Top of the Pops, 27th June 2013

Dizzee Rascal and Robbie Williams - Goin' Crazy

New entry at number 5 - Rowdy, cheeky, loveable, irrepressible. This classic performance is everything you'd expect from a dream TOTP pairing.

Tom Odell - Another Love

Re-entry at number 10 - A small-stage, candlelit, heartfelt performance from Tom. The crowd are on their best behaviour as his dad proudly watches on.

Jason Derülo - The Other Side

Highest New Entry - In at number 2 - This is one of those RnB performances where the singer just dances about saying 'hey' while the song plays in the background. He touches some audience members' hands near the end, which makes them go 'wooooooo'.

London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years

New entry at number 31 - I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about these people. Maybe you don't either. But that will all change after this barnstorming TOTP performance.

Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

New entry at number 11 - Amps on stage alert.

From the Vault: Evanescence - My Immortal

Re-entry at number 74 - We dig out a tape of Amy and co from 2003, who are back in the lower reaches of the chart thanks to an interpretation by the winner of The Voice.

Bastille - Pompeii

Up 6 to number 24 - Dan Smith brings along an army of people in togas to do the chanting live. Enchanting.

Robin Thicke feat. TI - Blurred Lines

Fourth week at number 1 - A coup: TI is persuaded to make the flight over, so Robin and T give us a Pharrell-less rendition this time round (Skateboard P is off buying socks).

PRESENTER: Steve Jones

Top of the Pops, 20th June 2013

It's back! Welcome to the first episode of the all-new, same old Top of the Pops. Since this is the grand re-commissioning, I've assumed that every artist we ask makes the effort to turn up. That won't be the case in all the weeks to come, but for now let's enjoy the perfect line-up for this week.

 

Jessie J ft Dizzee Rascal - Wild

Up 2 to number 6 - Who better to kick off the show than your friend and mine, Jessie J? Sadly Big Sean is unavailable, so instead we get a lean, trimmed-down Jessie and Dizzee performance to get things jumping.

Wiley ft Angel and Tinchy Strider - Lights On

Highest New Entry - In at number 9 - The fast tempo continues as Wiley, Angel and Tinchy take the stage.

Leah McFall - I Will Survive

Up 8 to number 16 - Something a bit unusual here. Leah is too busy with preparations for The Voice final to come on TOTP, so we run the tape of her crowd-pleasing original performance of this song, mixed with clips of her journey through The Voice and Will I Am pratting about.

Passenger - Let Her Go

Up 1 to number 3 - Here's this week's slowie. The lights dim, the candles come out and the audience gather round the small, square stage to sway and dab at their eyes.

Mariah Carey and Miguel - #Beautiful

Up 1 to number 23 - Both Mariah and Miguel miraculously make it in for a top-class performance that's sure to send this one soaring up the chart next week.

Bruno Mars - Treasure

Up 2 to number 13 - Here's something you won't get anywhere else. Previous single When I Was Your Man is also making its way back up the chart this week, so Bruno favours us with a medley of both songs. He wears a hat.

From the Vault: Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Summertime

Up 5 to number 36 - This week's oldie is this much-loved summer classic. The custodians of the tape vault dig out a fun performance from 1991, which looks all the better by comparison with the Prince's current exploits in sci-fi funfest After Earth.

Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed

High Climber - Up 46 to number 7 - Taylor and Ed bring the emotion for an intense performance of their duet.

Psy - Gentleman

Up 34 to number 17 - He couldn't miss the relaunch of the greatest show on TV. Zooming back up the chart especially for us, Psy tears the house down with a lavishly staged performance of his second best song, involving confetti cannons, two dozen dancers and an on-stage limo.

Robin Thicke ft Pharrell - Blurred Lines

Third week at number 1 - No Hayden Panetierre this time, but Robin and Pharrell both turn up to close the show.

PRESENTER: Steve Jones

It's still number one!

The idea for this blog is simple: I'm going to imagine that Top of the Pops hasn't been cancelled, and that instead they appointed me as producer. On this authority, I'm going to tell you who'd be on the show each week.

A while ago I wrote a post on another blog about why Top of the Pops would be more relevant now than it was when it was cancelled. One of the main points of that was that to work, TOTP would need to be as true to its role as a chart show as possible. With this in mind, there are some rules that the line-up will be sticking to quite strictly.

 Here are the rules:

1. You can't be on the show unless you're climbing the chart, except for the number one song of course. 
2. You can't be on the show with the same song two weeks in a row, again except for the number one song. 
3. If you want to be on, you have to come into the studio and perform - no videos, no satellite link-ups unless there are exceptional circumstances. Though once again, the number one song gets a pass. 
4. No repeating filmed performances from previous weeks. You have to come into the studio again if you want to be on again. Artists who come on a lot will be encouraged to do an unusual or unique performance, without getting too Live Lounge about it. 
5. If you have two songs climbing the chart, which happens quite a lot nowadays, you'll have the option of doing a medley. 
6. If there aren't enough climbers who want to come on the show, we don't mind going a long way down the chart to find people who do want the slot. 
7. There is up to one "From the Vault" slot each week for an old song that's re-entered the chart. For this, we'll show an old performance from TOTP when the song first charted. 

 So that's it. Tune in on Thursday to see who's on the first show!