Top 10 TV Music Shows pt. 2

In pt. 1 I started my countdown of my top 10 TV music shows. These were 10 – Glee, 9 – The Max Headroom Show, 8 – Razzmatazz, 7 – Juke Box Jury & 6 – Later…with Jools Holland.

In this blog I will reveal my top 5 UK shows (so no place for Soul Train unfortunately). Some will be obvious but maybe not the one at number 5 in my countdown…

5. Beavis and Butthead (C4 1994-1998)

There had never been a show like B&B and there probably never will be. Whereas Max Headroom just introduced the video the two teens actually commented on them while they were playing. Often arguing with each other over videos (or anything else) B&B provided a critique that hit home with the audience because they were probably saying the same thing. A simple B&B comment could make an artist look ridiculous and if you had big hair or were from England then forget it, it was abuse time. From a music perspective it showed all genres from Michael Bolton (to which Butthead announced he had soiled his pants) to AC/DC (cue shot of heads rocking and fingers in the air). Coupled with the cartoons between the videos, B&B changed the concept of the music video show and has recently been revived by MTV.

4. The Tube (C4 1982 – 1987)

When Channel 4 launched it gave us possibly the most anarchic and controversial music show ever. While Mike Read was doing his Pop Quiz on BBC1, Jools Holland and Paula Yates were swearing, flirting with guests and generally having a good time. Artists sang live in a time when miming was rife but The Tube also broke a lot of bands in the 80’s. FGTH first got noticed on there. U2 performed live from Red Rocks on the show and it also featured the last live appearance of The Jam on the very first show just before the split up. Part of its attraction was that you never knew what would happen next.

3. The Old Grey Whistle Test (BBC2 1971 – 1987)

Before there was Jools, there was ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris. The shows first presenter may have been Richard Williams but it is Bob and Annie Nightingale that will be associated with a show that took the slant that serious music deserved a place on TV. As basic as a studio as you could get provided the back drop for names such as David Bowie, Lynryd Skynyrd and the very first UK appearance of Bob Marley to be seen by the viewing public. Without the OGWT there probably would have been no Tube, Word, Later…, etc as its format paved the way for future shows. Not many shows finish its run with a New Years Eve special featuring the Eagles and Meat Loaf but that was the Whistle Test for you.

2. The Chart Show (C4 1986 – 1988, ITV 1989 – 1998)

The Chart Show is at number two as it truly was unique in its presentation and broke new ground for music shows on TV. Having no presenters the show consisted purely of music videos with “pop-up” information shown over the top of them. It also featured a different chart each week, indie, urban, pop, dance with a rundown of all the other charts that weren’t featured. In the days before satellite TV, the Chart show was the main place to find music videos that you wouldn’t normally see on network TV. If a song was successful but didn’t have a video yet (Black Box – ‘Ride on Time’ for example) then it would just show a screen shot of the singer or band and play the music. Today it is a whole channel and is the most successful example of how a single show has grown from a half hour concept to a full 24/7 station

And at Number 1……………………….

Top Of The Pops (BBC1 1964 – 2006 weekly, 2006 – Current Special Editions)

Could it be anything else? First presented by the late Sir Jimmy Savile from a studio, based in a church and originally scheduled to only run for one season, TOTP became THE show to be seen on for over 42 years. Based on the chart used by Radio 1 anybody who was anybody in the music industry appeared on it. Having artists who were climbing the charts, and of course the No.1 song, TOTP was a Thursday night institution until the BBC moved it to Friday and that was the beginning of the end for the show. Who can forget the likes of DLT both presenting and appearing on the show (Convoy) or All About Eve’s “performance” of ‘Martha’s Harbour’ where the audience could hear the song but the band couldn’t in order to mime along to (they came back the week after and sang live)

While it may have changed in its style and was home to a great load of miming gaffs, (Marillion’s Fish using a board with the words on instead of singing or Simon Le Bon singing into a mic stand after his microphone had flown off stage for instance).

Top Of The Pops quite rightly deserves its place as the number one music show in TV history.

That’s my top ten, what would you change?

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