UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by "The Official UK Charts Company". on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being compiled on Sunday afternoon. Most UK singles are released in record shops on a Monday.

History

The first British singles chart was published in the November 14, 1952 edition of the New Musical Express. It was at first little more than a gimmick, a tool in the circulation war against NME's much older (and more popular) rival Melody Maker. The chart, at first a top 12, was the creation of the paper's advertising manager, Percy Dickins, who compiled it by telephoning around 20 major record stores and aggregating their sales reports. He would continue to personally oversee the compilation of the chart well into the 1960s.

Related Topics:
New Musical Express - Melody Maker

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The chart rapidly became one of the paper's most popular features. After only a few weeks, it started being quoted in record company advertisements and press releases. The chart also spawned imitators - Record Mirror launched its own chart in 1955 and Melody Maker in 1958.

Related Topics:
Record Mirror - 1955 - Melody Maker

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The forerunner of today's official chart first appeared in the music trade publication Record Retailer (now Music Week) in 1960 as a Top 50, but was not immediately recognised as the definitive chart in the country. Arguably, the NME chart was still the most recognised chart, and had the advantage of widespread exposure due to its use by Radio Luxembourg. Throughout the sixties, the various different charts vied for public recognition, leading to some historical anomalies — for example, The Beatles' second single "Please Please Me" was a number one on most charts, but not in Record Retailer. To add to the confusion, the chart used by the BBC on their popular shows Pick of the Pops and Top Of The Pops was actually calculated by averaging out all the others, and so didn't agree with any of them, and was prone to tied positions.

Related Topics:
Record Retailer - Music Week - 1960 - NME - Radio Luxembourg - The Beatles - Please Please Me - BBC - Pick of the Pops - Top Of The Pops

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It wasn't until 1969 that a truly reliable, official chart emerged, from an alliance between the BBC and Record Retailer. For the first time a professional polling organisation, BMRB, was commissioned to oversee the chart, and a pool of 500 record shops was used - more than twice as many as had been used for any previous chart. The new Official Top 50 was inaugurated in the week ending 12 February 1969.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1978, the singles chart was extended from a Top 50 to a Top 75.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1983, BMRB lost their contract to Gallup, who arranged for electronic data gathering to replace the old sales diary method of compilation. The first chart terminals appeared in record shops in 1984. As a result, in October 1987, it was now possible for the chart, incorporating sales up to close of business on Saturday, to be announced on Sunday afternoon, rather than being delayed until Tuesday as was previously the case.

Related Topics:
BMRB - Gallup

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By 1990 costs to produce the charts had risen to over £600,000. Gallup samples (depending on source) 900 or 1,500 stores each week. The trade association of UK record companies, British Phonographic Industry Ltd. (BPI), annunces in January the termination the contracts with Gallup, Music Week and the BBC for 30.06.1990. On 1.07.1990, the publishing company of Music Week, Spotlight Publications/Link House Magazines, formed a new independent company, Chart Information Network Ltd. (CIN), to commission the charts. CIN cooperates with Gallup, the BBC and the British Association of Record Dealers (BARD). Initially the BPI refused to get involed in CIN's Chart Supervisory Committee (CSC) or to authorise the charts.

Related Topics:
Gallup

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 1990, the "Next 25" section of the UK singles chart, ie. positions 76-100 with specially applied rules, ceased to be printed in the official trade magazine Music Week. Between 24.11.1990 and 6.04.1991 only Record Mirror continued to print the "Next 25".

Related Topics:
Music Week - Record Mirror

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In January 1991, CIN became a joint-venture between Music Week publisher Spotlight/Link House and the BPI. Each part pays 50% of the cost of the charts, which had then risen to £1 million, but also shares equally in the revenue. The CSC is now comprising members from Music Week, CIN, Gallup, the BBC, BARD, and the BPI. Subsequently CIN seeks to open new marketing opportunities and sponsorship deals; these include premium-rate fax and telephone services and chart newsletters Charts+Plus (published from May 1991 to Nov. 1994) and Hit Music (published from Sept. 1992 to May 2001).

Related Topics:
Music Week - Gallup

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From May 1991, the newly established newsletter "Charts Plus" featured the singles charts with positions 76-200 (plus artist albums positions 76-150, Top 50 compilations, and several genre and format charts. In September 1992 a second newsletter is created: "Hit Music" features, among other charts, the singles Top 75 plus a revived "Next 25".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In early 1993 tenders were being sought for the chart compilation contract. Gallup's contract was to run out by the end of January 1994. In April 1993, BARD renewed its contracts with CIN. The BARD member companies are to provide sales data exclusively to CIN.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In May 1994 CIN announced that Millward Brown, subsidiary of market research company WPP, had won the chart contract. The main points of discussion were the rising costs, advances in technology, and better access to data. CIN will control the analysis of data and also own the copyright in all of Milwward Brown's research.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On 1.02.1994 Millward Brown took over as compiler of the CIN charts. The initial size of the sample is 1,250, rising to 1,600 by April 1994. The first chart based on Millward Brown data is published on 6.02.1994 (chart date: 12.02.1994).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 1994 "Charts Plus" ceases publication and "Hit Music" expands its chart coverage to an uncompressed (ie. not applying any special rules) Top 200 Singles, Top 150 Artists Albums and Top 50 Compilations. In November 1996 the Artist Albums chart extends to

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a Top 200.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 2001 Chart Information Network (CIN) changed its name to "The Official UK Charts Company".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With its edition no.439, "Hit Music" ceases publication in May 2001. By September 2001 chart enthusiast Herman Verkade enters a licensing agreement with CIN and creates an independent new chart publication: "Charts Plus". It covers the Top 75 Singles chart plus compressed positions 76-200, as well as the Top 200 artist albums chart, Top 50 compilations, and many other format and genre charts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2005, for the chart week ending 16 April, the first singles chart combining physical-release sales with legal download sales began. Several test charts, and finally an actual download-sales chart on its own, were published in 2004, but this combination within the official singles chart reflects a changing era, where sales of the physical single are falling while download sales are rising. Hosts JK and Joel commented during the broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on 17 April 2005 that the incorporation of download sales had resulted in an approximate doubling of singles sales on the week. For the first week's combined chart, however, the impact of this doubling was not readily apparent at the top of the chart, although a few singles in the middle positions benefitted. In general, download sales are seen to disadvantage certain genres of music while benefitting other genres. The real impacts of the combination will be seen, however, when sales and trends have smoothed out over the coming weeks and months, or even years.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In any case, with a change of the chart come new rules for eligibility, including one specifying that download sales are counted in determining a song's chart position only if there is a physical equivalent sold in shops at the time. In the same week that the new chart came into being -- and nearly a month prior to the single's general release on 9 May 2005 -- Gorillaz reportedly released just 300 copies of the single "Feel Good Inc." in a 7" vinyl format only. Presumably, the physical equivalent was made available only to get the single onto the charts in the first place. In its first "official" week, nearly 3,000 legal downloads of the single took place, essentially driving its initial chart position of 22. "Feel Good Inc." continued to chart in the low 20's in the subsequent three weekly charts on the strength of download sales despite the widespread unavailability of a physical equivalent. Perhaps predictably, the situation triggered criticisms of this new chart-eligibility rule.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Comparison of UK singles charts prior to 1969

New Musical Express

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Launched the first UK singles sales chart (a top 12) on 14 November 1952, initially compiled on a points system, from a sample of 15-30 from a pool of 53 shops. The chart was expanded to a Top 20 from 1 October 1954, a Top 30 from 13 April 1956 and a Top 50 from April 1983. The sample size was initially 15-30 shops, expanded to 70 by the early 1960s and 150 by June 1963. The NME compiled its own chart until 28 May 1988, after which it used the Network Chart (compiled by MRIB for broadcast on commercial radio in the UK in direct competition to the official chart show on Radio 1, and hosted at the time by David Jensen) for some years.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Record Mirror

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Launched a top 10 singles chart on 22 January 1955, later expanded to a Top 20 and then Top 30. Discontinued in March 1962 when Record Mirror began taking the Record Retailer chart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Radio Luxembourg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Radio Luxembourg was hugely influential in the 1950s and 1960s, but never had its own chart. It launched a Top 20 based on Melody Maker's sheet music chart as early as 1948 and switched to using the NME Top 20 singles sales chart at the start of 1960. During the 1970s the chart fractured into multiple genre charts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Melody Maker

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Launched a Top 10 singles sales chart in April 1956, alongside (but eventually superseding) the sheet music chart it launched ten years earlier. The chart became a Top 50 in September 1962. Its sample size was 30 at launch, expanding to 110 by 1963, 150 by 1965 and 220 by the time it merged with the Disc chart in August 1967.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Disc & Music Echo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Launched a top 20 singles chart in February 1958, based on a sample of 25 shops. It expanded to a Top 30 with a sample of c.75-100 shops by 1966. The chart became a Top 50 in April 1966 and merged with Melody Maker's chart in August 1967. Due to Disc's lower circulation and smaller sample size, its chart is not generally considered as important as other charts of the same period.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Record Retailer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Trade magazine Record Retailer launched a Top 50 singles chart on 10 March 1960. Its sample was only 30 shops to begin with, growing to 40 by March 1962, 60 by March 1963 and 80 by 1969. This was the only major singles chart to exclude EPs, which had their own separate chart until 30 November 1967. EPs were allowed into the main singles chart from that point on, just in time for The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour to enjoy a chart run which peaked at number two.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

British Broadcasting Corporation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Introduced Pick of the Pops on 4 October 1955, fortnightly until the end of the year, then weekly thereafter, based on an average of the Record Mirror and NME singles charts (and probably also Melody Maker from April 1956).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Building the canon

While the BBC/Record Retailer chart is almost universally accepted as definitive for the period from February 1969 onwards, there is some controversy over which charts should be considered "correct" prior to this. The most common solution to this problem is to regard the Record Retailer chart as the correct one from its inception in 1960, and the NME chart before that. This approach originated with the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, first published in 1977. However, it may be argued that almost nobody considered the Record Retailer chart to be canonical at the time of publication, at least until "Record Mirror" began publishing it as well. Some chart reference books simply take "Record Mirror" as their source from the start; this is the approach taken by "The Top 20 Book" compiled biannually by Tony Jasper from 1978 to 1994 and "Rock File", an annual publication during the 1970s whose "Chart Log" feature was effectively the forerunner to "British Hit Singles", as well as numerous books by Dave McAleer. The result of this approach is a chart that begins in 1955, and joins up with the "Record Retailer" chart (and so agrees with the Guinness book) in 1962.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A case may also be made for considering the NME chart to be the correct one for at least part of the 1960s, since it was arguably the one followed by the most people. Similarly, Melody Maker's charts could be considered correct for the same period because they drew on the largest number of shops for their compilation. (However, the latter is less practical since unlike the NME charts, the Melody Maker charts have never been reprinted and are therefore difficult to obtain.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Official UK Charts Company have adopted the Guinness solution as defining the official chart canon, however different approaches continue to exist.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~