January 2, 201412 yr It seems to me we're never happy. I recall back in 1999-2004 people complaining about the high turnover and records never having a chance to cross over and get into people's heads because they were in and out of the charts so quickly. Now the opposite is true and we have people complaining of the opposite. For my money the way records charted in the 80s is still ideal. Climb to peak then drop quite briskly- in and out in 10 weeks!Yes, the way records charted in the late 70s and early to mid 80s was the best. A lowish entry, quick climbs, peak reached usually by week 5 or 6 then 3 or 4 weeks for the record to drop and leave the chart. With downloads it's the fact that they are available indefinitely that has caused the slowdown in the chart. Even tracks that have a large climb up the charts will then slowly drop down the chart. Back in the day, although record labels tended not to delete singles in the way they began to do in the late 80s onwards, once a record had peaked labels tended not to continue to press up new stock on a regular basis and this had the effect of restricting supply which allowed records to quickly fall off the charts. The logjam of old hits is holding back new hits and causes the chart to look stale. Last year (2013) saw a total of 483 singles hit the top 75 and in recent years the amount of new entries to the chart has fallen to the lowest for three and a half decades while the average chart run last year was the second highest on record at 11.78 weeks, down from the record high of 12.67 set in 2012. In 2004, the year before downloads were incorporated into the singles chart, the average weeks on chart for a top 75 record was 4.23 while in the early 1980s it was always just under 5 weeks (figures taken from polyhex.com).
January 3, 201412 yr It seems to me we're never happy. I recall back in 1999-2004 people complaining about the high turnover and records never having a chance to cross over and get into people's heads because they were in and out of the charts so quickly. Now the opposite is true and we have people complaining of the opposite. For my money the way records charted in the 80s is still ideal. Climb to peak then drop quite briskly- in and out in 10 weeks! It's not that WE are never happy. Some people aren't happy with slow charts, some others with high turnovers. I belong to the first group for instance. 1997-2005 are my best years when I fell in love with the British chart. 70s and 80s weren't good to me either as I don't like climbs, I enjoy first week peaks and subsequent falls. Like that it's easy to memorise peak positions. I still remember almost each hit's peak from the mentioned favourite UK chart period of mine. After the debut one could basically forget about the rest of the chart-run.
January 3, 201412 yr It's not that WE are never happy. Some people aren't happy with slow charts, some others with high turnovers. I belong to the first group for instance. 1997-2005 are my best years when I fell in love with the British chart. 70s and 80s weren't good to me either as I don't like climbs, I enjoy first week peaks and subsequent falls. Like that it's easy to memorise peak positions. I still remember almost each hit's peak from the mentioned favourite UK chart period of mine. After the debut one could basically forget about the rest of the chart-run. Personally I don't find it difficult to remember peaks of songs which climbed there (at least top 10 peaks, lower than top 10 I tend to not remember the exact number a lot of the time, just the general region where it peaked). However, I would like the charts to be faster. I have felt 2013's charts were faster than the years before it though.
January 3, 201412 yr From the twattersphere: Austin @mrviews 18h Good to see @FuseODG in the top 20 midweeks - great work from his team & label @2tone_ent @3beatmusic
January 3, 201412 yr the charts are becoming music company manipulations again, at the top end at least, which was what I disliked about the 90's and early 2000's charts - they didnt represent popular opinion much, as the deluge of releases was more to do with sales being condensed into one week plus multiple cd releases. When downloads took over the charts became democratic again and the buyers controlled them (just like they did for the most part in previous decades). Now being number one is getting less relevant again, witness Passenger selling a million and peaking at 4 - clearly should have been a number one (like Maroon 5 should have been but was leapfrogged by lesser "instant number ones"). Part of the reason for long-chart-runs is the fragmentation of the media, especially the lack of a national music chart show (RIP TOTP) that allowed people to hear new stuff at the same time. Now a record can spend a year, word of mouth, some radio play, movies, computer games before it becomes well known. Hello Imagine Dragons, radioactive! I first heard of it through word of mouth from a computer games fan in 2012, it was ages before radio played it and TV never got behind it, so it sold gradually for well over a year. Had it been on Top Of The Pops, say, in January 2013 it would likely have been a big chart position hit and sold quicker in a shorter time period.
January 3, 201412 yr the charts are becoming music company manipulations again, at the top end at least, which was what I disliked about the 90's and early 2000's charts - they didnt represent popular opinion much, as the deluge of releases was more to do with sales being condensed into one week plus multiple cd releases. When downloads took over the charts became democratic again and the buyers controlled them (just like they did for the most part in previous decades). Now being number one is getting less relevant again, witness Passenger selling a million and peaking at 4 - clearly should have been a number one (like Maroon 5 should have been but was leapfrogged by lesser "instant number ones"). Part of the reason for long-chart-runs is the fragmentation of the media, especially the lack of a national music chart show (RIP TOTP) that allowed people to hear new stuff at the same time. Now a record can spend a year, word of mouth, some radio play, movies, computer games before it becomes well known. Hello Imagine Dragons, radioactive! I first heard of it through word of mouth from a computer games fan in 2012, it was ages before radio played it and TV never got behind it, so it sold gradually for well over a year. Had it been on Top Of The Pops, say, in January 2013 it would likely have been a big chart position hit and sold quicker in a shorter time period. Interesting point, you do contradict yourself though, although I agree record companies may control the number one, I do think the way some songs can climb now is democratic, and a lack of TOTP does make a difference, but in todays multi channel multi media era I am not sure TOTP would have the same effect as in the 80's and 90's 4 channel tv age, when there wasn't much else to watch...
January 3, 201412 yr For my money the way records charted in the 80s is still ideal. Climb to peak then drop quite briskly- in and out in 10 weeks! Completely agree with this. I used to love those kind of chart runs. It's such a shame that the download era makes for slow chart runs and stale charts. Edited January 3, 201412 yr by Mango
January 3, 201412 yr How would you know the future chart-toppers? I remember media going on about chart battles virtually each week in that period. If a number ones had been such a given, only established acts would have been getting them. 2000 saw a lot of newcomers making it all the way, not only Spiller but also Oxide & Neutrino, Sonique, Black Legend, Fragma, Madison Avenue or Modjo. Even though some of them might have been predictable due to their prior success abroad, I would have never consider Bound 4 Da Reload or You See The Trouble With Me as number one contenders. A year later Kylie Minogue's career hit competed with Victoria Beckham's flop single for the top spot, the battle was all over the media with many outlets placing bets on the Posh Spice. We all remember the outcome, I suppose. Now the excitement around weekly number ones faded completely as long runners can take almost months to get there and by the time they do, one cannot stand the song because it's so overplayed. Moreover, with a number one tag on its belt (nowadays a bit more luxurious feat than before), it will carry on sticking around on downloads for ages while other, often new or established indie acts keep struggling to enter the Top 200. It's sad and frustrating that slow charts prioritise mainstream. Thank God that some dance tracks do still have slightly 2000-esque chart runs with front loaded sales pushing them high upon release to quickly make room for other club bangers. I'll give you Bound 4 Da Reload but every other no.1 that year, I predicted in advance. Airplay usually being the indicator. Charts were irritating that way in 2000. I remember an interview with Billie Piper the week she went up against Westlife and she was asked how important it was to get no.1 and she said it didn't matter this time because she was up against Westlife and had no chance. Being no1 that year meant practically nothing because it was easy to get there.
January 3, 201412 yr the charts are becoming music company manipulations again, at the top end at least, which was what I disliked about the 90's and early 2000's charts - they didnt represent popular opinion much, as the deluge of releases was more to do with sales being condensed into one week plus multiple cd releases. When downloads took over the charts became democratic again and the buyers controlled them (just like they did for the most part in previous decades). Now being number one is getting less relevant again, witness Passenger selling a million and peaking at 4 - clearly should have been a number one (like Maroon 5 should have been but was leapfrogged by lesser "instant number ones"). Part of the reason for long-chart-runs is the fragmentation of the media, especially the lack of a national music chart show (RIP TOTP) that allowed people to hear new stuff at the same time. Now a record can spend a year, word of mouth, some radio play, movies, computer games before it becomes well known. Hello Imagine Dragons, radioactive! I first heard of it through word of mouth from a computer games fan in 2012, it was ages before radio played it and TV never got behind it, so it sold gradually for well over a year. Had it been on Top Of The Pops, say, in January 2013 it would likely have been a big chart position hit and sold quicker in a shorter time period. Agree with everything you said here (apart from the Passenger bit - think he peaked at no2?) exactly right about the lesser deserved instant no1s which is still happening now with Martin garrix & Storm Queen (esp the latter)!
January 3, 201412 yr the charts are becoming music company manipulations again, at the top end at least, which was what I disliked about the 90's and early 2000's charts - they didnt represent popular opinion much, as the deluge of releases was more to do with sales being condensed into one week plus multiple cd releases. When downloads took over the charts became democratic again and the buyers controlled them (just like they did for the most part in previous decades). Now being number one is getting less relevant again, witness Passenger selling a million and peaking at 4 - clearly should have been a number one (like Maroon 5 should have been but was leapfrogged by lesser "instant number ones"). How is this happening? I can't recall a single "music company manipulated #1" from the last year off the top of my head.
January 3, 201412 yr Looks promising for an update new music articles have been implemented on MW site.
January 3, 201412 yr Midweek Charts: Goulding looking for second album chart-topper Source: MW by Paul Williams Ellie Goulding's Halcyon could be heading to No 1 in the UK for the first time this weekend as it capitalises on a quiet release schedule. The album originally peaked at No 2 following its release in October 2012, but climbs 6-1 in the latest midweeks with a lead of around 5,000 sales over the rest of the market, according to the Official Charts Company. If it makes it, Halycon will be her second No 1 album out of two releases following her debut Lights getting there in 2010. Halcyon, which was reissued in an expanded version in August with additional tracks including the chart-topping Burn, faces its closest competition from fellow Polydor album Since I Saw You Last by Gary Barlow. Helped by the screening of a live concert on BBC One as part of its New Year's Eve/New Year's Day programming, the album holds at 2 in the latest Sales Flashes as Beyonce's self-titled Colmbia set climbs 4-3. Robbie Williams' Island set Swings Both Ways is one of several big Christmas sellers to decline sharply in the first chart week of 2014 as it falls 1-4 on midweek sales. Similalry, Syco act One Direction slip 3-10 with Midnight Memories, which finished as the top-selling artist album of last year, Epic act Olly Murs' Right Place Right Time is down 5-13, Interscope/Polydor's Eminem falls 7-15 with The Marshall Mathers LP 2 and Reprise/Warner Bros act Michael Buble drops 9-24 with To Be Loved and most spectacularly 8-152 with Christmas. A number of acts who appeared on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny on BBC Two are on the rise, led by John Newman whose Island debut Tribute is up 16-6, while the same show's Rudimental are up 34-8 with the Asylum/Atlantic-issued Home as its sales improve 70%. Also benefitting from being on the show are Haim whose Polydor album Days Are Gone rises 40-14 in the week so far with sales up 37% and The Lumineers with their self-titled Decca set up 68-32 with sales increasing 27%. Virgin's Bastille are set to move back into the Top 10 with Bad Blood rising 11-5, despite its sales dropping 22% week-on-week. Also set to make Top 10 returns with sales declines are Arctic Monkeys with the Domino-issued AM up 12-7 and Positiva/PRMD's Avici with True rising 19-9. Columbia's Tom Odell is just outside the Top 10, moving 20-11. Pitbull is poised to achieve his second UK No 1 single with the RCA-handled Timber featuring Kesha having already sold more than 110,000 copies this week. His only chart-topper to date was 2011's Give Me Everything featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer. Columbia act Pharrell Williams, who achieved 2013's last No 1, is now down to 2 in the week so far with Happy, while Positiva/PRMD's Avicii holds at 3 with Hey Brother and Warner Bros's Jason Derulo is static at 4 with Trumpets. As she heads for a possible No 1 album, Polydor's Ellie Goulding is also on the rise in the singles market with How Long Will I Love You back up 7-5. Interscope/Polydor act Eminem's former No 1 The Monster with Rihanna drops 5-6 as X Factor winner Sam Bailey's own Syco-issued chart-topper Skyscraper drops 2-7. Fellow Syco act One Direction's Story Of My Life is back up 9-8, while Martin Garrix's Positiva/Virgin single Animals could be returning to the Top 10 as it climbs 13-9 in the week so far. Interscope/Polydor's OneRepublic complete the Top 10, unchanged in 10th position. There are two brand new entries within the Top 40 outside the Top 10, both 3 Beat/AATW releases. Fuse ODG registers at No 16 with Million Pound Girl (Badder Than Bad) and Control by Matrix & Futurebound featuring Max Marshall is new at 19 in the latest midweeks. Friday Update Top 40 Only Singles 1 Pitbull/ Ke$ha (110k) 2 Pharrell 3 Avicii 4 Jason Derulo 5 Ellie Goulding 6-10 8 One Direction 9 Martin Garrix 11-20 14 Avicii 16 Fuse ODG 19 Matrix & Futurebound 21-30 22 John Newman 23 Rizzle Kicks 24 Storm Queen 25 Robin Thicke/ T.I./ Pharrell 29 Bastille 30 Ed Sheeran 31-40 35 Wilkinson 37 Chase & Status/ Jacob Banks 38 Daft Punk/ Pharrell Williams ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Albums 1 Ellie Goulding (5k lead) 2 Gary Barlow 3 Beyonce 4 Robbie Williams 5 Bastille 6-10 6 John Newman 7 Arctic Monkeys 8 Rudimetnal 9 Avicii 10 One Direction 11-20 11 Tom Odell 12 London Grammar 14 Haim 16 Calvin Harris 18 Lorde 19 The 1975 20 Emeli Sande 21-30 21 Imagine Dragons 22 Lady Gaga 23 Kings Of Leon 25 Jake Bugg 27 Mumford & Sons 29 Daft Punk 31-40 31 Disclosure 32 The Lumineers 35 Miley Cyrus 37 Jake Bugg [Jake Bugg] 39 Tinie Tempah 40 Kodaline NO SALES INFO
January 3, 201412 yr 'Timber' already on 110k :o Well that's higher than I predicted for the whole week! Yay for Fuse and M&F going top 20 too, should be even higher by the end of the week.
January 3, 201412 yr Those albums really threw me :drama: Sam Bailey #7 Little Mix's album #30, their singles, Move #20, Little Me #21
January 3, 201412 yr Yes, the way records charted in the late 70s and early to mid 80s was the best. A lowish entry, quick climbs, peak reached usually by week 5 or 6 then 3 or 4 weeks for the record to drop and leave the chart. With downloads it's the fact that they are available indefinitely that has caused the slowdown in the chart. Even tracks that have a large climb up the charts will then slowly drop down the chart. Back in the day, although record labels tended not to delete singles in the way they began to do in the late 80s onwards, once a record had peaked labels tended not to continue to press up new stock on a regular basis and this had the effect of restricting supply which allowed records to quickly fall off the charts. The logjam of old hits is holding back new hits and causes the chart to look stale. Last year (2013) saw a total of 483 singles hit the top 75 and in recent years the amount of new entries to the chart has fallen to the lowest for three and a half decades while the average chart run last year was the second highest on record at 11.78 weeks, down from the record high of 12.67 set in 2012. In 2004, the year before downloads were incorporated into the singles chart, the average weeks on chart for a top 75 record was 4.23 while in the early 1980s it was always just under 5 weeks (figures taken from polyhex.com). But for record buyers outside the main cities, surely that is far more convenient. Back in the seventies, if it took me a while to decide I wanted to buy a single, I would struggle to find a copy in East Grinstead or Crawley if it had dropped out of the top 30. Now people can still buy almost any vaguely current song wherever they live and the charts reflect that. Of course some songs outstay their welcome - although different people would select different songs for that label - but downloads have allowed some songs, Ho Hey for instance, to be far bigger hits than they night have been in the vinyl / CD eras. Even a song like Bastille's Pompeii might have had issues with supply if it was purely dependent on physical sales as I suspect it was more popular than the record company had anticipated. Perhaps the fact that the Chart Show is often the only time in a week when I will hear certain long-running songs makes me more tolerant than I might otherwise be.
January 3, 201412 yr Ellie #1 in the albums :o Hope she can stay there by Sunday! It's going to be close. Gary is still the best selling album on amazon and holding on iTunes combined
January 3, 201412 yr Midweek Charts: Goulding looking for second album chart-topper Source: MW by Paul Williams Ellie Goulding's Halcyon could be heading to No 1 in the UK for the first time this weekend as it capitalises on a quiet release schedule. The album originally peaked at No 2 following its release in October 2012, but climbs 6-1 in the latest midweeks with a lead of around 5,000 sales over the rest of the market, according to the Official Charts Company. If it makes it, Halycon will be her second No 1 album out of two releases following her debut Lights getting there in 2010. I was very disappointed when Halcyon failed to go #1 on initial release - I never imagined it could do so 15 months later! :wub: :cheer: :yahoo: :dance:
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