70 Years of the UK Charts

A new book subscription series In 1952 Percy Dickins, who died in 2002, launched the first chart specifically looking at music sales in the United Kingdom.  1952, 70 years ago, was the start of a new Elizabethan era and a feeling of newness as the dark days of the War (both of them), still fresh in …

All is quiet… but something this way comes

I’ve been quiet for a while. Quite because I’ve been plotting. And planning. What does one do when they have suddenly and unexpectedly got some time on their hands? Well in my case I have begun to go and amend the artist credits in my database. Not an easy task and it has led to …

Melody Maker Albums

For many years, Melody Maker were credited as starting the Album chart listing (before the Record Mirror charts where remembered). After 1960 though, when Record Retailer began their chart, the Melody Maker albums where forgotten despite being more accurate. In the mid 2000’s though, they where resurrected for an 8 week period in 1971 when …

The Missing Charts – 4 missing albums (Part 2)

This is a series of posts looking at four missing weeks in the UK Album charts from the 1960’s.  This week, the second error in 1969 and how this came to be found after fifty years. Through The Past Darkly An adaptation of UK Album Chart History, in light of some new evidence. Written, researched and …

Verifying Data – Collecting The True Account

It’s always hard to work out exactly what is the true account, particularly after so many years have elapsed – and thats a statement that is true largely regardless of the field being researched. It’s more true with charts as it is almost always impossible to locate the original data sources. Let me explain… How …

Chart Errors

Chart errors. Some are genuine mistakes and so can be fixed easily. Some are more annoying as they can’t. I’m going to pick out a one in particular, of the annoying variety, and talk about that, but really there are hundreds over the years. March 1969 The UK Album Charts are the second class citizen …