Chart Music

[simon_says]

What has happened to the charts? It is full of untalented non-entities that will be around for a couple of years, then spat out by their record company once their fans have grown up and realise that their favourite singer / band are garbage. Talent lasts, Gareth Gates won't!!!

[andy hughes]

The music charts, for singles at least, have changed in some ways, not in others. The statistics used to calculate chart places often include airplay as well as sales these days, which can have a significant effect on the marketing of singles. That coupled with the changing demographics of singles buyers - pop is far less an essential aspect of youth culture than it was even ten years ago, and the general downturn of singles sales has prompted record companies to take action. Gone are the days of nurturing groups or artists with a videw to long term investment - these days pop stars are designed for a quick return, and a limited shelf life, as reflected in the increasingly rapid rise and fall of hit records, which often shoot in at Number One, and can be out of the Top 75 within a couple of weeks. The advent of the 'Pop Stars' phenomenon has increased the tendency for people to buy records by stars that they 'know' through TV, which is why 'Pop Stars The Rivals' can boast of creating the Number One band for Christmas, and know that that is a fact, not an ambition. As you point out, talent will always out, cream will always rise to the top, and pop charts will continue to refelct the tastes of younger music fans, to the frustration of older music fans - history shows it was ever thus, and probably always will be.

[Gigadave]

If everything goes according to the record companies plans, then the christmas top ten could be made up of reality tv 'artists'. You could have entries from Will Young, Gareth Gates, Liberty X, the two bands from this new Popstars prog, someone from Fame Academy, and even Hear'say may release a farewell single!And with other 'quality' acts like S-Club Juniors and Westlife making up the numbers, the future looks quite dull for serious musicians in the charts.

[Kelvin]

These comments can only be individual opinions, of course but the charts have contained a large percentage of dross for many years. What is encouraging at the moment are the artists listed by Tj below, plus, I would suggest, The White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age, Counting Crows, Nickelback, Aqualung, The Stereophonics and many more. Current music seems more polarised than ever but there is hope. Forget TOTP and bring back The OGWT I say!!

[Kelvin]

Tj above, I meant!!

[Metaphysical]

What's happened to the charts? Not much really. You may think that a lot of the music (if you can call it that!) in the charts is pap, but it's just that they are aimed towards a younger audience. So the answer would be:- YOU GOT OLD! 8-)

[Shelley 2002]

OK, maybe we have gotten older, but you gotta admit - no way was there as many industry-manufactured boy/girl bands out a few years ago. Now they are spitting out a new one every other week, just to attract pre-pubescents who don't know how to spend their money!!! Too many talentless bands with clever managers are arriving on the music scene, gaining fans by using their looks combined with poor covers of old classics. Covering classic tunes and getting their hair just right may get them noticed, but it won't get them respected. It's all about the money!!!

[Obo]

I agree with Meta, the questioner should ask themself what's happened to me? And the answer as Meta states is you got old. I don't think the music industry has changed that much, it may be true that record labels have a more short term view and need a return on investment sooner, but that's todays market. With regard to your comment on single sales Andy I think in fact advances in technology have made huge changes, I remember when the only way you could listen to a song was either record it off the radio show or buy it on Vinyl, how many other ways are there of getting your music now? As a final point I'm sure I'm not the only one who was scoffed at by my older brother for listen to people like Adam Ant, Banarama, Kajagoogoo or any one of the countless Stock Aitken and Waterman crew... were they any better than Gareth Gates, Will Young and S Club 7?!!

[Shelley 2002]

'Obo'! Dude! No one's better than S Club 7!!! They are the only industry-manufactured exception to the rule! Despite what I think of the cr*p that currently in the charts, there 'ain't no party like an S Club party!'