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Vernon Brings The Big Tunes!

Radio Icon and Radio 2’s finest, Tony Blackburn, chooses his Tracks Of My Years. Plus Album and Record Of The Week and more Ten To The Top.

Radio Icon and Radio 2’s finest, Tony Blackburn, chooses the soundtrack to his life all this week on Tracks Of My Years.

Starting out on offshore pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London, Tony joined the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in 1967, becoming the first DJ heard on Radio 1 when it launched that same year. From there, Tony has spent the last 7 decades in Radio and TV, presenting Top of the Pops and the Top 40 chart, starting The Golden Hour and helming shows across multiple stations.

Across his storied career, Tony has released albums as a singer, won the first series of ‘I’m a Celebrity…’, and, in this year’s New Year Honours, was awarded an OBE for his services to broadcasting and charity. He currently presents Sounds of the 60s on Saturday Mornings and his Golden Hour on Sunday nights on Radio 2.

As part of Radio 2's celebration of 60 years since pirate radio began in the UK, Tony will be appearing alongside Johnnie Walker for a special 'Clash of The Pirates' show. Across 2 hours, Tony and Johnnie will battle to become 'Captain of The Pirates', going head-to-head selecting the ultimate playlist consisting of some of their favourite ever tracks.

There'll also be more audio nuggets from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Archive in Vernon's Vault; there's Record and Album Of The Week; and and two more contestants try their luck in the mid-morning music quiz, Ten To The Top.

Whatever you're up to, Vern wants to hear from you - email vernon@bbc.co.uk - and if you’d like to apply to take part in Ten To The Top, the address you need is tentothetop@bbc.co.uk

2 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Dua Lipa

    Training Season

    • Radical Optimism.
    • Warner Records.
  • ABBA

    Does Your Mother Know

    • Abba Gold (40th Anniversary Edition).
    • Polar.
    • 015.
  • D:Ream

    Things Can Only Get Better

  • Elvis Presley

    Suspicious Minds

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
  • Simple Minds

    Promised You A Miracle

    • The Best Of Simple Minds.
    • Virgin.
  • Coldplay

    Adventure Of A Lifetime

    • (CD Single).
    • Parlophone.
  • Usher

    Kissing Strangers

    • Coming ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.
    • gamma..
  • Harry Connick, Jr.

    A Wink And A Smile

    • Sleepless In Seattle.
    • Sony.
    • 8.
  • Record Of The Week

    • Bon Jovi

      Legendary

      • Legendary.
      • Island.
  • Kings of Leon

    Use Somebody

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
    • 2.
  • The Verve

    Lucky Man

    • Now 39 (Various Artists).
    • Now.
  • Albin Lee Meldau

    Elvis, I Love You

    • (CD Single).
    • Glassnote Records.
  • Oasis

    Roll With It

    • (CD Single).
    • Creation Records.
  • µþ±ð²â´Ç²Ô³¦Ã©

    TEXAS HOLD 'EM

    • Renaissance Act II.
    • Parkwood Entertainment.
  • George Ezra

    Budapest

    • Wanted On Voyage.
    • Columbia.
    • 001.
  • Fine Young Cannibals

    Good Thing

    • The Raw & The Cooked.
    • London.
  • Album Of The Week

    • Elbow

      Her To The Earth

      • Audio Vertigo.
      • Polydor Records.
  • Kool & the Gang

    Straight Ahead

    • In The Heart.
    • BBR.
    • 006.
  • Jess Glynne & ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Concert Orchestra

    Don't Be So Hard On Yourself (Radio 2 Piano Room, 16 Feb 2024)

  • Tracks Of My Years

    • Stevie Wonder

      Uptight (Everything's Alright)

      • Dancing In The Street (Various Artis.
      • Universal Music Tv.
    • Diana Ross

      I'm Still Waiting

  • The Beatles

    Penny Lane

    • The Beatles - 1.
    • Apple.
    • 017.
  • The Libertines

    Oh

    • All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.
    • EMI.

Broadcast

  • Thu 28 Mar 2024 09:30

Ten To The Top

Ten To The Top

Get all the details of how to enter and listen to Vernon's daily music quiz.