Official Singles Chart on 23/2/2018

There still is a sales chart. It should be made the priority

I've mentioned this a couple of times as well (and I think I've mentioned it to you before), and I fully support the idea of prioritising paid streams over free streams on the singles chart. I think that something like 100:1 for paid streams, 200:1 for free streams and 400:1 for YouTube could work very well (or 150:1, 300:1 and 500:1). I wouldn't support the idea of removing free streams from the chart as the chart is supposed to be a measure of a song's popularity, and free streams still measure a song's popularity, but I would definitely like to see paid streams be worth more than free streams.

To me, the charts should be a measure of songs that have been actively purchased. Back in the Jurassic age (the 1980s) people used to record songs off the radio and then listen to them over and over but that,obviously, didn't count towards the chart position because it didn't involve a transaction. So why should something that's listened to for free have any impact on where a record lands on the charts?

Jayaston - you make an interesting point! Yes, "listening for free" contradicts the very point of the chart! There is no other industry in the world that is dependent on 'free sales'. You can't download free tv shows/films on iTunes/Google Play/Amazon. You have a choice to stream a rental or stream buy the download but no free streaming. Netflix isn't free to stream. You pay a subscription. A decent compromise could be a two tier chart format. The official top 40/100 is based on paid streams and broadcast on Radio 1 and the second chart is based on free streams. This second chart would not be broadcast on Radio 1. Personally, I'd prefer one paid for streams chart only, but i can't imagine Spotify removing its free model so free streaming is here to stay.

The problem with ratio streaming sales is its arbitary nature. In the real world a physical or digital sale is a real 'sale' - ratio streaming 'sales' seem too abstract. If each chart stream were based on a sale - an amount debited from your online account - that's a true measure of a song's popularity.

I agree with jayaston and as always on the same side as you James. But pretty much of what you're saying is just making the "Sales Chart" the priority chart, which i've been saying for months and months. It's that simple

There is no other industry in the world that is dependent on 'free sales'. You can't download free tv shows/films on iTunes/Google Play/Amazon. You have a choice to stream a rental or stream buy the download but no free streaming.

Wrong. There are many sites that offer free, legal streaming for TV shows. For example, you can watch almost all of The X-Files for free on Fox.com. A few weeks ago, you could watch every episode for free, but they've since locked a few. Also, you can stream live sports games for free on Facebook. And on top of free streaming, there is also free broadcast.

Free streams and broadcasts are included in the TV charts, and while separate, they are considered equal to paid streams and cable. If it's ok for TV to count "free sales", why can't it be ok for music to count "free sales"?

With respect, you mention Fox.com having free content but then add its now locked! Fox realised free content is not a good idea. Anyway... we all know any free content is paid for by advertising. Uk Freeview tv is free to watch but dependent on ad revenue. Spotify free version is full of adverts. If you keep listening to 'free' Spotify it gets interrupted with audio adverts! The only truly free music online is of the file sharing kind which copyright law frowns upon! Every major industry (cars, electrical goods, white goods, financial services, the list is endless!) cannot rely on free content - that was my main point - and yet much of the official chart is based on free music sales.

With respect, you mention Fox.com having free content but then add its now locked!

Which is normal. It happens with music too. For example, Drake's last big hit, One Dance, was and still is blocked on YT. You can still listen to covers or pirate the song for free, but then again you can pirate The X-Files too, so there again isn't much of a difference.

Also, I said only a few episodes are locked. You can still watch almost all of the show for free, and Fox isn't changing that. In fact, they're adding more free content as they make it. See for yourself, your favorite new show might be available there for free.

and yet much of the official chart is based on free music sales.

It's called the official singles chart, not the official sales chart. It measures the popularity of singles and hit album songs, not revenue generated from sales. Even before streaming, the chart didn't actually measure revenue.

I doubt it. There are other songs which are also climbing quickly, namely 'Feel It Still' and 'All The Stars' which are bigger contenders for #1 simply based on their higher positions.

Also Drake's streaming numbers, which were already massive, have risen even more after a music video was released and Post Malone has released a new single which is also gathering lots of streams.

I'm happy to see both Man Of The Woods and Say Something (a new peak) rise from just one day of activity following the Brits. Where do you think Say Something will peak next week? It will be another new peak as the song is currently leading the UK itunes chart with Rudimental's These Days close behind. I'm not sure how the UK weighs streaming versus sales but Rudimental should be the next #1 (of course not next week with Drake's massive streams).

Hey Piran! I think that 'God's Plan' will be the #1 for a quite a while longer yet, as there were no performances at the BRITs that could really challenge for the #1 spot. 'Say Something' may manage to enter the Top 10 come Friday, but if it does it will be lower down. It's climbing on streams but is still currently #28 on Spotify, and it had a really good day or 2 of being #1 on iTunes, but now it's #2 and is falling pretty fast. 'God's Plan' has a simply unbeatable amount of streams at the moment. Even 'Psycho' by Post Malone is over 300,000 streams behind on the latest Spotify chart.

I think that 'Supermarket Flowers' may be able to re-enter the Top 40 next week due to Ed's performance of it at the BRITs, but it will definitely be low down. It's doing reasonably well on iTunes, at #11 or #12 for most of the time since the BRITs, but its streaming performance will be what lets it down. Since Wednesday it's followed a pattern of 190 - 62 - 85 - 88 on Spotify.

I was very surprised when Ed performed 'Supermarket Flowers' instead of 'Happier' at the BRITs. I prefer 'Happier' but still like 'Supermarket Flowers', but I think that it was a bad move for Ed chart-wise. I could quite easily see 'Happier' going to #1 after a few weeks on the chart following a BRITs performance, but I'm not even sure if 'Supermarket Flowers' will re-enter the Top 10. 'Happier' has already proven itself to be much more popular, with 278m streams on Spotify, compared to 'Supermarket Flowers' which has 168m.

Speaking of streams for '÷' on Spotify, though, 'Bibia Be Ye Ye' passed 100m streams today, which means that all 16 songs on '÷' have now passed 100m streams! It's the first album to even come close to the achievement, beating out albums from streaming powerhouses like Drake and Justin Bieber, and beating out albums that would have to get much fewer songs to the landmark. '÷' is now the 2nd most streamed album on Spotify with 5.2bn streams, ahead of Ed's own 'x' with 5bn and Drake's 'Views' with 4.7bn, but behind Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' with 5.4bn.

I really like seeing 'The Middle' enter the chart this week, and I like seeing 'Capital Letters' enter. I also love that 'All The Stars' and 'FRIENDS' entered the Top 10, and that 'Never Be The Same' managed to re-enter for the 3rd time.

'The Greatest Showman' has now had a longer consecutive run at the top of the albums chart than anyone other than Adele or Ed Sheeran. The only albums that can beat or match it are Adele's '21' (11 weeks) and '25' (7 weeks), and Ed's 'x' (8 weeks) and '÷' (9 weeks). I do hope that something can replace it soon, though. I've never really liked the album and, for me at least, it's really overstaying its welcome.

I'm happy to see those two JT songs gaining as well! :D
'Say Something' was fairly stable anyway, even before the Brits, but I think it could end up around #15 on Friday. It's sales lead dropped a lot today & the streaming rebound hasn't been anything massive, but at least either that or 'Supermarket Flowers' is going to have the biggest boost among the songs that were performed at the Brits.

Hey Gameskiller! :)
Yeah, I even think that 'God's Plan' might even be #1 for 10 weeks, until it gets hit by the 300:1 streaming ratio.
I was also surprised by Ed's choice to perform 'Supermarket Flowers' as well, unless 'Happier' is now no longer the next single. I think that's the first time he's performed it live, considering it wasn't on any of his setlists on his tour last year. I think it'll enter the Top 40 though as it has consistently decent sales, but not very high up.
I think 'Psycho' might just make the lower Top 10 if its streaming continues to hold up well, but sales for that are dropping fast.

Yeah, if 'Happier' isn't the next single I will be pretty surprised given how well it's been performing. I don't think that 'Supermarket Flowers' will be able to reach as high of a chart position as 'Happier' would be able to.
I can see 'Psycho' entering the Top 5 with streams like it's getting now. Even if it doesn't sell well, being the 2nd most streamed song of the week should allow it to reach Top 5.

'Supermarket Flowers' is definitely the most personal song on the album, so that's another reason why I think it would be better as an unreleased album track.
Yeah, looking at the Spotify figures for 'Psycho', Top 5 is certainly possible for it. What do you think of the song?

I think that 'Psycho' is an alright song, but it's definitely not as good as 'rockstar' for me. It's not a bad song by any means, but it's not really a song that stands out to me.

I'm listening to it now & the production is so relaxing which is cool, Post Malone sounds fine, though I'm not a big fan of Ty Dolla $ign's part. As usual from the rapper, the content isn't all that interesting. Overall, probably a light 6/10 from me for now, which is slightly more than what I would give 'Rockstar'.