Just wondering if anyone can help me settle a debate - when did the final double A-sides/EPs reach the singles chart? The most recent double-A side I can think of is Paul Weller's No Tears to Cry/Wake Up the Nation back in 2010 when he could still score minor hits with relative ease. Are double-A sides even eligible anymore or are they always listed as separate tracks? I know EPs now go into the budget albums chart or something. Hope someone can help!

With the lack of physical releases the concept of a double a-side doesn't really exist any more.

I think McFly - Baby's Coming Back/Transylvania was the last one to get to #1.

Edited September 15, 20186 yr by WhoOdyssey

wasn't Bon Iver - Blood bank EP one of the last EPs to chart?

Not sure, but appears to be listed as the title track rather than an EP. All very confusing. The Pet Shop Boys released their Xmas EP in 2009 but only the lead track It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas is listed.

The most recent I can get for EPs being listed as EPs is Jamie T's Chaka Demus EP of Sept 2009. Any advance on that?

There was an Imagine Dragons EP that charted under its first track 'Hear Me', the same week that 'Radioactive' (also from that EP) first charted in its own right. Was in 2012 or 13. Think that was the last one to go top 40.

I'm actually starting to notice a few double-a-sides, e.g. Billy Lockett's Fading Into Grey/My Only Soul which is getting played on Radio 2.

 

I expect the rules are the same as they were in the late 2000s - as well as any physical sales, any download sales of the digital bundle go towards the chart position of the double-a-side, plus single tracks of the label's nominated track (not both). If the second track sells enough individual copies it will also chart by itself.

 

The only occasion I am aware of this happening is when Leona Lewis was in the charts with both Better In Time/Footprints In The Sand AND Footprints In The Sand at the same time.

 

I imagine streams of one of the tracks might count towards the double-a-side too now if anyone chart-worthy actually released one? Though it'd be a bit of a con because of course now even if they released a physical single with it, its chart position would be due to mostly streams of only one of the tracks.

Edited September 15, 20186 yr by AcerBen

EPs tend to count separately now because the individual tracks within them can be measured in downloads and streams - even earlier this year, for example, Drake had both tracks on the Scary Hours EP make the top 40 (God's Plan and Diplomatic Immunity)

Any downloads of that "EP" just went towards the sales of God's Plan anyway. That's how it works now.

I originally thought of Beth Ditto's "EP" from 2011, but that peaked at 76 so it doesn't count

Rumer's EP "Rumer Sings Bacharach At Christmas" from 2010, nearly made it to the Top 75, but not a Top 40 EP.

What about Ben Howard - Burgh island EP??

The last double A side would be pre 2006/7 when downloads were fully added to the chart and the songs charted individually (eg Leona with Better In Time and Footprints In The Sand).

There are songs listed as double A-sides that have charted since though as we have discussed in this thread. I know EPs and to a lesser extent double-AA sides are still released quite a lot, I'm just trying to find out what the last release that was actually listed as an EP or double-A side in the chart was.

Edited September 15, 20186 yr by 34yopoppicker

The Ben Howard one is tough, the OCC site says 'Burgh Island' reached #32 in early-to-mid Oct '12 but was that the title track of the EP or the full EP? Wikipedia says the full EP didn't come out until the 31st October, could be wrong though.

It was definitely the EP, the song 'Burgh Island' wasn't even the most cherrypicked track from it. I would guess the OCC combined whatever little sales that song got with the full EP but the vast majority of the sales that got it to the top 40 were the full EP.