I suddenly realised its my 40th Anniversary of following the charts, it was the first week when the Police - Message In A Bottle hit #1 way back 29 September 1979 :lol: I'm old :(

I remember in the mid 90s following the chart every week on Teletext (it was page 565 - I still remember) and then my mind was blown when I discovered Mark Goodier's Top 40 show on Radio 1, which must have been early 1998. No matter how crap it felt to have to go back to school the next day, listening to that show on a Sunday evening was a weekend highlight.

 

So yeah, over 20 years for me.

Since 2013 for me, so only 5 years!

Since March 2010

On and off since Summer 1994.

The first live chart show I actually listened to was on Sunday 20th December 2009... on THAT legendary race for Christmas number one!

I didn't really follow the official chart on radio 1 until early 2007 (as I used to follow the Pepsi chart with Foxy :kink: for about 8 years, doesn't count as it wasn't the official one lol) . So nearly 12 years!

 

and 20 years since I Began following charts in general! (17 ish if you remove 2 years I stopped for a while but that was the not official one again)

Edited December 1, 20186 yr by Rob S~

Since 1960, when I wrote to one of the newspapers (can't remember which one) because I'd missed that week's chart. They sent me a neatly cut out chart.

I've just turned 69, and keep all the charts from 1952 to the present day on Excel spreadsheets (for my own use only!). I have separate tabs for new releases and playlists.

 

My interest never faltered - ever! Like most people on here I was sitting at the stereo every Sunday for the chart rundown. However, only this last month I've begun to wonder if I should cut down from top 100 to top 50. Since about 2015 my interest in the music itself has suddenly dropped down considerably as I can't relate to the present grime scene. It wasn't meant for me - I'm more into indie rock. Also many of today's artists have unpronouncable names or immediately forgettable monikers. Can't see where it's heading.

 

Each generation is criticized by the previous generation for its taste in music, so, kids, carry on and enjoy your music whatever style it is. Will you still be playing it when you get to my age?

 

First memory of actually knowing there was such thing as a "chart" was just after Christmas 1993, seeing a bit of Top of the Pops and noticing that Mr Blobby had gone from number 1 to number 3. But I only knew the odd song or two until we got The Box in early 1999.

 

Online I started following the likes of Dotmusic and the long-gone Top of the Pops forum in late 2002/early 2003, leading on to CoolClarity and eventually here!

Since 1993

Only since the start of the year! I enjoyed seeing Craig David ft. Bastille - I Know You and Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still climb!

I stumbled across the charts in 2014 when looking for some decent TV and came across 4Music. I kept track of what was at #1 from then until about mid-2015 when I began actively following the charts, and got into all the technicalities when I joined Buzzjack in mid-2016. I'd say my interest in late 2016 was greater than it is now but I still try and make time to listen to the charts if I can.

On and off since 1998. Started by recording the tracks I liked onto cassette!

I've got a tape of the Top 40 from May 1994 (the week Manchester Utd climbed to #1) when I was some youth club thing and couldn't listen, so probably around or near then - more or less listened most Sundays growing up until around 2004.

 

We had the chart on at work yesterday afternoon and my god everything just seemed to merge into the same song. Complete lack of any diversity today - but you take any Top 10 from the 1990s or 2000s and there will be many different genres represented.

Since 1960, when I wrote to one of the newspapers (can't remember which one) because I'd missed that week's chart. They sent me a neatly cut out chart.

I've just turned 69, and keep all the charts from 1952 to the present day on Excel spreadsheets (for my own use only!). I have separate tabs for new releases and playlists.

 

Welcome to the forum, I'm glad I'm not the oldest person on here :lol: I've got a reference book that covers all the charts ever published (the official charts book), but I started in 1979 writing them on paper and twenty years later computer based, not going to attempt to transfer them to computer based the early ones it will take me forever :lol: the reference book was just to fill the gap.

 

2006 for me. But I started listening to Hit40UK on Invicta FM not realising the chart wasn't official.:lol: 2007 was a great time to be an active chart watcher with older songs able to re-enter through downloads. I have a distinct memory of Rihanna entering at #1 two weeks before the CD release of Umbrella and it was a big deal at the time. :lol:

Welcome to the forum, I'm glad I'm not the oldest person on here :lol: I've got a reference book that covers all the charts ever published (the official charts book), but I started in 1979 writing them on paper and twenty years later computer based, not going to attempt to transfer them to computer based the early ones it will take me forever :lol: the reference book was just to fill the gap.

Thanks for the welcome, Mart!n. It's a lifetime's hobby so I expect you'll still be chart watching when you reach my age (if there is still a chart to watch). BTW just between us (!) I'm female. :cheer:

11th September 1994, when I was 8 years old. Had just picked up an old Ferguson hi-fi from my great Aunt who didn't need it, and my Dad suggested I put "the charts" on. I'd seen a bit of TOTP but I didn't know there was a radio show that played all the records. I was hooked from the first listen. It was the week Whigfield went to #1.

Edited December 1, 20186 yr by AcerBen

My first No. 1 was Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star in 1979. Remember being fascinated as a 7 year old with the Radio 1 chart with Tony Blackburn.. stayed with it ever since. Crikey.. 40 years , where does the time go? It's been a long fascinating journey though - through the electric 80s, the dawn of the CD single and the manic mid 90s where we got around 15 new entries each week, onto the download era and now streaming. I haven't enjoyed much of the music in the last few years, but I guess it's not aimed at me. The charts themselves remain a weekly fix and source of fascination :-)

I've been following the charts since 2004. The first chart show I have distinct memories of actively listening to was the week Lola's Theme made #1.