February 11, 201015 yr The charts are fine apart from two very specific problem ..... 1. TOP OF THE POPS (or a similar chart related TV music programme open to all acts; and not the ghastly Simon Cowell & friends cartel so that the likes of good pop music acts like the Sugababes are frozen out) should return. 2. BBC Radio 1 is a joke. When Radio 1 was set up in 1967 one of its mandates was to promote up and coming British new music. Quite simply this is not happening nowhere near enough anymore, especially during the daytime; and when you have the flagship Breakfast show playing half of much music as Radio 2's equivalent then you know things are in big trouble. Agree about TOTP. Such a program is in much need now, but I think it should be more like a video chart countdown. Not a live act show. Radio 1 has become The Sun newspaper of the Radio airwaves, popular, mildly entertaining, but really $hit content when you think about it. Time to scrap the snorelist playlist, bring in more DJ's like Scott Miles and Live lounge type features.
February 11, 201015 yr The only disappointing thing I see, is the chart awashed with American acts, its getting swamped with them, and artists that are having 3 or 4 tracks in the top 40 for example BEPs, I Gotta Feeling and MMH at the same time, where some music just loses out from getting that elusive top 40 hit. Indie music is having a hard time at the moment. This week there are 4 tracks by the The Glee Cast inside the top 40 :manson:
February 11, 201015 yr The only disappointing thing I see, is the chart awashed with American acts, its getting swamped with them, and artists that are having 3 or 4 tracks in the top 40 for example BEPs, I Gotta Feeling and MMH at the same time, where some music just loses out from getting that elusive top 40 hit. Indie music is having a hard time at the moment. This week there are 4 tracks by the The Glee Cast inside the top 40 :manson: Well as I've said before at least the Glee tracks are inventive creative covers of old songs sung by talented Broadway stars/actors rather than fame hungry X-Factor puppets. Still no doubt you will be ecstatic when Simon Cowell's new deal which will start in 2011 for licencing his Syco/X-Factor recordings to Sony begins where he (currently) plans to get the X-Factor contestants to record the tracks (nice and cheaply using Pro-tools) they will sing on the Saturday show each week, so you can then download and buy them; instead of currently buying the original. :manson:
February 11, 201015 yr I pretty much agree that the UK charts are better now than they were ten years ago. Whilst others tend to disagree, I thought the UK charts were too fast paced with singles relying on a certain number of physicals to determine its chart success. Back in 2000, a limited edition 7" with 1000 copies pressed would be lucky to make the top 40 and stay there for more than one week. Now, with the addition of downloads, all tracks are avilable to buy whenever people want to buy it. Downloads don't run out of stock like the physicals do. I'm just glad we don't have the abysmal chart rules of 2006 where a song would be removed from the chart if its physical was deleted. Snow Patrol 'Chasing Cars' suffered from this initially but yet when the rules changed again in January 2007 the track re-entered inside the top 10. Just imagine what type of chart run 'Chasing Cars' would've had if downloads were allowed to chart without a physical release. The rules implemented in January 2007 are the rules that should've been implemented in May 2006 - instead, the OCC managed to make complete arses of themselves!!! :lol: 2009 also proved that downloads doesn't equal long staying no. 1 singles - there were 32 last year compared to just 20 in 2008. Personally, I'd rather have a genuinely popular song get to no. 1 and spend a few weeks there to justify its popularity rather than 52 consecutive weeks with a new no. 1!!! -_-
February 11, 201015 yr I think the biggest problem with the UK charts is the fact that good bad or indifferent anything American makes it into the UK Top 40. I am sure half the acts are American at the moment and the Top 10 is virtually entitely American.I think is is unfair to have a go at specifically X-factor. If truth be told the UK recording industry has never opened its doors to UK Black acts, Leona, Alex B and JLS would never have got recording contracts without it.You do not know if they will have long term success in the industry and internatioanally.It is rather sad that the likes of Justin Bieber, Iyaz, Jason Derulo and Kesha all acts I do not rate are given more praise than anything homegrown.
February 11, 201015 yr Well as I've said before at least the Glee tracks are inventive creative covers of old songs sung by talented Broadway stars/actors rather than fame hungry X-Factor puppets. Still no doubt you will be ecstatic when Simon Cowell's new deal which will start in 2011 for licencing his Syco/X-Factor recordings to Sony begins where he (currently) plans to get the X-Factor contestants to record the tracks (nice and cheaply using Pro-tools) they will sing on the Saturday show each week, so you can then download and buy them; instead of currently buying the original. :manson: ...and people criticised S/A/W/ in the 80s!!! :lol: Is that really true? :| Jeez, the decade chart 2010-2019 will end up being full of Simon Cowell related acts. :o
February 11, 201015 yr If truth be told the UK recording industry has never opened its doors to UK Black acts, I don't think this is really the case any more surely? Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz, Chipmunk etc. have all had extremely successful careers of late.
February 11, 201015 yr I don't think this is really the case any more surely? Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz, Chipmunk etc. have all had extremely successful careers of late. Yes they have had a very successful year all four of them but would you know it based on how many BRIT nominations they have all received (NOT).Other than Taio I am sure they are all signed to independant labels as well.
February 11, 201015 yr Author Erm, whats race got to do with it? If we go back further in time, Hot Chocolate, Aswad, Beverly Knight, Goldie, Eternal et al were all successful black acts. Plus the likes of JLS, Alex and Leona are not the best black artists. Geez, people seem to like playing the PC card nowadays. I could say the same with gay acts e.g. Will Young opening doors, but there has been gay singers long before who have been succesful. Enough with this. As for Glee, I think people have been brainwashed into this. It's just a show for kids, and impressionable people and people will buy anything.
February 11, 201015 yr Please do not accuse me of playing the PC card I have no reason to.I am not changing my opinion and I am sure if you were to ask any Black act over the past 20 yrs from Aswaad to Soul 11 Soul and Estelle they would confirm that it is a relevant issue.Unless you know what you are talking about because you have been through it keep your ignorant mouth shut.No one has claimed that Leona, Alex and JLS are the best Black acts but they would not have got recording deals without the X-factor is the point I stated.
February 11, 201015 yr I think the biggest, practically only, problem with the charts is lack of promotion/interest. People are far more casual about the charts now than they were in the late 90s, for example. Removing TOTP didn't help that, but it was axed in the first place for falling viewing figures. (mostly because they messed with the format and put it in bad time slots) Now they won't bring it back because they feel there's not enough demand. (or something) But you only have to look at sales and the way even recent songs can climb the charts after being used on X Factor/Strictly/Dancing On Ice/Xmas TOTP etc. that songs can easily come and go without being heard by the UK public right now. Songs are only sticking around a lot longer because they're selling less week by week than they used to. I believe songs like "Wannabe" and "Baby One More Time" are million sellers here, both reached this spending under 30 weeks in the top 75 while those Kings Of Leon songs have been in the top 75 for 60, even 70 weeks and neither are quite at the million mark yet. If people were made more aware of songs like this, they'd spend half the time on the charts, but still sell the same amount. It's just making that happen. It's not like people are necessarily buying songs less, they're just taking a lot longer to discover who it's by. In short, we need a primetime show on a major TV channel dedicated to new music that will engage the public. I just think that's easier said than done. I think people like this laid back approach to buying music, they wouldn't necessarily want to watch a half hour show to discover music.
February 11, 201015 yr a) You can download a song that has been on a TV show/advert but it DOES NOT count to the charts unless..... it is a song released from the 1st day of the previous year. EG cut off for 2010 would be New Years Day 2009. B) All songs would have a fixed limit of 12 months. This would render the charts pointless. The charts are supposed to reflect what is popular that week, it shouldn't matter if that song hit the shops two years or two weeks ago. Once you start fiddling around, it stops being a sales chart and becomes an irrelevance. As an example if you were to take a clip board out into your local High Steet and ask 100 people how many of them would know who is Ellie Goulding or Marina & The Diamonds is; compared to knowing whom JedWard are and you will have your answer to highlight that it is the problem with UK music right now. Is this really any different to how things used to be? 10 years ago it was the same, just replace Jedward with Boyzone/Westlife/Steps. I actually much prefer the charts now. It allows songs to actually grow and become long-term classics. Songs chart because they are genuinely popular, not because the record label has had a promotion blitz in release week. Songs go up, go down, re-enter almost at random. Songs from 15 years ago suddenly reappear in the top 75 almost at random. Much more exciting and unpredictable than it was 10 years ago, when it was the same every week. New entry at #1, stays for one week, than drops like a stone until it's out the chart the following month. And repeat. THAT was boring.
February 11, 201015 yr i think charts are fine, it should be the highest selling songs of the week, which it is, not the highest selling soing of the week that fit the critreria, but TOTP should come back and SOF :w00t:
February 12, 201015 yr The French radio's have to play at least 50% French music so maybe the radios here should be made to play a certain amount of UK music it might give Uk singers a chance to do well here . I was talking about this to my sister today.
February 12, 201015 yr The French radio's have to play at least 50% French music so maybe the radios here should be made to play a certain amount of UK music it might give Uk singers a chance to do well here . I was talking about this to my sister today. It's not just radio. It's the whole media. The gossip in the papers, TV time. Generally these things are a function of popularity or interest not of music talent. That interest is many times from the viewing figures of X-Factor. So someone like Jedward wins out on being interviewed over Ellie Goulding, thus compounding the problem.
February 12, 201015 yr I don't agree with the OP. IMO we now have what the charts always should always have been - the best reflection of what is currently popular. If that means some songs hang around for ages, and old ones chart on the back of adverts, so be it.
February 12, 201015 yr Since the integration of downloading and the lift on the cut-off point of when a song can be released, it seems as if anything can get into the charts and stay there. "Sex on fire" seems to be an eternal fixture to the top 75. An eighteen month old song, that rises into the top 40 with the slight play on a televison show or advert and is still being played to death on radio. Ten years ago, this would have been unthinkable. It would have had ten weeks in the chart and never be seen again. Yes, it was a different time with physical singles, but then there was a lot of excitement with a new number one almost every week and plenty of new songs in the Top 40. Why is this happening? Surely people would have bought the single in August 2008? Surely people would have discovered other songs off their album? The answer is, the very relaxed download rules and radio stations not being adventurous in playing other songs. Another answer as well is the record company - it seems the format now is two to three big singles, one other single with no promotion which does nothing in the chart. The charts are very static in 2010. Songs can spend an eternity almost, and very little movement happens. Radio stations seem to have narrower and narrower playlists than ever before. If you've had a mega hit in the past two years(Sex On Fire, I'm Yours), part of the X-Factor hype machine (JLS, Alexandra, Leona, Cheryl) or some latest sensation being hyped to the hilt (Justin Beiber). Gone are the days where this unknown artist gets their hit played on radio and it quickly gets picked up and a surprise hit happens. It's lucky for an unknown artist to make the top 75! Another thing as well is British acts getting a raw deal. Again, unless you are part of the X-Factor clique, collaborate with a US artist or have a hype machine - you are screwed. I think the media needs to encourage UK acts a lot more by exploring the vast minefield of talent we have and given people a chance. It's a crying shame the top UK act in the charts is JLS. In the US and the Netherlands - local acts dominate the charts. Why isnt this happening here? Are we not proud of the talented British artists that are out there? What shall be done to stop this? Personally I would have the following: a) You can download a song that has been on a TV show/advert but it DOES NOT count to the charts unless..... it is a song released from the 1st day of the previous year. EG cut off for 2010 would be New Years Day 2009. B) All songs would have a fixed limit of 12 months. c) Media to promote British acts d) Record companies to promote their artists more and not use a big hit to sell a song e) Radio to be more adventurous f) TOTP to return.....but with a music professional or a musician hosting it. Not Fearne or Reggie What do you think? I actually agree with your first point - it is depressing seeing Generic american RnB, at the top of the charts whereas new acts with great songs mostly miss the top 20 The media do very much encourage british acts- the BBC sound of 2009 poll nearly is mainly British and Radio 1 constantly promotes new acts NO! to the third point- its is great to see classic songs back in the charts- hearing classics on adverts appeals them to a wider audience and is good for the artists themselves eg. Id never heard of Let Your Love Flow or More Than A Feeling before they were used on the Barclays adverts- now they are both on my ipod! :) I partly agree with your last point, Fearne and Reggie p*** me off so much! :blink:, but if no one watched it, if it got ratings like Big Brother it would be pretty pointless but of it got 3-4 million, it would be a good way to promote music
February 12, 201015 yr Can we just ban X Factor? Well, keep the auditions, but ban everything after. :P
February 12, 201015 yr Author Can we just ban X Factor? Well, keep the auditions, but ban everything after. :P You could try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivali_i_K%C3%ABng%C3%ABs_11 Just rid Simon and Cheryl ;)
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