Pick of the Pops


Pick of the Pops is a long-running BBC Radio programme, originally based on the Top 20 UK Singles Chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 from 1967 to 1972. It was revived for six years in 1989. Its current production run started on BBC Radio 2 in 1997.

Original format (1955–1972)

Initially the show did not feature the charts, but in September 1957 Alan Dell introduced the format of running through the charts of the week, playing the top tens from various music papers plus entries to top 20s.
David Jacobs brought the first averaged BBC Top 20 to the helm on Saturday, 29 March 1958. Alan Freeman took over in September 1961, taking the show to a regular Sunday slot in January 1962. The programme ended in September 1972, while the Top 20 continued as part of "Solid Gold Sixty".
Freeman, who presented the longest and whose name is probably most closely associated with Pick of the Pops, had been a radio announcer in Melbourne, Australia. Freeman arrived in Britain in 1957 and joined the Light Programme in 1961 to present Records Around Five. That same year he replaced David Jacobs for Pick of the Pops, which was then part of a Saturday-evening programme called Trad Tavern, after traditional jazz which had a following at the time. Pick of the Pops became a separate programme in January 1962. It was produced by Derek Chinnery.
Denys Jones and Freeman split the programme into four: chart newcomers, new releases, LPs and the Top 10. The programme attracted large audiences as the BBC had restrictions on "needle time" and could play relatively few commercially available recordings each week. Freeman continued with the show when it moved to Radio 1 and stayed until the programme ended in September 1972.

Revivals

Freeman revived Pick of the Pops on the local London station, Capital Radio, from 1982 to the end of 1988 as Pick of the Pops – Take Two, combining the new chart with a chart from the past. In 1989, Freeman returned to Radio 1 where the show featured three past charts each week, and was produced by Phil Swern through March 1992, and for the rest of 1992 by Sue Foster. Freeman's final programme, at the end of 1992, stated then that he would never present it again, and signed off with the Beatles' "The End".
From April 1994 to January 1997 Freeman revived the show once more on Capital Gold as Pick Of The Pops – Take Three, featuring two vintage top 12s, and the "Battle Of The Giants", and on other occasions featuring three vintage top 10s, two vintage top 20s and a rock request, along with competitions on Saturday mornings.

BBC Radio 2 era (1997–present)

Pick of the Pops returned to the BBC as an independent production by Unique Broadcasting on BBC Radio 2 on 5 April 1997, with Freeman now counting down two archive charts each week featuring the top 10s and interspersing trivia about the records, again researched by producer Swern.

Dale Winton (April 2000–October 2010)

On 1 April 2000, Freeman presented his last show and retired for health reasons, and the show was taken over by Dale Winton, who joined him on this edition. Winton first presented the show solo on 8 April 2000. The regular weekly edition ended on 28 August 2004, with limited broadcast of special editions on Bank Holidays.
Pick of the Pops then returned on a weekly basis in September 2005, on a Sunday afternoon, with Winton at the helm. The BBC then moved the show to a Saturday lunchtime slot in April 2009, where it remains today.
Winton bowed out of Pick of the Pops on 30 October 2010 owing to other work.

Tony Blackburn (November 2010–February 2016)

On 24 September 2010, it was announced that Tony Blackburn would take over Pick of The Pops from Winton, and be continued to be produced by Swern. His first show aired on 6 November 2010. Although the show was pre-recorded during the Winton era, from 29 January 2011 the show was mostly broadcast live, which allowed Blackburn to interact with his listeners. In August 2015 Pick of the Pops got a new producer Tom Du Croz after 18 years of Swern producing on his own. Blackburn was dismissed by the BBC on 25 February 2016, having presented his last edition of the show just 5 days earlier.

Mark Goodier (February–July 2016)

stepped in to present the show on a temporary basis. He was the youngest presenter on Pick of the Pops to feature charts before he was born. He was also the last presenter to feature texts & emails which began during Blackburn's reign of host of Pick of the Pops. Goodier hosted the show between 27 February to 2 July 2016.

Paul Gambaccini (July 2016–present)

Gambaccini took over Pick of The Pops on 9 July 2016, still produced by Swern and Tom Du Croz, later replaced by Heather Wall. Paul also features Billboard charts along with The UK 20 twenty normally in the first hour then the Billboard chart in the second hour, over the Christmas/ New Year period. He also tells listeners what was number one in America giving a nod to his long running show America's Greatest Hits. On 6 January and 24 February 2018, Paul missed Pick of the Pops due to snow and ill health, with former temporary host Mark Goodier covering on both occasions. In May 2018 Paul presented a special Pick Of The Pops to celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and featured their birth years in celebration: 1981 and 1984. On 25 August 2018, Paul presented another special on Prince & Madonna to celebrate their 60th birthdays and counted down their best selling singles. Currently from March 2020, due to COVID-19, the show is not currently being broadcast live but being voice-tracked due to Paul not being allowed to attend Wogan House for a while.

Presenters

The theme tune was "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal" written and performed by Brian Fahey and his Orchestra. It was later replaced with "Quite Beside The Point" by the Harry Roberts Sound. Since April 1970 the show has used a new version of "At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal" by Brass Incorporated.