The Damned / Echo & the Bunnymen / Hang Wangford / Billy Bragg / Brendan Croker

Paul Simon special

End of the Year

Run DMC

Episode 5

Michelle Shocked

The Comfy Area

The Cult

World Party

Episode 11

Episode 12

Deep Purple / The Mission

U2 / Sinéad O’Connor

Episode 15

Wet Wet Wet

Paul Simon

Level 42 in concert

Big in Japan special

That Was The Whistle Test That Was

1986/7

The Old Grey Whistle Test

BBC Two

1971/2

1972/3

1973/4

1974/5

1975/6

1976/7

1977/8

1978/9

1979/80

1980/81

1981/2

1982/3

1983/4

1984/5

1985/6

Specials

The Old Grey Whistle Test is an influential BBC2 television music show that ran from 1971 to 1987. It took over the BBC2 late night slot from "Disco Two", which had been running since January 1970, while continuing to feature non-chart music. It was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers. According to presenter Bob Harris, the programme derived its name from a Tin Pan Alley phrase from years before. When they got the first pressing of a record they would play it to people they called the old greys—doormen in grey suits. The songs they could remember and whistle, having heard it just once or twice, had passed the old grey whistle test.