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Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009

Change to music chart rules could kill singles

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:27 PM EST
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For those tired of seeing flash-in-the-pan boy bands at the top of the charts, revenge may be on the way.

From Jan 1, Led Zeppelin fans can at last jump Stairway to Heaven into the Top 40.

The Official UK Chart Company announced yesterday that bands can climb the singles charts purely on the strength of songs downloaded from the internet.

It paves the way for a band to reach number one without ever selling a physical record, and it means bands' entire back catalogues will be in the running – potentially pitting Queen, The Clash and Bob Dylan against the trendy bands of the moment.

When The Beatles' back catalogue becomes available to download in 2007, the band could go back to number one 40 years after their heyday. Until now, downloads only counted towards the charts if a physical copy was available in the shops. Without that incentive, some record companies are likely to stop pressing CD singles altogether.

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{"commentId":450281,"authorDomain":"ultimategfx"}
Mike B

I think this is terrible news. The whole point of the charts for me was to see what's the best of the 'latest' music. Now they're letting all music into it, which makes an incredible imbalance. I think it's safe to say that Don't Stop Me Now has had a bigger impact on music than that new Leona song, giving a massive imbalance.

{"commentId":450281,"threadId":"64274","contentId":"498847","authorDomain":"ultimategfx"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#1 - Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:59 AM EST
{"commentId":450500,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}
Aloriel

Which is also great due the amount of bad music that is flooding the market these late years.

{"commentId":450500,"threadId":"64274","contentId":"498847","authorDomain":"aloriel"}
  • 3 votes
#1.1 - Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:47 AM EST
{"commentId":450671,"authorDomain":"ultimategfx"}
Mike B

Which is also great due the amount of bad music that is flooding the market these late years.

I agree completely with what you're saying, but I also disagree.

Bad music is a term that I try my hardest to not use, because I know someone out there actually likes this. I thought that until the Crazy Frog song came out. The second that went to #1 in the UK charts I lost all faith in popular music.

I don't blame the charts for this. I blame those signing these terrible artists/bands. It seems the music industry really has been fed to the dogs. Bands that are popular on the alternative scene don't even stand a chance in the charts. Songs like "Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off" by Panic! At The Disco that are loved universally by loads of people barely touched the charts, and I think even those that don't like P!ATD would agree that they deserve at least a top 10 place for that song alone.

So yeah, I don't blame the charts. They're doing the best job they can. It's the whole industries fault, and it's a solid reason many people (apart from 8 year old girls and old people trying to be cool) listen to music outside of the popular spectrum. Give the radios freedom to play what they want when they want, give music channels more choice instead of keeping them inside a certain genre type, and let's even out the playing field.

{"commentId":450671,"threadId":"64274","contentId":"498847","authorDomain":"ultimategfx"}
  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:02 PM EST
{"commentId":450979,"authorDomain":"aloriel"}
Aloriel

From your reply I can understand that you agree better than disagree, because that will give the consumer (note that the people are called consumers) are the ones with the «real» power to decide which song is the one to be popular and not the industry. Of course the industry will do their best so you are already opened to buy what they sell but it changes a bit the balance and moves a bit to our side.

{"commentId":450979,"threadId":"64274","contentId":"498847","authorDomain":"aloriel"}
  • 2 votes
#1.3 - Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:22 PM EST
{"commentId":451121,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}
Red Wolf

The charts have always been easily manipulated by industry when they're trying to push the latest hit from one of they vapid pop princesses, so perhaps this will help show what people are really buying rather than what they want you to think they're buying.

{"commentId":451121,"threadId":"64274","contentId":"498847","authorDomain":"redwolf"}
  • 1 vote
#1.4 - Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:46 PM EST
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