Plan B Forum

1979 was a unique year for Top of the Pops, which saw the show record its highest audience of 19 million viewers and in which physical format singles sales hit an all-time high of 79 million. 1979 is maybe the most diverse year ever for acts on Top of the Pops with disco at its peak, new wave, 2 Tone, reggae, rock, folk and electro records all making the top five.

Original interviews with Gary Numan, Nile Rodgers, Woody from Madness, Jah Wobble, Chas and Dave, Janet Kay, Linda Nolan, Jim Dooley, Secret Affair, the Ruts, Legs and Co and many others tell the story of an exceptional year.

In the year that the 'winter of discontent' saw continuing strikes black out ITV and TOTP reduced during a technicians strike to a narrator introducing videos, the show also found itself the site of conflict backstage. TOTP's old guard of 70s MOR acts had their feathers continually ruffled by new wave bands, as the Skids spat at the Nolan Sisters backstage and Generation X urinated off the roof onto the Dooleys.

Elsewhere in the corridors of TV Centre, in preparation for playing their single Death Disco, Public Image Ltd demanded their teeth were blacked out in make-up to appear ugly while Gary Numan remembers the overbearing union presence which prevented TOTP artists moving their own microphones without a union technician and the Musicians Union trying to ban him from the show for his use of synthesizers.

The most popular musical styles of 1979 were 2 Tone, reggae and disco. The latter saw Nile Rodgers, the man of the year, score four hits with Chic as well as writing and producing a further four hits with Sister Sledge, Sheila B Devotion and Sugarhill Gang, who appeared with what would prove to be the first ever rap hit.

Jamaican and UK reggae artists scored continual hits through the year and then watched as the Police notched up three hits with white reggae and the label 2 Tone revived the 60s reggae style known as ska. In November, in what is remembered as the 2 Tone edition, all three of the label's new acts - Madness, Specials and Selecter - appeared on one historic night and took the show by storm, with Madness capping off their performance of One Step Beyond by leading a 'nutty train' conga through the studio.  Show less



Track list

M Pop Muzik
Sex Pistols Silly Thing
Sister Sledge We Are Family
Madness The Prince
Dennis Brown Money in my Pocket
Lena Martell One Day At A Time
UFO Doctor Doctor
Olivia Newton-John A Little More Love
The Jam Strange Town
Gary Numan Cars
John Dankworth Quintet Tomorrow's World Theme
Sparks Number One Song in Heaven
Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall (Part I)
The Dooleys Wanted
Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star
Chic Le Freak
New York City I'm Doin' Fine Now
Nile Rodgers I'm Doin' Fine Now (Nile Rogers acappela)
Mike Reid The Ugly Duckling
Nile Rodgers The Ugly Duckling (Nile Rodgers acappela)
Sheila & B. Devotion Spacer
Sheila & B. Devotion Singin' In The Rain
Ad Hoc Orchestra Hit And Miss (Juke Box Jury Theme Tune)
Adrian Munsey C'est Sheep
PIL Death Disco
The Ruts Babylon's Burning
The Skids Into the Valley
The Nolans I'm In The Mood for Dancing
The Skids Working for the Yankee Dollar
Generation X King Rocker
The Dooleys The Chosen Few
The Specials Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Herb Alpert Rise
Tony Bennett For Once in my Life
Madness One Step Beyond
The Members Sound of the Suburbs
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Onedin Line Theme Tune (Adagio of Sparticus)
Elvis Costello Accidents Will Happen
Elvis Costello Oliver's Army
Chas 'n' Dave Gertcha
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello Watching the Detectives
Janet Brown
Janet Brown The Iron Lady March
The Dooleys
The Dooleys Honey (I'm Lost)
McFadden & Whitehead
McFadden & Whitehead Ain't No Stopping Us Now
Bimbo Jet El Bimbo
The Jackson 5 Destiny
Tubeway Army Are Friends Electric
Third World Cool Mediation
Janet Kay Silly Games
The Members Offshore Banking Business
The Police Roxanne
Madness The Return of the Los Palmas 7
Gerry Rafferty Get it Right Next Time
Andy & Joey You're Wondering Now
The Selecter On My Radio
The Ruts Something That I Said
Elton John Song for Guy
Slade Coz I Love You
Hot Chocolate Mindless Boogie
Brotherhood of Man Bye Bye One Kiss Goodbye
Michael Jackson Off The Wall
The Police Walking on the Moon
Adam and The Ants Ant Music

Original interviews with Gary Numan, Nile Rodgers, Woody from Madness, Jah Wobble, Chas and Dave, Janet Kay, Linda Nolan, Jim Dooley, Secret Affair, the Ruts, Legs and Co and many others tell the story of an exceptional year.