Top of the Pops (TOTP) was a British television program, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006. Each weekly show consisted of performances from some of that week’s best-selling records, usually excluding any tracks moving down the chart, including a rundown of that week’s singles chart. This was originally the Top 20, changing to the Top 30 during the 1970’s and the Top 40 in the 1980’s.

Mike Peters has said in interviews and at gigs that when he saw David Bowie on TOTP he stopped decided he wanted to be a rock star.

The Alarm appeared on Top of the Pops on the following occasions
22nd September 1983 – Sixty Eight Guns
The bands first appearance on the BBC’s flagship “Top Of The Pops” chart show with their first hit single, “68 Guns”. Although the band played live in the studio, the BBC dubbed the recorded version over the broadcast pictures. The single would spend 7 weeks in the UK chart, peaking at number 17.
Performance Video Link

6th October 1983 – Sixty Eight Guns
The bands second appearance on the “Top Of The Pops” chart show with “68 Guns”
The single would spend 7 weeks in the UK chart, peaking at number 17.
Performance Video Link

19th January 1984 – Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?
The band’s third “Top Of The Pops” appearance, playing their second hit single.
The single would spend 6 weeks on the UK chart, peaking at number 22.
Mike Peters notes :
When “Hiding” was released as a single, we went on Top of the Pops again. I thought it would be interesting to lose my guitar halfway through and throw playing cards into the crowd during the middle section. I stationed my friend Richard “Mod” Jones near the stage to catch my guitar at the appropriate moment. When the time came around for him to catch it, he was so busy trying to get on camera himself, the guitar sailed past him and smashed into a lighting rig. The card trick struck a chord though, because whenever we played “Hiding” afterwards, we would end up showered in a sea of playing cards.
Performance Video Link

21st March 1985 Video for Absolute Reality was broadcast

23rd January 1986 – Spirit of 76
Performance Video Link

15th October 1987 – Rain In The Summertime
Performance Video Link

9th November 1989 – A New South Wales