Could I have the total sales for just the way you are please?

The fact that it's derived from 'popular' is entirely the point. Tony's saying that the majority of the music-buying public has shit taste, hence the high amount of stuff he doesn't like in the charts. I'm more of the opinion that said public has the capacity to have very good taste but they're always spoonfed their music so you have to take the rough with the smooth. The charts will never be truly representational because not every song gets the same promotion.

THIS is exactly the point. The charts HAVE NEVER been a true representation of what is popular. What exactly did you think TOTP did back in its day? Everytime a song or act appeared it shot up the charts the following week- and who decided what appeared on TOTP? Yes it had to be in the chart but beyond that it was a couple of directors at the BEEB.

 

It's true that X Factor can pluck an old song and throw it up the charts in a way that TOTP could never due to stock issues but they all prove one thing- give promotion get a soar in demand. We all, even back in the 80s and 90s bought what we were spoon fed, there were the same amount of bands back then as there are now but how many did we get to hear? Indeed since the advent of MTV etc all we got exposed to much more music than we ever did in the 50s/60s/70s or the majority of the 80s when by and large TOTP had the same kind of vice like grip on UK music taste.

Edited November 20, 201113 yr by gezza76

^ True, but if we're hearing more music than every before, why are the charts moving slower than ever now, and why is there less variety than in the 70's, 80's and 90's at the moment?

^ True, but if we're hearing more music than every before, why are the charts moving slower than ever now, and why is there less variety than in the 70's, 80's and 90's at the moment?

Two main factors:

 

Firstly- availablilty of tracks

 

and secondly and linked to availability- there is no need to rush to buy songs these days. In the olden days (christ I sound old now) you had about 10 weeks to buy a song if you liked it hence demand was saturated into those ten weeks- now you have forever- yes promo and appearing on TV playlists will assist in chart positions people know they can buy whenever so whereas "I Gotta Feeling" would have sold the million copies in maybe 20 weeks back in the 90s or 80s it now takes it a year or so, there is a drip drip effect, it stays around ever slowly clocking up sales and staying in the charts so the TV stations/ radio continue to play it under the assumption it is still popular.

 

As for variety well there is a question. In short that lies in who the record labels are signing up and also high sales tend to favour those tracks that are very mainstream- they need to appeal the broadest selection of people to be a big hit so niche acts who may have hit the charts in years gone by would no longer do so now, or their hits would be smaller so record labels would drop them even though sales may be comparable.

Surprised Jar of Hearts isnt higher as it seems to have been in the top 10 for ages. Great song though.

 

Agreed!

 

It should advance several more places this week, despite being overtaken by RiRi.

 

Could I have the total sales for just the way you are please?

 

1048.5k

The only way the charts would ever be 100% indicative of taste is if music was all the same price and never promoted or played in any public places ever and people were banned from even talking about it. The chart is obviously biased towards what is promoted more - that's just the way it is and it's always been like that.