The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty (though the exact figure varied above and below this number) best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. It was usually dominated by indie and rock songs which did not fully represent the diversity of music played by Peel but rather the majority opinion among his listeners. After Peel's death the tradition of the Festive Fifty was continued, first by other Radio 1 DJs and then (when Radio 1 decided to discontinue it) by the Internet radio station Dandelion Radio.
History
The first Festive Fifty was broadcast in 1976 and differed in format to later charts in that it was not restricted to songs from that year. It was topped by Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", first released in 1971, and also contained many older songs. The following year, Peel's producer suggested that instead of taking a poll (which might simply be a retread of 1976's list), Peel should simply compile a list of his favourite songs of the year. Long thought lost, this list of the "Forgotten Fifty" (consisting of 61 songs) was finally pieced together from rare archive materials for the 2007 BBC book The Peel Sessions. The following years returned to a listener poll and listed mostly contemporary songs - "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols topped three consecutive charts from 1978 and came second in the 1981. This marked a period of domination of the upper reaches of the chart by punk artists as the genre was embraced by Peel and his listeners, though other genres were represented further down the list, and the continuing presence in the list of "Stairway to Heaven" until 1979 showed that the older generation of Peel listeners had not completely abandoned the show.
... year to provide further support for this forthcoming festive season ... Two hundred and fifty vulnerable elderly citizens of Kwara State were also empowered with N200,000 at the event in Ilorin by Prof.
"It is only through unity, hard work, and identity that we can take the Republic forward into the next fifty years," he said ... that truly honours our children and paves the way for the next fifty years.
Young people are abandoning mince pies for loaded fries as global-inspired and plant-based dishes gain favour this Christmas... Fifty-six per cent of these two groups described festive classics, such as Christmas pudding, as “dated” ... .
Young people are abandoning mince pies for loaded fries as global-inspired and plant-based dishes gain favour this Christmas... Fifty-six per cent of these two groups described festive classics, such as Christmas pudding, as “dated” ... Show comments ... email.
... hours of holiday baking time during the festive season ... Fifty-six percent of WestVirginians describe their kitchens as “chaotic” during the festive season, as compared to the national average of 45%.
Christmas Day is close to only a month away, and festivities meant to usher in the merry month are looking to start as soon as next week ... The Tift Theatre is expected to host a double feature of festive fun, beginning with a concert Dec.
In 1974, a few prominent Vardaman citizens proposed the idea of a Sweet PotatoFestival... A few weeks ago, the National Sweet Potato Festival celebrated its fifty-first event with attendance at the week-long event of around 30,000.
... hours of holiday baking time during the festive season ... Fifty-six percent of WestVirginians describe their kitchens as “chaotic” during the festive season, as compared to the national average of 45%.
... performing arts exhibitions and festivals, founded thirty years ago, is held every two years in Montreal, with the participation of hundreds of companies and cultural productions from fifty countries.
Fifty years later, the Maltese and Gozitan people will once again be invited to the same square to witness another story - their story, and that of the history of the Republic of Malta, it added.
Wafa Al Hamad, and Mohammed Al Atiq.In a statement to QNA, artist Youssef Ahmed expressed that the FreejArt and DesignFestival is a major project that artists have dreamed of for the past fifty years.
San Francisco Examiner
06 Dec 2024
San Francisco Examiner
06 Dec 2024