Official Singles Chart on 9/9/2016

AJB, there's not enough digital sales/physical sales to justify a non-streaming 'official top 40' chart? I guess so. The OCC added streaming to make the chart more relevant and more accurate. But if you want a non-streaming top 40 there is the rival chart broadcast on Sundays. I won't mention the name of the chart - wouldn't be fair for me to promote a rival chart on this site - but it's easy for anyone to find out what it's called. Chart listeners have a choice what chart they prefer. :)

The two chart format was established in the 1980s. We had the Official Radio 1 Gallup Top 40 and the rival independent radio Network Chart Top 40. The Network Chart would feature master-mixes of current top 40 songs which was kinda cool. Both charts were broadcast at the same time so you had to keep switching stations on your radio! Those were the days...

Japan has ridiculous volatility on their charts. There'll be 30-40 entries in a week and songs will drop 20 positions or gain 40 positions at the drop of a hat. Of course, you'd have to be into the music like me to actually appreciate the variety/speed though.

Totally agree

First time? Not Radioactive? It's Time? Demons? Did NONE of those hit the Top 10?

Afraid not. Great band but never had a top 10 single. Having said that they have had a number 1 and number 2 album.

No they didn't. I think Radioactive was the only one that even hit the top 20. ID are like one of the only good artists the US appreciates better than the UK

Oh and Demons hit 13.

Bones in fact missed the top 200 on the combined chart. So we can safely assume that Tulisa and Mel C also both missed the top 200.

Thanks for that info.

Kings of Leon and James Arthur are about as dead as dubstep music.

Almost happened one week where 9 was the only song not in the same position when Give Me Your Love entered

Funny you mention subjectivity, because I disagree with presenting a handful of those 2015 songs as British:

-Uptown Funk was a hit for Bruno, not really for Ronson.
-The version of Lay Me Down that hit #1 was the collab version with John Legend, an American.
-David Zowie took the 4-day week; I refuse to acknowledge his win as equal to the others.
-Does Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir (and for that matter all the other charity single acts) really count as an artist?

I clearly stated that those number 1s include features. I'm not debating how British these songs are, I'm comparing number 1s by or with British artists/acts. You are of course free to present your own numbers. I'm not sure, however, you understood the point I was trying to make with this brief overview.

Well, we haven't actually finished 2016 yet, but assuming we get no other British number one: the mean of your very small sample is 16.67 and 2X standard deviation is just under 14.6. So 2016 is a bit of an outlier - but only like 1 in 20 ish. I think I'd want to see 2 or 3 years of <5 before I was convinced of significance.

Never mind purely number 1s by British artists. The problem is number of number 1s full stop.

What a fantastic post, the figures don't lie. As said the singles chart is deceased and especially for UK artists. You will not get a reply from the OCC, I would even go to a newspaper with this interesting story.

Anyway, for a more to-the-point critique of this argument, I don't like how it almost assumes that there's some "quota" to be filled of getting British artists to the top. Almost like a reverse affirmative action. The market climate changes over time, right now it's both a bit more stable and it has a broader worldwide scope. Acts from the States, Canada, and numerous other locations are able to get their music to spread across the world much easier than even a few years ago, and that includes the UK. Delayed physical releases in the UK market have slowly become not a thing over the past few years thanks to the rise of streaming and hype is now less in the hands of the promoters and more on the fans and consumers.

So to answer the question, I feel like the current chart climate is both more accurate and overall better for the purposes of useful data; the current slow pace is merely an honest presentation of the facts as opposed to a flaw of the methodology.

Simon, thank you for your reaction. I was hoping for more comments by the British people, as it is a national chart as well. I'm a huge fan of British music, so I find it somewhat difficult to enjoy these globalised singles charts. I used to follow various national charts around Europe for local artists but the charts have become a bit too samey. Luckily the UK album chart is still promoting British music and genre diversity (and it's not ageist).

Where is the love at 11? Now we know what's f*ck*d up in the charts

Bob's been promoting it endlessly, what a tireless performer.

I for one just want Let Me Love You to move. Either way. it's been at that spot for 5 weeks

I remember you telling me last week that you want 'In The Name Of Love' in the Top 10 & 'Sucker For Pain' is definitely getting close. :)
I'd like to see 'Let Me Love You' at the top as well (considering this is now its 5th week at #2), but I think the #1 is going to be taken by The Chainsmokers again or possibly Lady Gaga next Friday.

I agree that Let Me Love You has no chance of number 1. now. And yes it`s good to see them 2 climbing. They are my 2 favorite songs right now!

Nah Gaga won't get number 1. She is getting destroyed in streaming.

True

It's awful and is just a woman shrieking random words

This made me laugh out loud, love it, very sarcastic and a Blackadder, Alan Partridge like reply.

Yes, 'random words'. Sure you listened to the same song as me? And this coming from someone who likes the bland, forgettable 'You Don't Know Love' lol. It sounds like a naff b-side from a largely forgotten 80's singer.

I think you're giving him way too much credit, he's not being sarcastic at all. Plus Alan Partridge is actually funny.

You just have a trash taste in music

You guessed right at the last point :). Should have iht the top 10 because if Calum Scott can hit number 2 than how can Murs not hit the top 10 again?

Because Calum Scott sings with actual EMOTION whereas mr Murs only does it for the paycheque.

Emotion? Yeah whining like a little kid that fell off his tricycle.