Do we really need music charts?
The Official UK Charts Company (which, presumably, feels we do so need music charts) has finally deigned that the UK’s charts should take streamed music into account – but still not for another year at least, according to this report from the BBC.
Talk about playing catch-up. Services like Spotify and We7 may have taken off in a big way over the last six months, but streaming music via sites like Last.fm, MySpace and other music-minded social networks is nothing new.
Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot told the BBC:
The charts have always been there as a popularity poll, as a means of identifying what are the hottest records of the moment. That’s been relatively simple when people have bought stuff to keep forever. But that’s going to become increasingly more complicated.
If the point of having charts is to show what’s popular, what people are listening to and give an indication of the general music zeitgeist in the UK, then ignoring music that is streamed makes them completely redundant. Complicated or not, seeing as charting music in the UK is the Official UK Charts Company’s raison d’être then they should get on it.
Ever since those heady Napster days, the internet has meant that we have access to a wider variety of music than ever before and release dates are nigh on pointless. You have to wonder if we really need the charts at all; how many people could really tell you what was number one now or what has been at any point in the past year without Googling it? If you want to find new music do you rush to check the charts, or do you use online services or consult friendship networks either online or off?
I’m not debating the fact that people do buy singles – in fact, single sales appear to be at an all time high although 98% of sales are digital – but in my case, single sales are sporadic at best. I couldn’t tell you what the last single song I downloaded was. That’s one of the major problems with singles charts – they only reflect what’s popular amongst people who buy singles.
I remember when there was genuine suspense and excitement around who would top the charts – including streamed music could be a way of getting that back, although I’m willing to concede that my age and music tastes may have had a part to play in the excitement. But I really feel that counting streamed music alongside paid-for could revolutionise and revitalise the British music charts – it could be brilliant. I hope it is, because in that case I’d be absolutely on board with the UK having a music chart. But as it stands I can’t help but feel there’s really no need at all.
Image via Suanie’s Flickr stream
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:53 am
Great post, I definitely agree. I remember back in the eighties thinking, “I hope I don’t grow up and start hating the charts like grown-ups do, saying the charts ain’t what they used to be” etc. Well, I did fall into that trap but at least this time our generation has taken responsibility for putting a bomb under the way we consume music. The industry has never lagged behind as much as it does now.
Huw
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I used to pay attention to the charts, hell I even used to watch Top of the Pops out of a kind of dutiful curiousity, but ever since my musical taste veered down a route which rarely sells well enough to chart (metal and alternative rock) i’ve barely bothered to look.
I’ve always thought that, even with taking into account downloaded singles, the charts only represented what 11 – 20 year old girls were listening to, because that seemed to be the only demographic who actually bought singles.
Personally, i only bought singles when, not because of impulse infatuation with a song, but when a band I really liked had a single out and I wanted them to do well in the charts. Presumably so that by coming high in the popularity contest they would reach a wider audience.
These days I can’t remember the last time I bought a single. I’ve downloaded some, but generally when my own taste has led me that way as opposed to it being ‘the new big single’. In fact if I had downloaded a song that was a current single I’d probably be surprised due to my paying no attention to the chart whatsoever.
ALBUM charts, however, are much more indicitive and interesting because the demographic changes. A much larger variety of people buy albums as opposed to singles, hence Slipknot’s most recent album quitely hitting No.1 without comment.
I don’t get how you’d factor streaming music into the charts. Would you only include stuff that had been released within the past few months? Or go by sheer numbers, in which case alot of old releases would be included? I don’t know how it would work.