The holidays are jammed with as many Top Ten lists as there are stars in the heavens, or musicians in Austin, or epithets in Scarface — pick an analogy, any analogy will do. But when it comes to the holidays, for some reason we always turn back to the late, great BBC 1 DJ John Peel, whose heart skipped a beat (and then another, and then all of them) just over four years back.
It was a black day, and a terribly sad and unexpected passing, but thankfully the BBC has always been Johnny-on-the-groove when it comes to archiving past airtime. Jolly good for those of us who miss Peel’s avuncular chattiness and preposterously eclectic taste in music. He was the first, after all, to champion the likes of the Sex Pistols, the Fall, the Undertones (their “Teenage Kicks” became his signature track), the White Stripes, Joy Division, the Smiths…and on and on.
Peel, who we’d like to think was instrumental in the forming of just as many bands as the Velvet Underground, was always keen to chat up his favorites for the record, and to this end the BBC has streamed a bloody brilliant, two-part Peel Top Ten, here and here. Listen and remember and mourn. And then go start your own band.
This article appears in December 26 • 2008.