Will the inclusion of virtual music in the UK’s Singles charts revolutionize lists of the top songs? Back catalogues and unsigned musicians may now have a chance to break the top ten.
On January 8, the Official UK Chart Company announced that it will start including dowloaded songs when it tabulates the UK Singles charts. Past practice only counted songs downloaded from the Internet if a physical copy of the song was also available in stores. With the new change, popular favorites from the past –the Beatles, Led Zeppelin or David Bowie — can also be counted in the UK singles charts list of the Top 75 songs of the week.
This may be bad news for those who cringe at the thought of old Baby Boomer generation tastes competing with new music. However, the change is good news for any ambitious, unsigned artist who now no longer needs a record label or released album to hit the top ten. The new way of counting also increases the potential for artists to have their back catalogue feature in the charts.
The move can be seen as a step closer to a more democratic way of measuring what people are listening to, less contingent on the marketing forces of the music industry. The opportunity now also exists for some entrepreneurial-minded individual to cash in on the popularity of old favorites by re-releasing copyright-free material by the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Frank Sinatra.
Ultimately, this move demonstrates how the Internet is changing the face of how we access, consume and evaluate music. In 2006, 14 million physical singles were sold and 6.5 million were downloaded. Digital sales now count for 70% of the UK singles sales. In a year, downloaded songs will count for 80% of the market. With less financial incentive, will record companies stop pressing CD singles?
People are now voting for their favorite song of the moment with a few clicks of a mouse rather than by opening their wallet. The constraints of time are being lifted as well, as old and new music, young, old and even deceased artists are on the same level, competing for your ear.
This article was published Friday, January 19, 2007.
