TOP OF THE POPS WAS A VITAL PART OF THE UK’S RICH CULTURAL TAPESTRY FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. IT WAS MY FIRST ENTRY POINT TO A WHOLE HOST OF WONDERFUL BANDS AND ARTISTS, AND I SUSPECT FOR THE MAJORITY OF CLASSIC POP READERS, IT WAS YOURS, TOO. WE’VE ALL GOT OUR FAVOURITE MOMENTS – IT MAY BE BOWIE’S GAME-CHANGING PERFORMANCE OF STARMAN OR THE HEADLINE-GRABBING DEBUT OF CULTURE CLUB, PERHAPS THE DOWNRIGHT HILARIOUS SIGHT OF A TONGUEIN- CHEEK NEW ORDER PLAYING COMEBACK SINGLE REGRET AMID THE CAST OF BAYWATCH. THAT LAST ONE STILL GETS ME EVERY TIME.
Now don’t get me wrong, the current music scene still has much to offer – not least the remarkable amount of choice given to fans. But there’s one thing that seems to be missing these days. It’s a sense of communality, a shared experience among pop lovers. Friday mornings, whether in the office or school playground, used to be dominated by what people had seen on the previous night’s edition of Top Of The Pops.