50 years of number ones

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I've spent two happy hours at the British Library this week enjoying the '50 years of number ones' exhib. One or two random thoughts: There are more good ones than I expected. Float On is both preposterous and brilliant. Heartening to see a lot of drivel in the 60s. I don't Wanna Talk About It sounded great until it was pointed out to me that that was the one they made number one ahead of the Pistols. Boomtown Rats - two mental number ones. Jack Your Body - never liked it much but it sounded colossal. How many country number ones in the 70s??? Double barrel - brilliant and wholly unlikely. Recent ILM threads: I'm Not In Love (75???!!) and Video Killed... sounded fab.

As for the exhib, strangely curated on that dark mezanine, but immense fun and shameless nostalgia on the listening posts.

― Daniel (dancity), Friday, 25 October 2002 23:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Absolutely right, Daniel.

The chronological feature was illuminating. It was thrilling to hear the way that something so lowest-common-denominator or populist could make the top slot and be followed by something life-enhancing or futuristic - the same 'public' making such wild cultural opposites the nation's favourite. Examples: the shock of hearing the intro to "Don't You Want Me" sounding other-worldly a second after laughing at "Begin the Beguine" by Julio Iglesias.

― darren, Saturday, 26 October 2002 12:35 (twenty-three years ago)

sounds great.

is it accessible to the public or do you have to be a member/reader/whatever?

― adam b (adam b), Saturday, 26 October 2002 22:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Totally free access. Just about the only thing you can get into at the British Library, but that's another story. Darren's right about the strange juxtapositions you get. I was pretty shocked to hear One day At A Time by Lena Martell straight after The Buggles' seminal epic. And Too Much Too Young swiftly followed by Coward of the County. It felt like there was always a fairly democratic smattering of different styles and quality levels, reflecting the fact that yeah the public's generally leaves much to be desired, but that there are also times when a great record is so damn right that the radio stations (and thus the wider public) pick up on it. Not sure if it happens nowadays, what with children dominating the market and certain stores, e.g. woolworths, refusing to stock records that they reckon won't appeal to the pre-pubescent market.

― Daniel (dancity), Sunday, 27 October 2002 11:59 (twenty-three years ago)

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