UK singles chart in digital shake-up

All downloads set to count from next year

 

Chart rules governing digital downloads are set to change in the new year.

 

From January 1 all digital singles will be eligible for the Official UK Combined Singles Chart from the moment they are made available for purchase.

 

Downloads will also no longer require a related physical format to be released to count for the chart.

 

The move represents a significant change to the current rules which state that downloaded singles can only count towards the chart one week prior to the track's physical release.

 

Under the new rules all digital tracks will also be eligible for a chart position regardless of whether they are intended as singles or not.

 

As a result even album tracks made available as single track downloads will count.

 

Elsewhere Maxi singles, which are up to 25 minutes long, featuring four tracks plus remixes, will be chart eligible compared with the current 20-minute allocation and maximum total of three tracks allowed.

 

http://www.nme.com/news/downloads/24981

great allowance

Finally these rules kick into effect from tomorrow.

 

Thank god, because look at the top 10 at the moment:

1. Leona Lewis - 'A Moment Like This' - X-Factor's winner covering a song written for the winner of American Idol

2. Take That - 'Patience' - Good song, not the best in the world, nor the worst

3. Iron Maiden - 'Different World' - Ain't listened to it

4. Akon ft Eminem - 'Smack That' - Out of the world!

5. Cascada - 'Truly Madly Deeply' - Isn't this a cover of a savage garden track?

6. Booty Luv - 'Boogie 2nite' - down into that mine-shaft

7. Girls Aloud - 'I Think We're Alone Now' - One of the few reality music stars who has survived.

8. Sharam - 'Patt (Party All The Time)' - Nope

9. Chris Cornell - 'You Know My Name' - Good track

10. Gwen Stefani - 'Wind It Up' - Crap track.

 

So at the moment (as it has been for a while) the singles chart is shite, hopefully with all downloads included, it will mean a better chart.

Yeah the singles chart in the US has sucked for the past 2 years that I have actually been looking at it. Its horrible.