TOTP81.52 25/12/81 - Christmas Day edition

Not repeated on BBCFour in 2016
Overview of the year
Presented by various Radio 1 DJs


The Teardrop Explodes – “Reward”

Ultravox – “Vienna”

Kim Wilde – “Kids In America”

The Human League – “Love Action (I Believe In Love)”

Godley & Crème – “Under Your Thumb”

Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis”

Adam Ant – brief interview

Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone – “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?”

The Jacksons – “Can You Feel It?” (Zoo)

Linx – “Intuition”

The Beat – “Too Nice To Talk To”

Spandau Ballet – “Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)”

Toyah – “It’s A Mystery”

Laurie Anderson – “O Superman” (Zoo)

Altered Images – “Happy Birthday”

Depeche Mode – “Just Can’t Get Enough”

OMD – “Souvenir”

Shakin’ Stevens – “You Drive Me Crazy”

Everyone – “All You Need Is Love” (+ credits)

TOTP81.51 24/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 16/06/2016
Presented by: David Jensen
Full chart here


Wizzard – “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (41)

Imagination – brief Xmas message

Adam & The Ants – “Ant Rap” (4) (video)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Sweet Dreams” (45)

Bucks Fizz – “The Land Of Make Believe” (5)

The Police – “Spirits In The Material World” (12) (rpt from 10/12/81)

Kool & The Gang – “Get Down On It” (26) (Zoo)

Abba – “One Of Us” (3) (video)

Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy” (20)

Dollar – “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)” (9)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1)

Philip Lynott – “Yellow Pearl” (47) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.50 17/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 10.06.2016
Presented by: Simon Bates
Full chart here

TOTP debut: The Snowmen, Brownsauce



Duran Duran – “My Own Way” (14)

Cliff Richard – “Daddy’s Home” (2) (live clip/audience dancing)

Chas & Dave – “Stars Over 45” (36)

Godley & Crème – “Wedding Bells” (8)

Brown Sauce – “I Wanna Be A Winner” (64) (video)

Rod Stewart – “Young Turks” (23) (video)

The Snowmen – “Hokey Cokey” (40) WATCH

Jon & Vangelis – “I’ll Find My Way Home” (26) (danced to by Sue)

Status Quo – “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (12) (rpt from 03/12/81)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1) (video)

Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy” (29) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.49 10/12/81

Not repeated on BBCFour
Presented by: Jimmy Saville
Full chart here



Showaddywaddy – “Footsteps” (35)

Madness – “It Must Be Love” (7) (video)

Dollar – “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)” (26)

Ken Dodd – “Hold My Hand” (not in chart)

Adam & The Ants – “Ant Rap” (9) (video)

Bucks Fizz – “The Land Of Make Believe” (24)

The Police – “Spirits In The Material World” (28)

Abba – “One Of Us” (11) (video)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1) (video)


Philip Lynott – “Yellow Pearl” (TOTP theme/not in chart) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.48 3/12/81

Repeated on BBCFour 09/06/2016
Presented by: David Jensen
Full chart here

Bad Manners – “Buona Sera” (34)

Soft Cell – “Bedsitter” (4)

Status Quo – “Rock ‘N’ Roll” (27)

Duran Duran – “My Own Way” (26) WATCH

Jonathan King – US chart rundown:
includes:

• Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing” (live clip)
• Rod Stewart – “Young Turks” (video clip)
• Olivia Newton-John – “Physical” (video clip)

Diana Ross – “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” (5) (Zoo)

Godley & Creme – “Wedding Bells” (21) (video)

Fun Boy Three – “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)” (20)

The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (9) (video)

Julio Iglesias – “Begin The Beguine” (1) (video/credits)

TOTP81.47 26/11/81

Repeated on BBCFour 03/06/2016
Presented by: Mike Read
Full chart here


The Jets – “Yes Tonight Josephine” (25)

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (3) (video)

Toyah – “Good Morning Universe” (23)

Cliff Richard – “Daddy’s Home” (15) (video)

Imagination – “Flashback” (28)

Ultravox – “The Voice” (18) (video)

Kim Wilde – “Cambodia” (24)

Kool & The Gang – “Steppin’ Out” (14) (rpt from 12/11/81)

Queen & David Bowie – “Under Pressure” (1) (audience dancing/credits)

TOTP81.45 12/11/80

Not repeated on BBCFour
Introduced by Dave Lee Travis
Full chart here

Some old some new faces on tonight for a generally very entertaining show, although oddly the highest new entry (at no. 8) is not featured.


Kool & The Gang – “Steppin’ Out” (25)
Slow progress, up from last week's 32, but will do a lot better.

OMD – “Joan Of Arc” (5)
Up from no. 7 to reach its peak. One thinks that if they hadn't just released the album then this might have done even better. I for one certainly didn't buy it for that reason, and regret it to this day.

Olivia Newton-John – “Physical” (11) (video)
Saucy/funny video again will help it reach its no. 7 peak next week.

The Fureys with Davey Arthur – “When You Were Sweet Sixteen” (14)
Like OMD this band of brothers will remain at this peak for one more week. Unlike OMD they will fade into oblivion.

Haircut 100 – “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” (9)
Whoop! Heyward and plas storm into the top 10 and go even higher next week.

New feature:
Jonathan King – US chart rundown:

• Air Supply – “Just When I Thought I Was Over You” (video clip)
• Foreigner – “Waiting For A Girl Like You” (live clip)
• Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Private Eyes” (video clip)

Ultravox – “The Voice” (27)
Follow up to last summer's "The Thin Wall" and a bit of an epic stomper as the 'Vox shuffle up with a bovine grace and glide in syncopation. Second highest new entry after Modern Romance.

Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (20) (Zoo)
Zoo's second appearance with EWF's first and last Top 10-er of the eighties.

Rod Stewart – “Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)” (10)
Rod hoping for a painless entry into the Top 10.

The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1)
Pretty inevitably they made it to the top after last week's no. 3 debut. Life at the top will be very short lived for this one though.

Altered Images – “Happy Birthday” (2) (audience dancing/credits)
Still hanging in there - third and final week at no. 2.