| Festive Fifty |
| 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | ||||||
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
*No one act dominated the chart, with five entries apiece from Inspiral Carpets, Pixies, Wedding Present and Stone Roses, despite John indicating a 'non-preference' for the last-named band's music.
- Number 32 had never previously been played by JP.
Shows[]
- 20 December 1989: #50-#41
- 21 December 1989: #40-#31
- 26 December 1989: #30-#21
- 27 December 1989: #20-#11
- 28 December 1989: #10-#01
The Festive Fifty Of 1989[]
John Peel's Festive Fifty - 1989
- 49: Inspiral Carpets, 'Directing Traffic' (Peel Session)
- 48: Family Cat, 'Tom Verlaine (7 inch)' (Bad Girl)
- 47: Morrissey, 'Interesting Drug (7 inch)' (HMV)
- 46: Popguns, 'Landslide (7 inch)' (Medium Cool)
- 45: Wedding Present. 'What Have I Said Now? (LP-Bizarro)' (RCA)
- 44: Snuff, 'Not Listening (LP-Snuffsaidbutgorblimeyguvstonemeifhedidntthrowawobblerchachachachachachachachachachachayouregoinghomeinacosmicambience)' (Workers Playtime)
- 43: Pixies, 'Dead (LP-Doolittle)' (4AD)
- 42: Senseless Things, 'Too Much Kissing (LP-Postcard C.V.)' (Way Cool)
- 41: Galaxie 500, 'Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste (LP-Today)' (Aurora)
- 40: Birdland, 'Paradise (7 inch)' (Lazy)
- 39: Dub Sex, 'Swerve (12 inch)' (Cut Deep)
- 38: Fall, 'Dead Beat Descendant (7 inch-Cab It Up)' (Beggars Banquet)
- 37: Pixies, 'Here Comes Your Man (LP-Doolittle)' (4AD)
- 36: Pixies, 'Wave Of Mutilation (LP-Doolittle)' (4AD)
- 35: Inspiral Carpets, 'So This Is How It Feels' (Peel Session)
- 34: De La Soul, 'Eye Know (LP-3 Feet High And Rising' (Big Life)
- 33: Spacemen 3, 'Hypnotized (7 inch)' (Fire)
- 32: Jesus Jones, 'Info Freako (7 inch)' (Food)
- 31: Bob, 'Convenience (EP-Convenience)' (House Of Teeth)
- 30: Telescopes, 'The Perfect Needle (12 inch)' (What Goes On)
- 29: Stone Roses, 'I Wanna Be Adored (LP-The Stone Roses)' (Silvertone)
- 28: Birdland, 'Hollow Heart (7 inch)' (Lazy)
- 27: New Order, 'Vanishing Point (LP-Technique)' (Factory)
- 26: Field Mice, 'Sensitive (7 inch)' (Sarah)
- 25: Pale Saints, 'She Rides The Waves (12 inch-Barging Into The Presence Of God)' (4AD)
- 24: Wedding Present, 'Bewitched (LP-Bizarro)' (RCA)
- 23: Stone Roses, 'Fools Gold 9.53 (12 inch)' (Silvertone)
- 22: 808 State, 'Pacific State (12 inch EP-Quadrastate)' (ZTT)
- 21: Inspiral Carpets, 'Find Out Why (7 inch)' (Cow)
- 20: Morrissey, 'Ouija Board, Ouija Board (7 inch)' (HMV)
- 19: Wedding Present, 'Brassneck (LP-Bizarro)' (RCA)
- 18: Morrissey, 'Last Of The Famous International Playboys (7 inch)' (HMV)
- 17: Stone Roses, 'Made Of Stone (LP-The Stone Roses)' (Silvertone)
- 16: Mudhoney, 'You Got It (Keep It Outta My Face) (LP-Mudhoney)' (Sub Pop)
- 15: Cud, 'Only A Prawn In Whitby (LP-When In Rome , Kill Me)' (Imaginary)
- 14: Wedding Present, 'Take Me! (LP-Bizarro)' (RCA)
- 13: Jesus & Mary Chain, 'Blues From A Gun (LP-Automatic)' (Blanco Y Negro)
- 12: Dinosaur Jr., 'Just Like Heaven (7 inch)' (Blast First)
- 11: Pale Saints, 'Sight Of You (12 inch-Barging Into The Presence Of God)' (4AD)
- 10: House Of Love, 'I Don't Know Why I Love You (7 inch)' (Fontana)
- 09: Inspiral Carpets, 'Joe (12 inch)' (Cow)
- 08: James, 'Sit Down (7 inch)' (Rough Trade)
- 07: Stone Roses, 'She Bangs The Drums (LP-The Stone Roses)' (Silvertone)
- 06: Stone Roses, 'I Am The Resurrection (LP-The Stone Roses)' (Silvertone)
- 05: Pixies, 'Monkey Gone To Heaven (LP-Doolittle)' (4AD)
- 04: Happy Mondays, 'W.F.L.-Vince Clarke Mix (7 inch)' (Factory)
- 03: Pixies, 'Debaser (LP-Doolittle)' (4AD)
- 02: Wedding Present, 'Kennedy (LP-Bizarro)' (RCA)
- 01: Sundays, 'Can't Be Sure (7 inch)' (Rough Trade)
Availability[]
- All shows are available on the relevant date pages, but only 21 December 1989 is complete, and the last two contain the chart rundowns only.