1985 sees the 'Big Four' of 80's Pop - Spandau, Wham, Culture Club and the Durans - have a relatively quiet year which ushers in a new generation of Pop talent. The show becomes a barometer for the state of the nation as the ambitious King and A-ha, propelled by the most expensive video of the year for 'Take On Me', compete for attention with passionate politicos Billy Bragg and The Style Council who, fired up by the ongoing miners strike and continuing threat of nuclear war, give the studio audience their all with 'Between The Wars' and 'Walls Come Tumbling Down'.\n\n1985 also sees Electro dance hit the mainstream as Dead or Alive top the charts with 'You Spin Me Round', the first number one for producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and Paul Hardcastle holds the top slot for five weeks with '19', a spoken word single made with new sampling technology and released on the 10th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war. \n\nMeanwhile, movie tie-ins and record companies eyeing a 'housewives' market see a run of power ballads hit the charts from Jennifer Rush to Tina Turner to our very own Bonnie Tyler with 'Holding Out For a Hero' . And back in the real world, the heroic Bob Geldof brings the Pop generations together for Live Aid and Shakin' Stevens marks his 50th appearance on Top of the Pops and lands his first Christmas number one with a song he has waited a whole year to release.\n\nFeaturing original interviews with A-ha, Shakin' Stevens, The Style Council, Billy Bragg, Bonnie Tyler, Pete Waterman, Paul Hardcastle, King and Loose Ends.
Source: BBC 4
21/04/1977
Tony Blackburn presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 21 April 1977 and featuring Delegation, David Dundas, Deniece Williams, Tavares, Leo Sayer, Elkie Brooks, Dea ...
18-04-2025
BBC 4
20/04/1978
Peter Powell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 20 April 1978 and featuring performances Bryan Ferry, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Squeeze, Andrew Gold, Dan H ...
18-04-2025
BBC 4
24/10/1997
Jo Whiley presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 24 October 1997 and featuring Tina Moore, Aqua, Ash, The Brand New Heavies, Jimmy Ray, Clock, Smash Mouth and Spic ...
18-04-2025
BBC 4
17/10/1997
Jayne Middlemiss presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 17 October 1997 and featuring Clock, Mansun, The Brand New Heavies, Supergrass, Eternal, Sash! feat La Trec ...
18-04-2025
BBC 4
09/04/1981
Mike Read introduces the pop programme, featuring Keith Marshall, Bucks Fizz, Public Image, Eddy Grant, Linx, Saxon, Graham Bonnet, Gillan, the Whispers and Shakin' Stevens, and ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
14/04/1988
Steve Wright and Bruno Brookes present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 14 April 1988 and featuring Bananarama, Natalie Cole, Climie Fisher, Def Leppard, S'Express, T ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
10/10/1997
Mark Lamarr presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 10 October 1997 and featuring Catch, Lighthouse Family, The Seahorses, Coolio, Roachford, Eternal, Backstreet Bo ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
03/10/1997
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 3 October 1997 and featuring Oasis, Louise, No Doubt, Björk, M-People, Janet Jackson feat Q-Tip and Elt ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
11/10/1973
Kenny Everett looks at the weekly pop chart from 1973 and introduces the Electric Light Orchestra, Elton John, Michael Ward, Status Quo, Pan's People, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sla ...
05-04-2025
BBC 4
01/04/1976
Tony Blackburn presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 1 April 1976 and featuring Abba, Brotherhood of Man, The Beatles, Fox, Tarney & Spencer, John Miles, Diana Ro ...
04-04-2025
BBC 4
21/04/1977
Tony Blackburn presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 21 April 1977 and featuring Delegation, David Dundas, Deniece Williams, Tavares, Leo Sayer, Elkie Brooks, Dea ...
18-04-2025
BBC 4
19/09/1997
Jayne Middlemiss presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 September 1997 and featuring Ricky Martin, Kylie Minogue, George Michael, The Sundays, Sly & Robbie feat ...
04-04-2025
BBC 4
14/04/1988
Steve Wright and Bruno Brookes present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 14 April 1988 and featuring Bananarama, Natalie Cole, Climie Fisher, Def Leppard, S'Express, T ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
10/10/1997
Mark Lamarr presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 10 October 1997 and featuring Catch, Lighthouse Family, The Seahorses, Coolio, Roachford, Eternal, Backstreet Bo ...
11-04-2025
BBC 4
26/09/1997
Jo Whiley presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 26 September 1997 and featuring Chumbawamba, Dario G, Robbie Williams, Tina Moore, Bellini, Sly & Robbie feat Simp ...
04-04-2025
BBC 4
01/04/1976
Tony Blackburn presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 1 April 1976 and featuring Abba, Brotherhood of Man, The Beatles, Fox, Tarney & Spencer, John Miles, Diana Ro ...
04-04-2025
BBC 4
05/09/1997
Zoe Ball and Jayne Middlemiss present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 5 September 1997 and featuring Mariah Carey, Ocean Colour Scene, Ginuwine, All Saints, Hanson, ...
28-03-2025
BBC 4
15/11/1996
Members of The Fast Show present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 15 November 1996 and featuring Robert Miles ft Maria Nayler, Backstreet Boys, Toni Braxton, The Wool ...
22-11-2024
BBC 4
21/06/1996
Julia Carling presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 21 June 1996 and featuring Longpigs, Gabrielle, Mariah Carey, Let Loose, Crowded House, Simply Red, Maxi Pries ...
20-09-2024
BBC 4