Best Years Of Our Top of the Pops

The first of three editions of Top of the Pops in rapid successions begins with November 18th 1982...

Er... anyone seen Geoff?

18-11-82: Presenter: John Peel

(32) MODERN ROMANCE – Best Years Of Our Lives
We kick off with our theme tune for 1982 ~ but we'll be needing a new one so very soon! The band's biggest hit, featuring new lead singer Michael J Mullins, peaking at number 4.

(6) DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES – Maneater (video)
Their biggest UK hit now at its peak.

(9) THE HUMAN LEAGUE – Mirror Man
What a stonking return to the charts! Peaked at number 2.

(13) DURAN DURAN – Rio
The title track from their number 2 album, this third single from it peaked at number 9.

(3) TEARS FOR FEARS – Mad World ®
Still a their peak of number 3.

(12) BLANCMANGE – Living On The Ceiling
Went up to number 7.

(24) RENÉE & RENATO – Save Your Love (video)
This year's Joe Dolce ~ and of course it went to number one!

(10) WHAM! – Young Guns (Go For It) ®
At last we get to see this performance ~ the song peaked at number 3.

(1) EDDY GRANT – I Don’t Wanna Dance (video) (and credits)
Second of three weeks at number one.



Next then is November 25th 1982, but this is not being shown on BBC4 because the host is DLT.

The Top of the Pops is Mine

It's November 11th 1982, and host David Jensen is no longer to be known as David 'Kid' Jensen. He's all grown up now.

Mike knows the perfect place to put his pint of beer...

11-11-82: Presenter: David Jensen

(21) BLUE ZOO – Cry Boy Cry
Making their second appearance in the studio and getting tonight's show underway with their only top 30 hit, which peaked at number 13.

(2) DIONNE WARWICK – Heartbreaker ®
Now at its chart peak.

(9) MICHAEL JACKSON & PAUL McCARTNEY – The Girl Is Mine
The rare sight of an all male dance routine tonight from Zoo, but who would have had the slightest inkling at this point in time what was about to happen to Michael Jackson? And who could possibly have guessed that the album this first single was taken from would go on to become the biggest seller of all time! And yet despite going straight into the chart at number 9, The Girl is Mine went up just one more place...

(5) MARVIN GAYE – (Sexual) Healing (video)
His first top ten hit for five years, and his final one before his death in 1984, 'Healing' went up one more place.

The edited out JK bit:
(US 9) LAURA BRANIGAN – Gloria (video)
(US 4) MICHAEL McDONALD – I Keep Forgetting (video)
(US 1) JOE COCKER & JENNIFER WARNES – Up Where We Belong (video)

(41) A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS – Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
When this peaked at number 10 it became the band's only top ten hit, but that's pop music for you, its a case of hair today gone tomorrow....

(29) DONNA SUMMER – State Of Independence (video)
This terrific cover of a fabulous Jon and Vangelis song from the previous year peaked at number 14. Apparently Donna was nervous about appearing on Top of the Pops, hence this is another clip taken from the Late Late Breakfast Show.

(11) CLANNAD – Theme From ‘Harry’s Game’
Harry's Game was a popular ITV mini-series thriller set in Northern Ireland, and Clannad's theme peaked at number 5. And its not Enya singing here, she had recently left the group, it's her older sister.

(1) EDDY GRANT – I Don’t Wanna Dance (video)
The first of three week's at number one for Eddy ~ I bet he was dancing all the way to the bank!

(27) RAW SILK – Do It To The Music (crowd dancing) (and credits)
On its way to number 18.

No, you are not hallucinating. This did just happen. (We’ve added captions for ease of identification.) #TOTP pic.twitter.com/EnexanY0ce

— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) December 16, 2016

Next up then will be a double bill on BBC4 next Friday, featuring November 18th 1982 followed by December 2nd 1982. Which means that we will somehow have to sandwich in November 25th, which was hosted by DLT, so won't be broadcast.

Top of the Pops on the Ceiling

A huge thanks here to Glenn Marshall for making this edition of Top of the Pops from November 4th 1982 available here at dropbox.

It won't be shown on BBC4 because apparently host Mike Smith did not give his consent to being repeated.

Ever get that nagging feeling you've forgotten to sign something.....

4-11-82: Presenter: Mike Smith

(42) WHAM! – Young Guns (Go For It)
What a debut to not be able to show on BBC4! The first of ten top top hits, which included four number ones, with this peaking at number 3.

(28) DIANA ROSS – Muscles (video)
Flexed its way to number 15.

(37) BLANCMANGE – Living On The Ceiling
Another debut on the show, this being the first of three top ten hits for the band when it peaked at number 7.

(30) JOHN COUGAR – Jack And Diane (video)
This had been an American  number one, but 25 was its peak here, and his only top 30 hit.

(10) SHAKIN’ STEVENS – I’ll Be Satisfied (video)
At its peak.

(20) DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES – Maneater
Another former American number one, Maneater became their biggest hit in the UK reaching number 6.

(22) THE PIRANHAS feat. BORING BOB GROVER – Zambezi
Went up five more places.

(11) KOOL & THE GANG – Ooh La La La (Let’s Go Dancin’) (danced to by Zoo)
Also went up five more places.

(1) CULTURE CLUB – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? ®
Third and final week at number one.

(24) SHARON REDD – Never Give You Up (video) (crowd dancing) (and credits)
Went up four more places.



That leads us to November 11th 1982, which will be on BBC4 next Friday.

Top of the Pops Breaker

Well it's October 28th, not quite Halloween yet, but Simon Bates and Top of the Pops are really pushing the pumpkins out tonight like never before! And (although there was no connection, I don't think...) five days later Channel 4 was launched!

Trick or Treat or Top of the Pops??

28-10-82: Presenter: Simon Bates

(33) RAW SILK – Do It To The Music
Getting the cauldron bubbling tonight are three Raw Silk ladies with what became their only visit to the top 30 when they peak-a-booed at number 18.

(4) THE BEATLES – Love Me Do (video)
It got to number 17 twenty years earlier, but now number 4 was Love Me Do's new peak position.

(35) BLUE ZOO – Cry Boy Cry
The only victim of tonight's 7.30pm bloodaxe.

(29) DIONNE WARWICK – Heartbreaker
Another borrowing from the Late Late Breakfast Show here, with Dionne performing what would become her first top ten hit for 14 years, when this Bee Gees written song made it to number 2.

(6) TEARS FOR FEARS – Mad World (video)
Roland was still desperately trying to get his weird little armography dance routine to catch on, doing it all the way through this video whilst Curt desperately pressed his face against a window trying to escape! The song though went up three more places.

(21) MELBA MOORE – Love’s Comin’ At Ya ®
The Halloweeny audience disappears as we get a repeat showing of Melba from a few editions back. The song went up six more places.

(11) EDDY GRANT – I Don’t Wanna Dance (video)
Eddy's up to his neck in women trouble here, though he floats off into the sunset with his girl in the end. A soon to be number one hit.

(1) CULTURE CLUB – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?
A new studio performance tonight for their second of three weeks at number one. And such a very appropriate song title for a Halloween show!

(10) BARRY MANILOW – I Wanna Do It With You (crowd dancing) (and credits)
We end this spooky special with Barry's only flying visit to the top ten, and he went up two more places.

“But first of all, a bit of music!” Yes, Simon, because it’s TOP OF THE POPS. #TOTP pic.twitter.com/EqQgx5QLYv

— BBC Four (@BBCFOUR) December 9, 2016

The next show should of course be November 4th 1982 hosted for the first time by Mike Smith, but for some bizarre and unfathomable reason it will not be shown on BBC4, so instead we will skip to the 11th with David Jensen.

Be Loud Be Proud (Be Top of the Pops)

What a year 2016 has turned out to be, with the passing today of yet another much loved pop star, this time the wonderful Greg Lake. At least we still have the Top of the Pops re-runs, and here we are now at October 21st 1982, with a show that was seen by 10.35 million viewers when first broadcast.

Has anyone seen Gnasher?

21-10-82: Presenter: Peter Powell

(37) THE PIRANHAS feat. BORING BOB GROVER – Zambezi
It looks like the inhabitants of Beano Town have been let loose in the studio tonight, covering this 1956 Lou Busch top two hit, which became the second and final hit for the Piranhas, peaking at 17.

(3) KIDS FROM FAME – Starmaker (video)
They look so happy now, don't they? But the song got no higher in the charts.

(24) IMAGINATION – In The Heat Of The Night ®
Edited out of tonight's 7.30pm slot.

(35) TOYAH – Be Loud Be Proud (Be Heard)
A colourful performance from Toyah here but the song went up just five more places.

(31) KOOL & THE GANG – Ooh La La La (Let’s Go Dancin’)
In the studio looking very kool in matching suits with what became their biggest hit of the year, making it to number six.

(18) BAUHAUS – Ziggy Stardust ®
An entire band of Bowie impersonators, with a cover that sounds almost identical to the original, although Bowie himself never released this song as a single. It went up three more places.

(7) SPANDAU BALLET – Lifeline ®
Edited out of tonight's early viewing.

(27) SHARON REDD – Never Give You Up (video)
Sharon's facial expressions are giving Zoolander a run for his money here, andNever Give You Up made it to number 20.

(20) SHAKIN’ STEVENS – I’ll Be Satisfied (video)
Shaky and his exuberant fans take over the Shaftesbury theatre as he performs this Jackie Wilson cover which then peaked at number 10.

(1) CULTURE CLUB – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? ®
The first of three weeks at number one.

(9) KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS – Annie I’m Not Your Daddy (crowd dancing) (and credits)
On its way to seriously challenge for that number one spot.


It's (almost) Halloween again next with the edition from October 28th 1982.

Top of the Pops Comin' at Ya

Phew! So here's the final installment of this run of four editions of Top of the Pops over the last two days! John Peel rounds off what he started as the host on BBC4 once again with the show from October 14th 1982.

Hat'll do nicely!

14-10-82: Presenter: John Peel

(8) MARI WILSON – Just What I Always Wanted
Third time on the show and now at its chart peak.

(36) BARRY MANILOW – I Wanna Do It With You (video)
Amazingly this was Barry's only top ten hit in the UK! This clip is from the Late Late Breakfast Show, and the song peaked at number 8.

(38) TEARS FOR FEARS – Mad World
Making their debut on the show with the first of seven top ten hits, Mad World peaked at number 3.

The JK edited out bit:
(US 9) OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN – Heart Attack (video)
(US 8) AMERICA – You Can Do Magic (video)
(US 2) MEN AT WORK – Who Can It Be Now? (video)
(US 1) JOHN COUGAR – Jack And Diane (video)

(27) THE PINKEES – Danger Games
On its way by hook and by crook towards the top ten. And edited out of tonight's 7.30 slot.

(37) MELBA MOORE – Love’s Comin’ At Ya
Melba brings her shoulder pads into the studio and Love's Comin At Ya peaked at number 15.

(30) THE PRETENDERS – Back On The Chain Gang
Zoo do a chain gang routine and the song peaked at number 17.

(20) ULTRAVOX – Reap The Wild Wind (video)
Went up eight more places.

(14) THE BEATLES – Love Me Do (video)
Marking 20 years since the first Beatles single, it originally peaked at number 17 but this time around made it to a more impressive number four.

(1) MUSICAL YOUTH – Pass The Dutchie (video)
Final week at the top.

(12) CARLY SIMON – Why (crowd dancing) (and credits)
Went up two more places.

14th October 1982

October 21st 1982 is where we go to next week.

Pass the Top of the Pops

This edition of Top of the Pops from October 7th 1982 is hosted by Jimmy Savile and so won't be shown on BBC4. Once more we have to thank Neil B for uploading the show to WeTransfer.
Do not click it if you wish to avoid Jimmy Savile.

That awkward moment when you realise your toothbrush is actually a microphone.....

7-10-82: Presenter: Jimmy Savile

(39) KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS – Annie I’m Not Your Daddy
Their biggest hit, peaked at number 2.

(4) CHICAGO – Hard To Say I’m Sorry (video)
At its peak.

(16) SIMPLE MINDS – Glittering Prize ®
At its peak.

(42) BAUHAUS – Ziggy Stardust
Their only top 20 hit, peaked at number 15.

(2) FAT LARRY’S BAND – Zoom (video)
At its peak.

(28) SPANDAU BALLET – Lifeline
Reached number 7.

(3) CULTURE CLUB – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?
On its way to number one.

(19) THE ANIMALS – House Of The Rising Sun (danced to by Zoo)
Originally the band's only number one hit, from 1964, this re-issue made it to number 11.

(14) KIDS FROM FAME – Starmaker (video)
Second and final top ten hit for the Kids, peaking at number 3.

(1) MUSICAL YOUTH – Pass The Dutchie (video)
Second of three weeks at the top.

(7) EVELYN KING – Love Come Down (crowd dancing) (and credits)
At its peak.




We are back to BBC4 next with the edition from October 14th 1982.