Spain to suspend its album chart amid coronavirus pandemic

Spain's equivalent of the Official Charts Company has halted its album chart for the first time ever due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Spanish charts company Promusicae have announced on their website that the Top Albums Chart will be paused until the country's state of alarm is over. The rundown currently monitors paid-for sales (CD, vinyl and download). Its Top 100 Streaming Albums Chart will continue to be compiled.

The industry body describes the Top Albums Chart as "almost irrelevant" in the current climate, due to "the practical impossibility of selling physical copies during the weeks of lockdown". 

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They also explain that CDs and vinyl may not be stocked and/or shipped by online retailers because they are not considered essential items. 

Promusicae hint that a new look Top Albums Chart is already in development to encompass sales on all formats, and could be rolled out once "this extraordinary stopover ends".

The news comes after Promusicae revealed last week that music streaming volumes are down in Spain during the lockdown due the influx of home entertainment offers and lack of commuting. It has also been estimated that the Spanish music industry could lose up to €100 million because of the pandemic.

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