The Radio Luxembourg Top 20 Charts - 1980 to 1991

A much loved and well-remembered pastime was lying in bed late at night with a radio under the bedclothes, listening to the most famous radio station in Europe - The English service of Radio Luxembourg. Founded in 1933, Luxy, as the station was affectionately known, broadcast entertainment and popular music to a continent that was poorly served in that regard by their national broadcasters. In Great Britain, millions of people listened to the Top Twenty Show which began in October 1948 and was Europe's very first regular popular music chart countdown. The programme evolved over the years. Between 1948 and December 1959 the chart was based on the sheet music sales listing compiled by the Music Publishers Association. From January 1960 the New Musical Express record charts were used and later in the decade, Luxy compiled their own chart in-house based on airplay.
In the spring of 1971, Radio Luxembourg's chart became a prediction chart updated every Tuesday evening and aimed to be ahead of BBC Radio One's chart. Luxembourg's management analysed the BBC chart's movements and exaggerated them to predict their own chart for the following week. This approach aimed to create an exciting and forward-looking chart. This method of compiling the hit parade continued throughout the seventies and eighties and up to the fateful week in December 1991 when Radio Luxembourg ceased transmissions on the famous 208 meter medium wave signal. The station continued for a further twelve months, broadcasting to Europe via the Astra satellite system until it closed finally in December 1992.