'Witch Is Dead' song reaches top 10
A Wizard Of Oz track which has had a surge of popularity in the wake of Baroness Thatcher’s death now looks on course for a place in the top 10.
An online campaign has driven sales of 'Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead' and midweek placings released by the Official Charts Company show Judy Garland’s version is now at number 10.
The late former prime minister divided opinion and while many have mourned, many have also seen her death as a cause for celebration, prompting a download surge for the song.
It is expected to remain in the upper reaches when the official chart is announced on Sunday.
It is also currently at number two in the iTunes download chart.
The death earlier this week also prompted the BBC to run coverage of the 1979 election in its entirety this weekend. The BBC Parliament channel will screen the 15-hour programme, Decision 79, a broadcast of the election count which swept her to 10 Downing Street for the first time, on Saturday.
The Conservative party won the election with an overall majority of 43 seats. David Dimbleby hosted the programme which also included interviews by Robin Day and an hourly round-up from newsreader Angela Rippon.
Dimbleby’s current BBC1 programme Question Time will be next broadcast from Baroness Thatcher’s former constituency of Finchley, with panellists including politicians Ken Clarke, David Blunkett and Sir Menzies Campbell, as well as her biographer Charles Moore.
Executive producer of Question Time Steve Anderson said: “To reflect the death of Baroness Thatcher, we are changing our scheduled location and taking Question Time to her constituency of 33 years. Our audience will include people who voted for and against Baroness Thatcher, plus many young people who weren’t old enough to vote at that time, and our panel comprises colleagues and opponents of Baroness Thatcher throughout her 11 years as prime minister.”
The programme was originally due to come from Rochdale.
