The Beautiful South performances resurface on TOTP repeats

musicJul 3, 202617187

Clips of The Beautiful South’s Top of the Pops performances have resurfaced in recent TOTP repeats, prompting renewed attention to songs such as "Song for Whoever." Posters praised the band’s lyrics and described The Beautiful South as "one of the best bands in my lifetime" while others called them "the most divisive group in the world." One viewer noted TOTP played only about ten seconds of a clip; another pointed out the band’s cover of S Club 7’s "Don't Stop Movin'" introduced them to the song. Commenters also recalled presenters from archived shows, naming Janice Long and Nicky Campbell and criticizing some presenters as "awful." Observers flagged a specific Beautiful South lyric that breaks the fourth wall by mentioning PRS royalty cheques, underlining why viewers singled out the band’s songwriting. The repeats have led to a mix of nostalgia and debate over the band’s standing and the selection choices in the TOTP edits.

Des

@desdelboy.bsky.social

The Beautiful South remain one of the best bands in my lifetime, just saying #totp

536h ago

Andy Ross4

Certainly. Paul Heaton is one of my favourite lyricists. Too bloke as well. He puts money behind the bar at a selection of pubs around the country on his birthday, so people csn have a drink on him. Not watching totp, what song is it?

Charlie Hart2

Love TBS, and Housemartins, but personally think Paul Heatons solo Acid Country album is his finest

Mark Feltskog2

Do you like The Housemartins as well?

Dr Heidi Colthup

@heidi-colthup.bsky.social

❤️ Beautiful South, beautiful lyrics. Say what you like about UK music but we're brilliant at lyrics. See also Pulp, Divine Comedy, Soft Cell, etc #totp

216h ago

Justin Lewis

@whenisbirths.bsky.social

Beautiful South. The most divisive group in the world, it seems. I'm in the pro camp. #totp

236h ago

Joe Scaramanga4

I think the schism has come from people realising their songs aren't as straight forward as they thought and feeling a bit cheated. I mean, fuck those people.

Chris Stanley2

Very much so. I don't adore everything they've done but those first three albums are brilliant.

Rev Darren Jalland2

Paul Heaton is one of this country's greatest songwriters and I'll not hear a bad word said about him Well, maybe negative things about "36D", but other than that he's a national treasure in my eyes

Liam Daley2

Weird isn't it. I was deep into Housemartins as a teen. BS just felt too bland and middle aged. Now I'm bland and middle aged their songs make me cry...

Jeremy Ludlow

@jeremyludlow.bsky.social

#THEN0UGHTIE5 Day 28 (10 points) S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin' [UK, 2001] Always liked it and happily sang along, but it took the Beautiful South cover version to make me appreciate it as a *really* good song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm26...

1520h ago

Dave Brockman 💙💛

@davebrockman.bsky.social

Well, we got through another one. No Altered Images, No Pictures of Lily, and plenty of Wishing I Had a Photograph. Thanks Bluesky. Music was patchy at best, and 66% of the presenters were awful. Still: double PSB, and Chaka Khan. Every cloud. Same old nonsense next week? #TOTP

96h ago

Robert Dallas Gray

@robertdallasgray.com

I don’t think there’s been a white singer in the pop soul idiom with as a beautiful a voice as george michael #totp

96h ago

Lord Arse! 🕹️

@lordarse.com

On the other hand, this Beautiful South song is one of the best. Incredible lyrics #totp

86h ago

Amy N

@amyfluidgoth.gamingfluid.co.uk

Such a lovely subversive song as usual from The Beautiful South, possibly the only one to "break the fourth wall" and talk about getting PRS (royalty) cheques! #totp

66h ago

AJRed

@ajred.bsky.social

Back to Life seemed to be everywhere in 1989 and it was real wow record for me, all these Caribbean, African and American jazz, soul, funk influences melded together in something so distinctively British. And Jazzie B seems like a lovely fella too. #TOTP

66h ago

Steven Flanagan

@stoverfandango.bsky.social

I grump a lot about #totp, but then they play an episode that has Song for Whoever, It's Alright, Ain't Nobody, Back to Life and Voodoo Ray one after another, and that puts a different perspective on things.

46h ago

Joe Scaramanga

@joescaramanga.co.uk

youtu.be/j7vxHOCeiQ4 Here you go. As #totp played about ten seconds of it.

66h ago