That's obviously because individual album tracks can be purchased instead of the whole album. It's called progress. Embrace it. It isn't going anywhere.

The charts haven't been ruined by streaming. Its easy to blame it, but, This is what has ruined the charts....

1. Enya gets played lots on radio 2 (her new single) but they shun Sandi Thom. Enya herself, is restricted to radio 2

2. With any song any people listen to now able to make it to the charts, it should result in more variety than ever. We don't all listen to the same songs do we? Well, this isn't the case.

The charts are actually a reflection on what some guy in a boardroom has deemed "popular" and allowed airplay, as opposed to what the public want. The charts are very slow these days.

ive been hearing that (about the album charts) for over 40 years m8.


im 58 and have until recently 'followed the (singles) charts' ... even now i kinda know whats around. ive been a 'fan' of the charts and british pop music for over 50 years, i watched and enjoyed the first totp. pop music for me has been the backdrop to my life, and i relate popular songs at any one time to the events that i lived through at that time. long may that be the case, i dont want a favoured track from 1966 or 1986 to be linked with what im doing today, retro tracks have their place - nostalgia and memories from one particular time.

i also attend pop music quizes! so keeping up to date has its advantages.

so i make no apologies for following the charts... i like it, so ill do it.


yyyyeeeesssss...... only the record companies used to rig the charts by buying copies of their own records from shops they knew contributed to the charts.

so the suggestion that in the good old days things were so much better, isnt really true. the singles charts were inaccurate.

The charts have been ruined by Justin Bieber, not downloads.

im no fan of bieber, but there are worse then him in the charts, both now and in the past

ladies and gentlemen i present the evidence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9r1cFJZW7E

I think streaming has spoilt the charts as it's become the biggest indicator of what the next big hit is going to be. Look at Justin Bieber today. If someone had told me six months ago he would occupy the UK #1 and #2 in the same week I would've just thought "nah, don't think so" and yet he's achieved it. All because of streaming.

Eventually, an artist is going to release a song exclusively to Spotify and it's going to be streamed enough times in a week it'll probably top the UK singles chart on just stream sales.

I don't have an issue with downloads though. If anything, it's downloads that got me back into buying music again after getting a £15 iTunes gift card as my secret santa present at work in 2011.

I sort of agree with the OP though, and I think it's because I'm part of that generation. Growing up we had Top Of The Pops, The Chart Show and CD:UK which made the UK charts seem like a big deal. People in their early to mid 20s have never had a big TV show dedicated to the charts in the same way us in our 30s had 15-20 years ago, so naturally the younger generation just don't have that same level of interest because there was never anything on TV for them to engage with in their early teens.

Good point Rob.. although they were (thankfully) a one-hit wonder and ruined the Christmas chart of 1980.. well, until John Lennon did a 'Bieber' and had three songs in the top ten simultaneously leading into '81, due to his untimely demise.

Less said about St. Winifreds School Choir, the better. *shudders*

You've still got an i-Tunes gift card from 2011 ??

Not entirely pre Spotify or legal Napster which I used first, i spend about £40 a week on music now I spend about £40 a month. Think you will find that it was the same avid music buyers that bough certain acts and us all going out buying there song 1st week got them in the charts. Now that doesnt happen anymore unless you are a megastar or a club hit that people have had to wait months for on preorders.

Now songs by indie/rock acts especially dont sell/stream/download enough in one week to make the charts but they can be bought for a longer time and may actually sell as much as they used to but they dont have the top 40 entry. In 2005 a band could sell a 1000 copies and make the top 40, and hardly anyone knew who they were,now that wouldnt get you in the top 200.

Sorry but what you say doesn't make sense? By your argument Enya should be in the Top 40 but she isn't and stands no chance of making the Top 100 let alone the Top 40. If you are saying it is because it is Radio 2 well a huge percentage of tracks playlisted on Radio 1 don't make the charts either.

Re; Enya Vs Sandi Thom it's quite simple.

Echoes In Rain is a good song. Earthquake isn't.

That'll be why Radio 2 have playlisted Enya. That rant Sandi Thom posted became even more hilarious after I listened to the song on YouTube. Earthquake sounds incredibly amateurish. The people who dictate the playlists probably thought exactly the same as me when I heard it.

You can laugh at that. Did then, still do.

With Bieber there's only vomit.

There is probably a generational element attached to this question to a degree(obviously not including everyone). I used to have a real interest in chart statistics and artist chart performances. For me the controlled era of issuing vinyl/cd was preferable to the one now where practically anything can be available via download and streaming. I don't see how you can compare those periods with regard to chart statistics/performance etc given the differences in technology/cost/availability- and this should be recognised. Clicking a few buttons rather than the potential of two bus journeys and a trudge through the snow does rather draw a line in the sand imo (whatever the impact of that its a different world).

Im probably seeing all this through rose tinted spectacles, but its quite strange, my formerly varied interest in charts and music has virtually died with this new technology (or at least become parked in the past). The only stuff I buy tends to be compilations on CD for the car.

theres just no variety at all. remember when there were instrumentals, tv themes, comedy records, reggae,rock., easy listening....all girl singers/bands sound the same. `Only `Adele sounds a bit different, maybe why so is so popular.

.......Glam Rock, Prog Rock, Soul, Disco, Punk, Ska, New Romantic, Metal, Synth, New Wave.........and more

all in the charts during my growing up years -plus a huge array of quirky one offs and occasional novelty songs.

I don't notice a similar variety today-although tbh I cant honestly say I look very far these days.

Streaming has killed the charts. That's how that little prick Beiber has dominated the top 40. It's also cause stagnation with chart positions and songs that are now impossible to shift out.

I'd say keep the sales to 75/80% of the chart, but have jury voting like Eurovision as 20%. It could filter the crap like Beiber out the chart.

I've never been interested in charts. It matters nothing to me how many people purchase a particular artist's recordings.
It would never influence my buying habits. I've only ever bought music I like.

Same here, but there was an enjoyment back in the 90s of seeing a song I loved and bought doing well in the charts. Especially if it was a song I didn't really expect to become such a big hit single.

Eg; Another Night by MC Sar & The Real McCoy which I bought in its week of release from Woolworths and on the top 40 it missed the top 10. A fortnight later it was #2 which made me a lot (well, I was disappointed it wasn't #1 but it was a lot higher than I expected).

No the likes of 1D have ruined chart music, The majority of Now Albums for the last few years have been ruined with the same crap on there that I wouldn't even waste hdd space on by downloading illegally.

Thankfully the likes of Spotify & Last FM have introduced me to new bands, without needing to set foot into the likes of HM Thief, as I have been able to buy the CD's of these bands from Amazon, as HMV don't hardly stock the music that I like & when they do it is placed in the overpriced import section, as it isn't classed as generic autotuned rubbish.

Well that's not true. Look at the download sales chart. He's #2 and #3 there

http://www.officialcharts.com/charts...wnloads-chart/

mushymanrob: you say you followed the charts 'until recently'.... out of interest, what's changed?

Never downloaded a song and never will not the same for me

When Quo decided to release singles as download only just stuck to albums and live gigs

No doubt about it since the chart moved away from purely physical sales it has become a complete nonsense. It may reflect what people are listening to but it's certainly not a 'singles' chart any more. Nearly every track from Justin Bieber's album is in the top 100, How is that a singles chart, the fact its Bieber doesn't matter. I would think the same if it was Radiohead, U2, R.E.M or the Foo fighters who were clogging up the chart with whole albums worth of material. They should make a rule whereby an artist can only have one track categorised as 'on release' and chart eligible in a 3 month period and disregard anything more than six months on release to stop songs staying in the chart for 2 years as can be the case nowadays.

The chart actually used to mean something and was a great way of discovering new music, the fact Radio 1 have moved it from it's Sunday teatime slot after nearly 50 years proves it no longer has any relevance whatsoever..

Wasn't the UK chart broadcast on Tuesdays up until 1987, then it moved to Sundays?

Moving the Radio 1 top 40 to a Friday meant nothing to me. I stopped listening to the UK charts on Radio 1 well over a decade ago, and even then towards the end I didn't listen to the whole 3 hours like I did back in the early-mid 90s usually with family or mates round.

I think the charts at the moment perfectly represent the market - ie only a few artists can make money through recorded music and a lack of willingness for record companies to find new talent.

I miss the days of 15 or so new entries with metal, indie, house, rap and pop being played side by side throwing up surprises.