THE music world's hottest stars will be out in force in Manchester tonight for the Top of the Pops Awards.

In a glittering ceremony at the city's 20,000-capacity MEN Arena, the likes of Westlife will rub shoulders with equally huge acts such as Destiny's Child. And even rock legend Paul McCartney will make an appearance.

But why IS Top of the Pops such an integral part of British life. David Crookes, who visited the hallowed London studios three years ago, attempts to find the answer. THE FA Cup Final, bobbies on the beat and bright red London buses -- each one is an English institution.

So let us then add to that list Top of the Pops, a show which has had parents throughout the years telling their children: "turn that flipping noise down".

TOTP is a show which remains as important today as when The Beatles took centre stage.

The Chart Show, The Tube and current fave SM:tv have nothing on the Beeb favourite and similar television offerings will continue to come and go.

But ultimately it is TOTP which survives as the music programme which increases profiles and sells records, even with the advent of MTV.

Tonight, the show goes one further with the inaugural Top of the Pops Awards -- the show's first return to Manchester since it moved from a converted Mancunian church to London in 1967.

A little over 30 years later, in July 1998, I was lucky enough to enter the bowels of the Pops' studio to see the magic for myself.

But what struck me more than anything was the sheer number of youngsters eager to grab tickets.

My friends and I gathered on Borehamwood High Street -- between Elstree Station and the famous Studios.

All around touts were whispering "Got any tickets?" as they filtered through the massed throng of youngsters.

According to one of the men on the door, the street becomes a hotbed of unofficial trading every Thursday as those who have not written to the BBC for free tickets clamour to get hold of some.

Then it happened. At 7.30pm around 300 of us were taken into Elstree's main studio.

The sound system reverberated to the sounds of Robbie Williams and the level of anticipation was enormous.

As the confused and disorganised rabble rushed through the doors, two guys dressed in black attempted to lend some order.

Within a few minutes they had managed to turn the crowd into a mass of gyrating and obedient bodies who would turn on nice smiles for the cameras and try ever so hard not to tread on boy band Five's expensive props.

It was not the best of line-ups. Hanson were on, as were the Lighthouse Family and Del Amitri.

But the crowd did not seem to care and did as they were told by a weird voice coming over the sound system ("Everybody cheer! Louder. CUT! Take two! Louder! Too loud! CUT!" etc).

And at the end of it all, I think my left leg managed to get on television the next day.

BUT surely getting a limb on the telly was not the answer as to why TOTP is such an institution. Maybe it is just because it has been around so long.

The show was launched on January 1, 1964, hosted by DJ Jimmy Savile.

Since then, there have been more than 1,900 shows and its appeal is undoubtedly its accessibility (on BBC1) and also its simple format (which has always been simply to chart the songs in the Top 40).

It has had the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Oasis and Pulp. It has even had its very own set of dancers from, the Go-Jos to the more famous Pan's People.

By the time the show dragged itself into the 1980s, it was even beginning to dictate band's chart positions.

According to the BBC, an appearance on the show often decided where it would enter the following week.

And if that's not the mark of an institution, I don't know what is.