Addition of downloads to official chart heralds new golden age for the single

by Julia Pearlman, Brand Republic 08-Apr-05, 16:00

LONDON – The addition of downloads to the official UK singles chart will lead to a 'new golden age' for the singles market, according to record industry body the BPI.

Data for the new-look chart will be collated from April 10, and on April 17 the first number one in the inaugural singles and downloads chart will be revealed to BBC viewers and listeners and commercial radio stations throughout the country.

The BPI has also revealed that men are overtaking women in the downloading stakes, with an overwhelming 96% of download spend coming from male buyers.

On the other hand, although the under-25s account for 39% of singles and 26% of album sales, they account for just 7% of download sales.

Download sales are now topping 300,000 a week, up 220,000 from a year ago following the arrival of sites such as MyCokeMusic, Napster and iTunes and the launch of the Official UK Download Chart in September 2004.

However, the download chart bears little relation to the main singles chart.

Welsh indie band Stereophonics scored the UK's biggest download hit of the year so far with their song 'Dakota', from their highly rated new album 'Language, Sex, Violence, Other', which topped the download chart for the three months to March.

In the CD world, the Comic Relief charity hit Tony Christie's '(Is this the Way to) Amarillo' was the top-seller for the same period in record stores, but made no dent on the download charts.

The difference between the two charts highlights what many have argued, that the official CD chart is too narrow and by opening it up new music will find a new audience.

Peter Jamieson, BPI chairman, said: "The singles market has been criticised for being too narrow in its appeal.

"These figures suggest that the addition of downloads to the Official Singles Chart will take the market to new audiences and broaden the appeal of the singles market, something we've been looking at for years."

BPI Download Chart January-March 2005
1. Stereophonics 'Dakota'
2. Chemical Brothers 'Galvanize'
3. Jennifer Lopez 'Get Right'
4. Nelly 'Over and Over'
5. Gwen Stefani 'What You Waiting For'

BPI Official Singles Chart January-March 2005
1. Tony Christie '(Is this the Way to) Amarillo'
2. McFly 'All About You/You've Got a Friend'
3. Jennifer Lopez 'Get Right'
4. Nelly 'Over and Over'
5. Eminem 'Like Toy Soldiers'

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