Radio 1 have done a brilliant job entertaining the nation with classics from previous #BigWeekend sets. But, understandably, they’ve mostly picked from the last decade.

So that got me thinking, what if all THIS was happening in 2010 not 2020. Who would they select?

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Big Weekend started as the oddly titled One Big Sunday - odd because there were seven of them in the first year. Those millenitastic line-ups included S Club 7, Mary Mary, The Corrs and @CraigDavid

From the One Big Sunday in Plymouth in 2000, they’d probably have selected the @KylieMinogue set. And maybe a few tracks from Mel B and a single hit from Sweet Female Attitude. I doubt my beloved @TheBluetones would’ve got a look in.

I wonder who they’d have picked from One Big Sunday in Leicester in 2001? It would’ve been tough to choose between VB, @Coldplay, and Nelly (Furtado). I’m sure @ChrisMoyles and @jowhiley would’ve helped them pick tho.

I wonder if they’d have thrown in Gareth Gates set from One Big Sunday in Swansea 2002? Nah they’d probably have gone for these Destiny’s Child right? For LOLs they’d have thrown in A, just to wind up @DanielPCarter.

There were actually four One Big Sundays that year. Highlights included Liberty X in Ipswich, Darius in Falkirk, and Holly Valance in Leicester

Leicester was a popular city for Radio 1 in those days. They went back in 2003, and I reckon the sets from Busted and Kelly Rowland might make the cut in 2010. Probably not so much Big Brovaz or Daniel Bedingfield

(Not sure they’d replay this either, what do you think @ahj @ChrisMoyles @will_kinder @davidvitty)

Things did start to get a bit cooler in 2003 tho. One Big Weekend started (though, ironically, there were still two each year, and a Big Sunday).

The White Stripes in Manchester would definitely make the cut - full audio on YouTube and sounds epic.

Initially Big Weekends were dance act on the Saturday, and bands on the Sunday. Not sure Cardiff 2003 was a golden year for bands tho - Starsailor? Kosheen? Pink, I expect. Chemical Brothers set from the Saturday would’ve made the cut I reckon.

Derry 2004, and the artists still big in 2010 are quite thin on the ground. Ash, Avril, The LoveGods (anyone?). The vintage performance by The Streets would’ve been deemed a classic though I reckon.

Later that year, from Birmingham, I’d def have picked Joss Stone and Natash Bedingfield, but the vintage sets probably include Kasabian and Fat Boy Slim

2005 is when things get serious. Big Weekend ditches the One from its name (even though it now really is only once per year), and Sunderland’s @foofighters (with a short haired Dave Grohl). They’d definitely make any best-of edit

2005 Bands unlikely to make the best of include Battle, Rooster, Lemar and The Subways (you’ve gotta respect what they’re doing)

From 2006 (Dundee, where they were meant to be this year) you’d put money on @Muse, @SnowPatrol, @Pink and @KeaneOfficial making the 2010 best of edit.

The line ups are getting longer and longer now, and the 2006 second stage was vintage.

Franz Ferdinand -

Bloc Party -

The Kooks -

Primal Scream -

Preston 2007 and the visual content is getting more significant with content like Moyles TV and the brilliantly named Jo Blogs. Incredibly the headline artist was Scissor Sisters, with someone called Rihanna fourth on the bill, and an unglowed (Su Pollard) Calvin Harris on at 1pm

Want some early Rhi Rhi?

You’d also get some Stereophonics in there for sure

2008 next. Standby.

Two words: Madonna. Maidstone.

How on earth did that happen? But also, how do The Kooks end up the headliner on the Sunday? Talk about poorer cousin. Saturday also had Usher. But Sunday had a v.young Adele.

Amongst the whoooooooos that year, Guillemots... The Ting Tings... And The Feeling. Just two years later in 2010, I doubt they’d make the cut in anybody’s Best Of.

Radio 1 also got obsessed with Pendulum for a few years starting in 2008. They’d be in it.

And we end our journey in 2009 - the “last year” of this hypothetical situation. And how do you best Madonna in Maidstone? @ChrisMoyles vs @TimWestwood in Swindon.

But in terms of real music, The Prodigy (whose bass broke every health and safety in the workplace rule in the book) was ridiculous.

Dizzee Rascal was riding high

Lily was a R1 darling

That was fun. Hope you enjoyed it. Most of the photos are still available on the BBC website (on increasingly broken pages). Most of the videos are rips on YouTube from BBC Three (we only started our own visualising in 2009). All in all, I think 2010-2019 was the better decade