s was almost all miming and the early 90s live vocals to backing tracks

Not really sure why the spice girls & blur were included and not Adam Ants appearance doing goody two shoes where they provided 3 separate stages for him and a number of dancing girls.

This looks interesting, what we got first The Spice Girls! OH! Ok, who's next? Blur! WTF? Next up, Frankie. OP ..."The crowd are into it" What! you mean the paid dancers in that, godawful, early 80' TOTP shake up? Looks like I'm bailing soon...

Kate Bush number one !!!! - only Kate - The Beatles - and Elvis have had 11 albums in Top 50 at same time - Kate did it when living!

Robert Wyatt in a wheelchair doing I'm a Believer with Fred Frith on viola.

I thought Gary Glitter might have got a mention for never knowing the words when he was miming, got to agree with Bowie, Lennon, Slade, Bush,

Elton John from the seventies, Your Song, or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road should be there

Whams first performance on TOP should be on here.

I AGREE WITH STARMAN BY BOWIE AS FIRST! I’m glad my dad showed me that video at an early age too!

I absolutely agree with the number 1 being Bowie but Spice Girls, really? Top 10 of TOTP appearances? The song was already established, they were already seen. I think Adam And The Ants first appearance with Dog Eat Dog is more impactful than that Spice Girls one. Similar to Starman in that the next day their world changed