zeus555

THE ALBUMS WITH THE MOST WEEKS ON THE CHART (UK) The Album Chart was 'Officially' a Top 100 between 8th August 1981 & 14th January 1989. Any of these Albums that were Charting during that Period, (Queen, Bob Marley etc.), will have Positions between No.76 to No.100 included in their Totals. * = An Album has Charted THIS Year - Top 75. (The Figure in Brackets = Weeks On Chart THIS Year). @ = CURRENTLY CHARTING TO THE CHART FOR W/E 13th DECEMBER 2008 - INCLUSIVE ***NOTICE THAT THE QUEEN, & BOB MARLEY ALBUMS NEED JUST 3 MORE WEEKS - EACH - TO MOVE UP A PLACE IN THE LIST….. Position/Weeks On Chart/Title/Act 1) 478 Rumours - Fleetwood Mac 2) 474 Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf 3) 472 Greatest Hits - Queen (* = 10) 4) 383 Gold - ABBA (* = 26) @ 5) 382 The Sound Of Music - Film Soundtrack 6) 372 The Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd 7) 370 Legend - Bob Marley And The Wailers (* = 28) 8) 315 South Pacific - Film Soundtrack 9) 307 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon And Garfunkel 10) 283 Greatest Hits - Simon And Garfunkel 11) 282 War Of The Worlds - Jeff Wayne / Various Artists (* = 4) 12) 278 Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield 13) 274 Face Value - Phil Collins 14) 251 Making Movies - Dire Straits 15) 242 The Immaculate Collection - Madonna (* = 3) 16) 231 Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits (* = 3) 17) 203 Under A Blood Red Sky - U2 18) 201 Thriller - Michael Jackson && 19)=200 Love Over Gold - Dire Straits 19)=200 The King & I - Film Soundtrack 21)=198 Nevermind - Nirvana 21)=198 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles 23)=189 Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman $$ 23)=189 Off The Wall - Michael Jackson $$ = The 'Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles' (2006), gives the Tracy Chapman Album 189 Chart Weeks. However, I should point out that, 'The Complete Book Of The British Charts', (2004), & 'Complete British Hit Albums', (2004), both give it 188 Weeks. && = IF we add the Chart Weeks of ‘Thriller 25’ to those of the 1982 Original version, then ‘Thriller’ has 219 Weeks, & moves up to 17th place In the List. (‘Thriller 25’ - No.3 - 18 Chart Weeks - 2008)

Yes - The DVD Chart includes Blu-Ray Sales. The Blu-Ray Market is still very small in the UK. So, of 'Mamma Mia!'s 3,124,459 DVD Sales last Week, only 28,000 were on Blu-Ray. It was outsold on Blu-Ray by the No.2 DVD - 'WALL-E'. That sold 340,000 DVD's overall, but 33,500 were on Blu-Ray.

The OCC told me in 2006 that Amazon.uk Sales, (Physical), DO count towards the UK Charts. They are a very big On-Line Retailer & I'd be very, very surprised if they were NOT included. It may be that their Digital Sales are not - yet - included in the UK Chart - as they have only just started Selling Digital Tracks. I'm sure that - soon - The OCC will be adding Amazon.uk Digital Sales to the UK Charts. Both Company's simply need to set up the means for that to happen.

Double Post - Sorry.

And to put it in perspective - Leona will get her 3rd No.1 on Sunday, & the 1st & 3rd have been Cover Versions. Which means that - if she's replaced at No.1 by whoever Wins the 2008 'X Factor', (with 'Hallelujah' as the Single) - 3 of the previous 5 No.1 Singles will have been Cover Versions - and all 3 will have had 'X Factor' connections.....

The 'Mamma Mia!' DVD sold 3,124,459 copies in the UK last Week. It is probably more than any previous DVD, (or Video), has sold here in a Week. It is certainly far, far more than any Single or Album has sold in a Week. If it were an Album, 'Mamma Mia!' would now be the 13th or 14th All Time UK Best Seller - after just a Week on Sale!

The Take That Album will have gigantic Sales this Week. My Parents get 4 UK Tabloid Newspapers a Day, & there are large colour Adverts for the Album in ALL of them today. Most are by ASDA - saying that 'Circus' is only £6 there. 'The Sun' has an entire Page for that Advert. On top of that, Morrisons have Adverts in the Press too - again soley for the Take That Album - saying that it is £6.99 in their Stores. No other Album, (UK), has had so many Adverts in one Day this Year. And with it only being £6 at ASDA, it is obviously going to sell anything from 400,000 to 700,000 this Week. The Take That Album does NOT have the UK's biggest ever Pre-Orders, (Advance Sales). It was ONLY Play.com which said that - talking about its own Site/Company. It is not the same as saying that 'Circus' has the biggest Pre-Orders across the entire UK. Also, Pre-Orders do not necessarily mean that an Album will even end up in the All Time UK Top 100. 'Super Trouper' by ABBA, (1980), was the first UK Album to have 1 Million 'Pre-Sales', & that is not in the Top 100. Nor is 'Welcome To The Pleasure Dome', by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - 1,150,000 'Pre-Sales' in 1984. 'Be Here Now' by Oasis, had at least 1,200,000 'Pre-Sales', (1997), & that was only at No.84 in the 'All Time Top 100 Albums' in November 2006 - with a final Sale of just under 1,800,000.....

Yes, Gooddelta - you write very well about the Charts each Week. It is not only full of Trivia/Data, but it is also interesting to read. It is not easy to be able to do both things. Regarding 'Miles Away' - you can say that it is Madonna's smallest ever Chart Hit in the UK. It may even miss the Top 30 - let alone the Top 20! But, she will be back. She is like Elvis Presley - he had periods when he had small Hits, & he then had huge Hits again - over & over again. Until now, her smallest Chart Hits were 'Take A Bow', (1994), & 'Oh Father', (1996) - both No.16 Hits. If we count 'Holiday' 3 times, (1984, 1985, & 1991), & 'Crazy For You' twice, (1985 & 1991), she's had 68 UK Hit Singles.

Gooddelta - 'Miles Away' is not the first 'official' Madonna Single to miss the UK Top 20. Her very first UK Single - 'Everybody', failed to Chart at all. It was released in December 1982.

The Take That 'Circus' Pre-Order story is all over the Internet. However, the 'Record pre-orders' are for PLAY.COM ONLY. They are not across the entire UK. But - taking the Play.com story out of context, various Sites are now even predicting that the Take That Album will be:, 'The biggest album ever'. Even if 'Circus' did have record advance Sales across the entire UK, you cannot predict from that, that the Album will be the biggest seller ever. It will not be. Not even in the UK, where it will sell more copies than anywhere else. 1) In 1980 'Super Trouper' by ABBA, became the first Album to have a Million 'Pre-Sales' in the UK. It is not even in the Top 100 Best Selling UK Albums. 2) Nor is 'Welcome To The Pleasure Dome', by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - that had about 1,150,000 'Pre-Sales' in the UK in 1984. 3) 'Be Here Now' by Oasis, had at least 1,200,000 'Pre-Sales' in 1997, & even that was 'only' the 84th All Time UK Best Seller, in The OCC's November 2006 Top 100 'All Time UK Albums'. It had 1,799,784 UK Sales in that Top 100. The new Take That Album has been announced to only have record Pre-Sales on Play.com. It seems very odd that this is being used to claim that it has them across the entire UK, & that it may even end up as the UK's 'Biggest Seller Ever'. I think that a lot of hype is going on over this matter.....

Dave - as regards the Elvis Presley Album being at No.3 in November 1974. I recall it getting to No.1 in the 'Melody Maker' Charts at the time - used by the UK Press. It also got to No.2 in the 'NME' Chart. However, it was disqualified from the BMRB Chart - for being too 'cheap' in price on the Arcade Label. It was not allowed into the BMRB Chart until July 1975, & it reached No.18 that Year. In 1976 it Peaked at No.16. In the Chart of W/E 3rd September 1977 it re-entered the Chart - at No.5 - due to Elvis's death. The next Week - W/E 10th September 1977 - it rose to No.1 for 1 Week. It was its first - and last - time at No.1 in the BMRB Chart - nearly 3 Years after it had been No.1 or No.2 in other Charts. 99 Red Balloons & TomKay - after selling about 1,670,000 copies on Monday - UK alone - the 'Mamma Mia!' DVD then sold a further 766,975 copies on Tuesday - to bring its UK Sales to just under 2,437,000 in just 2 Days. It will sell at least 3 Million here by Mid-Night on Saturday - faster Sales than any previous DVD here - or any Album. The only 'Entertainment' item that might have sold faster was the 1997 'Candle In The Wind '97' Diana Tribute Single by Elton John. I'm not sure how many that sold in its first Week - but it sold 4,800,000 in the UK, by the end of its Chart Run. 'Mamma Mia' is likely to sell more than that in the UK.

6weeksatnumber7 - 'Gold' by ABBA, only entered at No.1 in 1992 - the W/E 3rd October. This Year, although it returned to No.1, (in August), it did not re-enter at No.1. It re-entered at No.43 in July, & then climbed to No.1:, 43 - 12 - 5 - 2 - 1 'Spirit', by Leona Lewis looks like it will re-enter at No.1 tomorrow. It also entered at No.1 in November 2007. No other Album has entered the Charts at No.1 more than once - if 'Spirit' manages it tomorrow.

IF Leona's Album is No.1 on Sunday, it will be the first time that a former No.1 Album has re-entered the Chart at No.1. It will also be the first time that a former Top 10 Album has re-entered the Chart, & reached No.1. 'Back To Black' does not count. The OCC had different Rules when the 'Deluxe' version of that came out. They counted it as a seperate Album to the original version - which is why both versions were in the Chart at the same time. So, The OCC did not count her 'Deluxe' version reaching No.1 in March, as the same 'Back To Black' Album that reached No.1 in 2007. 'Spirit' is different - The OCC now regard 'Deluxe' versions as being the same Album - so they'd count her getting to No.1 on Sunday, as a re-entry of the 'Spirit' that entered at No.1 in November 2007.....

TomKay, this Week 'Mamma Mia!' dropped from No.11 to No.13 in the UK Film Charts. However, it took more money than it did 2 Weeks ago, when it was at No.9 in the Top 10. It is just that the Top 12 Films took even more cash this Week, which is why 'Mamma Mia!' dropped to No.13. The Film has taken £67,879,439 in the UK - so far. It is unlikely to overtake 'Titanic' now. That Film is the 'All Time' No.1 Film at the UK Box Office - £69,025,646. So, 'Mamma Mia!' will have to settle for 2nd place, as this Week End is its last in UK Cinemas - the DVD is out on Monday. (24th November). We will see if the DVD can sell a UK Million - in a Week. (Monday 24th to Saturday 29th). So far, the fastest Selling DVD of 2008, (UK), is 'Sex & The City' - 820,000 in its first Week. A far bigger, Weekly Sale, than any Single or Album this Year. But, 'Mamma Mia!' was a much bigger Film than 'Sex & The City' - so, can it sell more, (& faster), than that Film on DVD?

With 'Mamma Mia!' currently the 2nd 'Biggest Film Ever', in the UK, (behind 'Titanic'), Universal have launched a 'Final Push' to try to get it into 1st place. From Friday 14th November to Sunday 23rd November, you can see 'Mamma Mia!' on a 'Buy 1 Ticket Get 1 Ticket Free', basis/offer at UK Cinemas. The DVD is out the day after the offer ends - Monday 24th November. It is expected to be the fastest selling DVD of 2008, in the UK. At present, the 'Sex & The City' DVD is the fastest seller - 820,000 sold, in its first Week. A few Weeks ago, Amazon.uk said that the 'Mamma Mia!' DVD was already their 3rd 'Most Pre-Ordered' DVD - ever.

Dave - in the 'Official' Charts of 1980, (by the BMRB), The Police did not have the No.1 Single & No.1 Album of the Year. 'Zenyatta Mondatta' was the No.1 Album of the Year until Mid December, & then 'Super Trouper' by ABBA overtook it. The 3rd time that ABBA had, had the Best Selling UK Album of the Year. ('Greatest Hits - 1976, 'Arrival' - 1977, & 'Super Trouper' - 1980). The BMRB put out '1980's Best Sellers' Charts in late December 1980, & they showed The Police Album as No.1 for the Year, & 'Super Trouper' - Album - in 4th place. But, it only counted Sales until the W/E 6th December. In January 1981 they put out 1980's Charts that included all of December, & the ABBA Album had risen to No.1 for 1980 - and The Police Album fell from 1st to 2nd place. (The 'Super Trouper' Single rose from 28th place for 1980, to 4th place). TomKay, 'Mamma Mia!' hasn't fallen far out of the Top 10 UK Films - only from No.9 to No.11. From tonight, (14th November), to Sunday 23rd November, you can see it on a 'Buy 1 Ticket Get 1 Free' basis, at UK Cinemas.

Robbie - The OCC had more of a hand in the Book than you think. They want the Book to Sell well, because they even had some of their Staff, 'Proof Reading', it - Months ago. Also, they asked another Chart Book Expert, (who used to do UK Chart Books), to help them 'Proof Read' the Book. The 'Proof Reading' was very rushed. There was a lack of time. I can't see The OCC 'Proof Reading' The Virgin Book, (when they have only about 8 Staff), unless the Book is far more important to The OCC than merely Licensing the Data to Martin Roach/Virgin. I'd say that the Sales of the Book matter - very much - to The OCC. Therefore, anything that is wrong with the Book, would interest The OCC too. (Chart Fans directly Contacting Martin Roach & Virgin is another option - of course).

I know someone at The OCC, & I've told him that the June 2009 Album Book MUST have a Stats/Trivia/Feats Section in it. I've also outlined 7 other things that 'Chart Fans' want from such Books. He tells me that he will pass all my points to Virgin/Martin Roach - but they have the final say on the matter. The OCC only grant them a License to do the Books. Of course - by outlining 8 things that such Chart Books should contain, I've also pointed out that the Singles Chart Book has none of them! In my view there were good features in the Graham Betts Books, the Guinness Books, & the 'Complete Book Of British Charts' Books, & a really good, worthwhile Chart Book would combine the best features of all 3 Books. Instead the Virgin Book just uses some of the features in Graham Betts Books - and pleases virtually nobody.

Robbie - but 'Virgin' DO have the Chart Data from the Graham Betts Books. ('Complete Book Of British Hit Albums', & 'Complete Book Of British Hit Singles'). The OCC bought the Data off Mr. Betts, earlier in 2008 - and allowed Martin Roach & Virgin to use it for the new Singles Chart Book. That's why the lay-out is similar to his Mr. Betts Books, & why Virgin have copied his idea of using Symbols to show which Hits have got Silver, Gold, & Platinum, BPI Awards. There are no Trivia, & Statistics/Feats Sections in the Book, because Graham Betts had none in his Books - and they decided to copy most of his methods. However - they dumped his Lists of No.1 Hits, short Biogs, & Top 75 Data, & decided to only use Weeks On Chart for Top 40 Hits. In the Forword to the Book, it makes it clear that a 2010 Edition is planned - just as there will be a 'Virgin British Hit Albums' Book in June 2009.

The June 2009 Album Book will be a lot better than the 2008 Singles Book. Believe me! Just as the 2010 Singles Book will be better than the current Singles Book. (In the Foreword to the Singles Book, Martin Roach talks of a 2010 'Next Edition'). The OCC KNOW that the Singles Book could have been a lot better, & KNOW what Chart Fans want from such a Book. They do read these Threads.....(The OCC I mean).

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.

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.

The 2009 Album Chart Book WILL be better. The OCC realise that the Singles Book, is not as good as it should have been. It was a case of those who compiled it, giving Chart Fans what they THOUGHT we wanted - rather than what we actually DID want! I'm sure that the same mistake will NOT be made with the Album Book.

And Simon Cowell is connected with the Will Young, Gareth Gates, Shayne Ward, & Leona Lewis Singles. A Man who does not write Songs, play instruments, or even Produce Records. Yet - if the rumours a true - a Man who is to get the 'Outstanding Contribution To British Music' Award at the 2009 BRITS. A Man who creates nothing - just wealth from Sales.

It is all hype. 'The X factor' itself is now as much about 'Sob Stories' as it is about Music. It ends up being extremely manipulative of the TV Audience. I hate the War in Iraq, & was never a supporter of it. The War in Afghanistan is totally different - the reasons. I despise The Taliban. I support our Troops, be they in Iraq or Afghanistan - it is possible to care about the Troops even if you hate War. However, the 'X Factor' Single is designed to give Simon Cowell an easy No.1 - he likes to claim them as his own - and to also get him loads of praise in the Media - he loves being the centre of attention. (If he really cared about the Troops, he'd have anonymously given about £1 Million to Charities that look after wounded Soldiers - but, that was out of the question. Simon wouldn't get a Hit Single & loads of praise if he did it that way. Why so many fall for that Man's obvious manipulating I'll never know!). 'The Sun' has been calling UK Troops 'Our Boys' ever since the Falklands War in 1982. In 1982 it even had it printed next to its Title on the Cover - 'The Paper That Supports Our Boys'. (Puke! - Far, far too over the top with its patriotism). Now it helps to hype up the 'Hero' Charity Single. The other day it made it front page 'News' that a Moslem Cleric had condemned the Single, & any Muslims who might dare to buy it. The Man is in Lebanon, & I doubt if his rants mean very much to most UK Muslims. But, 'The Sun', made out that everyone connected with the Single could be in grave danger, (or being killed), & how 'extra security' had been given to the people behind 'The X factor', & so on. More manipulation. It was a hyped up scare story - designed to make 'Sun' readers say:, 'Well he won't stop me supporting our Troops! I'm buying that Single come what may!'. Like Cowell, 'The Sun' will resort to any hype to try to make 'Projects' that it supports become hugely successful. One day I hope that Britain wakes up, & snubs Cowell, 'The Sun', & any other Paper or 'Celebrity' that tries to manipulate the emotions of the British Public, in ways that are so transparent, that the sad thing is that so many people are taken in by it all! How sad!!!