There is a difference between 'feels like it never leaves' and 'has actually never left' x

It was inevitable a song would do this at some point but its a massive achievement nonetheless

Does anyone know if ‘Blinding Lights’ got to number one at radio?

I keep forgetting what this sounds like, hearing it on the radio, shazaming it, and then I quickly forget it again and then the cycle repeats itself.

 

Funnily enough I always go through a cycle of hearing it and thereby knowing it, then a while later (usually when seing it somewhere within a chart) forgetting what it sounds like and having to stream it to find out, only to then think 'duh, of course it's that song'. If only they had called it 'blinded by the lights', which is the phrase they actually use in the song, then it would probably be enough of a memory jogger for me to the be able to recall the song from its title without having to stream it for the nth time to yet again remind myself what the song sounds like. Perhaps that even explains how it continues to chart, if it somehow causes amnesia and the continued streaming is just people repeatedly forgetting the song and wanting to be reminded of it again.

That's one of the more... creative theories for its success that I have seen :kink:

It almost spent the whole 2 years in the top 75, too...it charted at #77 this week.

If we really wanna go there, it's not 2 years until it's spent 105 weeks in the chart. 104 weeks is less than 2 years.

It still hasn't left the Sales top 75 though!

If we really wanna go there, it's not 2 years until it's spent 105 weeks in the chart. 104 weeks is less than 2 years.

 

It's currently #95 in the first midweeks. Looking like the Christmas wave of tracks might finally knock it out the top 100!

oh is streaming this now ?

 

playlists too blame

It's currently #95 in the first midweeks. Looking like the Christmas wave of tracks might finally knock it out the top 100!

Then we could use the technicality that the midweeks cover those extra 3 days after 104 weeks that makes it to 2 years :heehee:

Does anyone know if ‘Blinding Lights’ got to number one at radio?

 

UKChartsPlus reported in its issue W/E Sat 8 Feb '20 that 'Blinding Lights' had finally reached No 1 on the Radio Airplay chart compiled by RadioMonitor, having first charted there W/E 14 Dec '19 at No 78 (nine weeks earlier). As they still stick to a more conventional Sunday-to-Saturday week to compile their chart, I assume that week's tabulation was derived from audience impressions from Sun 25 Jan to Sat 1 Feb '20. It went on to be the airplay chart-topper for many weeks on and off thereafter of course, as indeed happened with its equally enduring performances on the OCC's overall combined, sales and streaming charts across the spring of last year.

 

It's even more impressive to register that its chart profile on the combined Top 100 would be even better, had it not been relegated to ACR, and would have extended considerably beyond 104 consecutive weeks were it not about to be cut short artificially by the incursion of the mass-streamed Christmas crap. Though one would be naive to suggest it'll never be back, as it has all the hallmarks of a new 'Mr Brightside' as discussed earlier, and even the manipulation of the main chart to massage out the inconveniences streaming creates has so-far failed to keep that song out of the now-'compressed' Top 100 for long.

 

Personally I'm still not really tired of hearing it on the radio, despite it having been released exactly two years ago this week (Fri 29 Nov '19) and it still being on the official charts without break. It's the compelling melody, his capable vocal performance and the delightful - if rather by-numbers - eighties synthpop revivalism that appeals to my (and presumably still thousands of others') ears. There's just so few new tracks out which embed themselves as memorably, as so many lack any discernible melody or hook, or at least one that at least sounds reasonably original. Let's face it, I still don't turn a song like 'Take On Me' off the radio as and when it's played, and that's now over 36 years old! I suspect for many 'BL' will sit in the same category and will be one of the few late '10s hits that'll still be spun on radio and TV etc regularly in another 30 years.

^ I doubt it would have survived December even if ACR didn’t exist as most of the songs pushing it out are on ACR themselves!

'Blinding Lights' is currently at number 8 on the year-to-date top singles of 2021. For year-to-date, year end and all time sales calculations no ACR calculation is applied.

 

Gambo, the airplay chart also uses a Friday to Thursday tracking week. I've just noticed UKChartsPlus still list Sunday to Saturday but I believe that changed at the same time the singles chart changed the tracking week a few years ago.

Edited December 1, 20213 yr by Robbie

'Blinding Lights' is currently at number 8 on the year-to-date top singles of 2021. For year-to-date, year end and all time sales calculations no ACR calculation is applied.

 

Gambo, the airplay chart also uses a Friday to Thursday tracking week. I've just noticed UKChartsPlus still list Sunday to Saturday but I believe that changed at the same time the singles chart changed the tracking week a few years ago.

 

Oh I see - yes I was basing that on the legend that UKCP still have for the airplay chart that says Sun - Sat. So everyone uses this weird split week now then! Oh well; consistent I suppose which is something. Actually looking at it again the chart did bear a date of Fri 31 Jan, which I presume then must have been the chart week-commencing date (corresponding to chart week-ending Thu 6 Feb).

Oh I see - yes I was basing that on the legend that UKCP still have for the airplay chart that says Sun - Sat. So everyone uses this weird split week now then! Oh well; consistent I suppose which is something. Actually looking at it again the chart did bear a date of Fri 31 Jan, which I presume then must have been the chart week-commencing date (corresponding to chart week-ending Thu 6 Feb).

I sent an email to UKC+ yesterday about the tracking week. I hadn't noticed it still showed Sunday to Saturday on the legend for both the radio and TV airplay charts until you mentioned it.

 

Thanks Gambo I always thought it was one of those songs that didn’t quite make it!

Though one would be naive to suggest it'll never be back, as it has all the hallmarks of a new 'Mr Brightside' as discussed earlier, and even the manipulation of the main chart to massage out the inconveniences streaming creates has so-far failed to keep that song out of the now-'compressed' Top 100 for long.

 

Well, maybe I don't understand how it works, but I imagine it'll be back on SCR at New Year's surely?

 

I don't think it will be like Mr. Brightside though. I seems more like an I Gotta Feeling. Although as another poster said it wasn't as overplayed as I Gotta Feeling (or at least it didn't seem very overplayed from what I experienced) so that should help the longevity of Blinding Lights.

it won’t be going back to SCR - see the pinned FAQ thread regarding January resets.

it won’t be going back to SCR - see the pinned FAQ thread regarding January resets.

 

Ah ok thanks. That explains some of the posts I've read of people panicking that this is Sam Fender's last chance to be in the top 10 lol. I didn't understand why people thought that. :lol:

 

Although to me it's an arbitrary rule, probably the most arbitrary rule yet in the streaming era for the singles chart as it's not simply numerical (3 songs rule or 3 years ACR rule) or even music industry related (like labels nominating singles for a reset) but a one-off rule for 1 or 2 weeks only as a result of cultural celebrations (which would potentially open the door to them being able to make a special rule only for Christmas songs in December if they've set a precedent with this rule).