This is a 1-50 countdown of the highest ranking Fall records in all of John Peel's Festive 50s.
Being a Festive 50 there are actually 52 records - on account of three charting at number 30 (See below).
I put this together as an interesting - though possibly pointless - experiment and have a lot of time on my hands, but I'd be interested to see how you'd remake the list today.
Enjoy!

High Tension Line – 24/91
Don’t Call Me Darling – 24/95
How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’ – 26/80
Realm Of Dusk – 26/86
Athlete Cured – 26/87
Service – 26/93
Green Eyed Loco Man – 26/03
Kurious Oranj – 27/88
Ladybird – 29/93
Blood Outta Stone – 30/90
Bonkers In Phoenix – 30/95
I Wake Up In The City – 30/01

Ed's Babe - was playing the live version from Cheetham Hill today and, although I like the version on the 12" vinyl, this is very good too.

Argh!
Sorry, the chart went a bit skewiff in the layout process and three entries doubled up, and I can't change it, but you get the general idea.
WHY IS MY LIFE SO HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry:

You've done a valuable public service...good as is :)

Thanks, Duckpin.
I'll post - or email - a chronological list of all Fall placings if anyone thinks it's worthwhile. Though knowing my luck right now, it's safe to say that'll go tits up, too...

I think it's worthwhile - it's hard to believe The Fall makes onto any chart - glad they do.

You may note your name came up recently on the Peel Festive 50; 81/1 or something like that

Due to overwhelming public demand, here is the full list of all 84 Fall Festive 50 placings.

Rowche Rumble 40/79
Totally Wired 21/80
How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’ – 26/80
Fiery Jack – 38/80
Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul – 47/81
Look Know – 58/82 [Sic. Early charts were often longer].
Eat Yself Fitter – 8/83
The Man Whose Head Expanded – 21/83
Kicker Conspiracy – 35/83
Wings – 40/83

Lay Of The Land – 9/84
CREEP – 18/84
No Bulbs – 44/84
Cruiser’s Creek – 3/85
Spoilt Victorian Child – 23/85
Gut Of The Quantifier – 33/85
Couldn’t Get Ahead – 39/85
LA – 42/85
Rolling Dany – 55/85 [Sic]
Mr Pharmacist – 3/86

US 80s 90s – 10/86
Living Too Late – 15/86
Bournemouth Runner – 20/86
Realm Of Dusk – 26/86
Lucifer Over Lancashire – 37/86
Dktr Faustus – 48/86
Australians in Europe – 3/87
Hit The North – 9/87
Athlete Cured – 26/87
Cab It Up – 14/88

Bremen Nacht – 16/88
Big New Prinz – 24/88
Kurious Oranj – 27/88
Jerusalem – 36/88
Guest Informant – 40/88
Dead Beat Descendant – 38/89
Bill Is Dead – 1/90
White Lightning – 15/90
Blood Outta Stone – 30/90
Telephone Thing – 30/90

Chicago Now – 41/90
Edinburgh Man – 4/91
A Lot Of Wind – 9/91
High Tension Line – 24/91
The War Against Intelligence – 35/91
The Mixer – 41/91
So What About It? – 43/91
Legend Of Xanadu – 5/92
Free Range – 6/92
Ed’s Babe – 12/92

Kimble – 34/92
Birmingham School Of Business School – 50/92
Why Are People Grudgeful – 11/93
Lost In Music – 19/93
Glam Racket – 20/93
I’m Going To Spain – 22/93
Service – 26/93
Ladybird – 29/93
A Past Gone Mad – 41/93
Behind The Counter – 43/93

It’s A Curse – 48/93
War – 50/93
Hey Student – 2/94
City Dweller – 38/94
M5 – 41/94
Feeling Numb – 7/95
Don’t Call Me Darling – 24/95
Bonkers In Phoenix – 30/95
The Joke – 49/95
Cheatham Hill – 6/96

The Chiselers – 13/96
Hostile – 16/96
Inch – 7/97
I’m A Mummy – 17/97
Shake Off – 49/98
Touch Sensitive – 4/99
F-Oldin’ Money' 7/99
Dr Bucks Letter – 3/00
Two Librans – 23/00
WB – 43/00

I Wake Up In The City – 30/01
Susan Vs YouthClub – 22/02
Theme From Sparta FC – 3/03
Green Eyed Loco Man – 26/03

Also: Elastica with Mark E Smith - How He Wrote Elastica Man 6/99

Wow! :) I think I'm gong to print it so i'll have it for reference....surprised that a couple made it so high

Bremen Nacht to #16? People would go nuts in the USA if that came out of their car speaker! :lol:

Indeed.
It was looking at the waywardness of their entries in the Festive 50 that made me think about compiling it.
Hey Student, Dr Buck's and Inch stand out as oddly high.

They only let John Peel play this stuff very, very late at night...

I have all these Fall 12"ers on the wall in a little room in the basement - I bought blank album covers to protect the records so i guess i should have said i just have the covers on the wall - maybe 20 of them, one of which is "INCH"...nice cover, interesting material.
I guess that Long Kin Finnie didn't chart, eh? Off to bed now - got up at 5AM and am ready for slumbers

Great poll!
I voted Lay Of The Land, as it's my favourite.
But a close second would be Prinz, and a close third would be all of the others............

Loco Man the last ever. :cry:
I know it has nothing to do with the F50, but I think Job Search is the most fitting end to the Peel Box. There's something strange but quite sad about it and the title indicates a sort of end, end of an era, etc.
I'm probs talking shit; ignore....

Not shit, all too true!

I also find that the last Peel session proper finished with Grass Grow and brings a lump to the throat, especially as the original version by The Move was a Peel favourite during his early career.

Now I'm rambling!

No no. I burst into tears when I heard the switch from Wrong time to Grass grow. Luckily I was on my own and had only consumed 8 of the 12 cans bought in for that special evening when Peel broadcast the session.

Elastic Man for me.

Has to be the good doctor doesn't it?

It's funny, given the flack 'Bill is Dead' gets, that it's the only Fall song to get to #1 in the F50.
I think it's one of the best...so that makes me correct! -_-

Living too late, i was pretty sure someone would vote for 'Eat yoself' and Lay of the land, my 2nd and 3rd choices.

A great top 3! :beer:

I wonder if anyone here heard every single one, from 79 through to 03 when they were broadcast.
And the Peel sessions too,
I can't imagine the excitement of knowing a Peel Fall session was going to be on. :(

Nice poll.

Of the 'votable' ones, it's Dr Buck's Letter, followed by US 80's - 90's and Cheatham Hill.

I seem to remember however that the version of Athlete Cured was the Peel Session Version, which would be the real first choice in any Fall poll.

Stat fans, obsessives, creepy loners etc may care for this rundown of years with the most Fall entries in the Festive 50*

1993 10
1986 7
1988 6
1991 6
1985 5
1990 5
1983 4
1992 4
1994 3
1995 4
1980 3
1984 3
1987 3
1996 3
2000 3
1997 2
1999 2
2003 2
1979 1
1981 1
1989 1
1998 1
2001 1
2002 1
1982 0

* I haven't counted entries after 50 as that would be unfair. So don't write in...

Interesting!

*strokes chin*

1993 had 10
but 92 only had 4 and 94 only had 3!
Whereas 1982 is the only year where none appear,
but 81 had 1 and 83 had 4!

Hmmmm.

*strokes chin*

Yes, well, that 93 peak is most interesting.
There's a couple of possible factors; The Fall had a real spread of songs, with none charting in the FF top 10, and four in the last 10.
It was the year of their commercial peak, top 10 album and all.
It's a strange term to use when talking about Peel listeners, but TIS was probably their most "accessible" album, even more than anything from the Brix years.
Behind The Counter six track ep was like a mini-album, so there was a lot of (good) stuff to choose from.
It was also a funny year musically - between Grunge and Britpop hysterias- so I think The Fall had more chance of a good hearing...

Yes, also The Fall's music at this time seemed to be at it's most relevant in-terms of dance culture and therefore a greater degree of cross-pollination (ooh!) with that scene, etc.
That may be balls, I don't know.

I just went and had a look at what was selling by the bucketload in 1993.
Gawd, it was an odd year.
Let's just say Bat Out Of Hell II was the biggest selling album in the UK and leave it at that...

1993 also had the worst Festive 50 number one EVER; Chumbawamba & Credit To The Nation - Enough Is Enough...

Blimey!
So, if my exquisitely-honed statistical analysis is anything to go by, this suggests that in 1993 the record-buying public in England had absolutely shit taste in music.
Therefore, The Fall will appeal to a larger demographic whenever Meatloaf puts a record out.

:thumbsup:

We should be emailing this stuff to whoever markets The Gruppe, elvis! We're sitting on a goldmine with this information... :beer:

:D

:lol: :lol:

:D

I'll stop ruining your poll now....
Fascinating stuff, elvis! :beer: