You wait for ages for a good television music quiz, and then two turn up at once. No sooner has the BBC’s The Hit List returned to our screens, than PopMaster TV also popped back up on More4, kicking off this week with a celebrity special. The two shows are both brilliant, a lot of fun, and test your music knowledge past and present, and I love what very different vibes they bring to the table.

It’s a big hit

The Hit List is an early evening Saturday BBC show, so it comes with all the glitz and glamour, high energy and fancy lighting that you’d expect. Hosted by Marvin & Rochelle Humes, you have a capable pair of hands with real pop music pedigree behind them, and of course the chemistry that comes with being a married couple (not always, but thankfully in this case it’s all good!). The quiz show’s tagline is about shouting answers at the telly, and that’s definitely the vibe you get with it. Rochelle is often hugely invested in the contestants getting the answers right, and she can’t deal with the tension in exactly the same way that we can’t.

At its heart, the show has a very simple ‘do you know this song’ premise. There are different rounds and each format brings a slightly different angle and twist to the game, but ultimately, you hear a snippet of a song and have to know the artist and the title. Super simple, anyone can do it, and it’s a real joy to remember old songs you’ve forgotten, impress people with your knowledge of random hits, and of course, wrack your brains for that hook that you definitely recognise but just can’t place.

Some of the formats work better than others for me, the first Five of Five from Five is a clunky title for a nice journey through the decades. The video wall is very hit and miss as the ‘hit lists’ very rarely produce what you think they will from the titles. But the final chart rundown is always a lot of fun, with that big screen behind the couples counting down their winnings as they grapple for a song they know. Tense but great entertainment.

Master of ceremonies

PopMaster is the complete opposite of that frenzied Saturday night energy. Instead, the more stately show is hosted by veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce, whose dulcet tones really bring the gravitas of someone who knows what they’re talking about and has seen it all. The show obviously started on radio and has expanded to television, which gives it much less of a visual element and instead the focus is on probing questions and deep knowledge.

We’ve moved beyond ‘do you know this song’ now. You hear a snippet of song and think the question is going to be ‘who’s the guest artist featured on this track’ and shout that out at the TV. But if you listen to the end of the question, it’s actually about what the security guard’s first name was that time they were staying at the Hilton, London in 1986. Listening to the end of the question is always a good plan.

This is a serious music quiz for people who really know their stuff. Naturally, the songs are generally well known, but rather than everything having to be a ‘hit’ because that’s the name of the show, you can sometimes get some deep cuts that surprise you along the way. Again the format has highs and lows. The intros round (actually intros, middles and ends) is always a classic, the mixtape is naturally a mixed bag, the reading out the lyrics round my absolute favourite. Out of context lyrics that just niggle at your brain, good stuff.

What makes you beautiful

So, they’re two very varied shows and appealing to different audiences, but somehow I love them both. Hit List is perfect for a Saturday night, pour a gin and shout out some music hits. PopMaster works for a midweek ponder, it’s quieter and more serious and tests the grey cells just that little bit more. There are bound to be people who like one and dislike the other, but for me, they are both brilliant as long as you time when you watch it and make sure you’re in the right mood.

Hit List is a joyous celebration of hits from the 70s through to today. PopMaster is a sobering reflection on how much music knowledge there is out there and how much you still have to learn, but oh boy it’s wonderful when you get something right. And who doesn’t love a quick round of three in ten?