The UK's most successful music TV programme has become a national institution since it was first introduced in 1964 by its original host Jimmy Saville.

It has since gone on to play host to the biggest names, as well as some of the strangest and most memorable moments in pop history.

Notable moments include Dexy's Midnight Runners' performance of Jackie Wilson Said in 1982, when their tribute to the soul legend came under threat of being misinterpreted by a giant picture of British darts player Jocky Wilson on the screen behind them.

All About Eve's silent performance, Rod Stewart's footballs and Nirvana's stage invasion have also provided some of the show's high and low points.

What is your favourite Top of the Pops memory? Who gave the best - or worst - performance over the 2,000 programmes? Do you think the show is still as relevant as ever?

This Talking Point has now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

TOTP is only as good as the music it plays. Unfortunately the great British public is currently fond of those awful mime artists who do nothing but prance all over the set. 1975 to 1985 was the golden era.
Anthony Jarvis, UK

Madonna strutting around in that Pink wig singing like a Virgin with her innovative belly button flashing. They're all doing it now and so is she with two kids and a stomach to die for. She is the Queen of Woman cool.
Pearlie, UK

Not a teenager in the land could forget that great feeling of loving something that your parents hated. TOTP was always there for that.
Dave, UK

Shame about all the teeny bands and their dodgy 80's covers

Paul, UK

Top of the pops is still the tops, shame about all the teeny bands and their dodgy 80's covers (although the original 80's music was excellent). The music industry is more about a pretty face today.
Paul, UK

Best memory of TOTP - The shocking Red pouch of the cameo singer singing "word up" the BBC has loads of complaints - excellent. The worst moment - happens every week now, when they go 'backstage' into the green room and the bored, fed up artists are made to talk and clearly they just want to go home, they have plugged their latest and now want to leave, it makes you want to cringe. Of course we love to watch it now and remember our childhood, but we are now our parents "what a load of rubbish - look they can't even play instruments" - which of course is true nowadays. Bring back bands that CAN actually play and not some karaoke artists - I can do that!
Sam Bird, UK

Noddy Holder trying to sing Merry Christmas Everybody live while somebody was pushing a custard pie into his face. All the performances in the glam 1971 to 1974 era. Sadly now TOTP is another tool of the music industry helping to prop up a very poor singles chart. Where has all the talent gone?
Mark Perkins, UK

It's ironic that the theme music for the programme for so many years, a cover of Whole Lotta Love, was written by Led Zeppelin who never appeared on the show. (They never released a single in the UK but went on to become the biggest band of the 70's worldwide, and still exert enormous influence) Record companies take note; try nurturing genuine talent instead of cynically marketing (seemingly to little girls) short term, no talent 'boy' bands etc that now infest TOTP. It'll be better for your bank balances in the long run and would provide much better bands and songs for the charts - and TOTP!
Richard Thompson, UK

I hate "Top of the Pops". It has NEVER been about music, just egomaniacs who can't sing, mime to back up tapes, and silly dance routines and pop videos. This is NOT music. If you want music, please support the annual Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and listen to Classic fm. As someone one is a competent amateur musician - I learned to play four musical instruments - I think I could do a better job than some of these pop parasites.
Caroline, England

I saw TOTP from day one. Too many favourites, but the Who singing 'I can see for miles' stands out, as does Pan's People dancing to 'All Right Now' (Free), which was a dance to remember. You can't beat the 1960s so I don't watch it anymore. Even TOTP2 is really TOTP with an occasional oldie thrown in.
Lawrence Harris, UK

Maybe now Tony Blackburn is back in the public eye the Beeb might bring him on to present it. Now wouldn't that be poptastic!
Rob Tribe, UK

Elvis Costello singing "Radio Radio" and pointing at Tony Blackburn while singing "And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools..." while Tony grinned inanely, not understanding.
Declan McManus, Australia (ex-UK)

It must be the first time Culture Club came on singing 'Do you really want to hurt me' and my mother walked into the room. "What does SHE think SHE looks like?" she cried. "It's not a she, it's a he", I ventured. She looked aghast, said "Oh my God" and left the room. At that moment I knew I was cutting edge and she was just an old person! Classic.
James Hutton, Japan, ex-pat

Debbie Harry wearing only a bin liner

Pete, UK

Debbie Harry singing Atomic wearing only a bin liner - now that IS a cherished memory!
Pete, UK

Tenpole Tudor jumping around the stage like an escaped lunatic, and Clare Grogan (Altered Image) who was every cameraman's nightmare as she refused to keep still for more than a nanosecond.
Paul Hitchcock, Hong Kong

Duran Duran - five beautiful New Romantic English lads in all their garb and glory in the 80's! Yum yum! Hair dye, lipstick and gloss, eyeliner and the best clothes. Nick and his synthesizer, John slappin' that bass, Andy twirling around, shy Roger beating the drums and Simon melting our hearts with his words. Those were the days!!!
Kathleen, USA - ex-pat

You really are old if you don't like TOTP

Cathy McCart, N. Ireland

I firmly believe you really are old if you don't like to watch TOTP. Well done for bringing good music to everyone.
Cathy McCart, N. Ireland

The presenters trying to fool us that God Save the Queen by the Sex Pistols wasn't really number one at all.
Bob, UK

Boomtown Rats reaching number one and Bob Geldof tearing up a photograph of Olivia Newton-John and John Revolta after them hogging the number one spot for weeks, with that awful song from Grease.
Marianne H, UK

When George Best was in the audience

Neil Ashurst, UK ex-pat in Ghana

The best episode has got to be when George Best was in the audience grooving to The Rolling Stones singing The Last Time... 1965 or thereabouts, Brian Jones with long blonde hair (outrageous) and Keith Richards with a baby-smooth face� fantastic.
Neil Ashurst, UK ex-pat in Ghana

Christmas Day 1974 - Slade - Merry Christmas was number one. Jumped up and down in front of our new colour TV set at the age of nine with my three younger siblings. Lovely memories.
Tracy, UK in USA

My father going mad at the Who being on his television, then drooling at Pan's People - the only reason he would tolerate the show, until Abba that is.... Generations relate Top of the Pops to memories of growing up.
Eileen, UK

TOTP reflects chart music, but that is increasingly becoming a slave to the amount of publicity thrown into a band rather than the quality or popularity of their music. As the charts become less and less relevant, so does TOTP. Even my little sister (aged 16) has started watching repeats of The Good Life rather than sit through TOTP.
Jo, UK

It's the sort of show that people of all ages can enjoy!!

Bekah, 12, UK

I think TOTP is still the number one music show. It's been going forever, my parents always talk about how they used to watch it and none of the songs and bands are as good as they were in the 80s. It's the sort of show that people of all ages can enjoy!!
Bekah, 12, UK

I remember Marc Almond singing Tainted Love for the first time on TOTP. What a top song, at the time! Sad as it may sound, I went out the next day to get a pair of trousers with six pleats either side of the zip and so started my transformation into one of the futuristics. Sadly, my Dad wouldn't let me get my ear pierced or dye my hair, so that was short-lived!
Rob Morris, UK

Best and most vivid memory of TOTP was as a ten-year-old seeing Motorhead for the first time and thinking "What the **** is this?!!" - great. But these days TOTP is even more a victim of the mediocrity that pervades the charts than it ever was.
Ian Clifford, England

The Hollies, the most consistent band of the 60s and still going strong as they approach their 40th year.
John Gillespie, UK

My family mumbling "Awful, tuneless rubbish" with me transfixed

Jon Wild, England

My big sister used to watch TOTP every week but I can distinctly remember the first time it grabbed my attention. The Exploited doing Dead Cities, the rest of my family mumbling "Awful, tuneless rubbish" with me transfixed thinking it was the most exciting thing I'd ever seen.
Jon Wild, England

I remember when TOTP was broadcast on the CBS network during a six-month stint in 1987-1988. Nia Peeples hosted the US side of the programme, while Gary Davies hosted the UK side. They would switch back and forth between the two showing the acts that were performing, as well as showing the charts, from both US and UK. I didn't miss a show. I wished that it would have stayed on longer here.
Adam, USA

Faith No More performing Epic, deliberately singing out of synch from the backing tape. The Orb playing chess, looking rather oblivious to goings-on, apparently because the producer had asked them to resemble some American rap group!
Tom, UK

I was in the TOTP audience in September 1991 during the dark years of unknowns presenting the show. I remember clearly looking at Cher screaming at the make-up artist and producers like a spoilt child because she had to do a second retake. Apart from that the rest was bland.
Mark S, Canada (ex-UK)

I felt the future had arrived

Iain, UK

Sitting through the vacuous horrors of Gloria Gaynor, Rod Stewart etc and then seeing Gary Numan for the first time doing Are Friends Electric? Suddenly I felt the future had arrived. I was grinning for days.
Iain, UK

Morrissey chucking lilies and sensitive urban angst all over the studio.
Robbo, UK

Can you forget (and believe me, I've tried!) Terry Wogan singing the Floral Dance?? Interesting to note that you only have to murmur "Pan's People" to reduce grown men to drooling idiots!! Down, boys!!
Linda, UK

Nirvana playing Smells like Teen Spirit with Kurt Cobain deliberately singing in a semi-operatic grunt and the bass player going completely mental!
S Khan, UK, Essex

Best: The Rolling Stones performing Brown Sugar live in 1971 with Mick in full flow. Worst: 18 weeks of Bryan Adams singing THAT song again and again!
Sean, UK

TOTP was great in the 70s

Stewart, UK

TOTP was great in the 70s, when the artists put on individual performances - Slade, Bay City Rollers, Bowie, Kool and the Gang. Sadly these days, TOTP serves up a conveyor belt of manufactured pap.
Stewart, UK

Bad miming - and some very bad live acts, who remembers Ace of Base? I have to say that I miss seeing the videos as well.
Sandra, UK

TOTP is a victim of today's music. Compare today's manufactured bands with Roxy Music, any punk band, or Led Zeppelin and it's no contest. Of course, it all went downhill when Pan's People left!
Pepe, UK

The Orb, sitting on stage playing chess while the synth banged out Blue Room.
Toby Jones, UK

Gary Glitter falling over those enormous silver shoes!

Janice McLean, Canada

The glam rock period in the early seventies stands out the most in my mind. Early Roxy Music, Bowie and T Rex. Best memory though has to be Gary Glitter falling over while wearing those enormous silver platform shoes!
Janice McLean, Canada

Motorhead refusing to finish on time when they played Ace of Spades live, Ozzy Osbourne's manic performance of Paranoid, Rolf Harris performing Stairway to Heaven... Happy days.
John, England

Suzi Quatro looking totally hot, playing a bass guitar that was almost as big as she was. Any edition with both Suzi and Pan's People would empty the streets of men for half an hour!
Bill, UK

My best TOTP memory is of Arthur Brown performing FIRE! and setting fire to a colander-full of paper strapped to his head. A classic performance which will never be repeated because of the health and safety laws.
David Moran, Scotland/Australia

The Grandma playing the piano for Lieutenant Pigeon on Mouldy Old Dough

Andy Brown, UK

The show reflects the inanity of the charts, but it did it so much better in the 70s. Who can forget the Grandma playing the piano for Lieutenant Pigeon on Mouldy Old Dough, or Keith Michel reciting stories of Hissing Sid and Toad! Try dancing to that.
Andy Brown, UK

Jimi Hendrix was all set to play when the wrong record started. The great man drawled "I don't know that one."
Roy Handley, England

In the pre-MTV era, TOTP was the only medium for many people to see their favourite pop bands. Now that there are TV channels that show pop music 24 hours a day and the music itself is far diverse than before, TOTP has become that archaic British institution, that we look at fondly, and really don't have the heart to wind down. The whole TOTP format was classically mocked in 1992 by The Orb who appeared to promote their Top 10 single - The Blue Room. They were on for two minutes, although the song that charted was longer than entire show.
Richard Rackham, UK

Alex James from Blur wearing an Oasis T-shirt

Chris Young, UK

Kurt Cobain snogging the microphone during an octave-too-low version of Smells Like Teen Spirit while Kris swung his bass around his head was top quality, as was Alex James from Blur wearing an Oasis T-shirt when Country House got to number one.
Chris Young, UK

The infamous Jocky/Jackie Wilson episode with Dexy's, Rod and the Faces playing football, Iron Maiden playing LIVE with their first single, everything from the Glam Rock era of 71-74. Oops, just realised my first two are in the intro of this page! Too busy dreaming of the good old days of TOTP to read!
Reg Pither, England

Jethro Tull, Living in the Past. Offbeat, weird, catchy, and a flute as lead instrument. Turned me onto music big time.
Andy, UK

Milli Vanilli and well packed tight trousers.
Angela, UK

The Pistols doing Pretty Vacant

Ian, England

The defining moment of TOTP was the first performance of the Pistols doing Pretty Vacant - fantastic.
Ian, England

Boy George, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? back in the early 80s. The in-your-face, out-and-proud-to-be-gay cross-dresser sent shock waves through every living room in the country. Brilliant and courageous!
Benny, UK ex-pat

Over the years I seem to have turned into my dad

George, Durham, UK

The show is still great. However I have noticed that over the years I seem to have turned into my dad. I watch TOTP with my own children now and constantly harp on about how today's acts are all rubbish, etc. Not like in my day.
George, Durham, UK

I have very fond memories of the show in the 60s and 70s. I looked forward to it eagerly each week! Didn't we all adore Pan's People? I am now able to watch TOTP on BBC America, but it's a very limp affair these days, with wishy-washy music and lots of remakes. A shadow of its former self.
Helen, UK/US

Easy one - Pan's People.
Chris, US - ex-pat

Well said Chris. Top of The Pops was Pan's People and still is to just about all 40-something males in the UK!
Simon Mallett, UK