Having entertained the nation for 42 years, exactly two years ago today the BBC called time on a British institution – Top of the Pops. Revelling in success throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, TOTP suffered and unfortunate decline of viewers in the late 90s - mainly due to the arrival of 24/7 MTV which towered over the 30 minutes of pop star viewage available on terrestrial TV during the week, giving us round the clock action of our favourite popstrals.
Fear not though, in 2004 there was a DVD Released called Top of the Pops: 40th Anniversary. It features one song for each year to celebrate its 40th Anniversary, which may allow you to relive your favourite TOTP moments, including these little gems (but not forgetting the incredibly poor attempt at lip-syncing):
- A possessed looking Kate Bush performing her debut of Wuthering Heights – screechy voice, dilated pupils, sat cross-legged in a dry ice wilderness*.
- Nirvana's Kurt Cobain dropping an octave and solemnly singing "Load up on drugs, kill your friends", whilst performing Smells Like Teen Spirit**.
- Crooner Barry Manilow belting out his classic Bermuda Triangle ("try and see it from my angle"), stood in an inflatable Argos paddling pool***.
* classy