John Fardy and David Harvey were in studio for this week's Cultural Toolbox. It was back to the TV land for this week's choice - BBC's long-running chart show Top of the Pops.
The music programme launched in 1964, and ran in its weekly form until it was cancelled in 2006. However the show has continued in a few guises since then - including its annual Christmas special.
"In terms of bands wanting to make it in England and Ireland - and Europe to a lesser extent - it was huge," John recalled. "It's almost hard to overestimate how important it was in a way.
"It invented the music video as we know it. The music video first came about when bands like The Rolling Stones couldn't make it in to the Manchester studio. They said, 'hold on, we'll record one where we are'".
David remembered that "every single Thursday night it was like a religious experience" in his house - and for those Irish houses lucky enough to have access to the BBC channels. "There was certainly no pop on RTÉ," he added.
John added that the show had a lot of different guises over the years, and that when it launched it was 'pretty ropey' at times. However he fondly recalled some of the programme's presenters - including Blur's Damon Albarn, who had to introduce Oasis at the height of the two bands' 'rivalry'.
The show had a fascinating history, and not always a positive one - Jimmy Saville presented the first edition of the show, and John discussed how the scandal surrounding the presenter impacted on BBC's decision to downplay the show's 50th anniversary last year.
Listen back to the podcast to hear the full Cultural Toolbox discussion about a hugely influential television show that John concluded is "crying out to be brought back".
