When it comes to chart singles, the first ones that come to us are CDs, vinyls, cassettes and now digital download. Has there been any more obscure chart single formats? I always remember HMV around 1998/99 with a minidisc section and could not get over the prices e.g. something like £18.99 for Spiceworld by The Spice Girls. Were any singles released on minidisc?

 

This will be an interesting topic.

There a track by Keane (I think it was) that was released on a USB stick? I'm pretty sure it was 'Nothing In My Way', but not 100% sure on that

How did that work on a USB stick? Was it mp3, artwork, video?

How did that work on a USB stick? Was it mp3, artwork, video?

 

I would think it was a small memory USB stick, with the mp3 of the track, B-sides and artwork, but it was of course limited edition. Never saw it myself, but heard about it. There maybe one on e-bay if you look hard enough.

There a track by Keane (I think it was) that was released on a USB stick? I'm pretty sure it was 'Nothing In My Way', but not 100% sure on that

 

The Fratellis did the same thing with one of their tracks, I actually own one.

 

I also got two Madonna tracks on 3" CD with an add on to play it

Minidisc :D

I have one of the USB singles for Keane's A Bad Dream. There are 3 audio tracks - 2 versions of A Bad Dream and a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence, the video for A Bad Dream and a competition.

 

Had 2 Fratellis ones as well.

Current chart eligible formats:

 

CD

DVD

Dualdisc

DMD

Vinyl

Cassette

Digital Audio Track

Digital Single Bundle

 

DMD is Digital Memory Device and includes not only USB keys but also SD cards as well as other devices. The DMD must have a maximum memory capacity of 256MB. I've not heard of anything being released on dualdisc or on a SD card.

Edited August 1, 201113 yr by Robbie

I have one of the USB singles for Keane's A Bad Dream. There are 3 audio tracks - 2 versions of A Bad Dream and a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence, the video for A Bad Dream and a competition.

 

Had 2 Fratellis ones as well.

Mika released one swell iirc. :D

SD - isn't that the memory card in mobile phones?

 

I could imagine someone big releasing their single in that format.....

 

 

Garbage released five 3" CD singles from 1998-1999.

Subsequently a few other artists released them, Catatonia a year later sticks out in my mind.

 

In 1999, Suede released Electicity as a MiniDisc single, and if memory serves right, it was the first one to be allowed to count towards the Singles Chart.

I've got a USB stick version of Mika's 'Relax Take It Easy' and I've got a few 3" CD's, including 'She Wants To Be Me' by Busted :P

While not actually falling within the strict definition of this thread, I remember magazines in the 80's (possibly Smash Hits?) giving away floppy plastic 7" singles as cover discs. Anyone else remember those?

Another format would be 8 track Cartridges which were around in the early 70s.

I remember my Dad having Bridge Over Troubled Water album in this format.

Reel to reel tapes anyone ???

While not actually falling within the strict definition of this thread, I remember magazines in the 80's (possibly Smash Hits?) giving away floppy plastic 7" singles as cover discs. Anyone else remember those?

 

Those floppy plastic 7 inch CDs I remember they came in various colours, got a few of those myself.

 

Current chart eligible formats:

 

CD

DVD

Dualdisc

DMD

Vinyl

Cassette

Digital Audio Track

Digital Single Bundle

 

DMD is Digital Memory Device and includes not only USB keys but also SD cards as well as other devices. The DMD must have a maximum memory capacity of 256MB. I've not heard of anything being released on dualdisc or on a SD card.

 

The 20 reissues in Michael Jackson's 'Visionary' series were all released on dualdisc.

Yep, I remember flexidiscs...

 

3" CD singles were pretty common in the early days of CD singles (the late 80s) - I've several, including "Stone Cold Sober" by Del Amitri (no 90 hit in 1990!), "I Can't Wait" by Danny Wilson (no 92 hit in 1989!) and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (slightly bigger but still minor hit in 1989), but really I suppose the decision to standardise on 5" CD singles had more or less been taken by most record companies by about 1990 (indeed, the much better known follow up to "Stone Cold Sober", "Nothing Ever Happens" was on a 5" CD single) - so it's kind of amazing that Garbage were using them years later.

 

I wonder what the last record to chart with a 10" vinyl single was? They were were a kind of popular gimmick (not as good as a picture disc, for sure). I think the most recent one I have is "Only One Word" by Propaganda (1990, no 71 hit), but I think I had some from a couple of years later by the Fat Lady Sings that didn't chart at all.

 

And then there were etched disks, with a picture carved into one side of the vinyl, and all the tracks on the other side. I think I had one of those (12") for Del Amitri's "Move Away Jimmy Blue"...

By dualdisc do you mean 2 different formats on either side of the disc?

 

There was an Elvis single about 2 or 3 years back which was a CD on one side and a record on the other

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elvis-Presley-Ba...=item483fad32f2

Could a 3 to 5" inch CD work on a standard CD player?

 

Were micro cassetes (the types in old style answer machines and dictatphones) used to release a single?

Yep, I remember flexidiscs...

 

I wonder what the last record to chart with a 10" vinyl single was? They were were a kind of popular gimmick (not as good as a picture disc, for sure). I think the most recent one I have is "Only One Word" by Propaganda (1990, no 71 hit), but I think I had some from a couple of years later by the Fat Lady Sings that didn't chart at all.

 

It wasn't a single, but Radiohead's 'King of Limbs' album was released as a double 10' vinyl back in May, but that's the only example I can think of.

 

Also, it might be a bit late, but welcome to the forums vya. You've got some interesting tidbits to add to these discussions, so I hope you stick around for a bit.