I've sent an e-mail to the OCC to complain. I just got a standard reply back which didn't address any of the points I made.

 

Thank you for showing such an active interest in the Official Charts. The Official Charts Company invests considerable finance, time and enthusiastic dedication in the compilation, verification and presentation of the UK’s Official Charts. The exclusive intellectual property rights that arise in these databases recognise and protect those endeavours.

 

Our business model depends on the protection of those intellectual property rights. If we did not protect them, we would not be able to enter into commercial agreements with partners like the BBC, MTV, Music Week, national newspapers as well as a range of other partners, who all recognise and trust the Official Charts as the source of official sales data, and fund the ongoing work we love to do. Without this essential funding there would, quite simply, be no Official Charts.

 

It is vital to the Official Charts and the music industry as a whole that intellectual property rights are respected. Official Charts will always protect its rights using the means at its disposal, both for its own benefit and for the benefit of the partners and fans who invest in us.

 

I hope this addresses your concerns.

 

We are , of course, continually striving to enhance the offering of OfficialCharts.com including news, features, interviews, charts and our searchable chart archive and will take on board your views regarding the services we currently provide.

^^ I can see many members getting the exact reply.

 

And no mention of Chartstats, its probably they see no investment in Chartstats they really got no idea, they are hardly a threat, all the time and effort that's gone into Chartstats, surely there is room for the site on the net.

OK, here's an idea.

Chart Stats is allowed to continue as long as it doesn't publish the *current* chart. That way it won't conflict with the OCC's business model of selling this week's chart to various media outlets. That's where the money is. Once the next week's chart is revealed, it becomes essentially worthless. It would be like trying to sell yesterday's newspaper. Who's interested in last week's, or last year's chart? Only us chart geeks :)

This way Chart Stats could be regarded as an 'archive' site for chart enthuthiasts, rather than 'stealing' the OCCs intellectual property rights.

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by Col1967

Hasn't anyone thought of creating a new website? And then saving the details and creating it again if it gets taken down?

 

-x-

 

I will also be pissed off if this website goes:

 

http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/

 

How else would I know that The Beatles' Free As A Bird sold 120,000 copies in its first week and The Artful Dodger's Re-Rewind sold 107,000 copies in its first week? :(

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by G-R-I-E-F-N-A

All people can do is start a twitter campaign or somthing!?

Very sad day as I used Chartstats a lot to look up the old charts, especially the ones to be featured on POTP.

I will also be pissed off if this website goes:

 

http://scans.chartarchive.org/UK/

 

How else would I know that The Beatles' Free As A Bird sold 120,000 copies in its first week and The Artful Dodger's Re-Rewind sold 107,000 copies in its first week? :(

That one might be alright considering it's just photocopied images, although you never know with OCC.

I can't believe this! I actually cried a little because Chartstats have been my everything for my album chart analysis I write for a website myself. I can't find that data anywhere any more. It was so easy to click the album title and there were all its chart positions. Now it's gone.

 

I'm so devastated!

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by SKOB

I'm absolutely gutted too - I was going through this site and adding everything I could to Spotify - so far everything that was listed on Chartstats from the 50s, 60s 70s and 80s and could be found on Spotify has been added to two giant playlists. I was just starting on the 1990s - then this.

 

Thankfully we do still have this: scans.chartarchive.org/UK/ , but as it's part of the original site I don't think it will be up for long. All the charts from 1970 onwards that were on Chartstats are uploaded here as PDF files - this means you can download the whole lot to your computer - it takes about half an hour save a whole year. Please can as many of us do this so that the info isn't lost and can be shared - there is also the UK Top 100 on there from January 1983 to April 1991 - If the OCC do extend the Charts on their site they are only likely to go as far as the Top 75.

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by RED KITE

Absolutely gutted that all the charts have already been removed from the site :cry: I used to use it so much and it was probably the best site ever for chart runs etc, - I really don't see the issue its not as if the OCC have a similar site or service that offers complete chart runs!

OK, here's an idea.

Chart Stats is allowed to continue as long as it doesn't publish the *current* chart. That way it won't conflict with the OCC's business model of selling this week's chart to various media outlets. That's where the money is. Once the next week's chart is revealed, it becomes essentially worthless. It would be like trying to sell yesterday's newspaper. Who's interested in last week's, or last year's chart? Only us chart geeks :)

This way Chart Stats could be regarded as an 'archive' site for chart enthuthiasts, rather than 'stealing' the OCCs intellectual property rights.

 

I believe there is a charge for archive data if you want the OCC full chart! - They won't give beyond the Top 40 for free.

Edited November 16, 201212 yr by RED KITE

That one might be alright considering it's just photocopied images, although you never know with OCC.

 

There's an addition problem - from 2001 onwards they are scans of the OCC charts. It won't last save it to your computer whilst you still can!

I believe there is a charge for archive data if you want the OCC full chart! - They won't give beyond the Top 40 for free.

Fair enough but I would have thought that their income from this would be tiny compared to what they get from selling the current chart. In which case allowing Chart Stats to continue as I suggested would be a sensible compromise.

Fair enough but I would have thought that their income from this would be tiny compared to what they get from selling the current chart. In which case allowing Chart Stats to continue as I suggested would be a sensible compromise.

 

If OCC posted the Top 200 archive on their site and invited sponsors they would get far more money than charging people for individual weekly charts. If you want the whole lot as I do it's way beyond the reach of what most people can afford.

 

They could have offered to license Chart Stats (Chart Stats could have got advertisers on board to pay for it) - but no.

 

 

IMO the official chart has over the years has lost some of its credibility, as we saw in the documentary last night, it has always been prone to manipulation, also how the Fox/Goodier war which it looks like Goodier lost, and let Fox and co mussle in and beat the official chart for ratings, and it has been this way ever since the mid 90's, with only a short period of Radio 1 being ahead.

 

I follow both charts at once as of late, I prefer to listen to BT40 because of the no nonsense approach, and I admit of once when I did a Chart Show Thread on haven I was listening to both at the same time.

 

The record companies are not silly, they recently released their songs at the stroke of 12:00am Sunday morning, just to allow downloading to happen and getting their acts on the countries most listened to chart show (BT40) so they can celebrate getting a #1 within hours of release, good Promotion to whip up a frenzy for the new song out.

 

It also seems the OCC chart is often bringing up the rear against the BT40 chart, this week Matt Wilkinson(Filling in for Rich & Kat) announced Bruno Mars at #1, it took tree days for the OCC to catch up, with Greg James announcing it by 4:30pm on Wednesday.

 

A lot recently The Radio 1 chart show plays the future number 1 after the official number 1, just so they can have a vain attempt to play catch up.

 

I know a lot on here Hate the BT40, but it is still trouncing the Radio 1 Chart, I know the BT40 is often manipulated.

 

It was a great documentary last night, good historical round-up. Great to see james masterson and all his tapes from the 80s. I disagree about the Official chart though because although its open for manipulation in the 70s nowadays they dont play the no1 on itunes a 7 on a sunday night because its not the no1 - this week has shown how that is ridiculuos when on sunday 1D could well be the official no1.and by sunday evening 1D might be off the top of itunes again!!

Documentary? What did I miss?!

Documentary? What did I miss?!

 

I think it was on BBC Four? You should watch it on the iPlayer, it's great! :D

Documentary? What did I miss?!

 

 

The history of the top 40 singles chart on BBC4

Documentary? What did I miss?!

It was a documentary on BBC 4 about the history of the official charts.

 

Edit: beaten by 2 people :lol:

Edited November 17, 201212 yr by Pablo Escobar