last ever Top of the Pops recorded tonight

[Lander]

Haven't watched it for a year or two so not bothered

 

[Dave the OAP]

So are we mourning the passing of an institution, or the mourning the loss of a sub-culture?

I mean, Top of the Pops has always been cheesy, presented by naff DJs (save John Peel - and his ejection was outrageous), naff dance routines by cheesy dancers (albeit rather sexy, girl-next-door dancers), some naff bands, with some even naffer performances. It became the epitome of mass consumerism and the vehicle for avaricious record companies to position their puppets - sorry, acts - to their best advantage.

The mere fact that you had to have a record in the Top 20 (or Top 30 or Top 40) meant that these were records which were already popular, and could be considered 'safe' for attracting viewers.

Or are we mourning the fact that the once-exciting time of not knowing who was at what position in the charts until they were announced by Noel Edmonds or Tony Blackburn or Peter Powell or whoever have now gone, the charts being known well before the official announcement is made.

And the fact that, to get a record into the top 20 requires the kind of marketing muscle that the music industry cartel just won't let you in on (Seagulls Ska was a one-off fluke - not to be repeated). This, combined with the fact that (and I am sounding like an old fart here) every record sounds the same as the last makes for an uninspiring, insipid, puerile popular music industry devoid of any depth or imagination.

Even the acts of any note are only good for one album - maybe two, and they take two or three years to release it if there is a second one, and all because not necessarily a lack of talent on the part of the artist (although in some cases that may be true) but because the artists are beholden to the pony-tailed, coke-addled marketing men - parasites who are suffocating the very deep pool of talent that Britain is highly capable of producing.

That's why Top of the Pops is being stopped. It is now irrelevant.

you really are a fun guy aren't you

 

[hitony]

you really are a fun guy aren't you

 

[Parson Henry]

So are we mourning the passing of an institution, or the mourning the loss of a sub-culture?

I mean, Top of the Pops has always been cheesy, presented by naff DJs (save John Peel - and his ejection was outrageous), naff dance routines by cheesy dancers (albeit rather sexy, girl-next-door dancers), some naff bands, with some even naffer performances. It became the epitome of mass consumerism and the vehicle for avaricious record companies to position their puppets - sorry, acts - to their best advantage.

The mere fact that you had to have a record in the Top 20 (or Top 30 or Top 40) meant that these were records which were already popular, and could be considered 'safe' for attracting viewers.

Or are we mourning the fact that the once-exciting time of not knowing who was at what position in the charts until they were announced by Noel Edmonds or Tony Blackburn or Peter Powell or whoever have now gone, the charts being known well before the official announcement is made.

And the fact that, to get a record into the top 20 requires the kind of marketing muscle that the music industry cartel just won't let you in on (Seagulls Ska was a one-off fluke - not to be repeated). This, combined with the fact that (and I am sounding like an old fart here) every record sounds the same as the last makes for an uninspiring, insipid, puerile popular music industry devoid of any depth or imagination.

Even the acts of any note are only good for one album - maybe two, and they take two or three years to release it if there is a second one, and all because not necessarily a lack of talent on the part of the artist (although in some cases that may be true) but because the artists are beholden to the pony-tailed, coke-addled marketing men - parasites who are suffocating the very deep pool of talent that Britain is highly capable of producing.

That's why Top of the Pops is being stopped. It is now irrelevant.

We are mourning the memories of our childhood and, teenage years for which TOTP formed an integral part.

 

[The Large One]

you really are a fun guy aren't you

That was merely a piece of observation on the dreadful state of our popular music culture - nothing to do with whether I am fun or not. Of course, if you find that being bombarded with utterly unlistenable drivel is your bag, I can see why you would say that. Meanwhile, do you reckon you can take up the challenge and attempt to answer the two questions I posed in that observation?

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

That was merely a piece of observation on the dreadful state of our popular music culture - nothing to do with whether I am fun or not. Of course, if you find that being bombarded with utterly unlistenable drivel is your bag, I can see why you would say that. Meanwhile, do you reckon you can take up the challenge and attempt to answer the two questions I posed in that observation?

I can only see 1 question in your articulate observation.

 

[The Large One]

I can only see 1 question in your articulate observation.

Two questions within one statement.

'So are we mourning the passing of an institution, or the mourning the loss of a sub-culture?

Yeah, I can see what you mean, though.

 

[Trufflehound]

That was merely a piece of observation on the dreadful state of our popular music culture.

I think pop music culture is in a no better or worse state than it ever was. There was plenty of shit in the 70s etc as well, but most people seem to have donned rose-tinted spectacles and blotted out those painful memories of Kenny doing "The Bomp" or that Lt Pigeon dirge with some old granny on the piano.

In 10 years time all the rubbish from today will have been forgotten as well. And some new rubbish will have come along... Which is what makes listening to music so good (the fact it changes, not the fact that half of it is crap).

TOTP hasn't suddenly become shit. Apart from a few rare occasions (1978 springs to mind, when people like the Rezillos made it into the charts every week), it was ALWAYS shit. But that's why we loved it.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

"Jiminy Jelickers Radioactive Man!"

Sad day. I for one think there was life in the old dog, but I seem to be in a minority of one.

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

Two questions within one statement.

'So are we mourning the passing of an institution, or the mourning the loss of a sub-culture?

Yeah, I can see what you mean, though.

I was always betta at Maffs and stuff anyway.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I was always betta at Maffs and stuff anyway.

The less said about the Robin Williams gag on the other thread the better.

 

[Marshy]

It means less Fearne though

 

[Dave the OAP]

That was merely a piece of observation on the dreadful state of our popular music culture - nothing to do with whether I am fun or not. Of course, if you find that being bombarded with utterly unlistenable drivel is your bag, I can see why you would say that. Meanwhile, do you reckon you can take up the challenge and attempt to answer the two questions I posed in that observation?

there you go again. patronising.....

FFS The thread was about mourning the passing of something lots of us found a part of our childhood.

If you feel the need to be all pretentious and clever, then that is your perogative, but just dont aim it at me.

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

there you go again. patronising.....

FFS The thread was about mourning the passing of something lots of us found a part of our childhood.

If you feel the need to be all pretentious and clever, then that is your perogative, but just dont aim it at me.

OVERTIRED !!!

 

[Dave the OAP]

....not really ( although it is raining and hot in North London)

It just gets me that that anytime a thread appears about something that people can reminiss about or about music or MP3 playersetc etc, it degenerates into " I can write more cleverer than you" shite, be it TLO, LI, UB etc etc...

This board got like this a few years ago and I feel it degenerating again.

Anyway I am FLOUNCING for a few weeks to Austria so wont be on here.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Well as a kid in the late 70s early 80s I enjoyed TOTP. But when I grew up I stopped watching it.

Also you cant blame TOTP for what bands/acts they have on the show because if they are in the chart then surely it has to be on the show? Even if 99% of it is shit.

Because most people have fond memories of TOTP I suppose its the mourning of an institution. After all it did run for 40 years. And there aint many programmes that can say that.

 

[hitony]

....not really ( although it is raining and hot in North London)

It just gets me that that anytime a thread appears about something that people can reminiss about or about music or MP3 playersetc etc, it degenerates into " I can write more cleverer than you" shite, be it TLO, LI, UB etc etc...

This board got like this a few years ago and I feel it degenerating again.

Anyway I am FLOUNCING for a few weeks to Austria so wont be on here.

You do speak alot of sense

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Actually hasn't popular music always been crap? whether its the 60s 70s 80s 90s or now?

Oh I dont like all that mersey beat stuff I prefer Lou Reed or whatever.

I dont like all that Glam Rock I like punk.

I dont like all that Wham stuff I like Morrissey etc

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

.Anyway I am FLOUNCING for a few weeks to Austria so wont be on here.

So.... overtired and probably a little too excited then !

You're going to get a tummy ache if you're not careful

Have a nice break.

 

[hitony]

Actually hasn't popular music always been crap? whether its the 60s 70s 80s 90s or now?

Oh I dont like all that mersey beat stuff I prefer Lou Reed or whatever.

I dont like all that Glam Rock I like punk.

I dont like all that Wham stuff I like Morrissey etc

Exactly i was bought up with the Stones, the who, status quo etc etc, but i dont expect todays youth to like it