First of all, thank you to everyone who has been in contact with details about new acts; I’m going to try and go through it carefully and give my considered opinion about what to post; so if you don’t see yourselves posted immediately, don’t take it personally!

I was considering posting some other stuff today, reflecting on what might make my Festive Fifty at the end of the year, and found my mind drifting to the great man of the Festive Fifty, John Peel.

So, with a big nod to Steve (and not Mike, as I mistakenly called him earlier!) over at the brilliant Teenage Kicks, a brilliant Peel-related blog, here are ten tracks that made John Peel’s Festive Fifty over the years.

Given that he often got frustrated at some things being unadventurous, and there being ‘too many white boys with guitars’ I have tried not to fall into the same trap.

Bang Bang Machine -‘Geek Love.’ mp3 (No.1 1992 Festive Fifty)

We’ve Got A Fuzzbox and we’re Gonna Use It -‘Rules And Regulations.’ mp3 (No. 31 1986 Festive Fifty)

Future Sound Of London -‘Papau New Guinea.’ mp3 (No.11 1992 Festive Fifty)

Half Man Half Biscuit -‘The Trumpton Riots.’ mp3 (No. 14 1986 Festive Fifty)

Althea & Donna -‘Uptown Top Ranking.’ mp3 (No. 2 1977 Festive Fifty)

Teenage Fanclub -‘The Concept.’ mp3 (No.6 1991 Festive Fifty*)

The Bhundu Boys -‘Foolish Harp/Waerara.’ mp3 (No.30 1987 Festive Fifty) (Steve from Teenage Kicks has got in touch and pointed out that it wasn’t this version that made the chart. However, it is fabulous!)

Kenickie -‘Come Out 2nite.’ mp3 (No. 1 1996 Festive Fifty)

This Mortal Coil -‘Song To the siren.’ mp3 (No. 4 1983 Festive Fifty, No.10 2000 Millennium Chart)

The Delgados -‘Mr. Blue Sky.’ mp3 (No. 29 2002 Festive Fifty)

For more on John Peel and fansites start here

* 1991’s Festive Fifty was known as the Phantom Fifty as John felt it was too predictable, topped as it was by Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and not featuring the dance sounds he’d been plugging that year. It was eventually unveiled, track by track over 1993).