This guide lists every type of performance badge that you are likely to come across on the website, and what the peformance type badges mean.
Audience Dancing
An artist’s track is played and the audience dance along to it. Typically this occurred at the start of Top of the Pops in the early days up until the mid-1970s, or at the end of the show from the late-1970s to mid-1980s where the end credits would also be shown.
BBC Music Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at a BBC Music event. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Childen In Need Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at the BBC Children In Need show. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Danced to by Legs & Co.
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio between 1976 to 1981, Legs & Co. would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Danced to by Pan's People
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio between 1968 to 1976, Pan’s People would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Danced to by Ruby Flipper
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio during 1976, Ruby Flipper would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Danced to by The Go-Jos
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio between 1964 to 1968, The Go-Jos would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Danced to by Zoo
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio between 1981 to 1983, Zoo would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Danced to Miscellaneous
When an artist couldn’t appear in the studio an uncredited dance troupe would perform a dance routine to the artist’s track.
Electric Proms Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at the BBC Electric Proms. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Glastonbury Festival Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at Glastonbury. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Graham Norton Show Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed on the Graham Norton Show.
Later With Jools Holland Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed on the Later… With Jools Holland Show.
Live Concert Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at a concert.
Live Mimed Performance
An artist would pre-record vocals and the musical backing track with the Top of the Pops orchestra (typically) before the show was filmed. Then the live recording of the track would be played to during filming, a the artist would mime to the pre-recorded "live" track.
Live Performance
An artist would perform in the Top of the Pops studio live in front of an audience. There would usually be a backing track or a supporting band, alongside live vocals.
Mimed Performance
An artist would appear in the Top of the Pops studio, perform their track, but they would mime to the track. They would not pre-record live vocals or a new instrument arrangement. Even though artists would appear in the studio with instruments, they would pretend to play them "live".
Music Event Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at a BBC Music event. e.g. Radio 1 live lounge. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Music Video
When an artist couldn't appear in the Top of the Pops studio they would often send in their music video to be played on the show.
New Zealand Studio Performance
An artist would perform in the Top of the Pops studio live in front of an audience, but for the New Zealand local version of the show. This performance type only featured once during the show’s history.
Other Studio Performance
An artist would perform in a different studio than the main Top of the Pops studio, typically this would be filmed without the TOTP audience.
Played Over Montage
An artist’s track would be played in the background, while a montage of TOTP stills or video clips would play out on screen. This typically happened during special episodes like the 900th and 1000th editions.
Played Over Stills
An artist’s track would be played in the background, while a montage of stills played out on screen.
Played Over The Charts
An artist’s track would be played in the background, while the Top 40 or Top 30 chart rundown would be shown on screen. This happened fairly frequently from 1975 to 1981 at the start of the show.
Played Over TOTP Studio Montage
An artist’s track would be played in the background, while a montage of stills or video clips played on screen. This typically happened in the mid-1990s during the end credits.
Radio 1 Big Weekend Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at the Radio 1 Big Weekend.
Radio 1 Live Lounge Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed in the Radio 1 Live Lounge.
Reading Festival Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at Reading Festival. Typically these repeated performances were featured from 2007 onwards when the weekly TOTP editions stopped, but the Christmas specials continued.
Satellite Performance
Sometimes artists couldn’t appear in the Top of the Pops studio and often would performance on location via Satellite for the programme. Performances were usually live, but sometimes they were mimed.
Short Clip
A short music video or live performance clip was shown. This was typically used during special edition of the show, or for an album or promotion video.
Short Video Clip
A short music video or live performance clip was shown. This was typically used during special edition of the show, whilst the presenter discussed the end of year charts and big music news of the year.
T in the Park Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at T in the Park.
Top 40 Breaker Clip
A short 30-second-ish clip of an artist’s music video was played during the Top 40 breakers segment of the show. This segment ran from 1985 to 1994 most weeks on the show.
TOTP Awards Performance
A repeated live performance of an artist’s track performed at the Top of the Pops awards show.
USA Studio Performance
An artist would appear in the Top of the Pops studio in America, perform their track, but they would mime to the track usually. Occasionally the performances would be live. A version of the show was broadcast in America in the late-1980s.
