Thursday 22 December 2016

Top of the Pops, 22nd December 2016

One week away from the big Christmas chart, some of the major players are manoeuvring into position. Two X-Factor-assisted hits crash in at numbers 2 and 3, but Clean Bandit look to have a fair chance of holding them off.

Lower down the chart, things are nicely varied. We have a medley of rap hits from J Cole, a reprise of Rag 'n' Bone Man's track-of-the-moment, some star power from ZAYN and Taylor Swift, and friends of the show Little Mix and The Vamps to give us that warm, fuzzy feeling of festive familiarity. Everyone is dressed up as Santas and elves, obviously.

Debuts: Louis Tomlinson (as solo), J Cole, Matt Terry.

Louis Tomlinson vs Steve Aoki - Just Hold On

Highest New Entry - In at number 2

Little Mix - Touch

Back in at number 23

ZAYN and Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever

In at number 16

J Cole - Deja Vu / Immortal / Neighbours

In at number 30 / In at number 49 / In at number 54

Rag 'n' Bone Man - Human

Up 3 to number 5

The Vamps - All Night

Up 1 to number 28

Matt Terry - When Christmas Comes Around

In at number 3

Clean Bandit ft. Anne-Marie - Rockabye

Sixth week at number 1

PRESENTERS: Kimberley Walsh, Heidi Range and Duffy

Thursday 15 December 2016

Top of the Pops, 15th December 2016

The Christmas invasion has set in, so there is hot (or cold) competition for the From The Vault slot this week. Main billing is given to the Pogues but there's also room for clips of Wham!, Shakin' Stevens, Wizzard and others. A secondary effect of all these older songs climbing the chart is that we have to look a little lower down for current acts to invite, meaning that Charli XCX, John Legend and (wow!) Adele return to the show with tracks that have been in the lower part of the chart for a few weeks or longer.

Sean Paul is back with a rare lead artist credit, bringing Brits Critics' Choice nominee and burgeoning friend of the show Dua Lipa along with him. And then - why not? - the two of them stay on for another exclusive interpretation of Clean Bandit's now five-week number 1.

Debuts: Lil Yachty, Starley.

Zara Larsson - I Would Like

Up 33 to number 21

Charli XCX ft. Lil Yachty - After The Afterparty

Up 7 to number 34

John Legend - Love Me Now

Up 3 to number 30

Starley - Call On Me

Up 13 to number 45

Adele - Water Under The Bridge

Up 12 to number 49

From The Vault: Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - Fairy Tale Of New York plus Xmas faves from Wham!, Shakin' Stevens, Wizzard, Band Aid and Chris Rea

High Climber - Up 50 to number 16 / Back in at numbers 19, 28, 37, 41 and 46

Sean Paul and Dua Lipa - No Lie / Blow Your Mind

Up 4 to number 48 / Up 5 to number 67

Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul and Dua Lipa - Rockabye

Fifth week at number 1

PRESENTERS: Olly Murs dressed as Father Christmas and Nick Grimshaw dressed as an elf

Thursday 8 December 2016

Top of the Pops, 8th December 2016

We're quite producer-heavy here: Jonas Blue, Tom Zanetti, Nevada and Neiked all feature, although Nevada's turn is enlivened once again by a gleeful Mark Morrison - or maybe it's a lookalike, knowing him.

Friend of the show The Weeknd also appears for the second week in a row, and Clean Bandit are still number 1, this time bringing us a special Sean Paul-less performance with a Christmassed up Anne Marie. But none of them can steal the show: in the week he's announced as the winner of the Brit Awards Critics Choice Award, none other than Rag 'n' Bone Man debuts in triumph.

Oh, and look who's in the From The Vault slot. Mariah Carey is storming up the chart once again thanks to streaming playlists, already making number 26 with three charts to go until Christmas. How high up the tree will she climb?

Debuts: Rag 'n' Bone Man, Tom Zanetti, Sadie Ama.

Jonas Blue ft. Raye - By Your Side

Up 6 to number 15

Rag 'N' Bone Man - Human

Highest New Entry - In at number 11

The Weeknd - Starboy

Up 5 to number 3

Tom Zanetti ft. Sadie Ama - You Want Me

Up 9 to number 25

Nevada ft. Mark Morrison - The Mack

Up 3 to number 14

From The Vault: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

High Climber - Up 43 to number 29

Neiked - Sexual

Up 1 to number 6

Clean Bandit ft. Anne Marie - Rockabye

Fourth week at number 1

PRESENTERS: Dappy and Fazer

Thursday 1 December 2016

Top of the Pops, 1st December 2016

Stars, stars everywhere this week. Mars, Bieber, Grande, Minaj, even Kendrick Lamar pops up for his feature on the weirdly persistent Maroon 5 track. Friend of the show The Weeknd is also here and brings his confreres Daft Punk with him... or does he? It's hard to tell with those masks.

Mannequin challenge guys Rae Sremmurd are here too, and there's a real treat at number 1: Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj invade the Clean Bandit song, making a supercharged exclusive concoction of the kind you can only find on TOTP.

Debuts: Daft Punk... or is it?

Bruno Mars - 24K Magic

Up 1 to number 6

The Vamps vs Matoma - All Night

High Climber - Up 15 to number 26

DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You

Up 1 to number 15

Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane - Black Beatles

Up 2 to number 2

Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar - Don't Wanna Know

Up 3 to number 5

The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming / Party Monster

Highest New Entry - In at number 18 / In at number 33

Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj - Side To Side

Up 1 to number 13

Clean Bandit ft. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj - Rockabye

Third week at number 1

PRESENTER: Gary Lineker