John Peel (BBC Radio 1) · Year-end countdown series
Festive Fifty
RockLists has 24 editions of the Festive Fifty, from 1977 to 2004. Across all of them, the most successful song is “Theme From Sparta F.C.” by The Fall, which appears in 2 editions.
24editions
1977–2004years
24different #1s
4missing years
Every edition and its number one
Missing from the archive: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981. Have one of these?
How the top songs moved between editions
Each song’s position in every edition. A dash means it did not appear.
| # | Song | '77 | '82 | '83 | '84 | '85 | '86 | '87 | '88 | '89 | '90 | '91 | '92 | '93 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '99 | '00 | '01 | '02 | '03 | '04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theme From Sparta F.C.The Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Common PeoplePulp | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | Fell in Love With a GirlThe White Stripes | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | – | – |
| 4 | Dead Leaves and the Dirty GroundThe White Stripes | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 15 | – | – |
| 5 | Handsome & GretelBabes In Toyland | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 22 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 6 | Reel Around the FountainThe Smiths | – | – | 6 | 36 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 7 | Pull The Wires From The WallThe Delgados | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 8 | DallianceWedding Present | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 39 | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 9 | The Second LineClinic | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 28 | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | FluorescencesStereolab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Girls Are The New BoysSaloon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| 12 | Never UnderstandThe Jesus and Mary Chain | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | There is a Light That Never Goes OutThe Smiths | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Dancing the Night AwayMotors | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 15 | Destroy The HeartThe House of Love | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 16 | Come Out 2 NiteKenickie | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 17 | Blue MondayNew Order | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 18 | Bill Is DeadThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 | Cognoscenti vs IntelligentsiaCuban Boys | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20 | Chinese WhispersMelys | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| 21 | Brimful of AshaCornershop | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 22 | Enough Is EnoughChumbawamba & Credit To The Nation | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 23 | How Soon is Now?The Smiths | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24 | Don't Touch That DialCinerama | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 25 | BirthdayThe Sugarcubes | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 26 | Can't Be SureThe Sundays | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 27 | I Want YouInspiral Carpets | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28 | Twist The KnifeNeko Case & Her Boyfriends | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 29 | Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 30 | Geek LoveBang Bang Machine | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 31 | TemptationNew Order | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32 | Uptown Top RankingAlthea & Donna | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 33 | Between The WarsBilly Bragg | – | – | – | 13 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 34 | Pearly Dewdrop DropsCocteau Twins | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 35 | Xmas StepsMogwai | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 36 | ChargrBearsuit | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| 37 | Australians In EuropeThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 38 | KennedyWedding Present | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 39 | Hey StudentThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 40 | Sorted For E's and WizzPulp | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 41 | Good FortunePJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 42 | DressPJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 43 | Sheela Na GigPJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 44 | ShipbuildingRobert Wyatt | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 45 | Quick, Before It MeltsCinerama | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – |
| 46 | Just Like HoneyThe Jesus and Mary Chain | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 47 | KissAge Of Chance | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 48 | Nobody's Twisting Your ArmWedding Present | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 49 | The First Big WeekendArab Strap | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 50 | SoonMy Bloody Valentine | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 51 | This Charming ManThe Smiths | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 52 | Hymn For The CigarettesHefner | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 53 | Hotel YorbaThe White Stripes | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| 54 | SwimMadder Rose | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 55 | New Paths To HeliconMogwai | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 56 | You Beat The Hell Out of MeMotors | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 57 | SidewalkingThe Jesus and Mary Chain | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 58 | Under Canvas Under WrapsThe Delgados | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 59 | Dreams Burn DownRide | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 60 | Age of ConsentNew Order | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |