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Swinging hits and dancing Brits: Top of the Pops brought a pop concert to your living room

By Mark Savage

BBC Music Correspondent

"It's Thursday night, it's seven o'clock, it's Top Of The Pops!"

To pop fans of a certain age, that phrase is dopamine rush. It means homework can be forgotten, the weekend is tantalisingly close, and pop music is about to happen in our drab 1980s living room.

If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of your childhood crush, Cheryl from Bucks Fizz, who seemed like she'd definitely want to visit your house for a game of Connect 4 (OK, maybe that part was just me).

Top Of The Pops ruled the roost for 42 years, introducing the UK to Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Madonna, The Stone Roses and the Spice Girls, in an era when pop music was still scarce and exotic.

But TOTP, as no-one ever called it outside of the print media, wasn't the BBC's only dalliance with the charts.

In fact, more than 70 different pop and rock shows have elbowed their way into the schedules since the BBC's inception 100 years ago.

Here's a tour of the highlights and low points.