Fascinating Facts and Trivia

There have been 13 different ‘Top of the Pops’ logos and opening sequences during the show’s 42 year history.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix was seen attempting to mime ‘Purple Haze’ while an Alan Price record was inadvertently being played as the backing track.

In October 1982 Dexy's Midnight Runners appeared on Top of the Pops to perform 'Jackie Wilson Said' - their tribute to the soul legend. Appearing on the screen behind them, however, was a giant picture of Jocky Wilson, the darts player.

The great miming disaster of 1988 occurred during All About Eve's live performance of 'Martha's Harbour'. A crew member tripped over the power switch in the studio leaving the singer, Julianne Regan, without her cue for the backing track. Her song was being broadcast live to the nation while Julianne sat on a stool in a pool of dry ice wondering what on earth was going on.

During the 500th edition of Top of the Pops in October 1973, Cliff Richard's performance was interrupted when the stage was showered by wigs. The culprits were The Who's roadies who had become bored and raided the props department.

Status Quo have made 87 appearances on Top of the Pops and have performed over the five decades of the shows history in the Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, Nineties and the 2000's. Their first performance was on 8 February 1968 singing, 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' and they last appeared on 18 September 2005 performing, 'The Party Ain't Over Yet'.

Madonna started her career as a drummer in an 80s band called The Breakfast Club.

Nicole Appleton once lost a job as an ice cream seller because she was knocked out by a falling parasol and all her ice creams were stolen.

To win a gold disc, an album needs to sell 100,000 copies in Britain, and 500,000 in the United States.

It was at a concert in Minneapolis in 1954 that Al Dvorin first closed Elvis’s concerts with: “Ladies and Gentleman, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night.”