The Friday Rock Show was a radio show in the United Kingdom that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 2200 to 0000 on Friday nights from 1978 to 1993. Throughout most of its run it was hosted by Tommy Vance. Ostensibly for the genre of rock in general, it was most closely associated with heavy metal. In the early 1980s it was the only nationally available medium for this genre of music, and Vance's enthusiasm for showcasing new bands and his rapport with fans made the show essential listening for rockers. For most of its run, its intro and closing theme tune was the Dixie Dregs instrumental TAKE IT OFF THE TOP, and various articles in the show used the Van Der Graf Generator number THEME ONE. BBC Radio 1 is a British radio station, specialising in popular music aimed at a young audience (children, teenagers and young adults). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Tommy Vance, born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston (July 11, 1941 – March 6, 2005) was a British pop radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. ... Heavy metal is a form of music characterised by aggressive, driving rhythms and highly amplified distorted guitars, generally with grandiose lyrics and virtuosic instrumentation. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... The Dixie Dregs is a progressive rock band formed in the 1970s. ...

The show played a significant role in the rise of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It had the additional good fortune of being able to "borrow" the 88-91 MHz FM transmitters of BBC Radio 2, allowing listeners to enjoy the music in the best available quality for the time, before Radio 1 finally acquired its own FM frequency in 1988. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) emerged in the late 1970s, in part a reaction to the decline (or over-popularity, and therefore untouchable status) of traditional heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. ... Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is the most popular station in the UK. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in Broadcasting House. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

By 1993, the introduction into Britain of a much wider choice of television and radio channels had made heavy metal more accessible and the show less important, and Tommy Vance left Radio 1 to join the original line-up of Virgin Radio. The show ceased soon after. Tommy Vance, born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston (July 11, 1941 – March 6, 2005) was a British pop radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. ... Virgin Radio Virgin Radio is a British commercial music radio station based in London. ...