Nowhere to be seen before release?? Both Am I Wrong and Rude were Top 30 on pre-order at the time of their release.

Radio 1's mandated role is to promote new music, especially new music that appeals to it's 18 to 30 demographic. They are failing to do that in a big way by it's continued hyping of tracks for weeks in advance, by the time they are released no-one cares enough to buy them (except for the mega hits) and this instant number 1 then drop, and unchanging lists of records just shuffling positions is hardly pushing and promoting new records. Jameela (who Ive criticised in the past) is doing the best she can with a tedious rundown, but the frustration (albeit good-natured) in her comments is blatantly obvious that everyone knows it's boring.

I've said for a while that Radio 1 need to do something about the chart show (this was even before streaming was added). The chart is way too slow, and full of songs that people outside Radio 1's demographic like. They should stop playing songs like Happy now, there's literally no point, and I say this as someone who likes the song, but it's really not necessary anymore. They could play a different song instead, one that might not make the top 40 but is actually popular with the audience they're trying to target...

When Radio 1 did their count-down of the best-selling digital songs recently, nearly every single one of them was adult contemporary. Nearly every one. There were a few that weren't (e.g. Pass Out, Earthquake, What's My Name?), but for the most part, it became clear to me that you're NOT going to get a massive chart hit if you don't appeal to the over 30's, so should Radio 1 really be placing such a focus on the chart in the first place? I think there are other methods they could use to find songs to play, although I am aware that they've got major record labels sending them songs every week, so no matter what happens those'll probably make up the majority of their playlists.

I kinda agree with you there popchartfreak. If only the OCC would let the BBC access the whole top 100 (or at least 75), it would make the chart a more interesting listen. New entries, re-entries from years ago, and climbers would be played. So from this week's top 100 you'd have:

#90 Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling
#80 Netsky ft Beth Ditto - Running Low
#72 5 Seconds of Summer - Amnesia
#71 Slipknot - The Negative One
#69 Sam Smith - I'm Not the Only One
#68 Drake - 0 To 100 / The Catch Up
#50 Clean Bandit ft Stylo G - Come Over

Then you'd play the top 40 as normal, excluding songs that have been in the charts for the longest in the 21 - 40 section (so Let It Go, Happy, Rather Be, Hideaway, Fancy, and either two of Only Love Can Hurt Like This/I Could Never Let You Down/Wiggle/Dangerous Love)