Do you know who this is?

I used the word “faddish” to describe the British culture to M the other day. Regardless of whether of not it actually IS a word, it’s a perfect description for this country. It seems like everyone simultaneously and constantly obsesses over something or other: Fairtrade, fashion, ethical living, Celebrity Big Brother, the gender gap, Jamie Oliver…the list is ever evolving (and that’s kind of the point).

I find it fascinating, to be honest. San Francisco is kind of a bubble…and while that’s part of what I love about living there, it often can feel isolated from the rest of the country, out of tune with the ebb and flow of general American interests. Since we’ve moved here, we’ve tried to stay on top of what’s really current in Britain. We read (and adore) the Guardian and the Observer, we watch what’s popular on TV (regardless of whether or not we understand it), and we just try to soak it all in. Sometimes it works: The Observer is a brilliant paper, as intelligent as the New York Times without being so pedantic, and their monthly music magazine is the best music writing I’ve read in a while. Sometimes it doesn’t: Celebrity Big Brother…um, what?

However, we’re both enamored of the BBC2 Sunday evening staple Top of the Pops. Each week, a rotating group of smart-ass presenters play host to an amazing mix of artists and pop stars, count down the Top 10 Albums, show some old footage and some videos, and build up to the announcement of the week’s #1 single (a single! See above re: faddish) which is then performed live.

I’m constantly amazed at how relevant TOTP seems to be. Big stars (BIG stars) from all countries come to perform live (the archive reveals this has always been the case) and the music is incredibly diverse (we like a lot of it, too). What’s equally amazing is how much the charts shift from week to week and how many small, regional, and relatively unknown acts can make it big in Britain. This week, there were (I think) four groups/artists on either the show or the charts from the show “The X Factor” (like Pop/American Idol but for groups as well as individual singers)…and the actual winner of the show wasn’t among them. This both amazes and amuses me to no end.

So...happy Sunday night! I now present this week’s TOTP lineup:

10. The Strokes “Heart in a Cage” – performed live. This rocked.

9. Cyndi Lauper “Time after Time” – performed live. This ALSO rocked (she’s 53!!).

8. Nature’s Law “Embrace” – the #2 single of the week, shown as a video. If you close your eyes, the guy sounds EXACTLY like Chris Martin. Then, when you open your eyes, the little pop-up-video-esque info on the screen tells you he’s Chris’s best mate. Hmmm.

7. Kim Wilde “Kids in America” – flashback performance. According to TOTP, Kim was quite a “foxtress” in her day.

...then we get to review of the Top 10 Albums, which leads to a live performance off the #1 album of the week...

6. Journey South “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Two dudes from The X Factor who look like Nelson with short hair and are probably destined to have an equally short career.

5. Pink “Stupid Girls” – live performance. See what I mean about big stars? Pink’s single dropped this week in the UK…ergo she’s on TOTP immediately thereafter.

4. Mattfix “To & Fro” – live performance. Who?

3. Prince “Black Sweat” – video. Apparently the last time Prince was live at TOTP he spent the day backstage with a chainmail mask on. No wonder they didn’t invite him back. Besides, he’s too busy making himself at home in LA. They did refer to his new album 3121 as “a cracker” which I found hysterical.

2. The Streets “When You Wasn’t Famous” – live performance. Apparently The Streets were last year’s Arctic Monkeys who thought their success would allow them to get famous girls. This song features the following profound and universal truth: “When you try to pull a girl who is oh-so-famous too/It feels just like when you wasn’t famous.” Amen.

…finally, the highlight of every week, the countdown of the singles chart and the great reveal and live performance of the single Britan’s been buying the most…

1. Ne*Yo “So Sick.” Which made me just that.

Thank you, and goodnight!