THE FRIDAY FIVE – 3.1.2020

1. Neil Innes – Raggy Dolls
2. Harry Styles – Adore You
3. Tonnes and I – Dance Monkey
4. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now
5. Inhaler – Ice Cream Sundae

Tonight on BBC Four (9pm) sees The Story Of 1989, which will officially start the repeats of Top Of The Pops episodes from 1989 on BBC Four (Starting Thursday 9th January)

So, to celebrate this, here’s some songs from 1989 for you.

1. Then Jerico – Big Are
2. Billy Joel – We Didn’t Start The Fire
3. Tom Petty – Freefallin
4. Tears For Fears – Sowing The Seeds Of Love
5. Queen – The Miracle

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 4.1.2019

1. Lovelytheband – Broken
2. Marc Almond and Jools Holland – Tainted Love
3. Rudimental – These Days
4. Brian May – New Horizons
5. The 1975 – It’s Not Living

Tonight, sees The Story Of 1987 on BBC Four, marking the start of the 1987 repeats of Top Of The Pops on the channel.

As is tradition, when the Top Of The Pops repeats reach a new year, I do a chart. So here, is a chart from 1987.

FIVE SONGS FROM 1987

1. Bee Gees – You Win Again
2. Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
3. Madonna – Who’s That Girl?
4. Climie Fisher – Love Changes Everything
5. Curiousity Killed The Cat – Misfit

I’m not suggesting that 1987 was the undisputed year of the banger, but look at some of the songs that weren’t included.

INXS – Need You Tonight
Depeche Mode – Strangelove
Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
REM – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth
MARRS – Pump Up The Volume
Spagna – Call Me
Bananarama – Love In The First Degree
Madonna – La Isla Bonita
Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies
Glenn and Chris – Diamond Lights
U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name
U2 – I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Fleetwood Mac – Everywhere
Squeeze – Hourglass

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.7.2018

1. George Ezra – Shotgun
2. Tom Odell – If You Wanna Love Somebody
3. Bay City Rollers – I Only Wanna Be With You
4. Oasis – Columbia
5. James – Coming Home (Part II)

If Brazil v Belgium is a bit boring, or if one team is a couple of goals up, you can switch over to BBC Four for The Story Of 1986.

Oh yes, the Top Of The Pops repeats have now reached 1986.

So, to get you in the mood, here’s a chart.

FIVE SONGS FROM 1986

1. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
2. Europe – The Final Countdown
3. Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer
4. Paul Hardcastle – The Wizard
5. Genesis – Land Of Confusion

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 5.1.2018

1. Anteros – Bonnie
2. Manic Street Preachers – International Blue
3. Vic and Bob – Trousers
4. Simple Minds – Magic
5. U2 – What’s Going On?

It’s cold, it’s wet, people are moaning about FA Cup ties not being shown on TV and grief junkieing over David Bowie. That can only mean one thing ……… it’s January.

At this time of year, there is one question we all ask, and this year, the answer is once again yes. If you haven’t worked it out yet, BBC Four’s Top Of The Pops repeats will continue into 1985.

You will be glad to know that The Story Of 1985 will be on BBC Four at 9pm. It’ll be a lot more entertaining that Liverpool 0-0 Everton on BBC 1.

To commemorate this, here’s a 1985 chart for you

FIVE SONGS FROM 1985

1. A-Ha – Take On Me
2. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
3. Stephen Duffy – Kiss Me
4. Kate Bush – Cloudbusting
5. Baltimora – Tarzan Boy

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 2.6.2017

1. Liam Gallagher – Wall Of Glass
2. The Courteeners – Don’t Look Back In Anger
3. Maggie Rogers – Alaska
4. OMD – Isotype
5. Ray Davies – Broken

In gig news, Erasure have announced a tour for early 2018 with no Belfast gig. Boooo. I’m pining my hopes on Belfast Pride saving the day. Come on, be the heroes we need. DISCLAIMER – I have no inside information, i’m just letting my imagination run wild. What’s the point in having an imagination if you can’t let it run wild?

Liam Gallagher’s first solo show on Tuesday night sounded rather good. I know this, because it seemed like everyone was broadcasting it onto social media via their phone. A reminder that not all heroes wear capes.

I’m not saying I have a favourite Gallagher brother, but Noel does Belfast gigs when he goes on tour.

Hopefully, a full tour will follow when the album is released towards the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Top Of The Pops juggernaut on BBC Four has reached 1984. The Story Of 1984 is on tonight at 9pm.

So, to celebrate, here’s a 1984 chart for you.

FIVE SONGS FROM 1984

1. Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes
2. Wham! – Freedom
3. Duran Duran – Wild Boys
4. Depeche Mode – Master and Servant
5. Strawberry Sitchblade – Since Yesterday

Ryan Adams update. Still looking for a ticket for his Ulster Hall gig in September. Standing, Face Value.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.1.2017

1. Amy MacDonald – Dream On
2. The Killers ft Paul McCartney – Helter Skelter
3. Rag n Bone Man – Reach Out I’ll Be There
4. Bastille – Blame
5. Rose Elinor Dougall – Stellular

Listen up Pop Pickers, I bring you the news you’ve all been craving, that the Top Of The Pops repeats on BBC Four will continue into 1983.

Tonight on BBC Four is Top Of The Pops : The Story Of 1983 at 9pm, followed by a clip show, and then the first 1983 episode will be on next week.

To celebrate this, here’s some tunes from 1983 for you.

FIVE SONGS FROM 1983

1. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Dear Prudence
2. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
3. Simple Minds – Waterfont
4. David Bowie – Let’s Dance
5. Men At Work – Down Under

As a bonus, Saturday night on BBC Two (9pm) is the documentary David Bowie : The Last Five Years. The subject is self explanatory.

Meanwhile, over the Christmas period, BBC Four broadcast Pop Quiz – The Comeback. A show which is self explanatory, it’s a music quiz. I’ve only seen the first one (I have the second one recorded to watch this weekend) but I feel both proud and ashamed of the fact that I got 99% of the questions right.

I’m hoping to get 100% right when I get round to watching the second episode.

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 24.6.2016

First of all, apologies for no Friday Five last week. A combination of laziness and social life meant I didn’t get a chance.

Advance warning, might not be one next week. The plan is for the Chart Of The Year So Far. (Important word, the plan is)

1. Brijs – Thunder
2. Kylie Minogue – This Wheels On Fire
3. Hozier – Better Love
4. KT Tunstall – Evil Eye
5. Kaiser Chiefs – Parachute

The Top Of The Pops repeats on BBC Four have now reached 1982. At the current rate of repeats, it will probably be 2001 by November.

So, any excuse, here’s a 1982 chart for you

FIVE SONGS FROM 1982

1. Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
2. Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger
3. Madness – Our House
4. The Stranglers – Golden Brown
5. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come On Eileen

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 8.1.2016

1. Ellie Goulding – Army
2. Phil Lynott – Yellow Pearl
3. Eliza and the Bear – It Gets Cold
4. Kygo ft Maty Noyes – Stay
5. Taylor Swift – Out Of The Woods

Tonight, sees Top Of The Pops : The Story Of 1981 on BBC Four (10pm) looking back at the music of 1981 in anticipation for the repeats of 1981 episodes of Top Of The Pops on BBC Four next Thursday.

As is now tradition, here’s a 1981 chart to get you in the mood.

FIVE SONGS FROM 1981

1. Kim Wilde – Kids In America
2. Human League – Don’t You Want Me Baby
3. Aneka – Japanese Boy
4. Tenpole Tudor – Swords Of A Thousand Men
5. Jo Dolce – Shaddap You Face

Honourable mention for Ossie’s Dream. Even though it’s a rival football team, it’s still a quality tune.

Also, a new series of The Life Of Rock begins on BBC Four next Thursday as well. I cannot recommend that show enough.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – SEPTEMBER 1992

Morrissey, without a shirt, with the headline “Talking up Your Arsenal”, is the cover star of Q, as he prepares to release his latest solo album, Your Arsenal.

Garry Bushell feels Q’s wrath, as the subject of their “Who the hell does ……” column.

In news, Axl Rose surrendered himself to police on charges of provoking a riot, a full year after a concert in St Louis ended in a riot.

Kylie Minogue stated she was only friends with Prince.

Pat Roberts, new singer of The Stranglers, interviews celebrity Stranglers fan Stuart Pearce for their fan club magazine.

Pearce complained that a local radio show he was asked to guest DJ on had censored some of his picks, such as The Clash, The Damned and The Vibrators.

Pearce also said that his music videos “get howled off” in favour of dance and soft rock by his team-mates.

Not sure if the interview did Pearce any good, as Nottingham Forest got relegated that season.

Meanwhile, Sinead O’Connor has recorded some backing vocals for Peter Gabriel’s new album.

The BBC were forced to issue a denial that they were on the verge of cancelling Top Of The Pops.

Sophie B Hawkins, having had a Transatlantic hit with Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover, gets a double page feature.

Another female getting the double page treatment is Betty Boo, determined not to be seen as a flash in the pan, declaring “I don’t see myself rapping in 10 years time. I do eventually want to sing. I’m capable of writing songs”

The subject of “Where Are They Now?” was Adam and the Ants, it was revealed that Adam was working on a rockier solo album with Bernard Edwards from Chic, and Larry Blackmon from Cameo.

Reading Festival gets a four page feature as it celebrates it’s 20th anniversary.

Michael Jackson’s new tour gets a feature, looking at the excessive record company promotion of Jackson.

Q’s big Morrissey interview sees him issue his wrath on Johnny Rogan, the author of a biography of him and Johnny Marr, which he had refused to co-operate on, stating, “It was billed as the definitive story of The Smiths. The only definitive story of The Smiths is my story, if I ever tell it”

When questioned on a song that seems to sympathise with football hooligans, he simply replies “Well, they have such great taste in footwear”, before ending “As long as people don’t die, I am amused”

On Politics, he adds “I don’t want to be European, I want England to remain an island”

To accompany the article, Q gets musicians such as David Bowie, Justin Currie, Siobhan Fahey, Carl Smyth and Brett Anderson to list their favourite Morrissey song.

50 YEARS OF TOP OF THE POPS : DEC 26 – DEC 31

The final episode of the series, which i’ve enjoyed writing and sharing with you.

You never know, the BBC might bring it back on a weekly basis. Let’s go out on a high with some classics, and some not so classic.

I’ll probably rehash this in 2024 for 60 Years Of Top Of The Pops. If not, i’ll see you in 2048 for 50 Years Of CD:UK.

And finally, Bobby Farrell died four years ago, on the same day, and in the same city as Rasputin.