Top of the Pops: 1981 Big Hits

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Top of the Pops

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1981 - Big Hits

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Mark Cooper

Top of the Pops: 1981 - Big Hits

08/01/2016

BBC One - Top of the Pops, 1981 - Big Hits

With Phil Collins, Shakin' Stevens, Kim Wilde, Adam and the Ants, Odyssey and many more.

With Phil Collins, Shakin' Stevens, Kim Wilde, Tenpole Tudor, Adam and the Ants, The Teardrop Explodes, Odyssey, Altered Images, The Specials, Ultravox and The Human League.

A bumper crop of hits from the Top of the Pops archive showcasing an exciting year on the pop charts. 1981 embraced disco and ska, new wave punk, the burgeoning New Romantic scene and the rise of synthpop, with some prog quirkiness and good old rock 'n' roll thrown in. 

Performances from big-hitter soloists Phil Collins, Shakin' Stevens and Kim Wilde are featured alongside the exuberant chaos of groups like Tenpole Tudor, Adam and the Ants and The Teardrop Explodes. It's party time as Odyssey fill the dancefloor with the infectious Going Back to My Roots and Clare Grogan adopts some unorthodox shapes for Altered Images' Happy Birthday. And The Specials' 2 Tone social-commentary classic Ghost Town vies with Ultravox's Vienna and The Human League's Don't You Want Me for song of the year.

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