Charts – 13 July 2014
It’s the second week to factor streaming into the chart, and the muted start for the new format continues, with one of the dullest charts of the year. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
38. Matrix & Futurebound featuring Tanya Lacey – “Don’t Look Back”
Charts – 6 July 2014
Welcome to the brave new technological frontier – the first chart of the streaming era! And what changes do we see? Um, not very much. Because the chart is still heavily weighted towards sales, you’re not going to see things charting on streaming alone – and besides, the streaming chart lags behind the sales chart anyway. Frankly, the only noticeable impact this week is that some older tracks still hanging around the streaming chart (like “Rather Be”) rebound. But hey, let’s see what else we have.
39. The Vamps – “Somebody to You”
Charts – 22 June 2014
Will this finally be the week that something stays at number 1 for a second week? The midweeks say no! iTunes says yes! Let’s find out!
But the bigger news by far is the announcement that streaming data will finally be added to the chart from the start of July. That makes this the penultimate chart to be based entirely on sales, after over fifty years. But I’m all for including streaming; it reflects what listeners are choosing to hear, and the rise of streaming services spawns an audience who have no logical reason to buy singles any more.
The question is how you weight it, which in turn begs the question of what exactly we’re supposed to be measuring here. Leave aside the fact that the chart exists primarily because the record industry considers it a useful promotional tool; that usefulness still stems from the perception that it actually measures something.
Charts – 15 June 2014
The World Cup is here, which means a batch of football-related singles make the chart. Strangely, one of the isn’t really here because of the World Cup at all. Meawhile, at the bottom end of the chart, basically random stuff!
36. Lil Wayne featuring Drake – “Believe Me”
The lead single from Lil Wayne’s upcoming album “Tha Carter V”. Strangely, it has no video yet and isn’t officially on YouTube (not that it’s hard to find unofficially). Wayne has appeared as a guest on tons of tracks dating back to 2005, but he’s had very little UK success in his own right; this is only the third time one of his own singles has charted. And one of the other two had Bruno Mars on it.
Charts – 8 June 2014
Charts – 1 June 2014
Charts – 25 May 2014
It’s getting on in the week, better get this one finished while it’s still vaguely topical…
40. Zedd (featuring Foxes) – “Clarity”
This is a re-entry, having originally got to 29 at the start of last year, but I’m honestly not sure why it’s back. Foxes’ current single “Holding Onto Heaven” drops to 39 this week.
38. Nicki Minaj – “Pills and Potions”
This was an unpromoted midweek release, and it’ll be climbing once it’s had a full week on sale. It’s the lead single from her upcoming album “The Pink Print”, and it’s a curious choice – largely a mid-pace piano ballad.
35. Little Mix – “Salute”
