This Festive Fifty set a pattern that appeared to displease both JP and FF historian Mark Whitby:
Pleasant enough but, as the Festive Fifty continued its countdwon, I was becoming more convinced that we had a formula here being done to death and a tenth anniversary Festive Fifty that contained some good stuff but, overall, was not of vintage quality....There are some examples of genuine inspiration, but as the chart wore on there was a feeling that the track being played had already appeared somewhere down the chart. When Peel actually did this at one point, the error seemed loaded with unintended irony. (Whitby, M., The Festive Fifty, Nevin Publishing, 2005, p.22.)
Despite this, JP considered playing numbers 60-51 at one point as some of his favourites of the year gained places. (See 15 December 1986.)
The Smiths dominated the chart (seven entries in total, with four of these in the top ten, including the number one spot, and five of them coming from The Queen Is Dead). However, this number of entries was equalled by the Fall, who also had two in the top ten. Long time chart entrants Half Man Half Biscuit had their first successes, and Elvis Costello had his last. Additionally, the Costello track was one of three JP admitted never having played on the radio previously: the others were by the Mission and The The. One track, by Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle, was at the time unreleased on LP or tape.
The Peel Sessions (Garner, K., BBC Books, 2007) lists the final show of the chart as being 31 December 1986: Peel states at the end of the final programme that the next night was in fact "Janice (Long) and John's New Year's Eve Special".
In early January 1987 JP submitted some reflections on the 1986 chart in The Observer.
01: Smiths, 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (LP-The Queen Is Dead)' (Rough Trade)
Availability[]
This Festive Fifty is well served by a set of recordings which appear to represent the shows in their entirety: these are documented on the date pages.
