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)

TOTP81.47 26/11/81

Repeated on BBCFour 03/06/2016
Presented by: Mike Read
Full chart here


The Jets – “Yes Tonight Josephine” (25)

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (3) (video)

Toyah – “Good Morning Universe” (23)

Cliff Richard – “Daddy’s Home” (15) (video)

Imagination – “Flashback” (28)

Ultravox – “The Voice” (18) (video)

Kim Wilde – “Cambodia” (24)

Kool & The Gang – “Steppin’ Out” (14) (rpt from 12/11/81)

Queen & David Bowie – “Under Pressure” (1) (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.

TOTP81.24 18/06/81

Repeated on BBCFour 18/03/2016
Full chart here
Presented by Peter Powell

TOTP debut:

Linx – “Throw Away The Key” (32)

Phil Collins – “If Leaving Me Is Easy” (27) (rpt from 04/06/81)

Odyssey – “Going Back To My Roots” (6)

Kool & The Gang – “Take It To The Top” (22) (Legs & Co)

Champaign – “How ‘Bout Us” (5) (video)

Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Spellbound” (23) (rpt from 04/06/81)

The Specials – “Ghost Town” (21) (video)

Imagination – “Body Talk” (19)

Smokey Robinson – “Being With You” (1) (video/credits)

see: The Sound of the Crowd

TOTP81.9 5/3/81

Presented by Mike Read
Full chart here

TOTP debut: Duran Duran

Mike Read doesn't seem to have been on for a long time - he's probably been writing a book about British Hit Singles or something, while still keeping his daytime job as Radio One DJ of course.

Anyway Mike's off to a cracking new start with an important debut...

Duran Duran - Planet Earth
Yes - here they are, a band which basically now have 'eighties' written all over them even though that's a bit unfair as they have continued to write, record and perform throughout the decades and right up to this day. But it wasn't an easy start for these Brummies in (literally) girls' blouses: this their first single proper, was released just over a month ago and was even now just a 'breaker' at no. 47. This opening spot for Planet Earth complete with, er, planet earth, made quite an impact though and these "new romantics looking for the TV sound" never looked back. Well, almost never.

Talking Heads  - Once in a Lifetime (video)
What's this? More art-rock? After faffing about a bit on the (American) noo wave fringes, these native Noo Yorkers (I think) were enjoying a hit with this rather odd track made all the more appealing by a very odd video. Leaping up from 24 to 14 this week.

Toyah - It's a Mystery
We're on an "eighties" role here with Toyah (the band) with lead singer Toyah (Wilcox, the singer) likewise leaping up to no. 16. Unlike the heads however Toyah (the band or the singer) would go on to enjoy a string of Top 20/30 hits for a few years to come, although not as many as Duran Duran.

Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House
A bit too much of this new romantic/avant-garde/art college stuff going on, we'd better get back to some 1950s nostalgic dressed in denim and trying to look a bit like Elvis. Totally catchy stuff, which the Great British public adore so look out world here comes Shakey again. I must admit it never occurred to me at the time that Stevens had a lot of that 'sex appeal' stuff which may also explain his overwhelming success in the face of (literally) girls blouses.

Headgirl (Motorhead & Girlschool) – Please Don’t Touch
Ok let's add a bit of leather to that denim shall we? Plus a healthy dose of patchuli oil (mostly in the hair) and it's those heavy metal boys 'n' girls giving it their all at getting hot and sweaty (but treading water) at no. 54. Don't touch? Wouldn't go anywhere near!

Phil Collins - I Missed Again
No point in hiding to the world that Phil's debut album Face Value remains one of my guilty pleasures and features a number of excellent tracks, although this isn't one of them. A disappointing follow up to the minimalist In the Air Tonight, Phil preferring to show off his horns and his funkier side. Nice Ronnie Scott sax solo, but Phil still not playing the drums. New at 45, although abovementioned album already at no. 1.


Kool & the Gang - Jones vs. Jones (Leg & Co.)
Kool & the Gang seem to be one of those bands that crop up just occasionally, issue a single and get a hit every time. That may not necessarily be the case as I don't have a detailed knowledge of their discography but anyway here they are again with a woeful tale of divorce set to a dance beat. Legs take it all literally of course and hals are Mr Jones and the other half Mrs, but notwithstanding the sexy stockings and saucy cross-dressing, legs really don't seem to be cutting the mustard this year. trouble afoot?

The Teardrop Explodes - Reward
Sadly we don't get to see a repeat of their studio debut from a couple of weeks back (yewtreed out in 2016) but instead get this rather gritty amateurish film/video with the Teardrops arseing about in a jeep in Liverpool docklands or some such place no doubt. Luckily all this does not deter from this being a totally brilliant song. Struggling a bit at no. 25 but hang in there - all is not lost.


The Who - You Better You Bet
The Who? They're still around? Some of you may remember Daltrey's guest "presenter" appearance in a revamped post-strike Pops format last year, but now he's back on stage wiv 'his maytes and wiv a new record, and some trendy haircuts and posh clobber too. Not half bad this song though and if I'm not mistaken Daltrey is also singing live. I wonder if they met Duran Duran in the dressing rooms? Anyway, new at 35 and glad to see that Pete Townsend is still doing this:

What? Top Ten countdown already? All in all we've enjoyed a really good show tonight. Plenty to talk about at school in the morning.

Joe Dolce Music Theatre - Shaddapa You Face
Third and final week at no. 1.

Coast to Coast - Do the Hucklebuck (credits & crowds dancing)
Hucklebuckin' up to no. 7 this week.



See y'all next time with a bit of a surprise....