Citizendia

"British Hit Singles" redirects here. For the book, see Guinness Book of British Hit Singles. British Hit Singles & Albums is a Music Reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment
Part of a series of articles on
British music

BPI • OCC

Charts
Singles chart (#1s; Records)
Albums chart (#1s)
Download chart (#1s)

Awards
BRIT Awards • Mercury Prize
NME Awards

Periods
Pre-1950 • 1950s & 60s
1970s • 1980s
1990s - Present

Origins and influences
Overview
England • Scotland • Wales
Ireland • Caribbean

Genres
Classical • Britpop • Brithop
Opera • Rock • Jazz

Major music publications
NME • Melody Maker
Music Week • Record Collector
Record Mirror • Record Retailer
Smash Hits • Sounds
Q • Kerrang! • fRoots

Other links
Bands • Musicians
Festivals • Venues

Timeline
1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995
1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000
2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005
2006 • 2007 • 2008 • (full list)

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The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. Music from the United Kingdom has lost great popularity since the 1960s when a wave of musicians helped to popularise Rock and roll. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI is the British record industry's trade association. The Official UK Charts Company ( OCC) previously called the Chart Information Network ( CIN) compiles various "official" UK record charts This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Singles Chart, from its inception in 1952 to the present Since the inception of the UK Singles Chart in 1952 there have been various records to break including most chart toppers longest run at number one biggest selling single etc The UK Albums Chart is a list of Albums ranked by sales in the United Kingdom. This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Albums Chart, from its inception in 1956 to the present The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the Music industry. This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Official Download Chart, from its inception on 23 June 2004 to the present The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards The Mercury Prize, formerly the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for Sponsorship reasons is an annual music prize The NME Awards are an annual music awards show founded by the music magazine NME (New Musical Express The diverse Nations that now make up the United Kingdom were much more distinct from each other prior to modern times The roots of British popular music for the rest of the 20th century and into the next were set during the 1950s In the 1970s, music from the United Kingdom further diversified In the early 1980s in the United Kingdom, Punk rock diversified into genres such as Gothic rock (e In the early 1990s American grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam helped inspire the British alternative rock scene Music from the United Kingdom has lost great popularity since the 1960s when a wave of musicians helped to popularise Rock and roll. The Folk Music of England has a long history. History Little survives of the early music of England by which is meant the music that was used by the people before Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to Pop music Wales has a strong and distinctive tradition of Folk music related to the Celtic music of countries such as Ireland and Scotland. Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border Music from Trinidad Large-scale Caribbean migration to England began in 1948 This article is concerned with Classical music in the sense elsewhere defined of formally composed and written music of chamber concert and church type as distinct from popular Britpop is a subgenre of Alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of Hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. The history of Opera in the English language commences in the 17th century British rock and roll, or Brit rock, was born out of the influence of Rock and roll and Rhythm and blues from the United States, but added Jazz in Britain has been performed in the country since shortly after the music's first appearance on record in 1917 The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Record Collector is the United Kingdom 's longest-running monthly music magazine Record Mirror was a national tabloid consumer weekly pop music newspaper founded by Isadore Green in 1953 then priced 6d (2½p in decimal currency featuring news articles interviews Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK Record industry. This article is about a magazine For the compilation album by Jimi Hendrix, see Smash Hits (album. Sounds was a British Music paper, published weekly from October 10, 1970 &ndash April 6, 1991 Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 Kerrang! is a weekly rock Magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. fRoots (pronounced "eff-Roots" originally Folk Roots) is a specialist Music Magazine published monthly in the UK. There are a large number of music festivals in the United Kingdom, covering a wide variety of genres This is a summary of 1991 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1992 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1993 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1994 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1996 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1997 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1998 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 1999 in music in the United Kingdom including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2000 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2001 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2002 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2003 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This article gives details on 2004 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year This is a summary of 2005 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts This is a summary of 2006 in music in the United Kingdom including the official single and album charts This is a summary of the year 2007 in British music. It was the first year of Digital downloads being fully integrated into the charts leading to many songs not This is a summary of the year 2008 in British music. So far this year fifteen singles have been at Number one with six being new releases The Official UK Charts Company ( OCC) previously called the Chart Information Network ( CIN) compiles various "official" UK record charts The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine, and published online at Yahoo! Music UK (formerly Dotmusic)[1]. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Dotmusic was a music Website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003 Around 6,500 UK retail outlets contribute sales data, as well as several online digital download stores and sweet shops. Unlike in the USA, no airplay statistics are used for the official UK Singles Chart. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Most UK singles are released in record shops on a Monday.

The main chart contains the top 200 singles combining record sales and downloads 50/50, of which the Top 75 is generally considered the official chart - though only the top 40 is commonly reported to the wider public. The Top 75 singles and albums charts, including songwriter, producer, publisher and label credits, plus a wide selection of other sales charts, are published each week in Music Week magazine. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as The complete charts, including the Top 200 Singles and Top 200 Artist Albums, are published by independent chart newsletter ChartsPlus on Wednesdays. ChartsPlus is an independet weekly Newsletter about the UK music charts

According to the Official UK Charts Company's statistics, as of 8 June 2008, 1,073 singles had topped the UK singles chart. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The precise number is debatable due to the profusion of different competing charts during the 50s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, although the usual list used is that endorsed by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles and subsequently adopted by The Official UK Charts Company. British Hit Singles & Albums is a Music Reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment As of 8 June 2008 the current number one is "Singin' in the Rain" by Mint Royale. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common " Singin' in the Rain " is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. Mint Royale is a Big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England.

The Top 40 is currently, and always has been, revealed first by BBC Radio 1, even before it is posted on the OCC's own website. Radio 1 broadcasts the Top 40, in reverse order, on Sundays from 4pm to 7pm. Mark Goodier and Bruno Brookes are famous for having been the presenters of this chart show for many years. Mark Goodier (born in Rhodesia on June 28, 1961) is a British Radio Disc jockey. Bruno Brookes (born Trevor Neil Brookes in Stoke-on-Trent, 24 April, 1959) is a British radio presenter who became famous in the 1980s Since October 2007, Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates have presented the chart show. October 2007 is the tenth month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. Fearne Cotton (born 3 September 1981 is an English Presenter known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops Reginald "Reggie" Montgomery Yates (born 31 May 1983 in Archway, London, United Kingdom) is a British Actor, Television Cotton is the first ever permanent female presenter of the Official Chart Show. A rival chart, hit40uk, which is based on sales and airplay, is broadcast on more than 100 commercial local radio stations.

Contents

History

Early charts

The first British singles chart was published in the November 14, 1952 edition of the New Musical Express (NME). Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been It was at first little more than a gimmick, a tool in the circulation war against NME's much older (and more popular) rival Melody Maker. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper The chart, described as a top 12 although the first one actually listed 15 records due to tied positions, was the creation of the paper's advertising manager, Percy Dickins, who compiled it by telephoning around 20 major record stores and aggregating their sales reports. He would continue to personally oversee the compilation of the chart well into the 1960s.

The chart rapidly became one of the paper's most popular features. After only a few weeks, it started being quoted in record company advertisements and press releases. In October 1954 it expanded to a Top 20 and in April 1956 to a Top 30. The chart also spawned imitators; Record Mirror launched its own chart in 1955 and Melody Maker on 7th April 1956. Record Mirror was a national tabloid consumer weekly pop music newspaper founded by Isadore Green in 1953 then priced 6d (2½p in decimal currency featuring news articles interviews Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper

The forerunner of today's official chart first appeared in the music trade publication Record Retailer (now Music Week) in March 1960 as a Top 50, but was not immediately recognised as the definitive chart in the country. Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK Record industry. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Arguably, the NME chart was still the most recognised chart, and had the advantage of widespread exposure due to its use by Radio Luxembourg. Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Throughout the sixties, the various different charts vied for public recognition, leading to some historical anomalies - for example, The Beatles' second single "Please Please Me" was a number one on most charts, but not in Record Retailer. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Please Please Me is the first album recorded by The Beatles, rush-released on March 22, 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise To add to the confusion, the chart used by the BBC on their popular shows Pick of the Pops and Top Of The Pops was actually calculated by averaging out all the others, and so did not agree with any of them, and was prone to tied positions, the most notorious example being when three records (The Beach Boys "Do It Again", The Bee Gees "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", and Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You") tied at Number 1 in Summer 1968. Pick of the Pops in its original incarnation was a BBC radio programme based on the Top 20 UK singles chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast The Beach Boys is an American rock band Formed in 1961 the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California Youth culture "Do It Again" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American pop band The Beach Boys. The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. " I've Gotta Get a Message to You " is a song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1968, which became their second #1 single on the UK Singles Chart, and Herbert "Herb" Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American Musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert " This Guy's in Love with You " is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and recorded There were also charts, such as that used in the mid 1960s by the "pirate" station Radio London (the "Fab 40"), which, because of the size of the audience, were influential, but were essentially airplay charts (allegedly influenced by payola) and bore no relation to sales. The term pirate radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmissions Payola, in the American Music industry, is the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on Music

In February 1969 a truly reliable, official chart emerged, from an alliance between the BBC and Record Retailer. For the first time a professional polling organisation, BMRB, was commissioned to oversee the chart, and a pool of 500 record shops was used, more than twice as many as had been used for any previous chart. BMRB Ltd (British Market Research Bureau Limited is the longest established market research agency in Britain dating from 1933 The new Official Top 50, computer-compiled for the first time, was inaugurated in the week ending 12 February 1969. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Since then it, and its successors, have been published every week by Record Retailer and then Music Week. Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK Record industry. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as

In May 1978, the singles chart was expanded from a Top 50 to a Top 75.

Electronic Age

In January 1983, BMRB lost their contract to Gallup, who arranged for electronic data gathering to replace the old sales diary method of compilation, which as well as being reliant on the smooth running of the postal service (as had been demonstrated by a two month long postal strike in early 1971), was also vulnerable to anyone wanting to manipulate the charts (as revealed in a 1980 exposé by World in Action). World in Action was a current affairs series produced by Granada Television in the United Kingdom in the 25 years from 1963 to Although Gallup had been producing the charts since 1983, the first chart terminals appeared in record shops in 1984. As a result, in October 1987, it was now possible for the chart, incorporating sales up to close of business on Saturday, to be announced on Sunday afternoon, rather than being delayed until Tuesday (or even Wednesday following a bank holiday) as was previously the case. From this time on, the Sunday BBC Radio 1 chart show would broadcast a new chart for the first time rather than give the final rundown of a chart that had been around for the past five days.

The chart was still officially a Top 75, and has been ever since. However, in January 1983 Gallup started producing a "Next 25" section, i. e. positions 76-100, and this was printed in the official trade magazine Music Week and also Record Mirror from then on. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as This section was not however an accurate reflection of sales. Discs that that been falling by more than a certain amount were excluded, allowing others to climb to positions they did not really hold. If a former hit showed a small increase in sales (perhaps by being sold at cut-price to clear the last few copies from stores quickly), it appeared as a re-entry when it had actually only gone back up a few places.

By 1990 costs to produce the charts had risen to over £600,000. Gallup sampled (depending on source) 900 or 1,500 stores each week. The trade association of UK record companies, British Phonographic Industry Ltd. (BPI), announced in January the termination of the contracts with Gallup, Music Week and the BBC for 30 June 1990. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) On 1 July 1990, the publishing company of Music Week, Spotlight Publications/Link House Magazines, formed a new independent company, Chart Information Network Ltd. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) (CIN), to commission the charts. CIN co-operated with Gallup, the BBC and the British Association of Record Dealers (BARD). Initially the BPI refused to get involved in CIN's Chart Supervisory Committee (CSC) or to authorise the charts.

In November 1990, the "Next 25" section of the UK singles chart, i. e. , positions 76–100 with specially applied rules, ceased to be printed in the official trade magazine Music Week. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Between 24 November 1990 and 6 April 1991, only Record Mirror continued to print the "Next 25". Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

In January 1991, CIN became a joint-venture between Music Week publisher Spotlight/Link House and the BPI. Each part pays 50% of the cost of the charts, which had then risen to £1 million, but also shares equally in the revenue. The CSC now comprised members from Music Week, CIN, Gallup, the BBC, BARD, and the BPI. Subsequently CIN sought to open new marketing opportunities and sponsorship deals; these included premium-rate fax and telephone services and chart newsletters, Charts+Plus (published from May 1991 to November 1994) and Hit Music (published from September 1992 to May 2001).

From May 1991, the newly established newsletter "ChartsPlus" featured the singles charts with positions 76–200 (plus artist albums positions 76–150, Top 50 compilations, and several genre and format charts. In September 1992, a second newsletter was created: "Hit Music" features, among other charts, the singles Top 75 plus a revived "Next 25".

In early 1993, tenders were sought for the chart compilation contract. Gallup's contract was to run out by the end of January 1994. In April 1993, BARD renewed its contracts with CIN. The BARD member companies were to provide sales data exclusively to CIN. In May 1993, CIN announced that Millward Brown, subsidiary of global advertising, media and communications conglomerate WPP (headed by Sir Martin Sorrell), had won the chart contract. Millward Brown, one of the world's leading research agencies with headquarters in the US is expert in advertising effectiveness communications assessment media evaluation brand The main points of discussion were the rising costs, advances in technology, and better access to data. CIN would control the analysis of data and also own the copyright in all of Millward Brown's research.

On 1 February 1994, Millward Brown took over as compiler of the CIN charts. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The initial size of the sample was 1,250, rising to 1,600 by April 1994. The first chart based on Millward Brown data was published on 6 February 1994 (chart date: 12 February 1994). Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

In November 1994, ChartsPlus ceased publication, and Hit Music expanded its chart coverage to an uncompressed (in other words, not applying any special rules) Top 200 Singles, Top 150 Artists Albums and Top 50 Compilations. In November 1996 the Artist Albums chart extended to a Top 200.

In November 2001 Chart Information Network (CIN) changed its name to "The Official UK Charts Company". The Official UK Charts Company ( OCC) previously called the Chart Information Network ( CIN) compiles various "official" UK record charts

With its edition no. 439 in May 2001, Hit Music ceased publication. By September 2001, chart enthusiast Herman Verkade entered a licensing agreement with CIN and created an independent new chart publication: ChartsPlus, covering the Top 75 Singles chart plus compressed positions 76–200, as well as the Top 200 artist albums chart, Top 50 compilations, and many other format and genre charts. ChartsPlus is an independet weekly Newsletter about the UK music charts

The Internet Age

In 2005 Wes Butters presented the last ever UK top 40 ending his career at Radio 1. The chart show was then radically re branded for the chart week ending 16 April, the first singles chart combining physical release sales with legal downloads began. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Several test charts, and finally an actual download sales chart on its own, were published in 2004, but this combination within the official singles chart reflected a changing era, where sales of the physical single were falling while download sales were rising. On 17 April 2005, hosts JK and Joel commented during the broadcast on BBC Radio 1 that the incorporation of download sales had resulted in an approximate doubling of singles sales on the week. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the first week's combined chart, however, the impact of this doubling was not readily apparent at the top of the chart, although a few singles in the middle positions benefited.

Initially, the British Association of Record Dealers were worried about the popularity of downloading taking away business from the high street. They also complained that including singles that were not available physically would confuse customers and create gaps in stores' sale racks. But they did agree to the new rules provided that digital sales were only included to a single's sales tally so long as there was a physical equivalent sold in shops at the time. However, as there was no rule for the minimum number of pressings, Gorillaz got round this by releasing just 300 vinyl copies of their single "Feel Good Inc." on April 12, 2005, a month before its general release. Gorillaz is a Virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of alternative rock band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the Comic " Feel Good Inc " is a song by Gorillaz, on their album Demon Days, featuring De La Soul. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This allowed it to debut in the chart at number 22 (eventually reaching number 2) and remain in the Top 40 for a longer period.

After pressure from elsewhere in the music industry, a second compromise was reached in 2006, which now allowed singles to chart on downloads the week before their physical release. Black Eyed Peas and Ne*Yo charted early as a result, and on April 2, 2006, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley became the first song to top the charts on music download sales alone. The Black Eyed Peas is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles. Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18 1979 better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B Singer-songwriter Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. " Crazy " is the first single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, and is taken from their 2006 Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between Multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton from New As part of the revised rules, singles would now be removed from the chart two weeks after the deletion of the physical formats, which meant "Crazy" fell out of the chart 11 weeks later from number 5, and a subsequent chart-topper, Nelly Furtado's "Maneater", disappeared from number 10. Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2 1978 is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, record producer actor and instrumentalist, who also holds Portuguese " Maneater " is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills This was in addition to the already in-force rule that in order to be eligible for the chart, the physical single had to have been released within the last twelve months.

Over the coming months digital sales continued to increase whilst physical sales continued to fall, which saw more and more artists entering the top 40 early, and fewer and fewer singles entering the chart directly at number 1. Whilst initially the proportion of digital sales to physical sales in the combined tally was relatively low, a majority of singles are now seeing more than 50% of their sales coming from online. Sales through mobile phones and video downloads are now also counted, but it is no longer expected that sales data of ringtones will ever be included.

On January 1, 2007 the integration of downloaded music into the charts became complete when all downloads - with or without a physical equivalent - became eligible to chart. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This saw a few singles gain publicity: the aforementioned "Crazy" and "Maneater", still selling strongly on downloads some time after their physical equivalents had been deleted, both returned to the chart along with several others that had been removed in the preceding months. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol surged back in at a Top 10 position (number 9, just three places below the peak it had reached the previous September), while Honey to the Bee by Billie Piper, following a tongue-in-cheek promotional push by Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles to test out the new chart rules, reappeared at number 17, almost eight years after its original chart run. " Chasing Cars " is the third single from Snow Patrol 's fourth album Eyes Open. Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish / Scottish Alternative rock band which formed in Dundee Scotland, The band achieved worldwide success due to " Honey to the Bee " is a single by Billie Piper released in 1999 Billie Paul Piper (born Lianne Paul Piper on 22 September 1982 is an English actress and pop Singer. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Christopher Moyles (born 22 February 1974 is an English broadcaster from Leeds.

The second song to return to the Top 40 several years after its first hit run was I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans, which reappeared at number 32 a full decade after it originally topped the chart. " I'll Be Missing You " is a Grammy Award -winning song and hit single recorded by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, in memory Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Faith Renée Evans (pronounced /feɪθ ɛvəns/) (born June 10, 1973) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Record producer The impetus this time was Puff Daddy's recent performance of a new version of the track at the Princess Diana Memorial Concert at Wembley. Wembley Stadium is a Stadium in Wembley, located in the London Borough of Brent in London, England. Two months later Luciano Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma returned to the chart at number 24 in the week following his death, 17 years after it was first a hit, climbing subsequently to number 12, while a drumming gorilla in a Dairy Milk television advert helped In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins to climb to number 14, 26 years after it was first a hit and 19 years since its last chart appearance as a re-mix. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes. Thank you--> Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 12, Nessun dorma (English edition None shall sleep tonight) is an Aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini 's Opera Dairy Milk is a brand of Chocolate bar made by Cadbury. This bar is popular in several countries around the world " In the Air Tonight " is a song by Phil Collins which first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. Philip David Charles Collins, LVO (born 30 January 1951 Chiswick, London) is an English Singer-songwriter, Drummer None of these songs had been officially re-issued.

Blag, Steal and Borrow by KOOPA became the first song to chart without ever being released physically (and the first by an unsigned band to do so). " Blag Steal and Borrow " is the fourth single by English punk band KOOPA. Later in the year they would do it again twice, with One Off Song for the Summer and The Crash reaching #21 and #16 respectively, while the band remained unsigned until the following year.

Following the cancellaton of its physical release Say It Right by Nelly Furtado was the first Top 10 hit to get through its entire chart career without a single copy ever appearing in any shop. " Say It Right " is a single released by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado. Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2 1978 is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, record producer actor and instrumentalist, who also holds Portuguese "Lord Don't Slow Me Down" by Oasis became the second and "Violet Hill" by Coldplay the third, while "Candyman" by Christina Aguilera had a chart run that took it into the Top 20 (number 17) entirely on downloads. Lord Don't Slow Me Down is a Rockumentary film looking back on British band Oasis ' Don't Believe the Truth world Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 " Violet Hill " is a song by English Alternative rock band Coldplay. Coldplay TalkColdplay#Is_or_Are_dispute_again " Candyman " is a swing jazz song written by Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics Christina María Aguilera (born December 18 1980 is an American pop / R&B Singer and Songwriter.

"4 Minutes" by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake became the seventh song (after the aforementioned "Crazy," Mika's "Grace Kelly," "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "About You Now" by Sugababes, "Mercy" by Duffy, and "American Boy" by Estelle featuring Kanye West) to reach number 1 on downloads alone. " 4 Minutes " is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31 1981 He has English ancestry although he has also claimed some American Indian ancestry probably through unconfirmed Mica Penniman (born 18 August 1983) known as Mika (ˈmiːkə is a Lebanese-born, London-based, Grammy -nominated and BRIT Award " Grace Kelly " is a song by Mika released for download on 9 January 2007. " Umbrella " is a song by singer Rihanna. It was written by Terius "The Dream" Nash, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell Rihanna (pronounced /riːˈɑːnə/ born Robyn Rihanna Fenty; February 20 1988 is a Barbadian singer, model and Fashion designer " About You Now " is a BRIT Award -nominated pop song written by Cathy Dennis and Dr Sugababes are a BRIT Award -winning English pop group trio from London. " Mercy " is the second single from the album Rockferry by Duffy. Aimee Anne Duffy (born 23 June 1984 in Bangor Gwynedd, Wales) known professionally as Duffy, is a Welsh R&B " American Boy " is a song by English hip hop singer Estelle and features American rapper Kanye West. Estelle Fanta Swaray (born 18 January 1980) widely known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle is a Grammy -nominated Black British Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. It has since joined the others in getting a physical release, but it is entirely possible that there will be future number 1 hits never released physically at all.

One noticeable effect that the new chart rules have had, has been to show up the staying power of many downloads, especially if a physical copy is no longer (or never has been) available. Despite a seven-week gap in its chart run in late 2006 while ineligible under the old rules, Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars", mentioned earlier, has now clocked up 78 weeks on the chart, an amount bettered by only one other single in the whole of chart history (My Way by Frank Sinatra with 124 weeks). Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Rehab by Amy Winehouse, also still selling steadily, has made it to 57 weeks, putting it in 5th place in the all-time list; "Umbrella" (also mentioned earlier), is on 50 weeks; How To Save A Life by The Fray has reached 42; Shine and Patience, both by Take That, are on 42 and 39 weeks respectively, while numerous others have passed the 30-mark. How to Save a Life is the first full-length debut Studio album from Denver -based band The Fray. The Fray is a Grammy Award -nominated four-piece Piano rock American band from Denver Colorado. " Shine " is the second single taken from Take That 's comeback album Beautiful World. " Patience " is a song by the British boy band Take That. Take That are an English pop Musical group consisting of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark These include two more Amy Winehouse titles (her guest vocal appearance on Mark Ronson's version of the Zutons' "Valerie" on 36 weeks, and Back To Black, which has made it to 34 weeks despite getting no higher than number 25), and also "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado (also mentioned earlier), never released physically but which clocked up 31 weeks purely as a download. Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975 is an English Brit Award and three-times Grammy award -winning Music producer, artist and co-founder of The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. History The Zutons formed in Liverpool in

Another consequence of the new chart rules that was widely expected but which has not so far materialised to any great extent, is that in the event of a high-profile new album release by a major act, all or most of its tracks could appear on the singles chart due to people downloading individual songs rather than the complete album. With the exception of one or two tracks by Mika and also Arctic Monkeys, there was no significant example of this happening until early October 2007, with the cast of High School Musical 2 placing six of its songs simultaneously in the Top 75 (although these were credited to their individual performers), with a further four just outside. Arctic Monkeys are a British Indie band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. High School Musical 2 is the Sequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie, High School Musical. A month later Leona Lewis placed five tracks from her album Spirit simultaneously on the singles chart. Leona Louise Lewis (b 3 April 1985 is an English pop and R&B singer-songwriter and the winner of the third series of the United Kingdom television A more pronounced example may come with the long-awaited arrival of the Beatles' catalogue online, with the most optimistic forecasters predicting the entire top 10 being taken up by Beatles songs. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 [1][2]

One effect of the new rules that was expected, was the reappearance in the chart of a number of seasonal favourites in the run-up to Christmas. A total of 19 achieved this, without any being officially re-issued, and so reappeared on downloads alone. Two of these (by Mariah Carey and The Pogues), reached the Top 5. The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background playing Traditional Irish music with influences from Punk rock, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane Two more old yuletide songs, never previously hits in the UK, also charted, by Andy Williams and Perry Como. Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams (born December 3 1927 in Wall Lake Iowa) is an American pop singer Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como ( May 18 1912 &ndash May 12 2001) was an Italian-American singer and television personality

New rules were added to the chart on 16 September 2007 to include one track CD singles with a limit of 15 minutes and to retail at a minimum of 69p per one track CD single.

Comparison of UK singles charts prior to 1969

Launched the first UK singles sales chart (a top 12) on 14 November 1952, initially compiled on a points system, from a sample of 15-30 from a pool of 53 shops. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The chart was expanded to a Top 20 from 1 October 1954, a Top 30 from 13 April 1956 and a Top 50 from April 1983. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The sample size was initially 15-30 shops, expanded to 70 by the early 1960s and 150 by June 1963. NME compiled its own chart until 28 May 1988, after which it used the Network Chart (compiled by MRIB for broadcast on commercial radio in the UK in direct competition to the official chart show on Radio 1, and hosted at the time by David Jensen) for some years. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) David "Kid" Jensen (born July 4, 1950) 58 is a Canadian -born British Radio DJ.

Launched a top 10 singles chart on 22 January 1955, later expanded to a Top 20 and then Top 30. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Discontinued in March 1962 when Record Mirror began taking the Record Retailer chart.

Radio Luxembourg was hugely influential in the 1950s and 1960s, but never had its own chart. It launched a Top 20 based on Melody Maker's sheet music chart as early as 1948 and switched to using the NME Top 20 singles sales chart at the start of 1960. During the 1970s, the chart fractured into multiple genre charts.

Launched a Top 10 singles sales chart in April 1956, alongside (but eventually superseding) the sheet music chart it launched ten years earlier. The chart became a Top 50 in September 1962. Its sample size was 30 at launch, expanding to 110 by 1963, 150 by 1965 and 220 by the time it merged with the Disc chart in August 1967.

Launched a top 20 singles chart in February 1958, based on a sample of 25 shops. It expanded to a Top 30 with a sample of c. 75-100 shops by 1966. The chart became a Top 50 in April 1966 and merged with Melody Maker's chart in August 1967. Due to Disc's lower circulation and smaller sample size, its chart is not generally considered as important as other charts of the same period.

Trade magazine Record Retailer launched a Top 50 singles chart on 10 March 1960. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Its sample was only 30 shops to begin with, growing to 40 by March 1962, 60 by March 1963 and 80 by 1969. This was the only major singles chart to exclude EPs, which had their own separate chart until 30 November 1967. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. EPs were allowed into the main singles chart from that point on, just in time for The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour to enjoy a chart run which peaked at #2. Magical Mystery Tour is the name of the 11-song Album and six-song Double EP by the English rock band The Beatles, first

Introduced Pick of the Pops on 4 October 1955, fortnightly until the end of the year, then weekly thereafter, based on an average of the Record Mirror and NME singles charts (and probably also Melody Maker from April 1956). Pick of the Pops in its original incarnation was a BBC radio programme based on the Top 20 UK singles chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar)

Building the canon

While the BBC/Record Retailer chart is almost universally accepted as definitive for the period from February 1969 onwards, there is some controversy over which charts should be considered "correct" prior to this. The most common solution to this problem is to regard the Record Retailer chart as the correct one from its inception in 1960, and the NME chart before that. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been This approach originated with the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, first published in 1977. British Hit Singles & Albums is a Music Reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment However, it may be argued that almost nobody considered the Record Retailer chart to be canonical at the time of publication, at least until Record Mirror began publishing it as well. Some chart reference books simply take Record Mirror as their source from the start; this is the approach taken by The Top 20 Book compiled biannually by Tony Jasper from 1978 to 1994 and Rock File, an annual publication during the 1970s whose "Chart Log" feature was effectively the forerunner to "British Hit Singles", as well as numerous books by Dave McAleer. Dave McAleer was the Chief Consultant/Contributor of the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums (now discontinued and the sole Music Consultant for the Guinness The result of this approach is a chart that begins in 1955, and joins up with the Record Retailer chart (and so agrees with the Guinness book) in 1962.

A case may also be made for considering the NME chart to be the correct one for at least part of the 1960s, since it was arguably the one followed by the most people. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been Similarly, Melody Maker's charts could be considered correct for the same period because they drew on the largest number of shops for their compilation. (However, the latter is less practical since unlike the NME charts, the Melody Maker charts have never been reprinted and are therefore difficult to obtain. )

The Official UK Charts Company have adopted the Guinness solution as defining the official chart canon, however different approaches continue to exist.

Criteria for inclusion

In order to qualify for inclusion in the UK singles chart, a single must meet the following criteria:

The full chart regulations also place limits on how chart singles can be packaged and what free gifts can be offered to purchasers. The full regulations can be downloaded from the Official UK Chart Company website or obtained by post from them.

Broadcasting the charts

BBC Radio 1 was first broadcast in 1967, and has always included a broadcast of the official chart. In initial years, only the top twenty was broadcast. This was then gradually expanded so that the chart now covers the top forty singles although the entire Top 40 was not played until the start of 1991. Fourteen years later the chart shows was revamped, once again, only the Top 20 singles were guaranteed to be played. Starting from 14 October 2007 Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates presented the Top 40 show on Sundays. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Fearne Cotton (born 3 September 1981 is an English Presenter known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops Reginald "Reggie" Montgomery Yates (born 31 May 1983 in Archway, London, United Kingdom) is a British Actor, Television The chart show has always been broadcast on a Sunday evening and has only been cancelled once - on 31 August 1997, owing to the death of Princess Diana. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar

For many years the chart was revealed on a Tuesday lunchtime (or Wednesday following a bank holiday) and the Top 40 on Sunday was merely a repeat of this - however, since October 1987 the new chart has been broadcast for the first time on Sundays.

The television version of the chart show, called The UK Top 40, began in 2002 on CBBC (Children's BBC), part of BBC Television, which broadcast selected video highlights and the entire top 10 countdown. The CBBC Channel is a BBC television service aimed at 6 to 12 year olds It was hosted by Adrian Dickson and Konnie Huq from its inception until September 2004, and then by Andrew Hayden-Smith until the last edition on 12 June 2005. Adrian Dickson (born 1977 in South Africa) is a British Television and Radio Presenter Kanak "Konnie" Huq ( Bengali: কনি হক pronounced Huck; born 17 July 1975) is an English television presenter Andrew Hayden-Smith (born Andrew John Smith 5 November 1983 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear) is an English actor and television Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Number 1 quirks

Since the inception of the UK Singles chart, many issues have arisen about certain singles and whether or not they should have made number 1. This controversy has caused much dispute on a few number 1 singles - most notably concerning The Beatles' "Please Please Me", as discussed above.

There was a period of time when the entire record industry took a break for the Christmas period. This resulted in no release of a new singles chart on the Tuesday following Christmas Day. When electronic sales recording took over from sales diaries, a chart started to be compiled for Christmas week but was never aired. Usually, it would result in no change at number one. However, there was one exception; the Christmas period of 1980. A frenzy of buying John Lennon singles had begun following his murder on 8 December. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. This resulted in "(Just Like) Starting Over" topping the charts, which was then dethroned after a mere seven days by "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma". There's No-one Quite Like Grandma was a number one hit single by Stockport -based Primary school choir St However, after this stayed at the top for a week, many people had bought Lennon's re-issued Christmas classic, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", and the new chart compiled actually had this at the top. This chart was never published and thus it is omitted from lists of number ones. By the time the next official chart was issued after the festive season, "Imagine" had topped the chart, but technically John Lennon had three number ones in succession, something no other act has been able to achieve. " Imagine " is a song by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album Imagine.

In the week of the Queen's massive Silver Jubilee celebrations in June 1977, the Sex Pistols were due to release their second single, "God Save The Queen", expressing great contempt for royalty. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II 's accession to the The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975 " God Save the Queen " was the second single released by the Punk rock band Sex Pistols. There was wide speculation and rumour that the Sex Pistols were going to be number 1 for this historic week, but surprisingly Rod Stewart retained his position on top of the chart for a fourth week with "I Don't Want To Talk About It/The First Cut Is the Deepest". Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently " I Don't Want to Talk About It " is the name of a song written by Danny Whitten. " The First Cut Is the Deepest " is a 1967 Song written and sung by Cat Stevens. Rumours then began to circulate that the chart compilers had fixed the chart to avoid controversy. A number of other charts, including the one published in the New Musical Express, placed "God Save The Queen" at number one. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been

In the 1950s, singles had frequently shared the number 1 position for a week, due to sales ties. This had never been an issue ever since. However, in the 1980s, a new rule was instituted to deal with any joint positions in the chart (not just at number one): the single whose sales had increased most from the previous week would reside above the other. In September 1990, "The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band and Deee-lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" sold enough copies to be joint number 1, but because of the rule, Deee-lite were relegated to number 2 and "The Joker" topped the chart. " The Joker " is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. Steve Miller (born October 5, 1943, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American Guitarist and Singer/songwriter. Deee-Lite was a House and Club/Dance group formed in New York City. " Groove Is in the Heart " is the most successful song by the Dance music band Deee-Lite. Following the controversy and complaints from Deee-lite's record company, WEA, the rule was scrapped and joint positions were once more allowed, although there have been no more joint chart-toppers since. Warner Music Group (WMG is the third-largest of the "big four" major record labels, the others being Sony BMG, EMI, and Universal

In 1987, Steve "Silk" Hurley's "Jack Your Body" topped the charts for 2 weeks, but in fact it should have never been there. "Steve Hurley" redirects here For the singer with Cockney Rebel see Steve Harley. Jack Your Body is a popular song by Steve 'Silk' Hurley. One of the landmark records in the history of House music, Jack Your Body was written and produced The 12" actually exceeded the maximum playing time to qualify as a single and therefore Jackie Wilson's re-issue of "Reet Petite" should have enjoyed a fifth week at the top and "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" was deprived of a week at the top, which would have increased its total to three. Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr ( June 9, 1934 &ndash January 21, 1984) was an American singer "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town" (original subtitle The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet) is a song made popular by Jackie Wilson. " I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me " was a song performed by Aretha Franklin and George Michael in a Duet in 1987

The advent of multi-formatting, whereby a single appears in many different versions, caused some controversy in 1982 when The Jam's "Town Called Malice" went straight in at number one, thereby keeping The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" at number two. The Jam were an English Mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s " Town Called Malice " is a song recorded by The Jam from the album The Gift. The Stranglers are an English rock music group formed on 11 September 1974 in Guildford, Surrey. " Golden Brown " is a song by the English rock band The Stranglers. "Town Called Malice" was available in two different versions - the studio version on the 7" single and a live recording on the 12" - and EMI (The Stranglers' record company) protested to the British Market Research Bureau that many Jam fans were buying both versions of the record. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in However, the BMRB ruled that nothing untoward had taken place, and more than twenty years on multi-formatting has become the norm.

On a couple of occasions in chart history the wrong number one has been announced:

Sponsorship

There has been much controversy over the fact that the UK Singles Chart has, for many years, been sponsored by various companies. This in itself would be unremarkable were it not for the fact that the chart is broadcast exclusively on BBC Radio 1, a publicly owned radio station that cannot sell advertising or sponsorship. The singles chart sponsorship is, however, sold by the Official UK Charts Company, so the BBC does not receive any money from the deal. They have, in the past, mentioned the name of the sponsors during the chart rundown and this has in effect allowed the sponsors to do indirect advertising on a publicly owned radio station.

For many years the chart was sponsored by worldpop. com, a music website. However, in 2004, Coca Cola became the sponsors. Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries For a while, the BBC continued the practice of mentioning the sponsoring company during the chart show, however there was a huge backlash against this, partly caused by controversy elsewhere over allowing sugary/fatty foods and drinks to be advertised to children. It was also considered controversial as it appeared (erroneously) that the BBC, a licence-fee supported organisation which does not allow advertising, was being itself sponsored.

The BBC initially stuck to its guns but eventually came to an agreement whereby the name would be dropped from its on-air broadcast.

References

  1. ^ PC Pro: News: Beatles albums remastered for download debut
  2. ^ Beatles To Dominate Charts As EMI Lawsuit Settled - TrustedReviews

See also

External links

This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Singles Chart, from its inception in 1952 to the present The following is a list of artists that have had 5 no1's in the United Kingdom. Since the inception of the UK Singles Chart in 1952 there have been various records to break including most chart toppers longest run at number one biggest selling single etc This is a list of the best-selling singles on the UK Singles Chart for each year A One Hit Wonder has been defined by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as an artist who has achieved a No Hit Music is a weekly British chart newsletter sister publication to Music Week. ChartsPlus is an independet weekly Newsletter about the UK music charts The UK Albums Chart is a list of Albums ranked by sales in the United Kingdom. Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Record Retailer was a trade newspaper for the UK Record industry. The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the Music industry. Midweeks are lists of sales figures for music Albums and singles in the United Kingdom during the period between the weekly chart publication on Sundays The Pepsi Chart (previously known as "The Pepsi Network Chart Show" networked on Sunday afternoon Top 40 countdown on UK radio that started The Complete UK Hit Singles is a book that lists every single to have made it into the UK Singles Chart since its inception in American Top 40 (commonly abbreviated to AT40) is an internationally- syndicated, independent
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