DanChartFan

Can't help wondeing if it would be better to have a 'artist chart' type thing where whatever their main track was would be played on R1s chart show and quoted but anything else by that artist (or at least their current album) counts. Apart from this example it would stop the ludicrous sitaution of an artist having up to 5 chart positions in the top 100 (Mika springs to mind but many others too). In the old days whatever single was out was usually all that was out so you where effectively choosin to spend your money on voting for your favourite artist that week, the artists by appearing on TV and radio where trying to win your votes. An artist chart would return to this.

Ah the good old days of the Woolies bargain bin! How I got started collecting singles in the first place. Cassettes in those days as they where cheaper. I only went over to CDs in 2003 when I was forced to as the only way to get Changes by Ozzy and Kelly! I have to smile when someone my age (25) or more wanders in to Zavvi looking for a current single on tape which still happens occassionaly! Back to topic, if I remember rightly Virgin actually stopped singles but in my store (Swindon) at least Zavvi brought them back and in a proper chart wall too, though considerably smaller than the original Virgin Chart wall of 10+ years ago. I have to say I don't bother with Zavvi singles unless HMV don't have them or have overpriced them. Also my Zavvi doesn't do Vinyl which is most of my purchases these days. Woolies don't have any singles hardly now unless u want one of there several dozen copies of Headlines that are still full price months later! With regard to supermarkets selling the X Factor single because it is a guaranteed seller, in the Sainsburys where I work we are still stuck with about 100 copies of Leon which where 2.99 then 1.99 now 99p and still not selling!! The current Leona one which we are stocking is selling much faster! Just a thought could we run a national survey to find out what stores stock what range of singles in different towns and cities to more accurately judge the national picture?

Why do I get the feeling that someone is planning to use false preorders as a method of hyping? Maybe I'm just too cynical.

Preordering - No, since the order may be subsequently cancelled and in any case when you actually collect the preorder that is when the sale is made.

Gooddelta I embrace you as someone of good taste. Coco has been my album of the year by miles, I can't praise it enough and I still hope it makes it big so that everyone will hear it! Also Mika-the singles plus Billy Brown and Lollipop. Finally I know it's from last year but Welcome to the Black Parade has figured quite highly in my playlists this year, still getting into some of the tracks, rather than sticking with the singles.

Whilst some of you may have heard of her I think 2008 will be the year Colbie Caillat becomes a household name, her album Coco has loads of great songs and no filler. Loads of scope for possible singles. Just needs some promo or word of mouth etc. Mariah could well get top 3 at Xmas with a follow up next year as a come back. And the Gareth Gates comeback could pick up. Not forgetting that the Beatles chart explosion could still happen when their downloads are made available.

I believe so but only in the last few years. The mags in the 50s/60s, the BBC, BMRB and Gallup all ignored NI. In recent years I believe the OCC has worked on the infrastructure in NI to include it, but I think it depends on the sample used each week as to where is actually incuded in any week.

Mariah for defo! All the younguns at work are asking me what the song is/where they can get it. Cos I'm the resident chart freak. There's a lot of interest in Mariah this year.

Leona or not the shops are suddenly stocking large numbers of singles again. I go round the local town shops virtually every week and have in the last few weeks been astonished by the large stocks of new releases. Virgin(Zavi) had previously stopped singles altogether save for half a dozen singles with 2 or 3 copies each but now has about a dozen of each of 30 or so. HMV has at least two dozen of most of the newest singles (maybe even double for LL,TT&Westlife) and at least a dozen of most others in it's top 30 plus many dozens of indexed exchart cds- plus masses of 7" vinyl sometimes a dozen or more of each release. Woolworths sadly only seems to stock about a dozen CD Singles, usually suprising choices from midchart rather than the big hits. In previous months I've missed out on several singles simply because the three main shops never seemed to have enough in stock, just lately all the main singles have been in a plentiful supply(Woolies aside) meaning I (and presumbly lot's of other people) bought more! Moral of the tale for the big multiples-If you want people to but more of something try stocking the flipping things!

I'm still hoping they'll make the CD/7" available again as I'm still hoping to get a copy, cos I was slow on the uptake and didn't work what the song I liked was called until it was already withdrawn.

I'll stick my neck out and say top 5 even though it will have to compete with Artics, Kate Nash, Fergie and the eternal Umberella-ella-ella-ay!