Life Imitates Chart · Dec 17, 09:06 AM

Is music a numbers game?

My parents used to work for record labels, driving across the length and breadth of the UK buying singles in record shops from Glasgow to Gateshead. Back then, the traditional chart system was based on numbers of physical units sold. In the age of couch consumerism, however, things have changed. The compilation of music charts must now take into consideration paid-for downloads.

In the UK the Official Charts Company produces a top 200, though which BBC Radio 1 compiles the UK top 40. All kinds of rules apply to the official UK charts, including limiting the total playing time allowed for a single, what you can and can’t include as part of a download bundle, and that a download single must have a dealer price of at least 40p. That presumably means that tracks bought from music subscription services like eMusic and discounted tracks sold through Amazon are not counted.

The growing popularity of streaming services may also play a part in the future, with the UK Top 40 considering including Spotify plays in its weekly chart. Last week MySpace announced its own chart, which provides data on the most popular music amongst MySpace Music users. Last.fm also have their listener-generated charts.

Does any of this matter to independent labels? Is it still important for labels that their music is chartable?

In 1988, the KLF published The Manual, a guide revealing the formula for getting to the top spot. Their pop theory was proven by Austrian band Edelweiss, when they reached number one by following the advice given in The Manual. People are still trying innovative ways to reach number one, but it seems that they are less about the music and more about the marketing than ever before.

Looking at what’s fleshing out the official UK charts at the moment, it would seem that to be up there in the top ten means also to be stained with a smudge of Simon Cowell’s fake tan. And what credible record label wants that? Six out of the current top ten singles have competed in, appeared on or judged the X Factor. With their unprecedented reach, shows like the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent have a dominance that makes the traditional charts unattainable and often undesirable.

What charts are important for smaller labels?

One way to separate the pop fodder from the re@l music is to split the charts up by genre. That’s exactly the route that Juno take with their download charts. This seems to make a lot of sense and makes the chart an actual tool for finding new music, rather than a list of the tracks that are selling well. Another option is the tastemaker chart, a list of a DJs current favourite tracks. Several popular download stores including Beatport and Juno feature DJ charts, and it would make sense that having your music featured in these charts is likely to make people listen to and buy it (and probably less hassle than paying people to drive about buying records).

In the new world order of information democracy, is the accessibility of individuals’ opinions making them more significant? Whose list, if any, do you want to be on?

Of course, another form of tastemaker chart is the End of Year list, something that, what with it being Christmas at the end of the first decade of the second millennium you simply can’t avoid at the moment. With that in mind, we decided to compile a little end of year list of our own!

Top 10 FATdrop Promo Tracks of 2009 (in no particular order)

• Paul And Fritz Kalkbrenner – Sky And Sand [Bpitch control]
• Mowgli – London To Paris [deadfish]
• The Juan Maclean – Happy House (Will Saul & Mike Monday Remix) [DFA]
• Siriusmo – Femuscle [Exploited]
• Riva Starr – I was Drunk feat Noze [Made to Play]
• Al Tourettes – Sunken [Apple Pips]
• Mark Hennig – The Right Time [Hypercolour]
• Ajello – Hot July (Marius Version) [Maxi Discs]
• 6th Borough Project – Just A Memory [Instruments Of Rapture]

• Bibio – Dwrcan (Eskmo Remix) [Warp]

— Natalie

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