Black Dyke regained the European Championship and with it the number 1 ranking. Dyke's position at the top has been further strengthened by its retention of the English National title, plus the earlier Yorkshire title.

The July 2012 ranking is the 250th monthly ranking since the original rankings were first published in BBW magazine. To date, the no 1 position has changed hands 46 times but only eight bands have held the top spot. In order of them first becoming no 1 ranked band, the eight bands are listed below, alongside the total number of months that each band has been ranked no 1.

Oct 1991 Foden’s (35 months in total)

Jun 1992 Leyland (9 months)

Nov 1992 Fairey (70 months)

May 1995 Black Dyke (52 months)

Mar 1999 Brighouse & Rastrick (27 months)

Oct 1999 Hammonds Saltaire (18 months)

Apr 2003 Cory (18 months)

Jul 2007 Grimethorpe Colliery (21 months)

Foden’s is the only band to have been ranked in the top 10 continuously since October 1991. Fairey hasn't ever been out of the top 15, and Dyke, Brighouse, Grimethorpe and Leyland have been ever-present in the top 20.

Fairey held down the no 1 position for a record 30 consecutive months from November 1992 and then had a further 28-month spell at the top from October 1996.

A measure of Fairey's dominance in the 1990s under Peter Parkes and James Gourlay is that on only four other occasions has there been an unbroken spell of at least 12 months – Grimethorpe Colliery led the pack for 16 months from July 2007 and Black Dyke has had three separate lengthy spells at the top; 16 months from July 2009, 15 months from April 2006 and 12 months from October 1995.