17th July 1976, with Peter Hook

17th July 1976, with Peter Hook

Author: Mike Atkinson October 31, 2025 Duration: 2:06:59

Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order, The Light) joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a countdown of a Record Mirror Disco Top 20 from the fabled long hot summer of 1976. As the country sweltered, Peter was finding his true path, having witnessed the Sex Pistols at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall a month earlier. Meanwhile, this chart mixes pop and rock crossover hits with disco classics, funk tracks, three slowies and a couple of obscurities. But can we persuade Greg to bring back the “erection section”? The campaign starts here…

To accompany this episode, you can listen to this entire Top 20 in full, or alternatively as a shorter medley of snippets.

Further listening: other tracks mentioned in this episode.

Further reading:James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982 (550 page hardback book)

Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops?



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Each episode of Record Mirror Disco Charts is a deep, conversational dive into a specific week's dance music history, hosted by Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson alongside a rotating guest. The format is elegantly simple yet rich with detail: a random Disco Top 20 chart from the UK's Record Mirror publication, dated anywhere from 1975 to 1982, is selected as the starting point. These weren't just sales lists; they were a unique snapshot of the nation's dancefloors, compiled from reaction reports sent in by DJs across the country. The discussion naturally flows through the tracks on that list, unpacking the stories behind the music, the artists, and the era's shifting sounds. Crucially, the conversation is framed by the witty and authoritative contemporary reviews of Record Mirror's legendary columnist, James Hamilton, whose writings from those years have been collected in the book *James Hamilton’s Disco Pages 1975-1982*. Listening to this podcast feels like opening a time capsule, where every forgotten B-side or chart-topper sparks memories, analysis, and a genuine sense of discovery about how disco and early electronic dance music evolved in the clubs of Britain. It’s a specific, lovingly researched journey for anyone fascinated by the roots of club culture, driven by hosts and guests who share a deep knowledge and passion for the subject.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 17

Record Mirror Disco Charts
Podcast Episodes
28th June 1975, with Alexis Petridis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:55
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Leee John joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a Disco Chart Top 20 countdown from July 1981. Already a committed clubber and an active member of the Britfunk community, Leee had just started to find success with his…
8th December 1979, with Morgan Khan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50:34
Morgan Khan joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a countdown of the biggest dance tracks of December 1979. As the disco backlash was taking hold in the USA, British dancefloors were experiencing a shift in styles, as…
24th September 1977, with Jeff Young [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:38
Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson are joined by Jeff Young: "funk mafia" DJ, presenter of BBC Radio One's first ever specialist dance music show, remixer, studio owner and music industry professional.To accompany this episod…
20th September 1980, with Dave Lee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:00
Dave Lee joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson, for a look at the biggest UK dance tunes of September 1980.To accompany this episode, you can listen to this entire Top 20 in full, or alternatively as a shorter medley of sn…
28th August 1982, with Norman Cook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:27
Norman Cook joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson, as we take a detailed look at what was happening on UK dancefloors in August 1982: a time of significant change, as the dominant post-disco sounds (retrospectively known a…