Top of the Pops: The Story of 1984


12:45 am - 01:45 am, Sunday, January 11 on BBC Two HD (102)

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About this Broadcast

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The Story of 1984
Season 1, Episode 1

Contributors including Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, Paul Young, Nigel Planer and Midge Ure recall the year of big hair and big tunes, when a BBC ban on Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax led to an embarrassing gap on the show when it reached the top of the chart. The year saw the rise of one-man acts such as Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones, while Sade brought a stripped-back soulful vibe to jazz pop. German singer Nena hit the top spot with 99 Red Balloons, while the Special AKA's Free Nelson Mandela combined a political message with an irresistible tune. The year ended with the stars of the day pooling their talents with Band Aid's charity single Do They Know It's Christmas?


HD subtitles repeat 16x9
Music/Ballet/Dance Pop

Cast & Crew

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Trevor Horn (Contributor)
Hazell Dean (Contributor)
Howard Jones (Contributor)
Nik Kershaw (Contributor)
Paul Young (Contributor)
Nigel Planer (Contributor)
Midge Ure (Contributor)
Nena (Contributor)
Jerry Dammers (Contributor)
David Vincent (Producer)
Mark Cooper (Executive producer)

More Information

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Did You Know..

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Trevor Horn (Contributor)
Hazell Dean (Contributor)
Howard Jones (Contributor)
Nik Kershaw (Contributor)
Paul Young (Contributor)
Born: January 17, 1956 in Luton
Best Known For: A string of hit songs in the 1980s.
Early-life: Paul Antony Young was born in Luton on January 17th, 1956. He has an elder brother and a younger sister. He became interested in music at a young age, and by the time he left school, he knew how to play the piano and guitar. During his teens, he worked in a car plant during the day and gigged with bands at night.
Career: In 1979, Paul's group Streetband split up and he went on to form Q-Tips. For the next three years, the outfit gained a large following in the UK and Europe, but by the end of 1982, they split, leaving Paul free to sign up as a solo artist. Success came with the hit single Wherever I Lay My Hat, which established him as a star. The hits continued throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, but as his family grew, he spent more time away from the spotlight. The next few years saw him working steadily, touring and enjoying fatherhood. He returned to the music scene in 2002 with the release of his album Los Pacaminos. He continues to record, and away from music, has a passion for cookery. He has appeared on TV shows Celebrity MasterChef and Hell's Kitchen. In January 2014, he was a contestant in ITV reality series Splash!
Quote: On forming his band Los Pacaminos: "I only started it for fun, but it's helped me to achieve lots of things."
Trivia: In 1984, he was one of the artists who performed on Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas?
Nigel Planer (Contributor)
Born: February 22, 1953 in London
Best Known For: Playing Neil in The Young Ones.
Early-life: Planer was born in Westminster, London, in 1953. He was educated at King's House preparatory school in Richmond-upon-Thames and from the age of 13 at Westminster School. He subsequently studied at the University of Sussex at Brighton, and LAMDA. He was a founder member of The Comedy Store in London, and was one of the original cast of The Comic Strip team, pioneers of the alternative comedy movement in the UK.
Career: Planer is best known for his role as Neil, the hippie housemate of Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson), Rick (Rik Mayall) and Mike (Christopher Ryan) in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones, which ran from 1982-84. Other leading roles on TV include Shine on Harvey Moon, Filthy, Rich and Catflap, The Grimleys, King & Castle, Bonjour La Classe and Roll Over Beethoven. He's also had notable successes on the stage. His first break in the theatre was understudying David Essex as Che Guevara in the original West End run of Evita. He was also in the original London cast of Chicago as Amos Hart, the original West End cast of Ben Elton's Queen musical We Will Rock You as Pop, and the original production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical as Grandpa Joe.
Quote: "I flunked out of my university education after one year, for reasons probably best forgotten. I have been trying to compensate for this gaffe ever since."
Trivia: In 2011, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Edinburgh University.
Midge Ure (Contributor)
Nena (Contributor)
Jerry Dammers (Contributor)
David Vincent (Producer)
Mark Cooper (Executive producer)

Before / After

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