Entertainment For Lively Minds
Top Of The Flops
Imagine my surprise when I watched the Top Ten countdown on The Top Of The Pops Comic Relief Special. I had only heard of three of the artists and couldn't even tell you who the number one artist was. I also couldn't tell you who has a number one single this or last year, could you? Most of the music in the top ten doesn't interest me these days, but it still kind of bothers me that I no longer have my finger on the pulse of the modern pop scene.Until Thursday, I hadn't even heard of The Saturdays. This kind of worries me too and I don't know why.
I still keep an eye on the album charts on a weekly basis, but the singles charts just doesn't interest me anymore; the poor performance of U2's recent single must be one of the most exciting things to have happened in recent years. Sadly I am the kind of geek who worries if a favourite artist's new album is performing badly.
The years years spent with my finger hovering over the pause and record buttons, whilst Bruno Brooks did the Sunday Chart Show have long gone. Didn't their used to be rival chart show on the commercial stations with Kid Jenson. Is this still going?
Maybe one day, the singles charts will vanish altogether. What do you reckon? Would it bother you if it disappeared forever?
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It wouldn't bother me in the slightest...
as it has been a total irrelevance for 10 years or more. I have next to no knowledge of what is hip and happenin' at the moment and I know that I'm never going to care enough to find out. What excites me still is discovering great music - regardless of its era - that I haven't heard before... last year the Éthiopiques CD series made a huge impression on me.
For me, there is a direct link
between knowing who is in the charts and TOTP leaving our screens. When TOTP was on I could tell you who was number 1 and much of the top 10 as well, now I wouldn't have a clue.
Pretty much stood by TOTP through the good and bad times, it was an institution, much like Corrie. I suspect i'm not the only person who's lack of knowledge of the charts has been affected by the demise of TOTP.
Wasn't the ITV version just called 'The Chart Show'?
Think the rival was the
Think the rival was the Pepsi Chart, running on all your favourite commercial stations at the same time on Sunday. Wasn't the Ch 4 video show The Chart Show, cant remember what the ITV one was called, do remember watching The Fall do Hit the North on it though.
Likewise my interest/knowledge of the top 10 ended with TOTP, had stuck with it through thick and thin, until Cotton performed her particular form of bad voodoo on the show and killed it (alright probably cant blame her entirely, but she was presenting it toward the end so has to shoulder the blame).
I think the problem is called...
...getting older. And there's no cure.
End of TOTP = End of chart
Yes, I agree with Mint. I no longer keep a working knowledge going about the singles chart because TOTP is no longer there.
I miss the shared national experience of TOTP, particularly when something remarkable happened. Probably the best known is Shakin' Stevens pulling out at the last minute and replaced by Culture Club. I had seen an article about them in The Face magazine, so could educate the family over the singer's true gender.
The alternative was The Chart Show which was screened on Saturday mornings. This was presenter-free and every now and then they would play more obsure acts like Momus, Laibach or Psychic TV - even though they were not (and probably never will be) in the charts.
They had a guest chart each week
that was either 'dance', 'rock' or 'indie'
I'll put this as politely as I can
It's not made for you any more.
Unless you have an active interest in modern pop music, there's no reason why you should be surprised to not see anyone you recognise in the charts.
All older people lament the music of the younger generation. That's how it always was and will be.
I always look at the charts every Monday
...and marvel at how I've not heard of three quarters of the acts, or even heard any songs by the ones I have heard of. All I know about The Saturdays is that they're the poor man's Girls Aloud.
As Ben Milne pointed out, it's called getting older.
The only charts I look at
....tell me I need bifocals