1000 Years of Popular Music is a live album, originally conceived after Richard Thompson, along with many other artists, was asked by Playboy magazine to nominate his choice of the best songs of the millennium in anticipation of the year 2000. The magazine intended the use of the term "millennium" to be hyperbole that emphasized the end of the 2nd millennium or songs within the collective memory of their readership at that time, probably expecting nothing earlier than the British Invasion at best. In an act of malicious compliance, Thompson followed these instructions exactly as they were worded, and produced a list which did span 1000 years of music, including the oldest-known English-language songs, a medieval Italian dance tune, and various other folk songs, alongside slightly more contemporary fare. The list was never published by Playboy.
