Posted March 17, 200817 yr Did Duffy win fair and square? Source: MW Monday March 17, 2008 By Alan Jones The record books will say that Duffy’s Mercy is the best-selling single in the UK for the fifth week in a row with sales of 40,778, pipping Leona Lewis’s Better In Time/Footprints In The Sand by 302 sales, but the download era poses some problems for chart compilers, which have been resolved, rightly or wrongly, by hitching physical sales of singles to the main song’s digital deliveries. That solution is not usually problematic, but when the single concerned is a double A-side that means that download sales of the second track are discounted – or, at least, excluded from the main release while qualifying for a chart position in its own right. Lewis’s Footprints In The Sand sold 7,525 copies as a stand-alone download last week and moves 63-25 in its own right. Overall sales for the physical single and its two download components, therefore, are 48,001. The current solution to the problem causes some confusion among consumers, not least because the supporting track – in this case Footprints In The Sand – actually gets a better profile than the senior side, scoring two chart mentions to the main side’s one. There are three possible ways for the problem of double A-sides to be treated. The first is to leave the situation as is. Clearly some thought went into making the current chart regulation, and labels know full well that if they issue a double A-sided single they face the risk that they will lose out. Combining all digital and physical sales is one alternative. In the past, it was usually not recorded whether people were buying a single for one or other of its listed tracks, and it didn’t really matter. A sale is a sale is a sale – and there is some logic in embracing all tracks on a single to create one chart position for the entire product though such a change would doubtless result in a huge increase in double A-sided releases on which the second named track would be used purely as a way of generating extra mileage. A third, more appealing, possibility is to divide physical sales pro-rata with digital ones. In the case of Leona Lewis’ single, the CD containing both Better In Time and Footprints In The Sand sold 18,425 copies. Some 22,051 buyers chose to purchase Better In Time as a download, and 7,525 purchased Footprints In The Sand, Therefore, out of a total of 29,576 downloads, 74.56% were of Better In Time and 25.44% were of Footprints In The Sand. Applying the same ratios to the physical sales would mean 13,738 sales being credited to Better In Time, and 4,687 to Footprints In The Sand. That would mean the two tracks could be separated for chart purposes. Better In Time would still be at number two, with sales of 35,789, and Footprints In The Sand would be at number 11 with sales of 12,212. Lewis’ near miss seems to have sparked no controversy within the industry, and according to OCC, there are no plans to change the current regulations. ================= Something I found on MW
March 17, 200817 yr I thought it was definitely fair ...Leona had a major advantage over her competition, people would have bought Duffy's single because of one promoted track 'Mercy'..... but Leona would have had people buying because of two highly promoted and majorly hyped singles.... if the BIT track was not liked there was FITS so she had the potential of twice the single sales.
March 17, 200817 yr I thought this was going to be a poll. I would have voted 'no'. Though it's not Duffy's fault, she sold fewer singles than Leona. I think it's daft that Leona's at #2 and #25 with the same song. That one track's sales count towards the combined sales and one doesn't. Just daft. I have similar issues with the new rules about 2CD albums where Amy can be on the charts twice with the same record. Daft.
March 17, 200817 yr Author I thought this was going to be a poll. I would have voted 'no'. Actually that's a better idea, why did I not think about it :unsure:
March 17, 200817 yr I thought it was definitely fair ...Leona had a major advantage over her competition, people would have bought Duffy's single because of one promoted track 'Mercy'..... but Leona would have had people buying because of two highly promoted and majorly hyped singles.... if the BIT track was not liked there was FITS so she had the potential of twice the single sales. But then that counts out double a-sides in the history of double a-sides. The way the chart works - where seperete songs can go into the singles chart even when they're not singles - its probably fair. Because in the old days when you brought a cd. Everything was counted into one sale. Now people can choose a b-side or a remix without downloading the actual single, so why should these sales count towards the single? The thing is, to be honest i wish all the sales counted. Cos the chart looks a bit messed up - and for those listening to the chart yesterday who don't go onto sites such as these, they would have thought it was a little wierd that she was #2 and #25 with a presumption - the same track. (I just knew it would be too complicated for Ferne and Reggie to explain it on air) Maybe it should all be charted all under one roof so to speak, i mean where would you stop? Having remixes and the original charting seperetly? Having the 2 track, maxi and download chart seperely? Maybe it will be best if they just stop doing double a-sides - cos they have really turned into a complicated system
March 17, 200817 yr Enough of this love for Leona, a double A-side should'nt count in the charts as it is because its literally the sale of two songs which has far more appeal than 1 so its unfair, Duffy outsold her fair and square.
March 17, 200817 yr Enough of this love for Leona, a double A-side should'nt count in the charts as it is because its literally the sale of two songs which has far more appeal than 1 so its unfair, Duffy outsold her fair and square. I don't think Leona is the issue, shes the example. As far as i know this is the first time that a double a-side has been seperated and both tracks entering the top 40
March 17, 200817 yr Enough of this love for Leona, a double A-side should'nt count in the charts as it is because its literally the sale of two songs which has far more appeal than 1 so its unfair, Duffy outsold her fair and square. I agree. Plus surely the issue be is it fair that a record for charity that has saturated BBC Radio stations on Friday & BBC1 on Friday evening be allowed to compete against a non charity record. I preferred the Irish Singles Chart system back in the 1980s where these "Event" records counted as #00 should they outsell the competition and be () bracketed out of the charts. Anyway this is not a new situation. This was a regular occurrence in the US Billboard singles chart up until they changed their rules in 1969. Where the double A-sided track that got the most radio airplay (which counted towards the charts. Thank goodness we don't do the same thing here, but that's another discussion :lol:) automatically picked up the physical sales of the single leaving the less popular A-side to chart on Radio airplay alone.
March 17, 200817 yr Yes or you'll have arists putting 3 & 4 tracks on a cd to attract more buyers. Edited March 17, 200817 yr by truly talented
March 17, 200817 yr Duffy cant help it if more people wanted to buy her song that week so yes i think it was fair!
March 17, 200817 yr No way. If a double A side is released as a physical, then all downloads of the songs should count toward the overall, even if they are just one song being sold.
March 17, 200817 yr since downloads came along and the new rules came into effect AA sides are effectively dead and might as well not exist now. There's really no point of them with the current setup.
March 17, 200817 yr Of course it was fair, there's a seperate chart for multiple songs on a cd, it's called the album chart.
March 17, 200817 yr It was fair because Leona's record company knew the rules when they released the single
March 17, 200817 yr It was fair because Leona's record company knew the rules when they released the single They did & I suspect they knew although FITS was the Sports Relief single it wasn't strong enough to get a high charting so they used the publicity from the show to showcase two songs to get the best chart position.
March 17, 200817 yr I think that it is very fair and quite right that Duffy was number 1 - her 1 song (Mercy) outsold Leonas 1 song BIT. If double a sides are to be released, I think it is very fair that the physical is lumped with one of the songs, not combined together - if it was, there would be chaos in the chart with artists releasing multiple track EPs and topping the charts with ease as the 3 or 4 songs are combined together. Unfortunate for Leona, but there you go.
March 17, 200817 yr Yes she did. Would as many people be contesting otherwise if it was anyone other than Leona? I'm sorry but the amount of bumming Leona gets on this site is ridiculous and I'm getting so sick of it. :( Yes, she's a great singer and I don't mind her, but seeing "OMG LEONA :wub:" in every other post is so tiring and puts me right off her. :angry:
March 17, 200817 yr I'm sorry but the amount of bumming Leona gets on this site is ridiculous and I'm getting so sick of it. Couldn't agree more.
March 17, 200817 yr Yes she did. Would as many people be contesting otherwise if it was anyone other than Leona? I'm sorry but the amount of bumming Leona gets on this site is ridiculous and I'm getting so sick of it. :( Yes, she's a great singer and I don't mind her, but seeing "OMG LEONA :wub:" in every other post is so tiring and puts me right off her. :angry: As apposed you constantly slagging off the same artists? It works both ways.
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