UK Singles Chart
Overview
The UK Singles Chart is a weekly record chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Friday to Thursday with the chart-date given as the following Thursday.
History
The UK Singles Chart was first compiled in 1952. The idea for a UK singles chart came from Percy Dickins of New Musical Express (NME), who wanted to devise a method of tracking the popularity of records in the UK. He achieved this by telephoning a sample of around 20 shops asking for a list of the 10 best-selling songs. These results were then aggregated to produce a Top 12 chart published in NME on 14 November 1952.
Compilation
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart is a Top 200, though the OCC website contains the Top 100 only. The chart week runs from 00.01 Friday to midnight Thursday, with most new releases being released on a Friday. The chart is compiled using sales of downloads, CDs and vinyl, and streams, with the most recent addition being video streams.
Eligibility
For a single to be eligible for inclusion in the UK Singles Chart, it must be available for purchase in one or more of the following eligible formats: digital download, vinyl, CD, and cassette. Additionally, the single must be available for streaming on either a free-to-access or a subscription-based platform.
Chart performance and sales
The performance of a single on the UK Singles Chart is often seen as an important measure of its success. The chart is broadcast on BBC Radio 1, often presented by the Radio 1 Chart Show. The top 40 singles and the top 200 downloads are also published on the OCC's official website.