Record Mirror Disco Charts

Mike Atkinson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Greg Wilson, Mike Atkinson and a special guest discuss a randomly selected Record Mirror Disco Top 20, from any week between 1975 and 1982. These charts were compiled by dancefloor reaction reports, sent in by DJs from across the UK. We'll also look at how they were reviewed at the time by Record Mirror's legendary James Hamilton, whose columns from this period have recently been published in book form as James Hamilton’s Disco Pages 1975-1982. Each episode comes with its own playlist, so that you can listen to all the tracks continuously. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 10th September 1988, with Lisa Loud

    JAN 29

    10th September 1988, with Lisa Loud

    Having spent all of summer 1987 in Ibiza, dancing to Alfredo at Amnesia and experiencing an epiphany, Lisa Loud returned to London with a new-found determination to break into the music industry. By the time of this chart, she was DJ-ing at major venues and working in promotions for Virgin Records, where she was responsible for breaking acts such as Neneh Cherry, Massive Attack, Soul II Soul, and the act at Number One on this particular Club Chart. While the first wave of acid house was reaching its peak, Lisa was also travelling around the UK, delivering acetates to tastemaker DJs and generally "having the time of my life". Joining Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for our first episode based on the second volume of James Hamilton's columns, Lisa guides us through a pivotal time for UK club culture, where acid house, hip hop, soul, funk and Balearic beats intermingled, and sampling was rife, as yet unburdened by copyright concerns. 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 (YouTube) Further reading: * James Hamilton's Dance Pages 1983-1989 (800 page hardback book) * James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982 (550 page hardback book) Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 47m
  2. 26th May 1979, with Bill Brewster

    12/30/2025

    26th May 1979, with Bill Brewster

    Bill Brewster – DJ, writer, music consultant and dance music historian – joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a look at the Record Mirror Disco Chart of 26th May 1979. 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 (Spotify) * James Hamilton at Gullivers, 18 August 1979 Further reading: * James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982 (550 page hardback book) * James Hamilton's Dance Pages 1983-1989 (800 page hardback book) * Bill Brewster on Patreon Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 37m
  3. 12th April 1980, with John Morales

    11/28/2025

    12th April 1980, with John Morales

    John Morales - remixer, producer, DJ, and best known in the 1980s for his M&M mixes with the late Sergio Munzibai - joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a look at the Record Mirror Disco Chart of 12th April 1980. 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) Coming soon: James Hamilton's Dance Pages 1983-1989 (800 page hardback book) Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 26m
  4. 17th July 1976, with Peter Hook

    10/31/2025

    17th July 1976, with Peter Hook

    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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 7m
  5. 8th May 1982, with Arthur Baker

    09/29/2025

    8th May 1982, with Arthur Baker

    For our second visit to 1982, Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson are joined by Arthur Baker: producer, remixer, songwriter, DJ, and one of the prime architects of electro-funk (Planet Rock, Walking On Sunshine, Play At Your Own Risk, Confusion, IOU etc). In this Top 20 countdown, we can see these electronic elements starting to emerge, with some well-established funk acts already embracing the changes. Elsewhere, jazz-funk and Britfunk rub shoulders with pop crossovers, in a typically diverse snapshot of the times. Along the way, Arthur shares memories of the Paradise Garage, Better Days, a pre-fame Madonna, and collaborations with Tee Scott, Leee John, New Order and many more key figures of the era. 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)Greg Wilson's interview with Arthur Baker (2022)Arthur Baker: Looking For The Perfect Beat (Faber, 2025)Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 55m
  6. 25th April 1981 Futurist/Electro-Disco, with DJ Paulette

    08/28/2025

    25th April 1981 Futurist/Electro-Disco, with DJ Paulette

    DJ Paulette joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a detailed look at the last of James Hamilton's short-lived Futurist/Electro-Disco charts, from April 1981. Not only an award-winning DJ, but also a writer and broadcaster, Paulette's earliest clubbing roots lie within the Futurist/New Romantic scene, in which she was an active and enthusiastic participant. This gives her a unique personal insight into an era when electronics, fashion and politics combined in radical new ways, and when our future fascinated us more than our past. To accompany our discussion, 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.(Spotify) Further reading 1) Welcome To the Club: The Life and Lessons of a Black Woman DJ (DJ Paulette, 2024) Further reading 2) James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982.(550 page hardback book) Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 25m
  7. 2nd September 1978, with Irvine Welsh

    07/31/2025

    2nd September 1978, with Irvine Welsh

    Irvine Welsh joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson to take a look at a Disco Chart from September 1978: a time when, in the wake of Saturday Night Fever's enormous success, certain UK DJs were starting to plot a different way forwards, with jazz-funk in particular emerging as a significant new force. As we discover, many of these US tunes, although huge on British dancefloors, did not enjoy the same success in their home country. Dividing his time between London punk clubs and Saturday night discos, Irvine straddled both worlds, at ease with their supposed cultural contradictions. To accompany his new book Men In Love - which picks up where Trainspotting left off, charting its central characters' progress through the late 1980s - Irvine has released a soundtrack album, accompanied by his Sci-Fi Soul Orchestra, which sets the characters' stories to lushly orchestrated soulful disco, inspired by the classic sound of Chic and Philadelphia International. During the episode, you'll also get to hear more about how this musical project came together. To accompany our discussion, 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.(Spotify) Further reading: James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982.(550 page hardback book) Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 37m
  8. 28th June 1975, with Alexis Petridis

    06/25/2025

    28th June 1975, with Alexis Petridis

    To mark the 50th anniversary of James Hamilton's first Disco Page in Record Mirror, Alexis Petridis (head rock & pop critic for The Guardian) joins Greg Wilson and Mike Atkinson for a countdown of the first ever Disco Chart that James compiled, based on DJ returns from around the UK. 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.(Spotify) // Bob Stanley's Hot Chocolate playlist (Spotify) Further reading: James Hamilton's Disco Pages 1975-1982.(550 page hardback book) // Guardian feature on James Hamilton, by Alexis Petridis Mike also hosts the podcast Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 48m
See All (13)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Greg Wilson, Mike Atkinson and a special guest discuss a randomly selected Record Mirror Disco Top 20, from any week between 1975 and 1982. These charts were compiled by dancefloor reaction reports, sent in by DJs from across the UK. We'll also look at how they were reviewed at the time by Record Mirror's legendary James Hamilton, whose columns from this period have recently been published in book form as James Hamilton’s Disco Pages 1975-1982. Each episode comes with its own playlist, so that you can listen to all the tracks continuously. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Atkinson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Mike Atkinson
  • Show Website
    Record Mirror Disco Charts

You Might Also Like