TOTP81.51 24/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 16/06/2016
Presented by: David Jensen
Full chart here


Wizzard – “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (41)

Imagination – brief Xmas message

Adam & The Ants – “Ant Rap” (4) (video)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Sweet Dreams” (45)

Bucks Fizz – “The Land Of Make Believe” (5)

The Police – “Spirits In The Material World” (12) (rpt from 10/12/81)

Kool & The Gang – “Get Down On It” (26) (Zoo)

Abba – “One Of Us” (3) (video)

Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy” (20)

Dollar – “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)” (9)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1)

Philip Lynott – “Yellow Pearl” (47) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.49 10/12/81

Not repeated on BBCFour
Presented by: Jimmy Saville
Full chart here



Showaddywaddy – “Footsteps” (35)

Madness – “It Must Be Love” (7) (video)

Dollar – “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)” (26)

Ken Dodd – “Hold My Hand” (not in chart)

Adam & The Ants – “Ant Rap” (9) (video)

Bucks Fizz – “The Land Of Make Believe” (24)

The Police – “Spirits In The Material World” (28)

Abba – “One Of Us” (11) (video)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1) (video)


Philip Lynott – “Yellow Pearl” (TOTP theme/not in chart) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.45 12/11/80

Not repeated on BBCFour
Introduced by Dave Lee Travis
Full chart here

Some old some new faces on tonight for a generally very entertaining show, although oddly the highest new entry (at no. 8) is not featured.


Kool & The Gang – “Steppin’ Out” (25)
Slow progress, up from last week's 32, but will do a lot better.

OMD – “Joan Of Arc” (5)
Up from no. 7 to reach its peak. One thinks that if they hadn't just released the album then this might have done even better. I for one certainly didn't buy it for that reason, and regret it to this day.

Olivia Newton-John – “Physical” (11) (video)
Saucy/funny video again will help it reach its no. 7 peak next week.

The Fureys with Davey Arthur – “When You Were Sweet Sixteen” (14)
Like OMD this band of brothers will remain at this peak for one more week. Unlike OMD they will fade into oblivion.

Haircut 100 – “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” (9)
Whoop! Heyward and plas storm into the top 10 and go even higher next week.

New feature:
Jonathan King – US chart rundown:

• Air Supply – “Just When I Thought I Was Over You” (video clip)
• Foreigner – “Waiting For A Girl Like You” (live clip)
• Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Private Eyes” (video clip)

Ultravox – “The Voice” (27)
Follow up to last summer's "The Thin Wall" and a bit of an epic stomper as the 'Vox shuffle up with a bovine grace and glide in syncopation. Second highest new entry after Modern Romance.

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (20) (Zoo)
Zoo's second appearance with EWF's first and last Top 10-er of the eighties.

Rod Stewart – “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)” (10)
Rod hoping for a painless entry into the Top 10.

The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1)
Pretty inevitably they made it to the top after last week's no. 3 debut. Life at the top will be very short lived for this one though.

Altered Images – “Happy Birthday” (2) (audience dancing/credits)
Still hanging in there - third and final week at no. 2.

TOTP81.44 05/11/81

Repeated on BBCFour 27/05/2016
Introduced by Peter Powell
Full chart here

TOTP debut: ABC, The Dukes, The Jets,


Modern Romance – “Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey” (45)
Follow-up to party song Everybosy Salsa, doing pretty much the same thing as its predecessor. In fact i think they might vene be the same song.

The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (3) (video)
Sting and pals are also very much in the 'up' mood with this one after the rather dour Invisible Sun, and are on their way to no. 1 - oops, spoiler.

The Dukes – “Mystery Girl” (47)
Mystery band more like it (not even listed on wiki), although this is basically Dominic Bugatti & Frank Musker - a songwriting duo who did pretty well in the mid to late 70s with stuff for Paul Nicholas, the Three Degrees and more recently with Sheena Easton's Modern Girl. Now they have a crack at doing one of thier own songs, and fail miserably.

Rush – “Tom Sawyer” (26) (live clip)
A follow-up of sorts to last year's Spirit of Radio, although Rush 'hit singles' are basically flukes more than anything.

The Jets – “Yes Tonight Josephine” (44)
Rockabilly's back, alas.

ELO – “Twilight” (30) (Zoo)


Julio Iglesias – “Begin The Beguine” (21) (video)


ABC – “Tears Are Not Enough” (50)
Debut for this glitzy outfit from Sheffield who would go on to 'define the eighties' and all that, with their debut album Lexicon of Love. ABC were indeed on the brink of something big here with what would effectively become the sound of next year, rather than this, aided by lush Trevor Horn (Buggles, Dollar) production and equally lush orchestra arrangements by Ms. Anne Dudley.
Irony of ironies, the 'sequel' album Lexicon of Love II was released the same day that this show was repeated on BBCFour. Coincidence? I say maybe....

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – “It’s My Party” (1) (rpt from 24/09/81)
Last week at no. 1 and back to a repeat studio performance from over a month ago.

The Four Tops – “When She Was My Girl” (5) (video/audience dancing/credits)
Amazingly at no. 5 and will go even higher to..... Tune in next week folks!

TOTP81.42 22/10/81

Not repeated on BBCFour in 2016
Presented by Jimmy Savile
Full chart here


This Year’s Blonde – “Platinum Pop” (47)

The Human League – “Open Your Heart” (6) (video)

Barry Manilow – “Let’s Hang On” (16) (video)

The Four Tops – “When She Was My Girl” (29) (video)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “A Good Year For The Roses” (9) (video)

Gillan – “Nightmare” (37) (video)

The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (27) (video)

The Jam – “Absolute Beginners” (7)

Shakin’ Stevens – “It’s Raining” (10) (rpt from 08/10/81)

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – “It’s My Party” (1) (rpt from 24/09/81)

Rod Stewart – “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)” (28)(audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.38 24/09/81

Repeated on BBCFour: 13.05.2016
Introduced by Simon Bates
Full chart here


TOTP debut: Heaven 17, Japan, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin


Quite a good show this with lots of new stuff and a few new faces too.


Slade – “Lock Up Your Daughters” (45)
Old 70s pub/glam-rockers are back and we'd already forgotten their Top 10 hit at the beginning of the year.

Alvin Stardust – “Pretend” (5)
Speaking of old glam-rockers, Alvin's doing rather well, probably due to lack of Shakin Stevens material.

Depeche Mode – “Just Can’t Get Enough” (24)
Back in the eighties, follow up to New Life makes its debut having entered the Top 40, and debut album out soon.

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – “It’s My Party” (36)
A bit of an odd one, and future no. 1.

Linx – “So This Is Romance” (18) (rpt from 10/09/81)
Slow progress for this one which will only make it to no. 15 next week.

Diana Ross & Lionel Richie – “Endless Love” (7) (danced to by Lulu & Jeremy)
Sloppy stuff from US crooners just showing us how far behind the Yanks were in new musical trends.

Japan – “Quiet Life” (39)
Old record label make the most of the band's increasing new-found success. Sylvian and pals play along. New album for them too soon but this isn't on it.

Heaven 17 – “Play To Win” (52)
Old Human Leaguers and new singer try hard but won't fare as well as their former comrades. New album out already perhaps. (I can never understand why Glenn Gregory looks and acts so aggressive in this)

Imagination – “In & Out Of Love” (21)
Again, it's slow progress for these saucy popsters but they'll just keep on trying until they pull it off (oo-er!)

Madness – “Shut Up” (22) (video)
Second highest new entry of the week and another anticipation of the new album.

Adam & The Ants – “Prince Charming” (1) (video)
Second week at the top and we still get the video.

The Police – “Invisible Sun” (9) (stills/credits)
This week's highest new entry and another new album for  the wishlist.