The Beeb finds itself trying to make sense of a system that defies logic, the way Top 40 charts are calculated. Digital downloads are having an impact on the singles market in a big way, so why aren't they completely reflected in the Top 40 chart? The answers are kind of complicated. Physical CDs sold in record stores are always counted, but their digital counterparts are only given a tiny window through which they can effect the chart. The week before, and two weeks after a CD single is released, the digital downloads of that track are punched up with the tally that makes the chart. Beyond those limits, digital downloads don't count towards singles sales figures. The BBC gives the example that Nelly Furtado's song "Maneater" would still be a Top 40 hit, if only digital sales of the track still counted towards its total.
Apart from that, many indie bands would have a shot at the chart if digital sales had full representation. Singles can have an overwhelming effect on the popularity of an artist, and that plays well for everyone involved. Atlanta artists Dangermouse and Cee-Lo became overnight rockstars worldwide due in large part to their success as a digital single in the UK, and the resulting press attention to "Crazy".
Of course, the American system is bizarre too.. Howstuffworks has a sharp article on how Top 40 radio becomes Top 40 radio.
[via BBC]
1. I don't think digital downloads are necessarily going to democratize best-seller lists, just because searchability and easier production don't really impact taste. There will always be a "short head," as Chris Anderson likes to put it, and a "long tail." But it will definitely allow lesser-known (or one-hit wonders) to rise to the top of those charts, simply because people are OK risking $1 on a song they might not like, rather than spend $15 on an entire album without much guarantee of quality. And, like BBC says, the top-40 will be much more accurate.
Posted at 8:16PM on Sep 28th 2006 by Tony Leach