I was thinking about the OCC's rules on EP's with four or more tracks which from 1998-2006 disqualified certain releases from charting. In 2006 the Arctic Monkeys released 'Who The f*** Are Arctic Monkeys' EP and Oasis released 'Stop The Clocks EP' but both were ineligible for the chart under this rule. In Ireland these both appeared in the albums chart but in the UK would traditionally have appeared in the singles rankings. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that both of these would have made the Top 5 if they had been included in the singles chart on their week of release but can't find any information now. Does anyone have details of the exact or close sales figures that these releases took and what their corresponding chart position would have been?

 

On a more general note I wondered what's the highest chart position a track could have received had it not been excluded from the listings that week? Not counting things like 'Raving I'm Raving' that the label were forced to pull or songs that charted lower than they would have due to ACR but anything that literally didn't appear in the sales listings at all that week because it was judged ineligible at the time it was released e.g. four track EP's, instant grat downloads, three-track rule etc... has there ever been a release that would have made #1 had the OCC judged it eligible to chart?

 

 

A slight tangent but if the mid 00s streaming and downloads had been counted properly akin to now beneath the boardwalk would have been number 1 for.months.

I don't even know what Beneath the Boardwalk is?!!!

Sorry can’t help on the EPs question.

 

As for the most extreme 3 track rule exclusion I guess it must be Remember the Name by Eminem & 50 Cent, which would have been #5 the week the No 6 Collaborations Project album came out. Of course we had Way 2 Sexy being excluded from #6 a few weeks ago.

 

In 2006 we also had the ridiculous exclusion of songs no longer physically available rule. I believe Crazy by Gnarls Barkley would have been #7 the first week it was excluded.

Also in 2006, downloads only counted from one week before the physical release. Without that rule, I think Crazy would have been #3 the week before it entered at #1.

Also in 2006, downloads only counted from one week before the physical release. Without that rule, I think Crazy would have been #3 the week before it entered at #1.

Ah good point - that’s probably the record then. I don’t think there’s ever been a #1 starred out.

I think 'Do What U Want' by Gaga may have been denied a higher peak because it was ineligible to chart for a while because of the old instant grat rules? (And it initially seemed the same would happen for 'Paradise' by Coldplay but of course that went on to eventually reach #1)

Also in 2006, downloads only counted from one week before the physical release. Without that rule, I think Crazy would have been #3 the week before it entered at #1.

 

That's a good bet for the record! Can't think of anything that could have got higher than that. Although in terms of something been denied a chart position or higher peak, it would be something like Remember The Name.

 

Technically something could be excluded from #4 under the three-track rule, we could potentially see that when Ed's new album comes out I suppose.

Edited October 18, 20213 yr by Dot Branning

Space Cowboy - I Would Die 4 U from 2002 was disqualified.

I think 'Do What U Want' by Gaga may have been denied a higher peak because it was ineligible to chart for a while because of the old instant grat rules? (And it initially seemed the same would happen for 'Paradise' by Coldplay but of course that went on to eventually reach #1)

Break Free by Ariana is also in this category! Almost definitely denied a top 10 peak :drama:

I guess the only way it could happen now would be if a track was too long but sold enough to get to #1

Where would I Don't Care have been had it not been starred out that 1 week in 2019?

Dido "All You Want" was released as an exclusive 3-inch mini-disc in UK, making it ineligible to chart.

 

Lemonescent "Unconditional Love" (#20 in midweeks) was removed from the chart due to suspicions of chart-rigging by bulksale-buying. It was confirmed by Official Charts Company that hundreds of copies of the single were being bought in bulk in and around Glasgow.

Edited October 18, 20213 yr by Last Dreamer

I was thinking about the OCC's rules on EP's with four or more tracks which from 1998-2006 disqualified certain releases from charting. In 2006 the Arctic Monkeys released 'Who The f*** Are Arctic Monkeys' EP and Oasis released 'Stop The Clocks EP' but both were ineligible for the chart under this rule. In Ireland these both appeared in the albums chart but in the UK would traditionally have appeared in the singles rankings. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that both of these would have made the Top 5 if they had been included in the singles chart on their week of release but can't find any information now. Does anyone have details of the exact or close sales figures that these releases took and what their corresponding chart position would have been?

 

On a more general note I wondered what's the highest chart position a track could have received had it not been excluded from the listings that week? Not counting things like 'Raving I'm Raving' that the label were forced to pull or songs that charted lower than they would have due to ACR but anything that literally didn't appear in the sales listings at all that week because it was judged ineligible at the time it was released e.g. four track EP's, instant grat downloads, three-track rule etc... has there ever been a release that would have made #1 had the OCC judged it eligible to chart?

WTFATAM would have charted at at least No 4 though it's position and sales were never given. STC sold 20,858 in it's first week and would have made No 5

Eminem's You Don't Know I believe was chart inelligible on first release at the end of 2006 (think it was download only at the time) and I definitely remember it selling enough for top 10, it did chart a few weeks later at #32 when downloads were allowed with no CD but that didn't feel like a fair reflection of it.

 

(actually apparently the physical release contained a sticker which broke packaging regulations for CDs, weird!)

Space Cowboy - I Would Die 4 U from 2002 was disqualified.

 

yeah IIRC if the CD had been eligible it would've made number 13.

 

Also-

Tatjana - Santa Maria (original 1995 release)

The Modern - Industry

 

And one I heard DJ Stephanie Hirst mention once, though have never been able to verify, is Barkin Brothers - Gonna Catch You (Gordon's Groove) which she reckons would've been top 5.

WTFATAM would have charted at at least No 4 though it's position and sales were never given. STC sold 20,858 in it's first week and would have made No 5

 

Thank you so much for verifying my beliefs about these two reaching the Top 5 if eligible Gezza!

 

So I think Crazy must hold the record for highest charting song to be starred out in any particular week and WTFATAM the highest charting track that was never eligible. Unless anyone has an example that beats that?

 

Break Free by Ariana is also in this category! Almost definitely denied a top 10 peak :drama:

 

I had a feeling there was a third one I was forgetting, that's it!

 

David Bowie's 'Where Are We Now?' was also on course to be a would-be top 10 hit denied by the instant grat rules but they changed the rule midweek leading to it surprising everyone by actually appearing in the chart after all iirc.

I had a feeling there was a third one I was forgetting, that's it!

 

David Bowie's 'Where Are We Now?' was also on course to be a would-be top 10 hit denied by the instant grat rules but they changed the rule midweek leading to it surprising everyone by actually appearing in the chart after all iirc.

 

Wasn’t there talk that Bowie was on course for #1 and that’s what prompted the sudden rule change but in the end he only showed at #6 anyway?

What year did downloads sell enough to chart in the Top 100 even though they were still ineligible? As soon as I Tunes launched?