November 30th 2024.
The pop music scene in the UK has been causing quite a stir lately, and it's not about the quality of the songs. Despite the common belief that pop music gets worse with age, the 2020s have proven to be a major improvement over the past decade. The variety of genres and artists gaining exposure has diversified rapidly, with singer-songwriters making a strong comeback. Gone are the days of monied executives and 'super-producers' dominating the charts.
However, the issue lies not with the music itself, but with the way the charts are compiled. The true story of pop music in Britain is no longer being accurately portrayed. This problem arose in 2014 when streaming figures were first included in a song's chart position. Fast forward a decade, and streaming has become the dominant format. While it's only natural for technology to evolve, the introduction of streaming has caused chaos that still hasn't been resolved.
We first noticed something was off in January 2016, when Justin Bieber made chart history by holding the top three positions at the same time with his hit singles Love Yourself, Sorry, and What Do You Mean? And it didn't stop there. A few months later, Drake's One Dance stayed at number one for a whopping 15 weeks straight. While it was undeniably a popular song, it definitely wasn't the fourth biggest of all time in the UK.
The problem lies in the fact that, since 2014, any song that is streamed from anywhere, actively or passively, is eligible to chart. This is a huge departure from the 20th century when songs had to be officially released and purchased in person. This change in rules caused a major upset in the charts, as we saw in March 2017 when Ed Sheeran's album Divide took over nine spots in the top 10. It was a sad day for the British pop charts as we knew them.
The Official Charts Company quickly took action and modified the rules so that only three songs from the same album could chart at once. But this was only a temporary fix, as numerous artists have still managed to occupy 30% of the top 10 in many weeks since then. And unfortunately, the problems don't end there. They are more wide-reaching than we initially realized.
In the 2000s, an average of 176 songs entered the top 10 each year, the highest in history. The number one spot changed a staggering 28 times per year, on average. While the rate of change was not as fast in previous generations, it was still healthy. In the 1960s, there were 99 new top 10 entries per year, and the charts were gaining popularity. In the 1970s, the turnover rate for number one singles slowed down, but the amount of songs reaching the top 10 remained strong. Similarly, the 1980s saw 120 new entries per year, and the 1990s saw a rise to 158 thanks to the mass spread of CD singles.
But things really picked up around the turn of the millennium, with the UK number one changing almost every week and new entries flooding into the top 10 like never before. It was a time when dozens of artists, both new and established, were consistently landing big hits. The charts were thriving, and music lovers were spoiled for choice.
It's clear that the UK charts are in need of some serious fixing. The way streaming is accounted for and the lack of diversity in the top 10 are just some of the issues that need to be addressed. Let's hope that the Official Charts Company takes the necessary steps to accurately reflect the true story of pop music in Britain once again.
The UK charts have been facing major issues lately. It's not the quality of the music itself, as some might assume. In fact, the 2020s have proven to be a significant improvement compared to the previous decade. The diversity in genres and artists receiving recognition is finally back to a healthy level after years of domination by a few wealthy executives and "super-producers." Even singer-songwriters are back in the limelight, after a decade of being overshadowed. However, the problem lies in the way these charts are being compiled. The true story of pop music in Britain is no longer being accurately portrayed.
Things started to go downhill in 2014 when streaming numbers were first included in a song's chart position. And now, a decade later, streaming has become the dominant format. While it's understandable that technology is constantly evolving, the chaos that was unleashed with the introduction of streaming has yet to calm down. It was evident in January 2016 when Justin Bieber became the first artist in UK chart history to hold the top three positions at the same time with his singles Love Yourself, Sorry, and What Do You Mean? And just a few months later, Drake's One Dance stayed at number one for 15 consecutive weeks, despite not being considered one of the top four biggest hits of all time in the UK.
The problem lies in the fact that after 2014, any song, streamed from anywhere, actively or passively, was eligible to chart. This was a drastic change from the 20th century when songs had to be officially released and purchased in person. This change became even more apparent on March 10, 2017, when Ed Sheeran's multi-platinum album Divide was released, and he occupied nine spots on that week's UK top 10. It was the day the British pop charts as we knew them died. Streaming numbers had distorted things to such an extent that a new album release could easily undermine the meritocracy of the singles chart, which had stood its ground for 65 years. The Official Charts Company (OCC), to their credit, acted swiftly and changed the rules so that only three songs from the same album could chart simultaneously. But sadly, this only temporarily fixed one problem, and many artists have since taken up to 30% of the top 10 spots in numerous weeks. And this is not the only issue, as more problems have surfaced, proving to be more complex than initially thought.
In the 2000s, the average number of songs entering the top 10 each year was 176, the highest in history. On average, the top spot changed 28 times per year. In the past, this rate of change may not have been so high, but it was steadily increasing. In the 1960s, there were 99 new top 10 entries per year, as the charts grew in popularity. This trend continued, with the rate of change slowing down in the 1970s and 1980s, but the number of songs reaching the top 10 remained strong. The 1970s saw an average of 120 new entries per year, while the 1980s had 137. The popularity of the CD single in the 1990s resulted in a further increase to 158 new entries per year. It was a time when many artists, both new and established, were landing multiple hits on a regular basis.
However, those numbers skyrocketed around the turn of the millennium. The UK number one spot changed almost every week, and new entries were coming into the top 10 at a level never seen before. It was a time of rapid change and evolution in the UK charts. But now, with the inclusion of streaming numbers, the charts seem to be stuck in a state of chaos and confusion. It's time for the OCC to take a step back and re-evaluate their methods to accurately reflect the true story of pop music in Britain. Only then can we hope to see a return to a fair and diverse representation of the UK charts.
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