Each episode, we look at six hit singles that were in the same position in the UK Top 10 exactly ten years apart, from the 1960s through to the 2010s. We talk about them, you vote for them, and points are awarded to the decades which they represent. As the episodes roll on, the votes roll in, and the points stack up, which decade will ultimately emerge as Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yakketty twiddles connect Sinatra to Toto - Jehovah is ditched for Je$u$ - bouncing back from a horticultural hitch, Stevie gives a timely boost to Michael's big bro - a Bono-blessed cover reminds us of when downtempo was peak-time - thrillingly punctuated, perplexingly dialogued sass without agency - and a poignant elegy for the days of getting sloshed in chain bars.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 29th June 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thrillingly punctuated, perplexingly dialogued sass without agency, and a poignant elegy for the days of getting sloshed in chain bars.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 29th June 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bouncing back from a horticultural hitch, Stevie gives a timely boost to Michael's big bro, while a Bono-blessed cover reminds us of when downtempo was peak-time.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yakketty twiddles connect Sinatra to Toto, and Jehovah is ditched for Je$u$.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mike's househunting hunch has been checked and verified, and yes, it was HER. Also contains class conflict, generational shaming, and a crypto metaphor for the ages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A disputed platform, nibbles round at Nick's place, the Benson/Dexys connection, another Dutch dance duo, a defence of Arena Indie, and grime goes EDM (again).Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 1st June 2025.Further reading: Mike's live reviews of Whitney Houston and Tinie Tempah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A defence of Arena Indie, and grime goes EDM (again).Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 1st June 2025.Further reading: Mike's live reviews of Whitney Houston and Tinie Tempah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An Ali-venerating Benson/Dexys connection, and a second consecutive Dutch dance duo with multiple aliases!.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A disputed platform (and a Mu Mu revelation) followed by a contextual car chase, ending up with nibbles round at Nick's place.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Who are the other singing drummers? Has Usher had a Cheryl Baker moment? Were Doop the Wagner of the Nineties? Can we shoehorn in a gratuitous Star Wars reference? And what's the current state of the Master Scoreboard? All will be revealed in our latest results bulletin! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Retrospective menace from a Beatles diffusion line; our first singing drummer, whose band pays tribute to Nottingham's fine industrial heritage; a Glasto-buzz-killing Madeley-thumper swaps Communism for knitwear; some Euro-techno pioneers update the Charleston; an old friend hopes for a higher ranking; and a creative process arguably (!) predates 2020s technology.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 6th May 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 2000s and 2010s: an old friend hopes for a higher ranking, and a creative process arguably (!) predates 2020s technology.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 6th May 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1980s and 1990s:a Glasto-buzz-killing Madeley-thumper swaps Communism for knitwear, and some Euro-techno pioneers update the Charleston.Still to come: the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1960s and 1970s: retrospective menace from a Beatles diffusion line, and our first singing drummer, whose band pays tribute to Nottingham's fine industrial heritage. Still to come: the 1980s and 1990s in Part 2, and the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah joins "the lads" (hmm) for a divisively soft-rockin' set of results, and a lucky voter wins swag from our notional merch stand. May contain references to instant coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A savoury snack origin story, allegedly innocent filth, fleeting croc fame, a justified flounce, renewed dramatic relevance, and a chart rules game-changer.Listen to this episode with full tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 6th April 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 2000s and 2010s: renewed and topical dramatic relevance, and a chart rules game-changer.Listen to this episode in full, with all tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 6th April 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1980s and 1990s: fleeting croc fame, and a justified flounce.Still to come: the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1960s and 1970s: a savoury snack origin story, and allegedly innocent filth.Still to come: the 1980s and 1990s in Part 2, and the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which we reveal how our listeners have been voting on S5 E1. Which pop decade will triumph? And just how middle class is DJ Trev? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A mondegreen creates a one-hit wonder, Peel Power lands a chart-topper, Nick's homies make good, Madonna and the Pope get their chequebooks out, gays are conflated with sidewalks, and CTRL-V holds the key to fleeting success.Listen to this episode with full tracks embedded.Playlists: YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 11th March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 2000s and 2010s, gays are conflated with sidewalks, and CTRL-V holds the key to fleeting success.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 11th March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1980s and 1990s, Nick's homies make good, and Madonna and the Pope get their chequebooks out.Still to come: the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 11th March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Representing the 1960s and 1970s, a mondegreen creates a one-hit wonder, and Peel Power lands a chart-topper.Still to come: the 1980s and 1990s in Part 2, and the 2000s and 2010s in Part 3.Listen to all three parts in one go, with full tracks embedded.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 11th March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which we reveal the end-of-season state of play between our six competing pop decades, and take a look at our increasingly authoritative Motherboard for cumulative positions across all four seasons, as we edge ever closer ro the answer to that age-old question: Which Decade IS Tops For Pops? Playlist for all tracks in Season 4, in chronological order.Join the Patreon Supporters Club, where all the cool pop kids hang out (bonus episode imminent!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which Alice Deejay is posited as the gold standard of modern pop, the Womble legacy lives on in Des Moines, a reprieve is granted to schmaltz, and Trev's purported aversion to the blues earns him a right royal kicking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Stones seek peace in the barnyard, Furrycore creates a riot, Holly gets Mike on the telly, the ice maiden's dodgy deals are fake news, Sarah sobs while Cheryl whoops, and Heldens scores a Wordle double.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Monday 6th January 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which Dave Edmunds is confirmed as a trailblazer, the team are taken to task for their lack of millennial R&B love, and we propose a helpline for Madonna's hapless exes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Was Lennon right about Presley? Are "pub rock" and "chunky" pejorative terms? Does buying your own shoes make you Ne-Yo's type? Should The A*Teens be airbrushed from history? And how did Robert Van Winkle become as famous as Mike?YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 17th December 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Special guest Carly joins Mike, Nick and Trev for the latest set of results. Also: would Dave Dee work as happy hardcore? Is Rod a good egg or what? Would a SAW-less Rick have legs? Which Spice is our fave Spice? When did dadrock stretch to Irish boybands? And can tropical house work in winter? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DDDBM&T move beyond mere language, Rod conflates Britt and soccer, SAW rehash a US club smash, Spiceworld lacks an atlas, Westlife have the business class blues, and mojitos are garnished with self-pity.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 3rd December 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Theo takes over as our new Voice Of Youth, with some "controversial" opinions on a surprising set of results, during which we veer off into some frankly BRILLIANT pitches for movie remakes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Tremeloes podcast with bonus content from, erm, five other songs (when we eventually get to them). Also contains the most fatuous voting prediction ever made.YouTube // Spotify // extra tracks & bonus bits // Tremeloes Deep Cuts (Hi, Chesney! Hi, Chip!)To join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 29th October 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Praise for the Meh Zone, and a right royal slagging for the winner: our voters are a funny old bunch. (Disclaimer: AND WE WOULDN'T WANT THEM ANY OTHER WAY) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Townsend goes genderqueer, the Rollers go powerpop, Nick meets the neighbours, proto-trance saves lives, a song thrush is hypersexualised, and, erm, how does this one go again?YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks and bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 15th October 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oliver joins us from New Zealand, as we pick over the latest set of votes, and there's even a bonus playlist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A teen idol hires a guitar legend, Bolan invents the 70s, the Schlagerfication of DJ culture, doo-wop hip hop's swansong, a Van Outen diss track, and an EDM slobberfest.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 24th September 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The 1980s have been in big trouble this season, so will Eurythmics save them? And would a Robbie Williams CD REALLY have been a stoner's go-to record store choice in the late 1990s? Also contains a salute to the majesty of "It's Quiet Uptown". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An evocative soundscape of a lost continent (or not), the theme tune from a lost 1970s sitcom (or not), a splurge of 1980s celebrity cameos, a which-one-is-which conundrum, a doomed attempt to crack the US market, and two very rich people having a good old moan about it.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Bluesky: whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Monday 2nd September 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which our very special guest - Mike's partner Kevin - is obliged to talk about music he loathes without swearing, so it's a good job we've given him our "substitute" words. Elsewhere, we discover Nick's hitherto undisclosed teatime TV fame, and the younger members of our team ponder how to crack the Gen Z demographic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lulu sidesteps the Dumper in the nick of time, a pop hit that rock critics can "dig", synthed-up Zydeco, a miming model, When Profanity Filters Go Wrong, and our most polarising track EVER: just watch the fur fly.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Monday 12th August 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Simpsons fans beware: there are some factual inaccuracies ahead, as our extra tracks playlist will confirm - also featuring DJ Trev's Platonic ideal of a kids song, the first single Mike ever bought, and B.Bumble's woeful Radio One afterlife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ballet class nostalgia, pop merchandising's 19th century roots, problematic cover art, a songwriting team of 26, techno as a pejorative term, and a questionable quest for self-discovery.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsBonus playlists: Kim Fowley tracks // Kris Kross samplesTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 23rd July 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sian Pearce becomes our first ever female guest on the podcast, joining Mike, Nick and Trev for a thorough dissection of the latest set of voting. Did Dizzy beat Dizzee? Did anyone like Cliff? Did anyone have anything to say about Shanks & Bigfoot? How did ska-punk lead to the Muppet Show? And should we be filling our bladders with lean? Only one way to find out... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If it hadn't been for that pesky Jason Donovan, all these Number Two hits would also have been chart-toppers. Dizzy meets Dizzee, Angela Trimble has lost her cat, Sir Cliff scores a century, UKG struggles to travel north, and country's new Golden Age starts right here.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 25th June 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In which we look back at the 60 tunes that featured in Season Three, counting down the final totals on the Master Scoreboard, and seeing where this leaves our cumulative Mother Board.Playlst for Season Three, in chronological orderWe'll be back with Season Four at the end of June. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With no guest and no Master Scoreboard, we thought this would be a quick one. But then we got talking about periods when pop treads water, and the democratisation of its means of production, and the She Drives Me Crazy thwock, and the baffling 2006 disdain for Bridge Over Troubled Water, and communal/collective pop vs introspective headphone music, and cats in panto, and pretending to be gay in strip clubs... and, well, let's just say that things escalated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A demobbed King reclaims his crown, the Wichita Lineman crew triumph again, the sound of 1976 reappears in 1980, a choreographer jives with a cat, the Cosmo Smallpiece of millennial R&B plays fast and loose with co-writing credits, and a player gets played right back.YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Monday 13th May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's raining meh, hallelujah! Patreon subscriber (and actual real-life musician) Jeff draws the short straw and joins us to pick over the results of Episode 9: a selection of tunes so forgettable that we end up discussing carp. Yes, carp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DJ Trev says:Do you love the Meh Zone? Are you all about those tunes that are "OK, I guess"? Then you need to listen to the next episode of Which Decade Is Tops For Pops - because it's A-Meeeeeh-Zing!Nick Parkhouse says:This is not an episode where everything's a 5-star a la carte entree, or everything's absolutely terrible and I've vomited into the sink - this is an episode where a waiter serves you a plate full of cream crackers.If that's whetted your appetite, then you're in for tastebud-bursting treat!YouTube playlist // Spotify playlist // extra tracks & bonus bitsTo join in with the voting, please submit your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourites, plus your "most bad and hated" selection, to:The Patreon Supporters Club // X: @whichdecadetops // Facebook // whichdecadeistops@gmail.comThe voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Tuesday 23rd April 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With the help of Patreon subscriber Mark, we unveil the latest set of results, with digressions that include a statistical history of fadeouts in chart pop, alarming encounters with dancehall MCs, a big-up for The Heritage Chart Show podcast, and a mouth-watering soundbite to get your juices flowing for Episode 9. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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