Top 10 Top of the Pops Songs Where They Were Actually Singing Not Miming

#10: Nirvana

Few artists defined the 90s like Nirvana did. When they had just become mainstream in 1991, they came on the series. Their performance was amazing, but not because it was musically impressive; in fact, the opposite was true. The trio protested the miming policy by making it completely obvious that none of them were playing. Well, Cobain was actually singing, as you can clearly tell since it sounds nothing like the original. Instead, he’s doing a weird Morrissey impression, while the other two flail around wildly. At the song’s climax, the stage is swarmed with fans, making arguably the greatest derailing of a performance in “Top of the Pops” history.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=nirvana https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nirvana-top-of-the-pops/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Smells Like Teen Spirit: https://youtu.be/6s4KXiXVFAI

#9: New Order

One of the most infamous live performances was by New Order in 1983. They played their hit track, Blue Monday, and insisted they actually played it. At the time, they were pioneering a relatively new genre, so they were lacking in experience. This meant it turned into a disastrous performance, with a plethora of mistakes and technical difficulties. You can even see the members swearing as they mess their parts up. Despite the issues, it’s on our list because it was a groundbreaking moment in “Top of the Pops” history. It’s arguably the most endearing performance of the show, which would’ve taken tons of confidence to even consider.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops https://ultimateclassicrock.com/new-order-top-of-the-pops/ https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=new-order https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Order_(band)

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Blue Monday: https://youtu.be/tJBAVTwUzHU

#8: The Nolans

This hit girl group sang almost all of their tracks live in their early appearances. This included performing “I’m In The Mood For Dancing” four times. The track is very vocally demanding, making it especially impressive how well they nailed it. Additionally, they’re dancing the whole time. In total, they sang this tune on the series 5 times between 1979 and 1981. Not all their performances were live, though; quite a few were mimed. This track was easily their most popular, which was always sung straight from the heart. Barely any artists showed this much dedication to their songs in the series as the Nolans.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nolans

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=the-nolans

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

In the mood for dancing: https://youtu.be/nYOQmrgzA2U?

#7: Blur

This London rock band was immensely popular during the 90s. They featured on the series a whole bunch of times, but mostly mimed. Towards the end of the 90s, live performances became increasingly common, and they played their hit track “Beetlebum” live in 1997. It was the second time the song was featured, but it was the show’s only live version of it. Of the two performances, the live version is far more enjoyable to watch. One reason is that the other ones are all overtly mimed, with acoustic guitars being played without anyone on stage even holding one.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blur_(band)

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=blur

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Beetlebum: https://youtu.be/b7eZz0JGWL0

#6: Billy Bragg

In 1977, Bragg began his musical career, primarily writing folk music. In 1985, he was invited onto “Top of the Pops”, where he made the unique decision to perform live. The song played was “Between the Wars”, a track protesting the 80s miners’ strike. According to Bragg, the audience was instructed to wave their hands while he sang. Bragg decided this would be too distracting, so he asked them to ignore the director’s decision. Despite the quality of the performance, Bragg wouldn’t return to “Top of the Pops” until 1991, but that time he ended up miming instead.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bragg

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=billy-bragg

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Between the Wars: https://youtu.be/s0my5SBvTU0

#5: Oasis

Pretty much all fans of this show will know about the time Oasis made a mockery of the miming rule. The Gallagher brothers famously swapped places and messed around the entire time. It might then surprise you to learn their first two appearances weren’t mimed. In 1994, they played both “Live Forever” and “Shakermaker,” and they were both iconic. Of the two, we prefer the rendition of “Live Forever”. The Gallagher brothers returned loads during the 90s, but wouldn’t play live again on the show until 2009 as part of a Comic Relief special.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=oasis

https://totparchive.co.uk/episode.php?id=2211

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oasis_(band)

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Live Forever: https://youtu.be/UaqmMmgQqBI

#4: John Lennon, Ono, & The Plastic Ono Band

This was the first time a Beatle came on the show alone, with Lennon being joined by his wife, Yoko Ono, alongside the Plastic Ono Band. They performed “Instant Karma” in 1970, which was a brand new single at the time. It was so new, Lennon hadn’t even recorded a video. Everything was mimed during this performance, except for Lennon’s vocals and the crocheting Yoko seems to be doing. For some reason, she also has her eyes covered up with what many assumed was a napkin. According to a producer, it was, in fact, a sanitary towel, but this revelation only adds to the confusion.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=john-lennon-and-the-plastic-ono-band

https://www.beatlesbible.com/1970/02/11/plastic-ono-band-instant-karma-top-of-the-pops/

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Instant Karma: https://youtu.be/xLy2SaSQAtA?

#3: David Bowie

It’s easy to assume Bowie was already a star when 1972 began. He’d already released 4 albums by then, including his now iconic “Hunky Dory”. Well, he was largely considered a one-hit wonder for his 1969 track, “Space Oddity”. This “Top of the Pops” performance arguably changed everything, propelling him into the spotlight. He did a phenomenal job singing “Starman” in an iconic outfit. It was his third appearance, and his first with live vocals, although the instruments were all mimed. In the following months, Bowie became so popular, even his weird tracks like “The Laughing Gnome” ended up making it onto the charts.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://www.loudersound.com/news/david-bowie-and-the-most-influential-three-minutes-and-55-seconds-of-uk-tv-ever

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starman_(song)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laughing_Gnome

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Starman: https://youtu.be/oOKWF3IHu0I

#2: Iron Maiden

Miming songs is a practice that doesn’t feel particularly metal. Iron Maiden were pioneers of the genre when it was still young, and firmly believed in this idea. When they were invited onto the show for the first time in 1980, they mimed everything except vocals. When asked again in 1985, they were popular enough to demand to be allowed to play everything live. They then nailed an incredible performance of “Running Free” entirely live. They managed to display more energy than the majority of bands on the series, all the while shredding the parts perfectly.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=iron-maiden

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Maiden

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Running Free: https://youtu.be/esH0yTfXfz4

#1: Kate Bush

Few British artists are as widely praised as Bush. Her debut single, “Wuthering Heights,” was released in 1978, and she played it on “Top of the Pops” the same year. If you’re a fan of hers, you’ll be able to instantly tell it was a live performance, as her dancing would be far less tame if it weren’t. The tune was featured 7 times on the show, with Bush playing it live 4 of those times. For some reason, the audience doesn’t at all look enthusiastic during her first show. They were probably just too blown away by what they were seeing to remember to dance.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Bush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_Pops

https://totparchive.co.uk/artist.php?name=kate-bush

"Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Wuthering Heights: https://youtu.be/E_zMaKeCtTQ

Were there any especially impressive performances we didn’t include? Let us know in the comments below!

“Top of the Pops” (1964-2006)

Mimed performance of Wuthering Heights: https://youtu.be/weKVEWxuvtA