The longest running British chart music program is called Top of the Pops.  The program has been broadcasted by the BBC each week since January 1, 1964.  However, as of July 30, 2006 the show was canceled, with an occasional Christmas special since then.  Every week between 1964 and 2006, a music group would perform on the show if their song was listed among the top favorites for that week.  A spin-off version of the show continued the tradition for several years, called Top of the Pops 2, or TOTP2.  Top of the Pops 2 was started in 1994.

Several surrounding countries have purchased a franchise package from Top of the Pops so that they too can use the show’s format.  Several countries were very successful with the program; however, many of them have now been cancelled.  Top of the Pops was started on Dickenson Road in Longsight, Manchester.  The BBC had bought the studio from the Mancunian Films Company in 1954.  DJ, Jimmy Savile, opened the first show.  The show order that day consisted of The Rolling Stones song “I Wanna Be Your Man’’, Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to be With You”, Dave Clarke Five’s “Glad All Over”, The Hollies with “Stay”, The Swinging Blue Jeans offering, “The Hippy Hippy Shake”, and the Beatles hit song “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.  The show always ended with the most popular single of that particular week.  After DJ, Savile opened; other people such as Alan Freeman, Pete Murray and David Jacobs were also presenters.  The ‘disk girl’ was Samantha Juste, who the BBC employed from Mancunian Films.

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