Top of the Pops - Top of the Pops: The Story of 1977

Following BBC Four's Top of the Pops 1976, the next stop is 1977 - in some ways a year zero for Britain's most iconic music programme. As the country veered between strikes and street parties, pop bastion Top of the Pops was stormed by punk and new wave acts such as the Stranglers and the Jam. Yet Top of the Pops at first seemed unaware of the changes afoot and the way in which the show is made was beset by working practices that are perhaps symptoms of the way in which Britain could be said 'not to be working'. Jeans were getting tighter, hair shorter and the tunes louder, but it was an incredibly diverse year. Disco was also a dominant force with Donna Summer's I Feel Love, alongside the reggae of Bob Marley and the Wailers, the pub rock of Eddie and the Hot Rods and the plastic pop of Boney M. British pop that year was in a state of flux - unpredictable and exciting. Appearing on Top of the Pops in 1977 is explored in the documentary by artists such as the Adverts, John Otway, members of Darts, JJ Burnel from the Stranglers and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols, with insights from the Top of the Pops production team, Nicky Wire from the Manics and journalists Alexis Petridis and Pete Paphides.

All Broadcasts

• BBC Four

  Sat 6th Jan 2024

  01:15

• BBC Two

  Sat 5th Aug 2023

  20:15

• BBC Two

  Sat 20th Aug 2022

  23:30

• BBC Two

  Thu 11th Feb 2021

  22:00

• BBC Four

  Sun 22nd Jul 2012

  00:40

• BBC Four

  Fri 15th Jun 2012

  23:15

• BBC Four

  Sat 10th Mar 2012

  22:55

• BBC Four

  Mon 9th Jan 2012

  00:00

• BBC Four

  Sat 7th Jan 2012

  01:05

• BBC Four

  Fri 6th Jan 2012

  21:00