Posted August 24, 201410 yr So as we all know, streaming is included in the singles chart now. Do we think this will have a good or bad effect on them in the long run? I feel it would most definitely benefit their big hits like WMYB, Story of My Life, etc. by giving them longevity even if their peak *may* be a little lower (well, not in the case of WMYB). I think Little Things could potentially have missed #1 due to how close it was between them and Bruno but he was a new entry too, so it would've been close still. Fairly sure Midnight Memories wouldn't have made it into the top 40, #39 is just way too close for comfort and no doubt some of the big hits were sat just outside with bigger streaming sales. I think in the long run, they may end up peaking a fair bit lower with post-album singles, but the pre-album singles will still be top 3 hits as long as they've got the huge loyal fanbase.
August 24, 201410 yr I think it will definitely have an affect on them. I can't see the average streamer being a One Direction fan or vice versa. I'm not saying it will lose them 10 or 15 places (cough Sats cough) but in a close week like Joseph said, it could make all the difference between a comfortable number 1 and an unlucky number 2.
