Peel, with his relaxed and personable presenting style, may have seemed like an unusual choice for an upbeat pop show. But in the long-run, it was exactly what the programme needed and it wasn’t long before John Peel became the sole presenter. Top Gear was changing into a progressive music show and Peel’s deep love for, and knowledge of, a broad range of music resulted in a wide roster of acts appearing, right through into the 1970s.

Nature and nurture

A year after its revival, John Peel, along with producers Bernie Andrews and John Walters, had turned Top Gear in to an award-winning and highly respected programme. Acts who played influential sessions for Top Gear during its lifetime included Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, The Who, Free, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Manfred Mann, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. Many of these acts made the big time after their performances on the programme, making their Top Gear sessions even more important. Whether their success was a direct result of their appearance on Top Gear or other means, it proved that Top Gear was on to something good.