Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops was a BBC television programme, based around up-and-coming musical talent. New and current bands and singers would appear every episode. (AUDIO: Horror of Glam Rock ^[+]Loading...["Horror of Glam Rock (audio story)"])

In Mesopotamia in 2700 BC, Ace said that if Avram got a decent backing band, he could easily get on Top of the Pops. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys ^[+]Loading...["Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)"])

In December 1968, Ace and Robin Yeadon watched the Rolling Stones perform on Top of the Pops. (PROSE: Nightshade ^[+]Loading...["Nightshade (novel)"], AUDIO: Nightshade ^[+]Loading...["Nightshade (audio story)"])

In the winter of 1974, musical manager Arnold Korns had managed to get the Tomorrow Twins a slot on Top of the Pops. Due to an attack by the Only Ones at the Nadir Motorway Service Station and the death of Trisha Tomorrow, the pair were unable to perform on the programme. (AUDIO: Horror of Glam Rock ^[+]Loading...["Horror of Glam Rock (audio story)"])

Behind the scenes

A clip from the 13 May 1965 instalment of Top of the Pops appears in the TV story The Chase ^[+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"], in which the Beatles are shown performing their song "Ticket to Ride". Due to the BBC's practice of wiping old videotapes, (a practice which has also impacted Doctor Who), the brief clip featured in The Chase remains the only known surviving Beatles footage of the band performing on Top of the Pops.

Regular presenters of Top of the Pops included Jimmy Savile, David Jacobs, Tony Blackburn, Noel Edmonds, David Hamilton, Mike Read, Jenny Powell, Jo Whiley, Zöe Ball, Konnie Huq, Reggie Yates, and Rufus Hound. David Tennant served as a guest presenter during a 2009 Comic Relief special of Top of the Pops, alongside Davina McCall, Claudia Winkleman, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Jonathan Ross.