The Official Charts Company (OCC), previously called the Chart Information Network (CIN) and then The Official UK Charts Company, compiles various "official" UK record charts, including the UK Singles Chart, the UK Albums Chart, the UK Singles Downloads Chart and the UK Album Downloads Chart, as well as genre-specific and music video charts. The OCC produces its charts by gathering and combining sales data from retailers through market researchers Millward Brown, and claims to cover 99% of the singles market and 95% of the album market, and aims to collect data from any retailer who sells more than 100 chart items per week.[1]
The OCC is operated jointly by the British Phonographic Industry and the Entertainment Retailers Association ERA (formerly the British Association of Record Dealers (BARD)). Since 1 July 1997, CIN and then the OCC have compiled the official charts. Prior to this date, the charts were produced by a succession of market research companies, beginning with the British Market Research Bureau in 1969, and later by Gallup. Before the production of the "official" charts, various less comprehensive charts were produced, most notably by newspaper/magazine New Musical Express (NME) which began its chart in 1952; some of these older charts (including NME 's earliest singles charts) are now part of the official OCC canon.
Chart synopsis[edit]
All of the OCC's charts are published weekly on Friday nights, and cover sales for the preceding week, Friday to Thursday. From 3 August 1969 until 5 July 2015, the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday. Genre-specific charts include UK Dance Chart, UK Indie Chart, UK R&B Chart, UK Rock Chart and the Asian Download Chart. The Scottish Singles and Albums Chart ― and the former Welsh Singles and Albums Chart ― appears in listings within the Official Charts Company. It is a regional listing reflecting how sales towards the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart are faring in Scotland. The Welsh Singles and Album Chart served the same purpose in Wales. It also charts the UK DVD Chart and UK Budget Album Chart. While their music charts are now Friday to Thursday, their video charts remain Sunday to Saturday.
On 5 September 2008, the Official UK Charts Company rebranded itself as the Official Charts Company and introduced a new company logo.[2]
From May 2012, a new chart was launched — the Official Streaming Chart. This counts audio streams from streaming services Spotify, Deezer, Blinkbox Music, Napster, amongst others. The chart is the first of its kind to rank streams from ad-funded and subscription services and the Official Streaming Chart Top 100 is now published weekly[3] on the Official Charts Company website, and in music industry trade magazine Music Week.
In April 2015, the UK's first vinyl record chart was launched by the Official Charts Company due to "the huge surge of interest" in the sector. The chart was launched following the growth of the sector in the UK for the seventh year in a row.[4]
See also[edit]
- UK Albums Chart
- UK Singles Chart
- UK DVD Chart
- UK Single Downloads Chart
- British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
References[edit]
- ^ "OCC Information Pack" (PDF). OCC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ Carde, Ben (5 September 2008). "OCC re-brand is Official". Music Week. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
- ^ Kreisler, Lauren (9 May 2012). "The UK's first Official Streaming Chart has arrived". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "UK's first official vinyl chart launched as sales rise". BBC. BBC. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
External links[edit]
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