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What is a "hit single"?, We often see this term thrown about loosely - but what does it mean?

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Sales vs Chart Peak vs Cultural Impact
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MusiqqisuM View member profile	17th January 2015, 12:51 PM Post #1
BuzzJack Climber Joined: 30 December 2014 Posts: 82 User: 21,502	Hi all, I am still relatively new here so hope I am posting this correctly! Anyways, I was in the supermarket the other day and I lost count as to how many times I saw the term "hit single" plastered on the front of cds as nothing more than marketing tactics. I then saw a topic on here just now which lead me to think - what actually is a "hit" and how do we determine what qualifies as one? There are a few definitions online that refer to a "popular song" or "successful song"..But they are very vague, popular/ successful in what sense? I think during the Top of the Pops era it was easy to assume all top 20 songs were hits, but I think over time this was narrowed down to the top 10, and even number ones in some cases. But with that said, there are numerous songs that have not had the best chart peak (e.g. "Set Fire to The Rain" and "I'm Yours") but were still being able to outsell a chunk of no. 1 singles. Similarly, singles like "Single Ladies" were huge phenomenons, but again didn't even make the top 5. Other songs were "popular" for a week or 2 and peaked in the top 3 and then dropped like a rock (Union J spring to mind but I know there are loads!) I just wanted to know your thoughts on what you consider/ or think we should consider most when determining a hit single? Do the phrases "top 10" and "number 1" receive too much praise these days, when in actual fact neither tell us much at all in terms of how popular (sales) a single has been! I would also be curious to see, if anyone has the data, a list of best selling singles that didn't reach the top 10, and a list showing the best selling that didn't reach top 20. I'm aware "Set Fire to the Rain" and "I'm Yours" are the two best selling that didn't reach top 10, but unaware of any others? This post has been edited by MusiqqisuM: 17th January 2015, 01:14 PM


365 View member profile	17th January 2015, 01:25 PM Post #2
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 11 October 2013 Posts: 31,028 User: 19,931	Id say it's elements of all of above. If call anything that has sold 200k+ plus a hit, though obviously there were some causalities there in the 2002 - 2008 period, so I'd go more for chart peaks around then.


UltraCruelSummer View member profile	17th January 2015, 01:52 PM Post #3
It's a cruel summer. Joined: 26 May 2014 Posts: 35,256 User: 20,947	QUOTE(MusiqqisuM @ Jan 17 2015, 12:51 PM) I would also be curious to see, if anyone has the data, a list of best selling singles that didn't reach the top 10, and a list showing the best selling that didn't reach top 20. I'm aware "Set Fire to the Rain" and "I'm Yours" are the two best selling that didn't reach top 10, but unaware of any others? Queen Idina- Let It Go (she could actually be the biggest now I think) I also think radioactive is up there as well


Liam.k. View member profile	17th January 2015, 02:02 PM Post #4
BuzzJack Idol Joined: 8 December 2010 Posts: 50,972 User: 12,472	QUOTE(MusiqqisuM @ Jan 17 2015, 12:51 PM) I would also be curious to see, if anyone has the data, a list of best selling singles that didn't reach the top 10, and a list showing the best selling that didn't reach top 20. I'm aware "Set Fire to the Rain" and "I'm Yours" are the two best selling that didn't reach top 10, but unaware of any others? This was posted by Andy on Haven on 31 December 2013; estimates are his own and correct to the date published: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours (#11) 736,000 Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (#11) 670,000 Christina Perri – A Thousand Years (#11) 551,650 Linkin Park/Jay Z – Numb/Encore (#14) 529,000 Bruno Mars – Marry You (#11) 521,000 Birdy – Skinny Love (#17) 519,615 Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird EP (Sweet Home Alabama) (#21) 510,000 (300,000 + 210,000 downloads) DJ Fresh – Gold Dust (#22) 494,000 Jason Mraz – I Wont Give Up (#11) 497,215 Lady Antebellum – Need You Now (#15) 490,000 Train – Hey soul sister (#18) 489,000 Imagine Dragons – Radioactive (#12) 472,045 Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (#23) 445,000 Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay - 212 (#12) 440,000 The Script – Breakeven (#21) 427,460 Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (#13) 425,000 MGMT – Kids (#16) 416,000 Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man (#24) 414,000 Disclosure featuring Sam Smith – Latch (#11) 410,000 Lonestar – Amazed (#21) 406,000 Foster the People – Pumped up kicks (#18) 405,000 Mumford and Sons – I will wait (#12) 404,840 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird EP (Freebird) (#21) 401,000 (300,000 + 101,000 downloads) Pink – Raise Your Glass (#13) 396,000 Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks (#12) 384,000 Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette – Hello (#13) 381,000 Skrillex - Bangarang (#24) 379,000 Stevie Wonder – Superstition (#11) 373,000 Mumford and Sons – The Cave (#32) 353,000 Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69 (#42) 353,000 MIA – Paper planes (#19) 337,000 Katy Perry – The One That Got Away (#18) 331,000 Miley Cyrus – The Climb (#11) 327,000 Steps – 5-6-7-8 (#14) 316,000 Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know? (#11) 305,965 Bruno Mars – Treasure (#12) 300,000 Shakira featuring FreshlyGround – Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (#21) 299,000 N-Dubz featuring Mr Hudson – Playing With Fire (#14) 295,000 Paolo Nutini – Pencil Full of Lead (#17) 294,000 Beyonce – Love on top (#13) 292,000 Pixie Lott - Cry Me Out (#12) 290,000 Swedish House Mafia – Greyhound (#13) 287,000 Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out (#12) 283,000 Blondie – Union City Blue (#13) 275,000 (or 295k if you include the 1995 remix of Union City Blue) Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding – Wonderman (#12) 274,000 Kanye West featuring Drake & Rihanna - All of the Lights (#15) 273,000 Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (#14) 260,000 Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of your life) (#11) 260,000 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow (#46) 255,000 Chiddy Bang – Opposite of adults (#12) 253,000 The 1975 – Chocolate (#19) 252,300 David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi – Memories (#15) 252,000 Andy Stewart - A Scottish Soldier (#19) 250,000 Evelyn "Champagne" King – Shame (#39) 250,000 Semisonic – Secret Smile (#13) 250,000 Rihanna – Te Amo (#14) 250,000 http://fatherandy2.proboards.com/thread/80...ng-non-top-hits


JSG View member profile	17th January 2015, 04:58 PM Post #5
BuzzJack Legend Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 18 March 2013 Posts: 34,803 User: 18,473	I chose Other. To me a hit is most likely different to what other people define as a hit and so on but in general I think people see that it has wide appeal and reaches the top 10?


Spinning Adam View member profile	17th January 2015, 05:00 PM Post #6
Former iconic poster with no consistent posting style Pronouns: Don't take em seriously tbh Joined: 20 June 2014 Posts: 20,582 User: 21,005	Sales obviously IMO peak is just dependent on the competition on other tracks each week Also a hit track can also be defined by the weeks it has spent in the chart


JosephBoone View member profile	17th January 2015, 05:02 PM Post #7
you never forget your first time... Pronouns: he/him Joined: 19 April 2011 Posts: 121,693 User: 13,530	I think it depends on the artist really. For a new artist or a less mainstream artist, overall sales will be what counts, whereas for a pop act, it's typically the chart peak, hence why they enter high and drop relatively fast.


JSG View member profile	17th January 2015, 05:03 PM Post #8
BuzzJack Legend Pronouns: He/Him Joined: 18 March 2013 Posts: 34,803 User: 18,473	QUOTE(SPINUMINATI ADAM @ Jan 17 2015, 05:00 PM) Sales obviously IMO peak is just dependent on the competition on other tracks each week Also a hit track can also be defined by the weeks it has spent in the chart It's not really dependant on other tracks cause what about those weeks on end where sales are low and a new entry could hit the #1 spot with 50,000 sales. That to a lot of people wouldn't be a hit. I think the word hit just has a different meaning to everyone though.


MusiqqisuM View member profile	17th January 2015, 10:30 PM Post #9
BuzzJack Climber Joined: 30 December 2014 Posts: 82 User: 21,502	QUOTE(liamk97 @ Jan 17 2015, 02:02 PM) This was posted by Andy on Haven on 31 December 2013; estimates are his own and correct to the date published: Jason Mraz – I’m Yours (#11) 736,000 Adele – Set Fire To The Rain (#11) 670,000 Christina Perri – A Thousand Years (#11) 551,650 Linkin Park/Jay Z – Numb/Encore (#14) 529,000 Bruno Mars – Marry You (#11) 521,000 Birdy – Skinny Love (#17) 519,615 Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird EP (Sweet Home Alabama) (#21) 510,000 (300,000 + 210,000 downloads) DJ Fresh – Gold Dust (#22) 494,000 Jason Mraz – I Wont Give Up (#11) 497,215 Lady Antebellum – Need You Now (#15) 490,000 Train – Hey soul sister (#18) 489,000 Imagine Dragons – Radioactive (#12) 472,045 Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (#23) 445,000 Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay - 212 (#12) 440,000 The Script – Breakeven (#21) 427,460 Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (#13) 425,000 MGMT – Kids (#16) 416,000 Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man (#24) 414,000 Disclosure featuring Sam Smith – Latch (#11) 410,000 Lonestar – Amazed (#21) 406,000 Foster the People – Pumped up kicks (#18) 405,000 Mumford and Sons – I will wait (#12) 404,840 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird EP (Freebird) (#21) 401,000 (300,000 + 101,000 downloads) Pink – Raise Your Glass (#13) 396,000 Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks (#12) 384,000 Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette – Hello (#13) 381,000 Skrillex - Bangarang (#24) 379,000 Stevie Wonder – Superstition (#11) 373,000 Mumford and Sons – The Cave (#32) 353,000 Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69 (#42) 353,000 MIA – Paper planes (#19) 337,000 Katy Perry – The One That Got Away (#18) 331,000 Miley Cyrus – The Climb (#11) 327,000 Steps – 5-6-7-8 (#14) 316,000 Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know? (#11) 305,965 Bruno Mars – Treasure (#12) 300,000 Shakira featuring FreshlyGround – Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (#21) 299,000 N-Dubz featuring Mr Hudson – Playing With Fire (#14) 295,000 Paolo Nutini – Pencil Full of Lead (#17) 294,000 Beyonce – Love on top (#13) 292,000 Pixie Lott - Cry Me Out (#12) 290,000 Swedish House Mafia – Greyhound (#13) 287,000 Florence and the Machine – Shake It Out (#12) 283,000 Blondie – Union City Blue (#13) 275,000 (or 295k if you include the 1995 remix of Union City Blue) Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding – Wonderman (#12) 274,000 Kanye West featuring Drake & Rihanna - All of the Lights (#15) 273,000 Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (#14) 260,000 Green Day – Good Riddance (Time of your life) (#11) 260,000 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow (#46) 255,000 Chiddy Bang – Opposite of adults (#12) 253,000 The 1975 – Chocolate (#19) 252,300 David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi – Memories (#15) 252,000 Andy Stewart - A Scottish Soldier (#19) 250,000 Evelyn "Champagne" King – Shame (#39) 250,000 Semisonic – Secret Smile (#13) 250,000 Rihanna – Te Amo (#14) 250,000 Wow, that's astonishing re Azealia Banks. I'm a massive fan of 212 and know it's really popular in the clubs, but never knew it had sold as much as 440,000...I thought it was more an "underground hit". Paper Planes is another surprise, that song was EVERYWHERE, I assumed charted higher! Very interesting. I I personally would go for sales, based on this list. So many good, popular songs that charted poorly due to poor scheduling or, in Adele's case, a lack of effort


Paramore View member profile	17th January 2015, 11:50 PM Post #10
BuzzJack Enthusiast Joined: 27 November 2011 Posts: 809 User: 15,464	How is 'love will tear us apart' so LOW. I would have thought that would have been a major download beneficiery. Its a classic. One of the best songs ever written...not even platinum yet!


Popchartfreak View member profile	18th January 2015, 11:59 AM Post #11
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 18 July 2012 Posts: 22,831 User: 17,376	Not sure of the accuracy of the awards at the time, but I seem to recall during 1977-79 quite a few records getting silver discs for 250000 sales without hitting the top 10, such as one of Dollar's (Shooting Star) during the peak sales over xmas 78 and new year 79 which surprised me - but then sales were VERY high in those weeks (just look at the number of subsequent million sellers in the charts then!)


MusiqqisuM View member profile	18th January 2015, 07:32 PM Post #12
BuzzJack Climber Joined: 30 December 2014 Posts: 82 User: 21,502	I guess airplay is also a strong consideration. Did "I'm Yours" top the airplay charts? I assume so to be able to rack up those sales!