Rewind: 1971 The Old Grey Whistle Test Debuts on BBC2

On this day in 1971 The Old Grey Whistle Test was broadcast for the very first time on BBC2. Richard Williams, then Features Editor for the weekly music paper Melody Maker was the presenter.

It's most famous presenter was "Whispering" Bob Harris who led the show from 1972 through to 1978. Annie Nightingale then took over and her reign ended in 1982. Following her departure there was a new name - simply Whistle Test, a new time slot (I think it was around tea time) and new presenters - Andy Kershaw, Richard Skinner, David Hepworth and Mark Ellen all took turns in presenting the show up until it finished on January 1st 1988 (after a live New Year's Eve Special that finished in the early hours of New Year's Day).

To celebrate this iconic show I thought I'd throw together a playlist of just a few of the bands who played on it (there's actually 83 performances and then the final show in the series).

There are links added to discover more music so click on them.

1971

Heads, Hands and Feet - the first band to play live on the show.

Neil Young - there's actually a full performance that's worth checking out as well.

1972

Roxy Music

Jerry Lee Lewis

The Crickets

Curtis Mayfield

Steppenwolf

1973

Rory Gallagher

The Wailers

Humble Pie

New York Dolls

1974

Captain Beefheart

Montrose

Dobie Gray

Johnny Winter

Not included on the playlist but there's a Full 44min Performance by Joni Mitchell that's worth checking out as well.

1975

Lynyrd Skynryd - the version of Freebird is truly outstanding and well worth playing a second time!

Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Judas Priest

Little Feat

Dr Feelgood

John Lennon

1976

Patti Smith

Fleetwood Mac

Iggy Pop (Not actually 1976 but I've left it in, guy who uploaded it put wrong date on it)

Nils Lofgren

Not included on the playlist but worth checking out a 40min performance by Bonnie Raitt.

1977

The Tubes

The Motors

The Dictators

Ultravox!

John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett

The Runaways

1978

Television

Ramones

Talking Heads

The Jam

The Adverts

The Vibrators

Cheap Trick

Tom Waits

Blondie

Siouxsie and the Banshees

1979

Madness

Tubeway Army

Secret Affair

The Specials

Joe Jackson

The Damned

The Skids

28mins of Blondie recorded on New Year's Eve 1979. Well worth checking out.

1980

OMD

Teardrop Explodes

ZZ Top

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Checkout Ian Dury and the Blockheads special from 1980. 

1981

U2

Altered Images

Scars

The Selecter

1982

Japan

The Go-Go's

Gang of Four

1983

Robert Wyatt

Aztec Camera

The Pale Fountains

1984

The Cocteau Twins

Lou Reed

Billy Bragg

Depeche Mode

The Fall

1985

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Sisters of Mercy

The Cure

The Waterboys

Prefab Sprout

Madness New Year's Eve Party.

1986

Suzanne Vega

Elvis Costello

The Smiths

INXS

The Pet Shop Boys

The Pogues

1987

The Cult

Age of Chance

The Alarm

Thrashing Doves

The last four videos on the playlist are from the final show broadcast on 31st December 1987 (I had included Part 1 but then discovered it had been muted by You Tube so removed it but the remaining four parts seem to work okay)