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Official Singles Chart Top 40 on 09/9/2016

9 September 2016 - 15 September 2016

The Official UK Top 40 chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company, based on official sales of sales of downloads, CD, vinyl, audio streams and video streams. The Top 40 is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV, the full Top 100 is published exclusively on OfficialCharts.com. View the biggest songs of 2023.

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A

AJB

1

I agree that the static nature of the official singles chart isn't great. I fully respect the inclusion of streaming but the proportion of sales to streams seems off to me. Also, given that streaming sites pick and choose songs for playlists, this is no better than including airplay. A truly representative chart must either exclude streaming playlists or include limited airplay too...

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James England

0

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...

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James England

0

Regarding the stagnant nature of the chart...

The top 40 isn't the 'be all and end all' of popular music. I used to think it was but not anymore. If you take the time to look here and post here you have an interest in the top 40, I'm not saying people should give it up, but as the chart has changed and it doubtful it will ever return to it's pre-streaming format it may give some chart fans an incentive to look elsewhere for current music. I've heard quite a number of cool new songs that haven't charted. Songs I may not have found had I just stuck with looking at the chart each week. Some older chart fans may move away from the chart and go elsewhere to find/listen to current music.

SF

Simon Flynn

1

The sheer fact that the sales chart sees tons of movement and new entries and the standard one sees less movement than an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping should count for something. Change it back OCC, do it now.

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James England

1

JohnM, good points! Pre-streaming we had bands like Oasis, Blur, The Charlatans, The Verve, The Smiths, etc all high up the chart. The Stone Roses did have a comeback this year with two songs in the top 20 which was quite an achievement but, overall, streaming listeners don't like 'indie band' type music. And standard rock music has zero chance of chart success these days.

I thought the recent track 'Blossoms - Charlemagne' reminded of those bands but the song reached 98! Pre-streaming era, I reckon it would have charted much higher: Quite a catchy tune. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBtVjjLtEY8

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I.B.

1

Will we ever see a British act on top? Perhaps a band that plays their own instruments.?

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Gail

0

Can anyone tell me a country in the world which its chart has lots of variety and new entries? Would really like to see!!

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RIME

0

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.

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etin

1

Why people buy chandelier???

SF

Simon Flynn

1

So Black eyed peas and Sia are top 15 sales but not top 40 on this chart, it seems a little unfair to overly include streaming if anything. Maybe one day the penny will drop but radio 1 is so much In love of anything current like streaming and good old fashioned buying records is redundant.

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Painmix King

0

Totally agree

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

Yes Imagine Dragons one more spot and you're in the UK Top 10 for the first time

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Josh Dransfield

0

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

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Mark Willmott

1

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

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

Oh and Demons hit 13.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

Good week in terms of new entries but the Black Eyed Peas deserved to enter a LOT more than Ariana Grande and it's great that You Don't Know Love climbed but not in the top 10 like it was mid-week? That's what I was looking forward to and it snuffed up in the end and the same top 7 FFS.

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James England

1

No chart success for Tulisa's Sweet Like Chocolate, Mel C's Anymore and Rebecca Ferguson's Bones. Bones did make number 80 in the sales chart but no impact on the combined chart.

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I Holmes

0

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.

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James England

0

Thanks for that info.

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Magnus Hans Christian Hallén

0

Next week the chart shake up. With a high debut from Lady Gaga. Also Sia and Offaiah Will make climbs as well new sängs as Kings of Leon and James Arthur.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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

PB

Paul Barr

0

I'm just waiting for the first non-moving top 10. It WILL happen

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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

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Daniel Ayquero

0

As fans of British music we all vent here some personal issues we have with the current charts. It's all very
subjective. So I've decided to confront all of you (and the OCC) with some numbers I've gone through recently.
Numbers don't lie and you should be the judges. How does the current chart compare to its predecessor? The OCC believes in continuity of their charts, so here are no. 1s by BRITISH artists (including features) in the past
couple of years (please feel free to correct any discrepancies). And I wonder what the OCC thinks of such
comparisons because it's also their methodology that affects the current state of charts and puts UK artists at an obvious disadvantage.
2000 - 22
2005 - 14
2010 - 18
2011 - 22
2012 - 22
2013 - 12
2014 - 25
2015 - 14
2016 - 1 (so far)
(*in contrast, in 2016 there have been 15 BRITISH no. 1 albums and 6 no. 1s in the sales chart)

R

RIME

1

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?

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Daniel Ayquero

1

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.

S

Seb

1

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.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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

SF

Simon Flynn

0

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.

R

RIME

2

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.

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Daniel Ayquero

1

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).

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Mark Willmott

1

Just to prove how much influence streaming has on the charts these days you only have to look at the difference between sales and the actual chart. Olly murs at 6, where is the love at 11 and One Dance at 37!!!!!!!!!

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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

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riley

2

Overall really liking the singles out right now. Like every song in the top 25 :)

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Rick Styles

-1

The top 7 songs remain in the same place. UK music is the most boring scene to follow ever. apart from America which is well boring.
Could Theresa May ask the culture secretary to shake things up.
Well done to Bob Marley with his new single!

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Mr. Threepwood

0

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

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Piran

3

Great to see The Chainsmokers & Halsey at #1 for a 2nd week with 'Closer', but I think Lady Gaga is going to be a very strong challenger for the top next Friday! After hearing 'Perfect Illusion' for the 1st time on BBC R1 this morning, I wouldn't mind either being #1 next week... but I wish 'Let Me Love You' got at least 1 week atop the UK Singles Chart, though I understand that this will be very unlikely to happen now.
It's a bit boring to see absolutely no movement in the Top 7, but with 6 new songs arriving in the Top 40 for the 1st time & 1 re-entry into the Top 40 (all of which I like) & I think movement in the charts over the next few weeks will definitely be better than it has been over the summer. Shame the re-release of 'Where Is The Love?' couldn't make the Top 40, but 'The Greatest' will definitely take a huge rise next week & also amazing to see that 'You Don't Know Love' managed to reach a new peak again. Congratulations to all! :)

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I Am A Stegosaurus

2

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

R

riley

2

Really good to see In The Name Of Love get in the top 10, such a tune! Shame Sucker For Pain couldn't get in. hopefully that can hit the top 10 next week. I love Closer but would of love to seen Let Me Love You hit the top spot

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Piran

2

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.

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riley

3

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!

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Josh Dransfield

2

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

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

True

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TheInkAndThePaper

2

Why is White Tiger STILL not making an impact????????

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I Am A Stegosaurus

3

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

SF

Simon Flynn

1

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

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TheInkAndThePaper

0

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.

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TheInkAndThePaper

0

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

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

You just have a trash taste in music

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RIME

4

Aw yeah, False Alarm, Millionaire, and The Ocean all finally made it this week! Also happy to see Side to Side, Let Me Hold You, and Ain't My Fault in the zone. I imagine others will be pleased to see You Don't Know Love at a new peak.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

2

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?

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TheInkAndThePaper

1

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

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I Am A Stegosaurus

0

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