Popocalypse Now?
Do you remember ages ago, when the rules of the singles chart were first changed so that download sales would be included, even from songs which are not officially released as singles? It was January, and loads of people who really should have known better were united in their view that this would be a VERY BAD THING for music as we know it, because OH MY GOD every time a really big album was released, all of the songs on it would enter the Top 40 at one, and it would MAKE A MOCKERY of the singles chart (which, to be fair, isn't above a bit of mockery, in much the same way that your shoes aren't above your hat)?
Remember that?
And - please don't think I'm unaware of how utterly revolting it is to crow like this, by the way - do you remember what ChartBlog said at the time? No?
You notice the difference there?
Now, do you also notice that the charts as we know them did not suddenly become any more ridiculous and silly than they already were? And did you also also notice that actually the charts have been more lively of recent months than they had been in ages?
I mean songs have gone up, songs have gone down, there's a two-tier heirarchy, where some songs get more kudos for being at No.2 on downloads alone than the ones which went to No.1 in the week the actual CD hit the shop shelves? That's quite fun, isn't it?
Fair enough, Rihanna managed to drive a lot of people crackers by staying at No.1 for AGES, but that kind of shameless chart-hogging has always happened. It's nothing to do with chart rules. What's more, when the Elvis Presley estate once again chose to re-issue a lot of old Elvis singles because of...something to do with him being still dead? Something like that?...we didn't have to endure a steady stream of new Elvis No.1s, because the singles weren't being bought in download quantities, so they weren't getting to No.1.
So, while not a disaster for the Presley marketing team, at least it doesn't feel like all musical life is being hi-jacked by record collectors (who, let's be honest, are NOT taking their Elvis singles home to play them).
So, in the light of all this, can we agree that things are better now? And can I just point out who said the world wasn't going to end when the rules first changed?
It might be tempting to see all change as being BAD, but it's also a really old mannish thing to do. And I should know. I AM an old man,
(I'm aware that this entire blog has been the text equivalent of me lying down in the road and inviting people to attempt to kick my face off, in exchange for one of several crisp £20 notes I have in my back pocket. I make no apologies, but I would ask that you at least leave me enough teeth to eat crusty bread with. Mmm! I love my crusty bread...)
Comments
Erm..
Ok then.
DO A REVIEW OF APOCALYPTICA - IM NOT JESUS!
Amazing song
:)
Ta
x
that was good but why £20 n are you always bad i hope you wright bk