The end of an era: What was the last song played on ‘Top of the Pops’?
You have access to almost every song ever recorded at your fingertips right now, what with the advent of online music streaming and sharing. Music has never been more accessible to audiences than it is right now.
However, for upwards of 50 years, the UK public had the majority of their music fix fulfilled via BBC One, and the iconic chart show Top of the Pops, which first hit screens in 1964 and continues to have some form of presence on television screens to this very day.
Far from the national institution it quickly became, the first edition of Top of the Pops was a fairly modest affair. Presented from the now demolished Dickenson Road Studios in Manchester by notorious paedophile and sex offender Jimmy Savile, the first Top of the Pops showcased the top 20 singles in the pop charts that week, something which had previously worked on the radio, but had never been attempted on TV.
With performances from the likes of Dusty Springfield, The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, and The Beatles, the first show captured the spirit of pop music at its most productive period, and it instantly captured the attention of audiences. As the show progressed over the years, Top of the Pops not only presented the pop charts, but it went on to have a huge influence over the charts itself.
Appearing on the show typically resulted in artists climbing up the charts in the following weeks, thus making colossal stars out of previously up-and-coming artists. What’s more, the show was the only place where you could watch the likes of Buzzcocks performing across the same studio as Boney M; all genres and attitudes were represented, so long as they were in the charts.
Countless different artists came through the doors of Television Centre over the years, and by the late 1970s, Top of the Pops was one of the most popular television programmes in the UK. Essential viewing for young people and music fans across the country, the show was the only place you could go to see your pop idols ‘performing’ (lip-syncing) without having to buy a concert ticket. Other shows like The Old Grey Whistle Test certainly existed, but Top of the Pops had a kind of accessibility that went unrivalled throughout its extensive time on screens.
The rise and fall of Top of the Pops
Ultimately, though, the mechanisms of the pop charts changed over time, and Top of the Pops struggled to keep up. Although they had adapted to the emergence of music videos and DJ-based tracks during the 1980s, the advent of the internet was something they couldn’t compete with. All of a sudden, fans could listen to and watch their favourite artists whenever they wanted to, without having to tune in to the BBC at a specific time of the week. Ratings fell throughout the 1990s, despite repeated efforts to revitalise the ailing programme.
By the early 2000s, the writing was on the wall for Top of the Pops. In 2005, the show was relegated from its long-held position on BBC One to be broadcast at Sunday night on BBC Two. This move only exacerbated the dismal viewing figures, and marked the beginning of the end for the beloved programme.
In June 2006, the show was cancelled for good, with the final edition being an extended special featuring various pre-recorded performances from the likes of David Bowie, the Spice Girls, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones, among various others.
That final edition ended with a chart countdown, featuring Shakira and ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ at the top spot. However, given that no studio recordings were created for that final show, the last group to actually perform on the show was Snow Patrol, only a week prior. The band performed their hit ‘Chasing Cars’ in the studio, making them the last act to officially perform on the regular edition of Top of the Pops.
Although the show ceased to be a regular programme in 2006, it lives on through various re-runs, compilation programmes, and the annual Christmas and New Year special editions, which have been presented by Clara Amfo since 2017. Ultimately, though, the story of Top of the Pops began with Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, and ended 52 years later with Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’.
