How much input do these music critics/experts actually put into the poll? Do they submit their top20 tips, which are then combined, or are they just asked to rank a list of pre-selected acts? Are all voices equal or are some more weighted because they’re more in with the powers that be at radio1? Is the list filtered to fit with their play list policy for the next 3/6 months?

Through my job I know someone who submitted tips and as far as I'm aware it's a top 20 submitted and a total number of points is then added up so everyone has an equal voice. Radio One have f*** all to do with this list bar their head of Music who contributes but again, his voice means no more than others for example I believe he included Carolina Liar and Middle Class Rut in his tips, neither of whom made the top 15.

 

As for the last part I believe it's the reverse. Radio 1 filter their playlist based on this final list.

 

You really need to get away from this Radio 1-centric approach to music because really they pick up on the trends, they don't shape them. A&R and Marketing folks at Atlantic, Island and Colombia (most notably this year) have been going press/buzz-building heavy through the Autumn to get their "priority for 09" acts out there ready for the first quarter of the year. Certain acts like The Script and Katy Perry weren't even properly signed in Autumn 2007 so how can you expect the BBC to have tipped them when they're on no media publications radar? It's like trying to predict who's going to be big next Summer, NOW. Can you do that?

 

As for The Ting Tings, they weren't a glaringly obvious choice last year. A lot of people in the Industry were surprised with how high up the poll they came. Esp as they signed their deal so late and didn't do huge amounts of press in late 07...

Well the same could be said for most of the acts on that list, unless you were particularly knowledgeable or into a particular genre(s).

 

Its highly doubtful radio1 was totally oblivious to The Script and Katy Perry! I guess it just depends on what dubious criteria they use to concoct their top20 as to their omission.

Well from that list all of the top 18 released a single by mid-March (I bought most of them!), 'I Kissed A Girl' didn't even reach America until May and the Script's first single was released at the back end of April. As Jake said, it's about labels getting their artists that are releasing soon, out there. You're only going to include people who are definitely releasing stuff, and soon. Not people who might release some stuff late on in the year, if they manage to get a record deal!

Hardly earth shattering powers of predicting: they got the bleeding obvious right (Duffy, Adele, Ting Tings) missed a few (Script, Katy Perry) and a few of their tips had no success in 2008.

I suppose only Cajun Dance Party and Black Mountain haven't done as well as hoped, though i guess they've done ok. Can't complain on an improvement from last year, although they could've become bigger. Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong haven't released their debut yet i don't think.

 

At the start of 2008, the BBC sound of 2008 poll was carried out, which predicted which artists would be big in 2008. For the first time since the inception of this poll in 2003, 20 artists were selected (instead of the usual 10). They are listed as follows, together with the peak positions of their hits (#s in brackets refer to 2007 or earlier hits, and #s in asterisks indicate featured credits):

 

1 Adele 2-18-19-26

2 Duffy 45-1-3-21-15

3 Ting Tings 1-33-6-28

4 Glasvegas 16-12

5 Foals (39)-26

6 Vampire Weekend 55-38

7 Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong 43

8 Black Kids 11-36

9 MGMT 35-22-25

10 Santogold 27

11 Ida Maria 13

12 One Night Only (46)-9-37-55

13 Alphabeat 6-16-15

14 Laura Marling no top 75 hits

15 Cajun Dance Party no top 75 hits

16 Courteeners (44)-20-19-35-36

17 Gabriella Cilmi 6-33-22

18 Late Of The Pier no top 75 hits

19 Black Mountain no top 75 hits

20 Lil' Wayne (*4*)-(*23*)-(*45*)-(*66*)-26-*34*-*33*-*59*-57

 

It would have been better if you'd compared album sales - that's the true measure of an artist's success.

 

Singles chart positions don't mean anything (eg, Amy Winehouse sells bucketloads of albums, but doesn't chart very high with her single releases).