what is the poptimist position on this site?

[maura.livejournal.com]

http://www.itshouldhavebeennumber1.co.uk/

As of Sunday 7th January, changes to the chart rules mean that singles can make it into the charts from download sales alone - a CD release is no longer required. This puts the charts back in your hands and lets you decide what should be number 1 and when!

So, we decided to start this website so that together we can put right some wrongs. With your help, we plan to identify the songs we think were a number one hit, or should have been number one, but were kept from the top spot by some naf song, or possibly something just as good that happened to come out at precisely the same time.

We start Monday 12th February with Oasis "Roll With It". Released 14th August 1995, it made number two, pipped to the post in the famous Britpop battle by Blur with their single "Country House".

Register now to receive a reminder to come back on the 12th February and download "Roll With It". Downloads from the 12th will appear in the following weeks chart. Together we can generate enough sales to make it happen. Together we can re-write history by making "Roll With It" number 1 …as it should have been 12 years ago!

Comments

[damnspynovels.livejournal.com]

Ok interesting...

So in the way that buying albums as a single purchase doesn't count for anything regarding the singles chart, I imagine buying a 'single' release (as in a four track thing or something) counts as ONE entry to the chart right?

However, if that's so, what happens if there's a single, that has four individual songs on it (like an Oasis EP or something). If I bought all four, it would be the lead song that would be registered for the chart right? But what if I just bought one of the other three? Would it be the b-side that is put forward for a chart placing?

This is all so complicated, yet so exciting!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

If you bought a physical single then only the lead track would count towards the chart, just like the old days.

If you bought a download single that covered 4 tracks that would count as an album* and therefore none of the tracks would count towards the charts - only if you bought them all separately. I'm not 100% certain about this.

*I know this because my band's single (4 tracks) was listed on itunes as an 'album'! This 'album' cost more than a single download but less than 4 x 79p.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

No, a download single will count to the singles charts if it is no more than 25 minutes long & 4 tracks (or 40 minutes long if it's all remixes of one song).

All the rules in mindnumbing detail can be found here:

http://www.theofficialcharts.com/docs/NEW_Single_Chart_Rules_2007.pdf

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Aha. Glad to be proved wrong :)

[damnspynovels.livejournal.com]

that's crazy!

so we're ascertaining almost for a fact then, that the 'system' doesn't care where a song is coming from, if it's downloaded individual, be it an unreleased album track, or a single's b-side, it counts for the chart...

those are some crazy rules.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

See above - I got my wires crossed. That'll teach me to apply logic.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I think the argument is that now for the first time in the digital age, it's a true reflection of exactly what people are buying, with no arbitrary exclusions.