Pick of the Pops

Pick of the Pops is a long-running BBC Radio programme; it was based originally on the Top 20 from the UK Singles Chart and was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on 4 October 1955.^[1] It transferred to BBC Radio 1 (simulcast on BBC Radio 2) from 1967 to 1972.^[2] The show returned to the BBC in 1989 and its current production run started on BBC Radio 2 in 1997.

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Its longest-serving presenter was Alan Freeman for almost 40 years, on and off, from 1961 to 2000. The current host is Mark Goodier, following the death of Steve Wright.

Initially, the show did not feature chart music, but in September 1957, Alan Dell introduced the format of running through the charts of the week; he played the top tens from various music papers, plus entries to the top 20s.

David Jacobs broadcast 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 became the show's longest-serving presenter, had been a radio announcer in Melbourne, Australia. He arrived in Britain in 1957 and joined the Light Programme in 1960 to present Records Around Five. That same year, he replaced David Jacobs as presenter of Pick of the Pops, which was then part of a Saturday evening programme called Trad Tavern, named after traditional jazz, which had a following at the time. Pick of the Pops became a separate programme in January 1962;^[3] it was produced by Derek Chinnery.

Denys Jones (producer 1961–72) and Freeman split the programme into four sections: chart newcomers, new releases, LPs and the Top 10.^[3] The programme attracted large audiences, as the BBC had "needle time" restrictions 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 on 24 September 1972.^[4]

Freeman revived Pick of the Pops on London station Capital Radio in 1982. This format was broadcast on Capital until 1988, as Pick of the Pops – Take Two, combining the new chart (Top 15s compiled successively by Record Business, the NME and MRIB) with a chart from the past. In 1989, Freeman returned to Radio 1 where the show featured three past charts each week; it was produced by Phil Swern until March 1992 and by Sue Foster for the rest of 1992.^[5] Freeman stood down from the programme in 1992, after stating then that he would not present the show again and signed off with The Beatles' "The End".

However, Freeman revived the show on Capital Gold in April 1994 as Pick of the Pops – Take Three.^[6]

• Franklin Engelmann (1955)
• Alan Dell (1956 and 1957–58)
• David Jacobs (September 1956 – September 1957; March 1958 – September 1961; September – December 1962)
• Don Moss (September – December 1963)
• Alan Freeman (September 1961 – September 1962; January - September 1963; January 1964 - 1 April 2000)
• Dale Winton (1 April 2000 – 30 October 2010)
• Tony Blackburn (6 November 2010 – 20 February 2016)
• Mark Goodier (Interim host between Blackburn's departure and Gambaccini's arrival, 27 February 2016 – 2 July 2016, plus two shows as stand in cover for Gambaccini in January and February 2018; 6 July 2024 – present)
• Paul Gambaccini (9 July 2016 – 7 October 2023)
• Noel Gallagher (one show stand-in cover for Gambaccini, 29 May 2021)
• Gary Davies (three shows as stand-in cover for Gambaccini, 21 and 28 August 2021, 2 July 2022 and interim host between Wright’s death and Goodier’s return; 17 February – 29 June 2024)
• Scott Mills (one show as stand-in cover for Gambaccini, 16 April 2022)
• Steve Wright (National Album Day specials, 15 October 2022; 21 October 2023 – 10 February 2024)

Between 1961 and 1966, the theme tune was "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal" written and performed by Brian Fahey and his Orchestra. In 1966 it was replaced with "Quite Beside The Point" by the Harry Roberts Sound but was reinstated in 1970, with a new recording by Brass Incorporated.