The Uk music charts Especially the singles chart is dire and appears to be getting worse. Sigle and albums sales have slumped to all time low. Although piracy has a huge impact on this I also think Uk Radio stations have became so generic and controlling in who they decide is relevant that they are completely killing off the industry.
Looking at Radio stations playlists of the 10 or so songs it's the same churned out trash on every station. In particular I actually quite like Rhianna but her current saturation onRadio means I have taken her off my iPod as if I hear any more tracks from her last album again I think I will use the cd as a tea coaster.

I used to listen to the radio and have it on in the background all the time at home but Over the past year it appears that the entire music catalogue consisted of about a dozen songs at any one time just constantly on replay.
Radio 1 in particular is funded of public money yet they appear to be the worst for ar**e licking the same artists.

No... radios only play whats available.

I think there is something in it. If children weren't spoonfed this drivel constantly, the charts would no doubt have a bit more variety.

Incorrect. Lots of music is available that radio stations don't play. Radio stations (including the BBC) are in bed with the major record labels (always have been) and play what the major labels want plugged. On repeat.

If they always have been, why were the charts from yesteryear much more varied?

I certainly think radio has a part it in. They are way too selective on which artists they support. It seems to me that most local pop stations and Radio 1 play the same song over and over. You'd think there was only about several songs out at the time.

I occasionally listen to Zane Lowe and often to BBC 6.
You don't get much chart stuff on those two?

But they have a limited choice, the choice that the big companies allow.

IMHO the state of the charts are a direct result of business taking over and dictating whats on offer. In the past business facilitated the ideas the kids had...today business arranges everything, from selecting the artists to composing the music.

Plus, i blame the youth of today for putting up with it...

Most radio stations are owned by big companies too! Capital had a decent b list as little as a decade ago, shame what it's become.

Today's youth who don't like the chart crap aren't putting up with it. They're listening to whatever the hell they like by using the Internet...and they've never had more choice or ways of listening to and consuming music.

This is the real reason for the war on 'piracy'. The mainstream record labels can't stand the idea of people listening to anything they don't produce and the Internet facilitates this alternate music.

If it wasn't for the internet I wouldn't know about a lot of the music I listen to. I'm glad it's easy to find music outside of the Top 40 these days. I like some of the chart stuff but I tend to look outside the charts too. There is a lot of good music out there and you just have to look for it.

Am I alone in thinking that the charts are actually quite good? There's a good mix of genres, styles and artists - yes of course we can't like everything, but the current top 40 seems pretty good to me.

Looks all generic pap to me.

I don't listen to radio, but Heart is always playing at my work, and you would think that only about twenty songs actually existed. The fact that Heart is *still playing* Firework and Moves Like Jagger and Domino is absolutely hilarious. It's no surprise that mainstream music has become so sanitized and generic.

Music overall is generic and awful, there is nothing new out there and companies are scared to try something new. Radio and music tv are to blame though, they do play the same artists and sometimes the same songs again and again. Most music channels are the worst at it, how many times do you need to see the same top 40 in one week? Compare the charts from 10 years ago till now and see how many new entries there are in there. Seems like you cant even get a new entry into number one now but then again who really cares whats number one now? Think they need to hit the reset button on music and start again, take me back to the 90s where having a uk number one was one of the most important things in the world and having so many different types of music all in one chart

There certainly used to be more variety in the charts - pop, ska/reggae, dance, electronic, middle of the road, rock, r&b, etc ... now it's just what passes for r&b/dance and dancey pop.

If all you listen to is mainstream chart stuff then of course you won't get much variety. You need to branch out and get more adventurous in you pursuit of new music. If you look hard enough for good music, you will find any amount of it.

how is it the death of the uk charts, just because you dont like the music that is played does not mean its the death of uk charts. get a grip.

No they don't.

Of course they don't.

I think most people here are aware that radio stations play music from a shortlist of songs that they want to play.
They don't only play what's available.

I think that a lot seems to be due to the radio station trying to second guess what they think is probably 'cool' or 'in' with their target listeners at the time, and over time that shortlist becomes so narrow due to the selection process that diversity and variety is lost along the way.

This is probably the problem with the science of trying to appeal to perceived popularity because of the pressure of capitalist market forces.

then whos buying it? because apart from the odd act like gotye and the kings of leon theres little to impress the older generations. What do i see on tv talent shows? Young people creating their own sound? no, i see mariah carey wannabes and copycat r n b crap.

true there are more ways of listening and consuming music, but its sales that count, and if an artist is making no money, they quit. Besides big businesses have always latched onto and exploited new sounds, because they make money, i see no new innovative sounds, fashions, etc, its all generic pap.

until the youth of the day create something new, the carts will remain crap.


That old chestnut... the point is that historically you didnt HAVE to 'look for it' , its there in the charts, the commercial shop window for the greater scene.


Eh?... Try comparing todays charts with charts from the 60's 70's 80's and even the 90's... theres precious little variety, theres a couple of sounds that are being mass copied, theres no originality, no....in comparison these charts are rubbish.

Well it does to them if they don't feel that they're relevant to them anymore.
I think many can testify to that particular sentiment.

as i always say, music is music, good or bad. that's why i love it

the charts aren't "dead". if the OP doesn't like chart music that's fine. just accept that other people do.

Probably because in earlier decades they were testing the water out more and seeing what would work then.

There's a very interesting interview with Frank Zappa on youtube somewhere where he speaks about music in general being better back then because the big fat cigar chomping record execs didn't have a clue about what 'the kids' would want so would work more on gut instinct and have a punt on more things that might work.
Then a generation of new execs came along who were younger and trendier and felt that they knew best about what 'the kids' would like because they felt that they were more like them.
That's his theory though, and I think he may be onto something there.

Over the decades it's probably become more scientific and spreadsheet driven where market forces drive competition more and record companies are now more inclined to invest in music that they feel they know for sure will appeal to the largest possible amount of people possible, and are more risk averse than record companies used to be. They can't be bothered taking risks that they feel have less chance of paying off so they will focus purely on what has been tried and tested before to maximize profit.

But I agree with what others say that music itself isn't dead. There really are people making great music and you really do have to have a look around a bit more.
It's just that nowadays don't expect it to be fed to you by commercial radio or television. Just have a look around on the internet instead as you'll probably be more likely to find people genuinely trying to be creative. It doesn't necessarily mean that you'll like it though.

Edit: Just noticed above in one of your posts (post number 8) that you kind of already agree with this.

I think there's some truth to that.
They probably thought that they had monopolized the market and could run on the formulas they'd invested so much time and money into forever.
They probably thought they had it down to a science.

Even though there's a common perception of what's popular, commercial media does this to us, if you look at actual record sales and records sold by people, it tells us that the vast majority of people don't buy into what's commonly perceived to be popular and turn their attention to something else.

Maybe that's a good sign?
If the majority of people are into something else, but it doesn't make the charts or get on television, doesn't this suggest that there's a lot of diversity of taste out there?
What I mean is that by the very nature of things being diverse they're not going to be popular mainstream things because they are so spread out and too niche to be commercially popular.