Top of the Pops
Big Hits 1979
Specials Episode 107
January 3, 2014 60m
1979 Top of the Pops collection, offering 60 minutes of the year's greatest, cheesiest and oddest performances. 1979 was the year music went portable with the launch of the Sony walkman and another year Top of the Pops, the BBC's flagship music show, managed to still draw over 15 million viewers every Thursday night.
The mod revival and 2 Tone was in full stomp, featured here with the Jam, the Specials, Madness and the Selecter. If new wave was your bag there is Elvis Costello, Squeeze and Gary Numan. In 1979 there was little chance of seeing a show on TV featuring Dame Edna's performance of Waltzing Matilda alongside the Ruts with Babylon's Burning, but the British public's eclectic taste predicted the chart and thus saw them together on TOTP in June.
With singles sales at their peak it was a regular occurrence for groups like Racey and the Nolans to sell over a million copies and their performances may tell us why, or maybe not! Plus new wave pop from Lene Lovich, disco from Chic and a peek at the nation's favourite, Chas & Dave, singing Gertcha.
Playlist:
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Oliver's Army
Lene Lovich – Lucky Number
Chic – I Want Your Love
Racey – Some Girls
Chas & Dave – Gertcha
Squeeze – Up The Junction
Janet Kay – Silly Games
Dame Edna Everage – Disco Matilda
The Ruts – Babylon's Burning
The Police – Can't Stand Losing You
The Pretenders – Kid
Lena Martell – One Day At A Time
Gary Numan – Cars
Cliff Richard – We Don't Talk Anymore
The Jam – The Eton Rifles
The Nolans – I'm In The Mood For Dancing
The Selecter – On My Radio
Joe Jackson – Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Madness – One Step Beyond
M – Pop Musik
The Boomtown Rats – I Don't Like Mondays (promo)
The Specials featuring Rico – A Message To You, Rudy
The mod revival and 2 Tone was in full stomp, featured here with the Jam, the Specials, Madness and the Selecter. If new wave was your bag there is Elvis Costello, Squeeze and Gary Numan. In 1979 there was little chance of seeing a show on TV featuring Dame Edna's performance of Waltzing Matilda alongside the Ruts with Babylon's Burning, but the British public's eclectic taste predicted the chart and thus saw them together on TOTP in June.
With singles sales at their peak it was a regular occurrence for groups like Racey and the Nolans to sell over a million copies and their performances may tell us why, or maybe not! Plus new wave pop from Lene Lovich, disco from Chic and a peek at the nation's favourite, Chas & Dave, singing Gertcha.
Playlist:
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Oliver's Army
Lene Lovich – Lucky Number
Chic – I Want Your Love
Racey – Some Girls
Chas & Dave – Gertcha
Squeeze – Up The Junction
Janet Kay – Silly Games
Dame Edna Everage – Disco Matilda
The Ruts – Babylon's Burning
The Police – Can't Stand Losing You
The Pretenders – Kid
Lena Martell – One Day At A Time
Gary Numan – Cars
Cliff Richard – We Don't Talk Anymore
The Jam – The Eton Rifles
The Nolans – I'm In The Mood For Dancing
The Selecter – On My Radio
Joe Jackson – Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Madness – One Step Beyond
M – Pop Musik
The Boomtown Rats – I Don't Like Mondays (promo)
The Specials featuring Rico – A Message To You, Rudy
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Cast of Big Hits 1979