I was checking out the Billboard singles chart today and for the first time in the last 2 years I actually feel like I was viewing the over all hot 100 singles and not the hot 100 RnB/Hiphop tracks. I was very pleased to see Gwen stefani's new single 'Hollaback Girl' go to #1 , thanks to the new chart system which counts 'digital downloads' towards the chart , which shows how biased the radio Dj's have been in the past by only playing the RnB and Hip/hop tracks. Before this Kelly clarckson's latest single ( also pop ) went all the way to #2 on the same chart again based on Digital downloads. Another act benifiting from the new system are Coldplay with their new single Debuting inside the top ten at #8 becomming only the second british band behind the beatles to debut inside the top ten , and is their biggest U.S hit to date , managing before this to only reach #29 with 'clocks'.
This just comes to show you how the chart has been so messed up ever since the past system started where it counted radio airplay as 70% of the single's performance on the chart ( which was enough most of the time to get the song to the top spot). I am just happy that that is over and pop songs have a chance again to Hit the top ten.
For a look at the Billboard hot 100 songs Click HERE
Nabhan Abdullatif's Blog: A Graphic Artist & Conceptual Illustrator
7 comments:
I was going to post something similar in my own blog awhile back. They charts do look much better than they did a year ago (they were completely dominated by R&B then). I'm worried about BSB's new album, will they flop? I hope not, so far the singles sound as good as the old ones but sadly the American mass has become drugged with the R&Blues...
Backstreet boys's new single 'incomplete' actually dropped on this weeks chart and its only in its 3rd week , so basically thats really bad.. but this is based on Airplay alone , so if a digital single gets released it might actually do well thanks to the new charting system.
What about the weekly sales of the song? Doesn't that count in the top hits list?
well Hopeless poet , Record companies in the u.s rarely release CD singles anymore cause that market is just dead , they do however release the maxi singles ( song with its remixes ) but those dont get counted towards the hot 100 chart. of course this isnt in all cases .CD singles of the american idols songs ( fantasia , clay aiken , Kelly clarkson ) have been released in the past and they did help those artist reach the top spot based on single sales alone.
I very much prefer the U.k music market and charts to be honest , cause those are based on the sales of records and no airplay at all , which is great cause the chart should be about what people want.
What's a digital single release? I thought people downloaded songs without an official release of it?
I do think that it would help them loads though and I'm sure it'll move back up into the charts once it becomes popular enough.
Nabhan, if people didn't like a song it wouldn't be playing on the radio. Unlike the UK, in the US all radio stations are commercial. If they play the stuff people want, they get listeners. The more listeners they have, the more income they make from selling radio ads.
I think a combination of airplay and sales is best. It stops ridiculous situations like the UK where a song can get to number based on just a few thousands singles sold. That's just preposterous.
But muscati , I kept on reading for the past 2 years or so that The radio DJ's have the right 'not' to play a song if they think its horrible. If the dj's dont play the song in order for the people to get used to it and eventually like it..then obviously It wont do well. I do agree though that sometimes the U.K chart can be rediculous ( just listen to the number one song over there which has been on top for 6 weeks now! its really Horrible )
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Enigma : A digital release is the official release of the mp3 which people BUY and not just download for free. :)
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