14th July

1977: This is the show that brought the underground revolution to prime-time as it showed the Sex Pistols' Pretty Vacant video, but it turned out they weren't even the first punk band on the show as The Saints popped into the studio earlier to, in Chris Bailey's case, make a mockery of the art of miming into the mike. By contrast Jigsaw made the case for alarming falsetto.

1983: Being an electro torch singer doesn't quite work for Heaven 17's Glenn Gregory, though the girls on either side seem to be having fun and Gregory's grin through gritted teeth is sterling. Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen boasts hair not so much dragged through a hedge as a hedgehog dragged out of a hedge and placed atop. A surprise glitter fall seems to catch Bananarama unawares. I don't think she's really playing that solo.

1988: The typically understated Wendy James of Transvision Vamp, an explosion of fuchsia fabric. Yes, Simon Bates, that's Salt'n'Pepa alright. The girls next to Bruno Brookes before Wee Papa Girl Rappers seem delighted to have spotted something on the opposite side of the studio, meaning they miss the full glory of the DJ's trousers.

1994: When they were first around Killing Joke would be shot mostly in shadow and be greeted with uncomprehending surliness by Pops audiences. Now Jaz is in plenty of light and, well, look at the hair shaking and jumping at 1:05. Where does that camera he uses on the first chorus come from? Julian Cope perhaps saw this as a challenge and attempts, with plenty of success, to live up to it for oddness. You know where you are with Let Loose, at least. Oh, Richie, point at us again.

2000: Has anyone actually ever sung live into a headset mike on television? Steps and Atomic Kitten fly the flag for pop dancing. The latter is built on a sample of the theme from the film The Big Country, a source which Jamie makes far too much of and then is barely audible.