When the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989, the UK number one was ‘That’s What I Like’ by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers. The article uses this contrast between a major political turning point and a novelty pop record to show how ordinary popular culture continued alongside the historic events reshaping Europe.

The single was a medley built around older rock-and-roll songs and spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart. It followed the group’s earlier chart-topper, ‘Swing the Mood’, while the fall of the Wall marked the effective end of Berlin’s post-war division and became a defining symbol of the Cold War’s collapse.