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 | Twist The KnifeNeko Case & Her Boyfriends | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 12 | Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | Can't Be SureThe Sundays | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Geek LoveBang Bang Machine | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 15 | Girls Are The New BoysSaloon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| 16 | I Want YouInspiral Carpets | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 17 | BirthdayThe Sugarcubes | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 18 | Dancing the Night AwayMotors | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 | Brimful of AshaCornershop | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20 | Blue MondayNew Order | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 21 | How Soon is Now?The Smiths | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 22 | Bill Is DeadThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 23 | Come Out 2 NiteKenickie | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24 | Destroy The HeartThe House of Love | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 25 | Cognoscenti vs IntelligentsiaCuban Boys | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 26 | Chinese WhispersMelys | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| 27 | Never UnderstandThe Jesus and Mary Chain | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28 | Enough Is EnoughChumbawamba & Credit To The Nation | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 29 | There is a Light That Never Goes OutThe Smiths | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 30 | Don't Touch That DialCinerama | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 31 | TemptationNew Order | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32 | Uptown Top RankingAlthea & Donna | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 33 | Between The WarsBilly Bragg | – | – | – | 13 | 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 34 | SoonMy Bloody Valentine | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 35 | The First Big WeekendArab Strap | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 36 | Nobody's Twisting Your ArmWedding Present | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 37 | Hymn For The CigarettesHefner | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 38 | Hotel YorbaThe White Stripes | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| 39 | Just Like HoneyThe Jesus and Mary Chain | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 40 | SwimMadder Rose | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 41 | KissAge Of Chance | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 42 | ChargrBearsuit | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| 43 | ShipbuildingRobert Wyatt | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 44 | Good FortunePJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 45 | DressPJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 46 | Xmas StepsMogwai | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 47 | KennedyWedding Present | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 48 | Sheela Na GigPJ Harvey | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 49 | Quick, Before It MeltsCinerama | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – |
| 50 | Hey StudentThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 51 | Sorted For E's and WizzPulp | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 52 | Australians In EuropeThe Fall | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 53 | This Charming ManThe Smiths | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 54 | Pearly Dewdrop DropsCocteau Twins | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 55 | New Paths To HeliconMogwai | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 56 | You Beat The Hell Out of MeMotors | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 57 | Age of ConsentNew Order | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 58 | Green Fields Of France (No Man's Land)Men They Couldn't Hang | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 59 | Dreams Burn DownRide | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 60 | Under Canvas Under WrapsThe Delgados | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |