Top Of The Pops 9th August 1979 Dave Lee Travis, Abba, Ian Dury, Showaddywaddy, ELO, Flying Lizards.

[@colinjennings3661]

Joe Jackson. criminally under rated musician. Brilliant tune

[@markl8740]

I literally heard Stepping out on Simon Mayo today for the first time in ages - incredible song

[@leestockton9367]

For sure

[@philipbonner6486]

Joe was born in Portsmouth,England.

[@redpillnibbler4423]

In a class of his own.

[@andrewjones6407]

Definitely he was a great songwriter , if Ed Sheeran was going then he would be a run of the mill songs probably getting to early twenties in the charts, something like Wreckless Eric!! How many on here remember him?

[@sandrad628]

Memories of being 21 again. Crazy to know that Im 65 now. Well in my head im still young

[@vanzandt8809]

Yep totally agree!

[@karylhogan5758]

So same

[@AnthonyMcCaul-c9g]

All downhill from here! 😭

[@karylhogan5758]

@@AnthonyMcCaul-c9g music wise yes…my life too it seems.. now am old, that was a fast life💁.. God bless the 70’s and our long gone youth😢

[@AnthonyMcCaul-c9g]

@@karylhogan5758 Amen to that! 🙏

[@robertstorey7476]

1979 was a brilliant year for pop music.

[@andrewjones6407]

Best I can remember I'm 60 now , apparently 71 is always rated as the best but before my time

[@susub75]

@@andrewjones6407 1984

[@rb7007]

79 to 85 was brilliant!

[@philipcurnow7990]

Showaddywaddy excepted.

[@kimgrant3879]

​@@philipcurnow7990they were good throughout the 70s.dont agree with you.

[@JohnHonda101]

I was 13 when this aired, time passes so quickly.

[@JupiterThunder]

Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.

[@gilliankingston8259]

I was 18 now 64, I know what you mean. Happy Chrristmas 2024🌲🎁

[@garymacdonald7165]

The gulf between music back then and now is gastronumerical!😮

[@MrPhantom1961]

yeah, there was a huge difference between the food in the 70's and now

[@mickharrison9004]

Absolutely rite obviously music is always on the move ,but these days so boring mostly sounds the same to be young in the 70s 80 s ,I count myself very lucky getting ready to go out pub and club ,excited as fk with the music id dance to and have fun with mates to .

[@prp3231]

The legs were more shapely in those days. More lardy with tatts these days.

[@mickharrison9004]

@@prp3231 yeah babes were altogether much healthier back then ,there hair was long beautifull shiny ,mainly down to much better lifestyle walking instead of driving ,and much much better diets .

[@stephenhowell5611]

@@MrPhantom1961 Yeah, and there's more of it.

[@deletebilderberg]

A world that no longer exists.

[@traceydaizy]

😔

[@derekporter7658]

Sadly

[@nervo6321]

Absolutely

[@philipbonner6486]

And all down to the scum Tory government.

[@colingeddes2172]

Never a truer word spoken.

[@jackharriet4814]

Stay With Me Til Dawn - Judy Tzuke is so beautiful - it's always really touched me.

[@SurreyMan0409]

Absolutely gorgeous and so talented!

[@Treviscoe]

I agree. Is there a more perfect love song than that?

[@grantross2609]

wonderful Judy

[@keithw9290]

My 12th birthday was the next day. I bought the Joe Jackson single with my birthday money.

[@abeckett]

The brilliant Judie Tzuke, so many great albums and so underrated!

[@frankhovis]

Sounds like she's actually singing live too rather than miming.

[@SurreyMan0409]

@@frankhovisI think she is. She’s one of the few who has the talent to sing live!

[@slider3215]

@@frankhovis There was a musicians union thing on the go at the time so artists had to play live with the BBC TOTP orchestra

[@agfagaevart]

she wasn't underrated she had a massive hit!

[@abeckett]

@@agfagaevart And should have had many more; if she wasn’t so underrated.

[@sunboycold9164]

Mick Talbot in the Merton parkas went on to have massive success in the Style council with Paul Weller

[@pigknickers2975]

Didn't realise that, thanks.

[@jerrysmith2360]

His brother Danny ended up as a chemistry teacher in Clapham, so I’m told.

[@kingelvis1977d]

I did not know that 👍🙏

[@redpillnibbler4423]

Joe Jackson is in a class of his own.

[@sallybannister6224]

👍🏻👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@brianmcd9492]

Back in the day Top of the Pops best music show on telly and still the best 🙂

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Everybody in the moment. No phones. No tech. No www. Just more freedom and fun than can be imagined today.

[@DavidJones-tw3ov]

Love these vids,but I do die a little bit inside when I look around today,I would have appreciated it some much more at the time,had I known.

[@DavidNeal-mf9ky]

I was only thinking that a few minutes ago. No 📲 s turning people into programmed robots. Had 📲 s been around my dad would never have allowed me to have one. He'd say there for adults not kids.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

@@DavidNeal-mf9ky Banned my kids from having a smart phone until their 13th bday. Banned all X Boxes..Nintendos..whatever, for life, from the house. Once they all realised i was deadly serious, they shut up. Minecraft and Sims were allowed.

[@StudiosNYC54-tl9pt]

Yes, totally agree. I still live in the world of disco mania.

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

People on mobile phones. Watching Top Of The Pops on mobile phones. Complaining about mobile phones. Fascinating stuff guys. Keep it up!😂

[@markfletcher760]

Thursday 9 August 1979 when this episode of Top Of The Pops was first broadcasted, little did we know that the day after Friday 10 August 1979 itself after 12.30pm BST, the then regionalised ITV companies with the exception of Channel TV were blacked out by the ITV strike, which will eventually last for 75 days until the dispute ended some near two and a half months later on Wednesday 24 October 1979 before 5.45pm BST. As for this episode of Top Of The Pops itself, by the summer of 1979 generally in the UK, Punk Rock was dying a slow death, a Mod revival was underway, a Skinhead revival too was also underway but for all the wrong reasons ultimately, disco was still in vogue and Two Tone was already born. Not forgetting The New Romantic era was in it's infancy by now, soon to flourish in 1980, and lastly but not least the birth of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was now here.

[@alankent2849]

Also in December 1979 the Sugar hill Gang entered the UK charts with the first rap/hip hop song "Rappers Delight". Such musical diversity then.

[@brianmorecombe2726]

You said exactly what happened with the music and those tv strikes.God i remember looking at ITV and seeing "Due to industrial action all tv programs have been suspended until further notice"or similar.

[@billybonds4449]

BBC 1 & BBC2 only, life was absolutely grim.

[@agfagaevart]

one of the very FEW accurate descriptions of that time I have read on here.

[@terrystevens5261]

TOTP was never on ITV though, so not relevant.

[@dudehere8077]

That Flying Lizzards singer sounds like my kids - they want money all the time!

[@iandubbya8495]

Great year! DLT showing that he was a 'hands on' dj 🙌

[@owenparsons2972]

When England was a green and plesent land. I am proud to be a part of that era.

[@Theoriginalbigbrillo]

Agreed, not to sure about the Green and Pleasant bit 🤔🤔................................... Was born in Liverpool in 1965 , and im still looking for Either the Pleasant or Green bit, I'm not fussy to be honest 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

I want some rose-tinted glasses the same as yours.

[@markmewordz6860]

I was born in Liverpool in 1962. Trust me on this. Life WAS f**king better.

[@markmewordz6860]

​@@Theoriginalbigbrillo I wager u still busy blaming Thatcher?

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

1979 Green and Pleasant ? You’re either psychotic or you’re not from England 👀.. it was an absolute sh*thouse , falling apart after the winter of discontent and riddled with debt and Police brutality .. sheesh 🤷‍♂️ 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@jennybroad1763]

What a line up of talent! Gosh we were spoilt for music and didn't realize it. Same for the 80s....went downhill after that!

[@colingeddes2172]

Did it ever. Great memories as a kid in the school summer holidays. Totp essential viewing every thurs.👍

[@popatyourecords]

id say 2010 it went down the 90s were great and early 2000s the song writing in the 90s was brilliant alot of it retro but isnt it all getting like that

[@PeterJones-yq1xw]

90s was the start of the slippery slope. Nothing worth bothering with after 2000.

[@thefog7067]

There's still plenty of good music around today

[@LouLou-tl1gv]

15 years old and I had discovered my taste in music punk new wave, ska and reggae still my favourite genres to this day aged 60 in November 😊

[@SandraBrown-n3f]

The beautiful and talented Judy Tzuke - on my Spotify playlist along with many other talents of the late 70s into early 80s - then music went wrong and never recovered - or maybe I'm just old now 😢😂

[@dereklowe946]

Ian Dury and The Blockheads Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3,what a classic. Saw them at the Glasgow Apollo around that time.

[@TheHrb1234]

This gets a thumbs up from having Judie Tzuke on the show. I always loved her music for the past 45 years

[@royjudson4380]

Takes me back to being 19, listening to these tracks in the night clubs.

[@karylhogan5758]

Me too, so same.. no worry’s then.all ahead of us

[@leecort4705]

Great year for music 1979

[@baggierols73]

Possibly THE best

[@cescman47]

Wow 😯 what a year 1979 was I forgot there were so many good tunes I was only 15 and I do remember Judy Tzuke what a great song, memories memories 👌

[@kevinharrison5009]

Beautiful song,beautiful woman 😅

[@carolinekellum1]

Left school in 1979,sweet 16!Where's the time gone?61 now

[@terrystevens5261]

Left school 69, 15 ! nearly 71 now, and where has my winter fuel allowance gone,lol.

[@philipbonner6486]

The great Electric Light Orchestra, and Legs and Co looking beautiful as ever, Sue was my favourite.

[@duntalkin]

Mine too 🎉😂

[@redpillnibbler4423]

Patti. - well any of them really.

[@HUMPTYNUGGET]

I still love Sue ,❤ she's aged well too ❤

[@Home8rew]

My dad always looked up from his paper when Legs & Co came on..

[@rejectionisprotection4448]

That’s why they were on TOTP, to get the male audience.

[@Havanacuba1985]

He must have greatly appreciated the cultural aspects of their Choreography

[@terrystevens5261]

@@rejectionisprotection4448 Not really, it always had a male audience. it all started years before with go go dancers in the sixties on ready steady go, then Pams People on TOTPs.

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

​@terrystevens5261I saw a programme on TOTP a while ago where it was said that Pan's People were there to attract the dads. So yes maybe not YOUNG men. Incidentally there's a comment here where the poster said that their dad only looked up from his paper when Pan's People were on!

[@juliemunro1]

My dad was the same

[@thoskel1]

The late70s and early 80s were depressing tense times. Strikes terrorism, unemployment and street violence were the norms The music reflected the era.

[@SurreyMan0409]

I’d forgotten how much in love with Judy Tzuke I was - and maybe still am…

[@karylhogan5758]

She’s utterly beautiful

[@nottinghamboy9409]

The very very beginning of Two Tone. Unbelievable new street sounds from Terry hall, Dammers and Pauline Black.....

[@folginator]

They don’t show the DLT TOTP’s on tv anymore so this is great to see!

[@DavidNeal-mf9ky]

1979 - 83 best music 🎵🎶 I go back in a heartbeat

[@hythey10]

23 year old Judie Tzuke singing live

[@asac159]

@@droverslane4678 and a very young Jeff Rich once of quo on drums....

[@JD-eq4dp]

​@asac159 John Edwards also later of Quo on bass too.

[@pdlawson-venusloon359]

I was 18 back then, now coming up to 64…..1979 feels like a few weeks ago.

[@creepersquad311]

Bloody hell. Never realised the Angelic Upstarts were ever on Top of the Pops. Seen them live in 83 with the Toydolls. Good times. RIP Mensi

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

_"Is my image right? For your fascist parade"_ 😆

[@markbailey1970]

For those nostalgia freaks - there was plenty of people at that time moaning on that life was better in the 30s and 40s. Living in the past and believing it to be wonderful is very bad indeed

[@ommm8]

I Don't Like Mondays, one of the best Number Ones ever.

[@paulware4701]

Oh wow! Judy Tzuke. That brought back some memories. Can't believe it's been so long.

[@colinbleach9390]

Love all the old Top of the Pops

[@terryodams2244]

1979 Was absolutely great for music.

[@josephryan362]

Great edition of top of the pops with a great song to do the charts to

[@pompoypat]

Angelic Upstarts! My goodness me, what a blast from the past! Fabulous.

[@AVIARYCOURT]

Rip Mensi.

[@gerrykelly4413]

Oh the 70’s !!! Sparks ☘️

[@robmiddleton44]

And they're still going strong 😊

[@gerrykelly4413]

@@robmiddleton44 yes they are, I seen them twice this year (London)

[@robmiddleton44]

@@gerrykelly4413 yes Gerry, saw them at Oxford, RAH and Wolverhampton Civic, brilliant.

[@gerrykelly4413]

@@robmiddleton44 Roll on next year, to see what they bring us 🤞🤞🤞

[@robmiddleton44]

@@gerrykelly4413 it would be good 🤞

[@davidwilliams2840]

Fantastic stay with me till dawn I used to be in love with her as a teenager 😂

[@stephenhowell5611]

She has made a lot of albums since, some great stuff there.

[@DavidNeal-mf9ky]

My era 1979 - 83. Was 15

[@paulyflyer8154]

Joe Jackson with the best opening line to a song ever 😊

[@redpillnibbler4423]

One of my favourite songs ever.

[@SurreyMan0409]

I think we were all there at some stage in our youth. I still remember Jane (big sigh)…

[@paulyflyer8154]

@johnsurrey7426 Ha yes me too... my girlfriend's name at the time 😃. Jefferson Starship 👍

[@rabbit64sj91]

I was exactly 15 & 1/2 on this day! Loved the music of '79, and started buying vinyl singles and albums for the first time on a regular basis. A great time to be a teenager. I'm 60 in just a few days time, where did the time go? 🥰🤩🕺🎶🎼

[@williamturner3157]

Same here, 15 years old Jan 79. Bought a few of these 45s. following girls you fancied then, working a year later and back to being the pup again. I feel like I've been in the tardis to old age now. How quick its gone to 2024.

[@rabbit64sj91]

@@williamturner3157 the time sure does fly by! We were very lucky to be young in the last century, or so I believe anyway. All the best, Tim 😀

[@Geezah1]

Watching Dave Lee Travis man handle those young ladies on TV seems to have been a thing for a few Radio DJs from that time period....hindsight being what it is...

[@helenbaker2614]

DLT handled his position perfectly but BBC decided to be be complete arseholes. wasting public money as per usual. Fuck Yewtree

[@Markthismomentintime]

Different times

[@kevinharrison5009]

Pervy twats. Not just Saville.

[@alanprior7650]

Proper music. A real variation of styles. The best year ever!

[@52marconi]

So much talent and variety of music, what an era

[@VintageForYou]

A fantastic decade of the 70s.🎸🕺🏼🎼

[@hondac7028]

Love Joe Jackson it's different for girls class tune 👌

[@darrenwells2277]

Anymore from this year? The music was so damn good then!

[@mickharrison9004]

Me and i loved every moment .

[@redpillnibbler4423]

79 - 82 my favourite era

[@mickharrison9004]

@@redpillnibbler4423 yeah great era Depeche mode came about that time 👊

[@redpillnibbler4423]

@@mickharrison9004 Always been a fan of Depeche,I was about 12 when they appeared- magical time.

[@mickharrison9004]

@@redpillnibbler4423 yeah they were different gravy ,and Dave galens look at the start clean fresh ,plus the new amazing beats electronic music was great in early years .

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Flying Lizards Money foreshadowing the 80's

[@kimgrant3879]

My first single age 10.

[@nervo6321]

Flying Lizards…brilliant.

[@boowonder888]

I never heard the ELO song before. I would have liked it had I heard it back then. I always go back to the music from the (late)70s come nov/dec , when I was a kid.

[@stevealexR1]

I was 14 at the time - so long ago! I remember ‘79 being such a great year for music…

[@colinglass1342]

What made Abba the best pop group of all time group

[@David-uf8ex]

Sheer genius

[@toomuchinformation]

Brilliant singers. Brilliant songwriters. Brilliant songs.

[@robcross9530]

so many memories here

[@metardis1670]

Just completed a time machine and its locked to 1979....tickets are free and the queue starts below.

[@martintabony611]

Can I be 18 again😀

[@agfagaevart]

no thanks. i want to move forward in time. i avoid disappointment that way.

[@metardis1670]

@Cliff589 You are more than welcome. I wont be coming back either.

[@timwingham8952]

I'm in the queue.

[@jonathannorris8992]

We were all so young then, so full of ideas, frustrations, hope, worries, no understanding of anything yet so keen to learn but not quite sure how that came about. Of course all these years we learnt how painful those lessons were going to be but also how important. And I don’t think any of that has really changed for the young we brought into the world

[@nibsvkh]

Any era one was a teenager/early 20’s is looked upon as the best…this is true FOR ALL GENERATIONS!

[@joeblogs-vx4ep]

All the fantastic music in 1979 and we hardly see any of it on this episode of TOTP ☹️

[@jameshill4911]

Judy Tzuke. She’s heavenly…

[@trishayoung6373]

We all sat round the TV and watched our favourite pop stars ❤

[@nickylee1408]

11 years old ,wow memories

[@hotox1968]

Yep me too, where's it all gone...

[@metardis1670]

@@hotox1968 Sadly, its all gone to shit in a handcart. God bless.

[@chris-rfs]

Heard this track all that time ago and then i was hooked.!! Truly timeless,REAL music.

[@heli-crewhgs5285]

The ‘Merton Parks’ sounding more like ‘Chas ‘n’ Dave’ than Mod revival.

[@signwriter1]

Amazing Music in those days, what happened ? 64 by the way always young at Heart ❤❤👍👍

[@MrGoldrush13]

Always warms the heart to see Dave Lee Travis choking a young girl on live television. Jesus.

[@hondac7028]

I have a double cd called once in a lifetime I bought in about 1996 it has a lot of these songs on Joe Jackson the lizards Adam ant load's good tunes still play it today in car .😂😂

[@walkietalkietraveller2932]

thanks for sharing and in HD 🤩

[@ewaf88]

The Legs on Legs and Co. WOW

[@amandawhiteley6737]

I entered teens. Defo remember these. We were so carefree, then all of a sudden hello 80s!

[@wescooley34]

Thats what i want !!! Oooh ooooho we need more old totp 😂😂😂😂

[@tonyhaynes9080]

I was based in Germany at the time. I can’t believe where the time has gone.

[@lordred4116]

It's spot the predator with these old shows

[@garymacdonald7165]

For the younger vapour-puffing,smackhead fraternity i recommend 2 albums from 1979:- 1. Supertramp-Breakfast in America 2. ELO-Discovery They should put you on a high more than all these stupid drugs youre taking!

[@leestockton9367]

I echo that sentiment and music choice

[@Zephaniah3verse17]

And a high a sight more wholesome as well!

[@Stevelives13]

Right because there were no drugs in 1979.

[@Home8rew]

They’re also good albums to play while you’re getting royally baked (as I frequently did at the time)

[@traceydaizy]

You pompous git, there were loads of drugs around then and everybody smoked cancer sticks

[@SevenDaysToNoon]

That enhanced my soak in the bath no end. Brilliant upload! 👏👏👏 I was 19

[@michaelmoore.5167]

Good old days 🎉😊😊😊awesome.

[@darrenbutcher6684]

The best of music 😊

[@JonB-t8z]

Remember going to a Judy Tzuke concert in Ramsgate in the early 80s. She got smacked in the face by an errant guitar swing. Kept going. What a pint sized trooper. Wonder if she's still singing and touring. It's been a minute?

[@cartimandua_]

I loved Joe Jackson at this time. He was it. 80s were fab really. I was young free and having fun. Plenty well paid jobs - no worries.

[@christopherpearson3266]

This was one of the banned DLT episodes the BBC banned from the TOTP repeats on BBC 4. Nice to finally get to see the episode after all this time. I too had left School in 1979 aged 16(now I am 61).

[@peterdockrill9653]

Remember I was on holiday in N Wales that week

[@jasonhart751]

A - mostly - superb edition of TOTP which has sadly not been repeated since '79.

[@DavidNeal-mf9ky]

Listening to the Boomrats seems like only yesterday it's saddening me. Miss those years

[@simoncurl4504]

If this stuff seemed important and powerful then as a sixteen year old, it is even more so now.. only the numbers have reversed (nearly 61) 😮😂🎉

[@garygrimmett7945]

Saw Ian dury and the blockheads this year..that was reasons to be cheerful 😊brilliant 👏 gazz

[@chadgun4135]

I thought Ian was dead

[@thoskel1]

He died years ago

[@gary1961]

Surely they should just be called the Blockheads now?

[@johncrossley2515]

22:18 music was so good, I guess I was soo young things were not serious everything was fun 🎉

[@rossspenser8314]

When life was good

[@kevinharrison5009]

Certainly much better then now.😢

[@agfagaevart]

for whom?

[@karylhogan5758]

Just 50 years ago….another world , looking back..

[@kingdumdum-y8o]

Maths

[@darren-q5n]

8 years old at the time the late seventies and early eigtes faviourite period for music that instrumental by spyro gyro was absoutlely sublme

[@simonprodhan5050]

angelic upstarts and legs and co! what more could this 14 year old lad want back then?

[@54WMD]

Sounds are great.

[@firsteerr]

wow the mertons , look how young mick Talbot and his brother danny look

[@traceydaizy]

You have to admit there were some brilliant songs out that year. I was 12 when this was aired. Horace Wimp was such an amazing song 🎵 oh and I Don't Like Mondays... how striking was that song?

[@terrystevens5261]

Striking for the wrong reasons though.

[@traceydaizy]

@terrystevens5261 yes, they used bits of the real facts of what happened to make a song which could be seen as disrespectful

[@QuicknStraight]

Ian Dury, Joe Jackson, The Merton Parkas (spot Mick Talbot on keyboards, a few years before he formed the Style Council with Paul Weller!), Boomtown Rats, the 70s went out with a bang! Legs and Co's Patti looked pretty good, too!

[@wmbrown6]

And, for comparison and contrast, the U.S. Top 30 lot that same week: 30. "Morning Dance" _by Spyro Gyra_ 29. "Does Your Mother Know" _by ABBA_ 28. "Heaven Must Have Sent You" _by Bonnie Pointer_ 27. "Boogie Wonderland" _by Earth, Wind And Fire With The Emotions_ 26. "Goodbye Stranger" _by Supertramp_ 25. "Lonesome Loser" _by the Little River Band_ 24. "One Way Or Another" _by Blondie_ 23. "Is She Really Going Out With Him" _by Joe Jackson_ 22. "Suspicions" _by Eddie Rabbitt_ 21. "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" _by The Charlie Daniels Band_ 20. "I'll Never Love This Way Again" _by Dionne Warwick_ 19. "After The Love Has Gone" _by Earth, Wind And Fire_ 18. "Don't Bring Me Down" _by Electric Light Orchestra_ 17. "Shine A Little Love" _by Electric Light Orchestra_ 16. "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" _by McFadden And Whitehead_ 15. "Lead Me On" _by Maxine Nightingale_ 14. "I Want You To Want Me" _by Cheap Trick_ 13. "Sad Eyes" _by Robert John_ 12. "Mama Can't Buy You Love" _by Elton John_ 11. "I Was Made For Lovin' You" _by Kiss_ 10. "You Can't Change That" _by Raydio_ 9. "Hot Stuff" _by Donna Summer_ 8. "Makin' It" _by David Naughton_ 7. "Ring My Bell" _by Anita Ward_ 6. "When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman" _by Dr. Hook_ 5. "Gold" _by John Stewart_ 4. "My Sharona" _by The Knack_ 3. "The Main Event / Fight" _by Barbra Streisand_ 2. "Good Times" _by Chic_ 1. "Bad Girls" _by Donna Summer_ Only a few weeks before the afterburners of "Disco Demolition Night" began to have an effect on what was played and what sold.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

Fun fact: The "Disco Sucks" movement and subsequent Disco Demolition Night was motivated primarily by homophobia and racism, on account of disco being a predominately black genre of music that was hugely popular in the gay community.

[@agfagaevart]

a much better chart.