2003 Festive Fifty

Shows

 * 24 December 2003: #50-#26
 * 25 December 2003: #25-#01

Comments

 * The final chart presented by JP. Due to suspected vote rigging the year before, steps were taken to ensure this did not happen again.
 * It was the first chart since 1982 not to include any session tracks.
 * If any band can be said to 'dominate' the chart, it was ballboy, with three entries (none of them in the top 10).

John Peel's Festive Fifty 1984

 * 50: Vaults, 'I'm Going (10 inch)' (Red Flag)
 * 49: Freddy Fresh, 'You Can See The Paint (CD-Have Records, Will Travel)' (Howlin')
 * 48: Blizzard Boys, 'Ain't No Stopping This (12 inch)' (Blizzard Tracks)
 * 47: Camera Obscura, 'Keep It Clean (LP-Underachievers Please Try Harder)' (Elefant)
 * 46: Super Furry Animals, 'Slow Life (CD-Phantom Power)' (Epic)
 * 45: Grandmaster Gareth, 'Dr. Dre Buys A Pint Of Milk (LP-Introduction To Minute Melodies)' (Awkward)
 * 44: Hyper Kinako, 'Tokyo Invention Registration Office'
 * 43: Belle And Sebastian, 'Stay Loose (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress)' (Rough Trade)
 * 42: Golden Virgins, 'Renaissance Kid (CD single)' (Rex)
 * 41: Keys, 'Strength Of Strings (7 inch)' (Too Pure)
 * 40: Broadcast, 'Pendulum (CD single)' (Warp)
 * 39: Cat Power, 'Werewolf (CD-You Are Free)' (Matador)
 * 38: ballboy, 'Born In The USA (CD-The Sash My Father Wore And Other Stories)' (SL)
 * 37: Radiohead, 'There There (CD-Hail To The Thief)' (Parlophone)
 * 36: French, 'Gabriel In The Airport (LP-Local Information)' (Too Pure)
 * 35: Mass, 'Live A Little (CD single)' (Mandita)
 * 34: Black Keys, 'Have Love Will Travel (CD-Thickfreakness)' (Fat Possum)
 * 33: Neulander, 'Sex. God, Money (10 inch)' (Disko B)
 * 32: Maher Shalal Hash Baz, 'Open Field (LP-Blues Du Jour)' (Geographic)
 * 31: Amsterdam, 'Does This Train Stop On Merseyside (CD single)' (Beat Crazy)
 * 30: Camera Obscura, 'Suspended From Class (CD-Underachievers Please Try Harder)' (Elefant)
 * 29: Architecture In Helsinki, 'The Owls Go (CD-Fingers Crossed)' (Trifekta)
 * 28: Half Man Half Biscuit, 'It Makes The Room Look Bigger (EP-Saucy Haulage Ballads)' (Probe Plus)
 * 27: French, 'Porn Shoes (LP-Local Information)' (Too Pure)
 * 26: Fall, 'Green Eyed Loco Man (LP-The Real New Fall LP Formerly Country On The Click)' (Action)
 * 25: Futureheads, 'First Day (CD maxi-single)' (Fantastic Plastic)
 * 24: Party Of One, 'Shotgun Funeral (7 inch)' (Fat Cat)
 * 23: ballboy, 'I Gave Up My Eyes To A Man Who Was Blind LP-The Sash My Father Wore And Other Stories)' (SL)
 * 22: Undertones, 'Oh Please (LP-Get What You Need)' (Sanctuary)
 * 21: Million Dead, 'I Am The Party (7 inch)' (Integrity)
 * 20: Darkness vs SFB, 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love (12 inch)' (white label)
 * 19: Broken Family Band, 'At The Back Of The Chapel' (Snowstorm)
 * 18: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Maps (LP-Fever To Tell)' (Dress Up)
 * 17: White Stripes, 'Black Math (LP-Elephant)' (XL Recordings)
 * 16: Sluts Of Trust, 'Piece Of You (7 inch)' (Chemikal Underground)
 * 15: Vive La Fete, 'Noir Desir (12 inch)' (Surprise)
 * 14: [[ballboy], 'the Sash Ny Father Wore (LP-The Sash My Father Wore And Other Stories)' (SL)
 * 13: Nina Nastasia, 'You, Her And Me (LP-Run To Ruin)' (Touch And Go)
 * 12: Melt Banana, 'Shield For Your Eyes, A Beast In The Well On Your Hand (LP-Cell Scape)' (A-Zap)
 * 11: Belle And Sebastian, 'Step Into My Office Baby (LP-Dear Catastrophe Waitress)' (Rough Trade)
 * 10: White Stripes, 'Seven Nation Army (LP-Elephant)' (XL Recordings)
 * 09: CLSM, 'John Peel (Not Enough)-Fergus Mayhem Mix (12 inch)' (G-Core)
 * 08: Crimea, 'Baby Boom (CD single)' (Boobytrap)
 * 07: Half Man Half Biscuit, 'Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years (EP-Saucy Haulage Ballads)' (Probe Plus)
 * 06: Mogwai, 'Ratts Of The Capital (CD-Happy Songs For Happy People)' (Matador)
 * 05: Bearsuit, 'Itsuko Got Married (7 inch)' (Bearslut)
 * 04: Undertones, 'Thrill Me (LP-Get What You Need)' (Sanctuary)
 * 03: Mogwai, 'Hunted By A Freak (CD-Happy Songs For Happy People)' (Matador)
 * 02: Fall, 'Theme From Sparta F.C. (LP-The Real New Fall LP Formerly Country On The Click)' (Action)
 * 01: Cinerama, 'Don't Touch That Dial (CD single)' (Scopitones)

Availability

 * The chart rundown alone is available on John Peel Torrent Compilation 1 of 17 (Festive Fifties 1992-2004 Plus Others).
 * The entire four hours of shows were recently digitised as part of the ongoing 500 Box project. Links to these can be found on the date pages.
 * This prompted Peel Mailing List user bty997881 to offer DAT recordings of the same material.