It will be 30 years this Sunday since the published UK singles chart was extended from a Top 50 to Top 75.

The reason given at the time was that singles sales were rapidly increasing.

 

It's oh-so different now Ehh! A number one singles would sell well in excess of 100K that week.

 

You can see that first ever UK Top 75 HERE

I only know ONE song in that whole top 75 and it's #75...Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights :lol:

 

Wow Boney M sold just under 2 million copies of that one, it had 5 weeks at No1 compare that to Basshunter or Duffy lol. Still download single sales are increasing rapidly as a long term trend at the moment.

an era of massive sales - there were 88.8 million singles shipped to stores in 1978 and 89.1 million in 1979 - the highest ever. Within these two years, from May 1978 to April 1979 sales reached an all time high, running at an annual figure of 120 million shipments. The only other year to come close was 1997 when 87 million singles were shipped.

 

The song at #72 - the first ever #72 - Shame by Evelyn "Champagne" King shipped over 250,000 copies despite only peaking at #39. It spent 23 weeks on the chart but continued to sell beyond 1978 which accounts for its high sales over time.

I only know ONE song in that whole top 75 and it's #75...Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights :lol:

Really? This chart is 12/13 years older than me and I know #1, #2, #16, #63 and #75. I think everyone must have heard the Bee Gees songs at some point. :lol:

an era of massive sales - there were 88.8 million singles shipped to stores in 1978 and 89.1 million in 1979 - the highest ever. Within these two years, from May 1978 to April 1979 sales reached an all time high, running at an annual figure of 120 million shipments. The only other year to come close was 1997 when 87 million singles were shipped.

Its a bit off topic but does anyone know

a) how many singles were sold/shipped in 2007?

B) why the sales were so high- i.e what format was coming in? Was that the height of vinyl or surely it would be slightly later?

 

Question b was a bit of a stupid question, but i know next to nothing about the history of music

Really? This chart is 12/13 years older than me and I know #1, #2, #16, #63 and #75. I think everyone must have heard the Bee Gees songs at some point. :lol:

Oh yeah I didn't notice them the first time round. I definitely know Stayin' Alive and Night Fever :P

I feel like a right loser now :unsure: but thanks for pointing it out anyway :)

Its a bit off topic but does anyone know

a) how many singles were sold/shipped in 2007?

B) why the sales were so high- i.e what format was coming in? Was that the height of vinyl or surely it would be slightly later?

 

Question b was a bit of a stupid question, but i know next to nothing about the history of music

total singles sales in 2007 were 67.7 million. Of this, something like 8 million were physical sales, the rest were downloads of tracks. In 1978 / 1979 singles were at their peak due to a mix of the popularity of disco / punk / new wave and general pop music styles peaking at the same time, the introduction of multiple versions of singles (not just 12" singles becoming popular alongside the usual 7" but also picture discs, and coloured vinyl in 1978 / 79). There was also a record number of teenagers in 1978 and 1979 which probably helped too as teenagers were the typical singles buyer. throughout the 1980s the amount of teenagers fell and rose again in the early to mid 90s, which coincided with the next boom in singles...

It will be 30 years this Sunday since the published UK singles chart was extended from a Top 50 to Top 75.

The reason given at the time was that singles sales were rapidly increasing.

 

It's oh-so different now Ehh! A number one singles would sell well in excess of 100K that week.

 

OTOH, I doubt a #75 now will be selling much less than one then.

 

OTOH, I doubt a #75 now will be selling much less than one then.

I'd imagine a #75 sold 4,000 copies back then - it was 3,000 in the late 80s, then 2,000 a decade ago which is pretty much the same as now. But back in 1978 sales figures were a lot less reliable as the chart sample was much, much smaller and many types of stores were barely included in the chart panel. Also, sales of singles on the way down and out the top 40 were not always reported - they often went into bargain bins in chart return shops but sales were not always recorded which is why singles usually fell off the chart within 2 or 3 weeks of leaving the top 40. It could be that if all stores back then had been sampled, and in the way they are now, the sales for #75 could be much, much higher.

For anyone interested in the history of UK singles charts, you can see a History Of The UK Chart (the first 50 years) HERE

Edited May 3, 200817 yr by Euro Music