Posted January 20Jan 20 Recently I have been creating a playlist for all the songs which made the top 100 but missed the top 40 during the noughties (I have similar completed ones for the 2010s and 2020s so far that I keep updated). Looking down the lower end of the chart during the early noughties up to about 2005, there are a lot of very strange dance remixes, EPs, things like "City Sounds" etc. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason from what could chart - does anybody know what the criteria would have been for songs/EPs to chart back then? Can't imagine many people will have heard a lot of the obscure entries, and there were a lot of albums passing as EPs. There also appeared to be a load of double-A sides but by two different artists which is also confusing! It seemed to die down by about 2006 and songs below the top 40 were a lot more like what we would be familiar with now (fifth singles from albums, up and coming artists etc.).
January 20Jan 20 Author For anyone interested these are the playlists - 2000s 2010s 2020s The noughties is currently complete to June 2004, there is naturally a lot missing as many were rare releases and not on streaming but they are as complete as I can get them!
January 20Jan 20 I can't really answer your question unfortunately, but I did look through your playlists and Drake - Find Your Love and Eminem - No Love are there but I'm sure they made the top 40.
January 20Jan 20 Double A-Sides by two different artists? As in one act performs one side and vice versa?
January 20Jan 20 Author I can't really answer your question unfortunately, but I did look through your playlists and Drake - Find Your Love and Eminem - No Love are there but I'm sure they made the top 40. No worries, and thanks for spotting those, I have updated the playlist! Shouldn't be too many oversights but any others please let me know!
January 20Jan 20 Author Double A-Sides by two different artists? As in one act performs one side and vice versa? I think so, or at least thats how it appears on the listings and when you search on spotify. Can't find an example off hand but there were plenty with two artists listed but they only did the one song on the single.
January 20Jan 20 You were still only allowed 3 songs on a single in the 2000s, though you could have 40 minutes of remixes again from some time in 2001. More obscure stuff was probably more likely to chart in the physical era because there were finite amounts of each single available. The sales threshold to chart was quite low in the last years of it. It's not that difficult to see why an underground club record might sell a few hundred copies on 12" and make it to #97.
January 20Jan 20 I think so, or at least thats how it appears on the listings and when you search on spotify. Can't find an example off hand but there were plenty with two artists listed but they only did the one song on the single. I think that's always been a thing, mostly used by independent labels for new artists. One more high profile one I remember buying was when Shola Ama and The Divine Comedy released a special tribute single to the music of Noel Coward. That made the top 30.
January 20Jan 20 If you search for Lee Marvin on Polyhex you get a very bizarre entry Lee Marvin / Clint Eastwood with “Wandrin’ Star” / “I Talk To The Trees”. It did start out as a double A side although I think it was only really a double A side for the first 2 weeks (otherwise Clint Eastwood would have a UK #1!) But insofar as it is a double A it is clearly a separate artist double A. As far as #1s go there’s also “The Long And Winding Road” / “Suspcious Minds” by Will Young and Gareth Gates. Will clearly has no involvement with “Suspicious Minds” at all so I’ve always found it strange that it was a double A.
January 20Jan 20 If you search for Lee Marvin on Polyhex you get a very bizarre entry Lee Marvin / Clint Eastwood with “Wandrin’ Star” / “I Talk To The Trees”. It did start out as a double A side although I think it was only really a double A side for the first 2 weeks (otherwise Clint Eastwood would have a UK #1!) But insofar as it is a double A it is clearly a separate artist double A. As far as #1s go there’s also “The Long And Winding Road” / “Suspcious Minds” by Will Young and Gareth Gates. Will clearly has no involvement with “Suspicious Minds” at all so I’ve always found it strange that it was a double A. Will was actually supposed to duet on Suspicious Minds but he refused. I don't suppose Simon Cowell was worried about it looking weird from a chart point of view so wouldn't have demoted it on that basis. Edited January 20Jan 20 by AcerBen
January 20Jan 20 No worries, and thanks for spotting those, I have updated the playlist! Shouldn't be too many oversights but any others please let me know! Billie Bragg - She's Leaving Home/Wet Wet Wet - With a little Help from my Friends
January 20Jan 20 I remember you could chart from imports too. I remember some songs would make it big in Ibiza and then chart on imports. Trance/Dance was very popular in the early 00s. Stuff didn't even need lyrics really. There were loads of songs that had titles like 'city sounds' on old Chillout compilation CDs around this time. 'The Sound of Oh Yeah' on your 2000s playlist has Ibiza import written all over it. 40-100 in the 00s are not going to be hits. If a record company pressed CDs and it didn't get in the top 40 its an abject failure. Music was not democratic. Thinking back on some of my fave 00s obscure tracks. Televators by The Mars Volta. That was played a lot on MTV2. It got to number one on the Rock and Metal chart. Not top 40 though. Auf Der Maur had some great songs around the same time. Taste You did not go Top 40. Through Glass by Stone Sour. Enjoy the Silence by Lacuna Coil. Salt Sweat Sugar- Jimmy Eat World Ocean Avenue- Yellowcard I was very alt as a teen... Edited January 20Jan 20 by Paramore
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