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Part 4 - The best is yet to come...
The show entered the '80s in the rudest of health.
An appearance on the Pops often decided the chart fate of a record the following
week. This extraordinary power dictated the show's ability to attract the
world's biggest artists. Top of the Pops' cast-list over the past 34 years has included virtually every star in popular music: a roll-call unmatched by any other television show in the world.
The late '90s saw the charismatic Chris Cowey take charge in the role of Executive Producer. And with him came a strong sense of branding, live performances, the launch of the website and magazine, and the extension of the brand across the globe.
In August 2003, Andi Peters took over from Cowey as the show's producer.
A new-look show was launched on Friday 28th November. There were a few radical shake-ups, including a completely different logo, a new theme tune composed by Tony Gibber, and the introduction of news features. Andi said, "Part of what I want to do on TOTP is make it feel like a music magazine. So you take away something from it, not just song after song after song." In 2004, the show moved to a new time and new channel (Sundays at 7pm on BBC2), with regular presenters Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates mixing it up with a host of guest presenters. Sadly, the decision to close the show was made, and the last show aired on BBC 2 on Sunday 30th July 2006.
Whatever the changes, however, the programme will go down in history as a weekly digest of what was popular in pop music. There is only one Top of the Pops!
Still want more? Click on 'Past
Presenters' to read accounts of the finest
TOTP moments from presenters
such as Jimmy Savile and Zoe Ball.
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