I eventually managed to contact them.

This is the question I put and their reply.

 

I’m wondering if, through your resources, you can find out if there is a 20th edition of Guinness British Hit singles and albums being published/available in 2008. I bought the 19th edition in late May of last year and have made 3 attempts to email the website (which is no longer functioning) and various searches on the web.

 

REPLY: Hi You are one of many people to ask us this question. "Thanks for your enquiry. There will be no 20th Edition of the book of British Hit Singles & Albums until next year. There are a number of reasons for this, not least the situation regarding download singles. As you will know, The Official UK Chart Company changed the rules to allow download singles to compete on a like for like basis with other formats and enter the chart from the 1st of January this year. We would normally close for press at the end of a year and print the book in March, publishing in early June. Had we done so this year the book would have appeared rather dated without a single download appearing. At least when the book next appears the download situation will have bedded down and our readers can see a sizeable number making a contribution to the pages of the 20th edition and get a fully formed picture of this new innovation".

 

Hope this makes things clearer for you all.

Edited November 6, 200816 yr by Euro Music

That's great news. I love the Guiness books and I can't see the Virgin books swaying me...

Guinness are no longer involved with chart books, including British Hit Singles and Albums. Virgin have taken over the franchise.

 

See this thread

 

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=81914

 

That reply you received looks like a standard reply they have been sending out to people querying the non-appearance of the 20th edition. The content of the email suggests it was drafted sometime last year as it refers to download rules having just changed etc. It looks like someone has just sent you this reply without making proper enquiries, presumably the draft email is held on their systems somewhere and whoever responded to you just picked it out to send to you as a reply. The sad answer is that there will be no 20th edition as things stand.

Edited November 6, 200816 yr by Robbie

yeah that is confusing, see the Virgin book thread for more info. I mean, thought OCC would only sell the data to one company, otherwise it wouldn't be profitable for either to purchase it and compete in a (sort of) niche market. I would love to see Guinness20 but with the Virgin book out today and the previous reports of Guinness and OCC terminating their relationship, don't see this happening :(

The Guinness Hits/Chart Books were part of the Guinness World Records

section of the Hit Entertainment Group. Hit Entertainment decided to concentrate

on their Chidren's Books in 2007 - and no longer wished to do Chart or Music Books.

That is why their Contract with The OCC was not re-newed. (To use the UK Charts

for the Books).

 

In early 2008, Hit Entertainment sold the 'Guinness World Records' Book to the

Jim Pattison Group - Canada's 3rd largest Private Company. Presumably, the

Guinness Chart Books were sold to the JP Group at the same time. (It does not

mean that there will be any further Chart Books from Guinness, though).

 

The OCC bought Graham Betts Chart Data off him, earlier in 2008. (He used

to do the 'Complete British Hit Singles', &'Complete British Hit Albums', Books).

So, The OCC now own his UK Chart Data. They decided to let Martin Roach use

it for the 'Virgin British Hit Singles' & 'Virgin British Hit Albums' (June 2009), Books.

 

I got my copy of The Virgin British Hit Singles Book today. Another

difference between it & the Guinness Book, is that

each Single, which got a BPI Sales Award, has that

Award shown next to it - as a Symbol. This shows

whether it went Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

 

This idea is copied from the Graham Betts 'Complete

British Hit Singles', & 'Complete British Hit Albums'

Books.The layout is similar to his Books, & the Sales

Symbols idea, has been carried on from them.

 

There are 1 Page 'Write-Ups' of some Acts - near

where their Hits are shown. ABBA have a Page near

the start of the Book. I've read their Page.

It has errors on it. 'I Do, I Do, I Do...' is

said to be the follow-up UK Single to 'Ring Ring'.

It wasn't - 'So Long' was the Single after

'Ring Ring', & it completely flopped in the UK.

 

When mentioning that Madonna sampled 'Gimme! Gimme!

Gimme!', the Book says that this was in 2006. It was

actually in 2005.....

 

You only get Top 40 Weeks On Chart - so Hits that failed to get

higher than No.41 only have their Date & Peak shown.

 

Weeks AT No.1 are shown - as well as which Hits were No.1 in the

USA Charts.

 

I will read the Book more fully later Tonight.

Edited November 6, 200816 yr by zeus555

There are 1 Page 'Write-Ups' of some Acts - near

where their Hits are shown. ABBA have a Page near

the start of the Book. I've read their Page.

It has errors on it. 'I Do, I Do, I Do...' is

said to be the follow-up UK Single to 'Ring Ring'.

It wasn't - 'So Long' was the Single after

'Ring Ring', & it completely flopped in the UK.

 

When mentioning that Madonna sampled 'Gimme! Gimme!

Gimme!', the Book says that this was in 2006. It was

actually in 2005.....

I think we need to start a comprehensive 'Errors' thread!

Hi can anyone possibly help me. My partner wants this Guiness Book for Christmas - the latest edition. The one he is using is really old. Due to the negative feedback on the Virgin books Ive decided to stick with the Guiness book. Does anyone know where its best to buy a copy of this? on Amazon the only new one is £100 - is this what these are worth new? Any other sites it can still be bought from?? Thanks Sarah.

Hi Sarah. Unfortunately this book doesn't exist yet, and might never. The Virgin book has, most likely, replaced it.

Hi can anyone possibly help me. My partner wants this Guiness Book for Christmas - the latest edition. The one he is using is really old. Due to the negative feedback on the Virgin books Ive decided to stick with the Guiness book. Does anyone know where its best to buy a copy of this? on Amazon the only new one is £100 - is this what these are worth new? Any other sites it can still be bought from?? Thanks Sarah.

There is no new Guinness Hit Singles as Guinness no longer publish it - the Virgin book is its (poor) replacement.

 

I'm intrigued by the £100 price tag - is that for an old edition? The last Guinness edition is the 19th edition and it's at amazon for £11.39. It only covers up to the end of 2005 though, so the only way to get information for 2006 and 2007 (and up to March 2008) is to buy the Virgin book.

 

I eventually managed to contact them.

This is the question I put and their reply.

 

I’m wondering if, through your resources, you can find out if there is a 20th edition of Guinness British Hit singles and albums being published/available in 2008. I bought the 19th edition in late May of last year and have made 3 attempts to email the website (which is no longer functioning) and various searches on the web.

 

REPLY: Hi You are one of many people to ask us this question. "Thanks for your enquiry. There will be no 20th Edition of the book of British Hit Singles & Albums until next year. There are a number of reasons for this, not least the situation regarding download singles. As you will know, The Official UK Chart Company changed the rules to allow download singles to compete on a like for like basis with other formats and enter the chart from the 1st of January this year. We would normally close for press at the end of a year and print the book in March, publishing in early June. Had we done so this year the book would have appeared rather dated without a single download appearing. At least when the book next appears the download situation will have bedded down and our readers can see a sizeable number making a contribution to the pages of the 20th edition and get a fully formed picture of this new innovation".

 

Hope this makes things clearer for you all.

 

this reply was quote in the q&a pages of mojo as well a couple of months back....

 

i can't seem to do the quote thing. How frustrating.

 

I have been back to Amazon to check im not making this up. No its true. they have the 19th edition used ones at only £11.39 but the only new ones f which there are two are on at £100! The seller says these are 'increasingly rare' THe same seller is also selling the 18th edition for £75! Someone obviously thinks they are collectors items. Good luck to him/ her. Happily i have also found them on Pick a book for £20 with free P&P.

 

What a pain I now can't decide whether to get him this or the VIrgin book or both. He already has the 18th edition which I think goes to the end of 2004 so the 19th edition would only contain 1 year's more information which doesn't seem worth it.

 

The Virgin book has all the historical hits doesn't it? - not just these past few years?