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Posted by: Houdini Feb 7 2017, 08:42 PM

Which period of time was the most enjoyable for following the charts in your view? was it the physical, download, or the current streaming era? I nulled my vote because I only want to see your points of view and I don't want to influence the voting with my vote being first.

Posted by: Jade Feb 7 2017, 08:54 PM

I was interested in chart music from about 2005 through the Now! That's What I Call Music compilations, but started properly listening to the chart show in 2007 when the download era was getting off the ground. It was far more exciting to follow for years than the streaming era is now. This is because it was more fast paced without streaming around for stagnation. Times have changed but it was nice when downloads were far more popular than they are now and there would be more new entries each week. I was a bit too young to properly follow the era where the chart was made up solely of physicals, but I can imagine those were also exciting times to be a chart geek.

Posted by: Chez Wombat Feb 7 2017, 09:00 PM

The download era. In fact, the entire span of that (2006-2016) was pretty much my length of interest in the charts. I check them out of habit now, but they're far too slow and the music not to my tastes for me to care much. Wish I could've followed the Physical era more as I loved the variety and there was too few charts post this era that felt like true events.

Posted by: Cody Slayberry Feb 7 2017, 09:13 PM

when they actually move

Posted by: mdh Feb 7 2017, 10:08 PM

I got into the charts in late 2012 and I guess they were REALLY enjoyable from June-December 2013 more than any other period of time. I have to say, I still love following them - I feel like 2017 could go on to be my favourite ever year for chart music as the standard so far this year has been immense, plus we've seen lots of new music released regularly.

Posted by: BillyH Feb 7 2017, 10:17 PM

Early download era for me, 2005-2008. The latter two years especially once restrictions were removed but CD singles were still around.

Started getting involved with the charts in 1999, posting on forums around 2002-03, but I wasn't too keen on the CD era even at the time - too many held back releases and #1s at a dizzying pace.

Downloads calmed things down but still offered plenty of excitement, seeing a track enter on downloads alone and predicting how much it would climb when the physical hit the shops. From 2009 the CD began losing importance and the #1s started increasing a little too much again...and the less said about the last few years (completely the opposite problem!) the better.

Posted by: King Rollo Feb 7 2017, 10:21 PM

I first started following the singles chart in the mid 70s. Back then a no.1 single was really important and most of the country would know who was no.1. I continued to follow the chart through to the noughties. I still like to know who's no.1 but I'm more interested in the album chart now as the music I like is more likely to be represented there.

Apart from dedicated music fans,most of the country these days don't know who is no.1 on the singles chart and don't care either.

Posted by: The Wise Sultan Feb 7 2017, 10:26 PM

The best time for the charts probably would have been from about 1995 to 2004. 2005 had too much landfill urban, even the dullest urban songs like Akon's Lonely tended to go straight to becoming massive hits as well as downright awful ones like Will Smith's Switch and Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl making top 10 and having big chart runs). Whereas urban music was at its peak in the early 00s for quality along with pop.

Also 2005 would have been frustrating for me as dance fan seeing a lot of great dance tunes miss the top 10 in the face of the mostly mediocre urban landfill effect in the top 10.

I didn't follow the chart until 2009 when 4music started and they did their top 40.

Loved following the chart in 2011 to see how the dubstep songs were doing, it was a bit frustating as a lot of great ones missed top 40 (Bonfire, Holdin' On, Led Astray). In indie I was also frustrated that The Strokes' Under Cover Of Darkness didn't go top 40. In dance I remember it was a bit annoying to see LMFAO's best song, Champagne Showers (the only LMFAO song I liked) flop when the awful Sorry For Party Rocking afterwards did much better.

Posted by: danG Feb 7 2017, 10:54 PM

Download era was the best for following the charts, even if I find streaming to be far more convenient than downloading.

I still enjoy following the charts now but it doesn't help that streaming has further stagnated it (though let's not forget even in the download era certain songs spent a shit-ton of weeks in the chart). I knew this would happen though and I stand by having streaming represented in the chart regardless.

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 7 2017, 11:27 PM

I have loved the charts throughout even before when releases were held back for weeks. But if anyone knows me they know I love the current oa/os system - it may be slow but I think in the long run the best songs of the time will peak at the top!

I'm also sure there will be a way that the chart will move faster as record companies sort out the streaming thing and radio is finally beginning to get used to early releases and adapt accordingly as can be seen by Ed and other NEs!

Posted by: ___∆___ Feb 8 2017, 02:56 AM

Download era is when they felt most relevant- the streaming era so far is a mess with big selling hits scrapping in at #38 and tracks that have sold hardly anything becoming hits/being certified silver etc.,

Posted by: mr_pmt Feb 8 2017, 07:52 AM

In my years of following it, probably 2000-2006 and 2013 and 2014 were good.

I absolutely hated last year, and I hated 2008.

Posted by: Supercell Feb 8 2017, 11:09 AM

I have two favourite periods of the charts, 1998-2000 and from 2008-2013.

I used to love the big chart battles in the late 90s and the big inflated first week sales. Also only being a child at the time to me it wasn't always obvious who would be no.1 or know how the chart was trending during the week, apart from the Christmas no1. The christmas charts though were my favourite, between 1998 and 2000 we had a string of really competitive christmas chart battles with everyone who was big at the time chucking a song out and the whole top five would usually shift around 100k each and although 98 and 99 were quite predictable 2000 certainly wasn't.

The only downside was the manipulation of the chart was to an extent that it became difficult for anything to be no.1 for longer than a week or two and meant a lot of songs that were growers would never be able to climb much further than the top five. But generally sales were pretty good (apart from 2000) and the charts just exciting to follow due to their always being a big release every couple of weeks.

But I'd have to say the download era just about outdoes the 90s for me, the charts were more accurate and reflective of popularity and id argue they still are now but streaming has made them incredibly static. I loved how songs didn't get given a shelf life and could climb the charts at any point and that songs started climbing to no1 after a few weeks of steady rising up the charts, especially when OA/OS kicked in for a few months. But even more so i loved how huge single sales were especially having had the disappointing sales of the 2000s it was really refreshing to see them hit the highs of the 90s again, albeit over longer time periods.

Posted by: Mack Feb 8 2017, 01:12 PM

Download era- especially 2007-2014 before the streaming came through.

Posted by: 360Jupiter Feb 8 2017, 01:26 PM

Download era! Especially when they changed the rules to make any music chart eligible.

It really felt like the most interesting set of what would chart then with a good mix of genres reflecting different fans, without pop and whatever would cross into pop having such a domination.

Still, I'm not down on the charts nowadays - I just think instead of incorporating streaming into the sales chart, they should have dumped it altogether (Radio 1, this is, the 'youth' station) and instead made a new 'Top Listened-To' chart which would include streaming and purchases. Let #1 singles still be the top selling tracks and just not host that on R1. Streaming is essentially just airplay for the new era, and that's never been included in the official UK chart.

Posted by: Dark Horse Feb 8 2017, 04:51 PM

the physical era of course, we used to have an average of 14-15 new entries in the top 40 each week which made the charts a lot faster and more interesting, and it helped the casual music fans discover more new artists... the charts currently are so boring and stale that it's impossible to enjoy especially since everything is so predictable nowadays, you just have to look at the iTunes chart or the spotify chart and you'd immediately figure out which songs are in the charts...back in the physical era, the charts were so full of surprises that we wouldn't know who made it into the top 10 until the new chart is announced....

besides, downloads and streaming have made it impossible for older acts to make it into the charts, as opposed to the physical era where we used to have a mixture of older and newer acts....

Posted by: The Wise Sultan Feb 8 2017, 05:30 PM

2007 was a pretty poor year for the charts too, The Klaxons' two hits, How To Save A Life, What Hurts The Most, Apologise, Stop And Stare, With Every Heartbeat, Stupidisco (Dare Me), Rain Down Love, I Want Your Soul and Heartbroken are the only things I remember that I like from the top 20 that year.

We had the overrated song that is Umbrella at 10 weeks at number 1, emotionless electro with annoying vocals, the rise of Paolo Nutini who I never really liked and rather dull middle of the road pop from Mutya Buena and Fergie.

Posted by: Davidson Feb 8 2017, 06:07 PM

No, I loved 2007.

Having Umbrella, Bleeding Love & About You Now taking up the #1 spot for 21 weeks of the year

Then we had Kanye, Robyn, Beyonce & Shakira and two Timbaland tracks also hitting the top spot. Probably my favourite chart year ever (for #1's at least).

Posted by: The Wise Sultan Feb 8 2017, 06:08 PM

About You Now was great admittedly, forgot about that one.....

Posted by: Robbie Feb 8 2017, 06:44 PM

Physical era for me. And a blast from the past physical era, back to the 1970s and 1980s. Back when the top 40 had half a dozen new entries at the most each week.

Posted by: Catherine91 Feb 8 2017, 08:01 PM

I voted for the download era. I think I started following the charts in 2003, so I don't have a long memory of the physical era. But one memory that stands out is Jamelia's 'Superstar' climbing the chart! I remember finding it a novelty to see a single going up instead of down.

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 8 2017, 08:06 PM

Yeh I remember Superstar - another one from that era was Outkast Hey Ya!

Posted by: Houdini Feb 8 2017, 08:21 PM

For anyone that know or remembers, were singles released On Air On Sale in the 1980's? I ask because looking at the chart runs of songs in 80's on the OCC website I saw that a lot of them debuted low and climbed to their peak positions about 6-11 weeks later.

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 8 2017, 08:23 PM

Yeh holding back tracks only became the norm post 1994!

Posted by: Robbie Feb 8 2017, 09:06 PM

'Hey Ya' had one of the most bizarre chart runs from that era. It dropped down the charts for 4 weeks in a row, from 6 to 22 while selling more copies each week. I remember posting at Dotmusic that it was probably going to go back into the top 10 after the New Year and sure enough it did..! it reached its peak, at number 3, on its 13th week on the chart which was quite unbelievable for the time.

Posted by: dandy* Feb 8 2017, 10:29 PM

Physical era for me... but only because in the 90s you didn't have the same level of access to information like you do now so the charts were a genuine surprise. Oh and also there was simply more variety in the genres and acts making the charts that they never felt stale. The types of tracks that these days stall between 40-100 (if not further) would have easily made the charts for a week or two at least in the physical era.

I liked the download era also but, like many others, the streaming element has totally killed off any interest I had in the chart.

Posted by: danG Feb 8 2017, 10:43 PM

The physical era sounds like a great time to be following the charts, although I can't judge seeing as I grew up with downloads and started paying close attention to the charts in 2010.

Although it is ridiculous how many new entries there were each week which kinda devalues getting a top 40 hit single whereas now it's a big achievement to make the top 40.

Posted by: Lenny Feb 8 2017, 10:54 PM

I think the low points since I've been into the charts have been the Elvis Presley re-release series, and how much streaming has slown down the charts - but it will pick up I'm sure.

Posted by: John-James Feb 8 2017, 10:58 PM

I got into the charts in Jan 2009 thanks to Gaga. 2009-2012 were the best for me

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 8 2017, 11:21 PM

Yeh I remember that - it made me realise the potential of letting a track grow in popularity and how self defeating held back releases were at the time (this was 2003)!

I assume the fall but increased sales were due to xmas and then the new year peak saw an actual fall in its sales?

Posted by: Robbie Feb 9 2017, 10:01 AM

Yup, its sales remained steady due to Christmas though it also did increase in sales in the New Year. It's top selling week was when the single reached number 3, with it selling 18,500 copies that week.

Another single that sold more copies for several weeks despite dropping down the charts was 'Rockstar' by Nickelback which managed to increase its sales for 5 weeks in a row despite dropping from 20 to 25 in those 5 weeks, again that was in December (2007). Then the record came to life and climbed to number 2 and almost broke the record for the slowest climb to the top. It never made the top but then Ed Sheeran broke the record for the slowest climb to the top a few years later...

Posted by: Houdini Feb 9 2017, 06:35 PM

What I found the most fascinating about the download era was how quickly and frequently the chart would change. A song could be performed on a TV show such as The X Factor and it would rise very high up the chart instantly, you don't really see big effects for songs like that these days.

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 9 2017, 10:59 PM

Yeh Rockstar was another record which proved that oaos could work in the early days of downloads rise, another for me was two of Jessie Js hits - Do it like a Dude rose slowly and took of lost xmas 2009 then the oaos release of Domino showed how pointless held back releases were for songs that were huge now. Then there was a reaction in 2013/14!

Posted by: house.martin Feb 10 2017, 08:47 AM

I voted for the download era chart, but if there had been an option for a pre 1994 physical era chart, I think I'd have voted for that instead.

Posted by: ML Hammer95 Feb 10 2017, 09:09 AM

Didn't In da Club re-peak weeks after too? Bobbed up and down for ages!

Posted by: Steve201 Feb 10 2017, 11:12 AM

It was in the chart for 21 weeks which was a lifetime for that era and stayed top 10 for ages - falling from 3-9 in the first week before climbing and repeaking in subsequent weeks which was strange for the time. Im not sure why, just remember hearing it way before the release and loving it. Think maybe the album was released before the single? But from memory I think im wrong!