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[gerg]

I find a lot of my new music through the weekly charts here in the UK, and the release of Ed Sheeran's latest album "Divide" has caused him to score an unprecedented 16 entries into the charts (coincidentally the entirety of the album) - he charts at every position from one through to 15 with the exception of "Something Just Like This" by Chainsmokers and Coldplay at number seven.

This is the starkest example of the disproportionate effect of streaming sales on the charts yet - in 2016 only 11 singles charted at number one on the back of listeners streaming songs repeatedly over an extended period of time. (Drake's "One Dance" tied Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around" for the second-longest number of consecutive weeks at number one, holding the position for 15 weeks last year.) Only recently did the charts change their counting methods to increase the number of streams counted as equal to a sale from 100 to 150, but I imagine this might soon change again.

Courtesy the BBC:

Ed Sheeran's new songs are currently hogging 16 places in the Official Chart's Top 40.

And based on current sales the singer's new album ÷ is set to sell more than 500,000 in its first week.

It will be the most any artist has sold in the UK since Adele's 25 in November 2015, with 800,307 copies.

Sheeran utterly dominates the top 10 in the midweek chart, to the point that you'll probably think your eyes are playing tricks.

The only exception being Chainsmokers and Coldplay's Something Just Like This at number five.

 

[Nickle]

You've just now found a flaw with finding new music by looking at the popularity charts?

 

[LionPride]

You've just now found a flaw with finding new music by looking at the popularity charts?

.

 

[apieceofstrange]

Didn't The Weeknd's entire Starboy album chart on the Billboard top 100 recently?

 

[God Dayumm]

Charts are useless, they just exist because they are fun to look at. Some artists dominate like that

 

[gerg]

You've just now found a flaw with finding new music by looking at the popularity charts?

Not for me personally. This thread is more to highlight the problems charts face in accurately representing consumer tastes in an age of streaming, although arguably if they're to account for streaming this is exactly what we should be seeing.

Plus it's pretty hilarious (and unprecendented) to see a chart so utterly dominated by a single artist. I think this is the first time this has happened in the UK.

(As for me personally I probably get most of my new music through YouTube video releases. I don't use Spotify or similar services.)

 

[31GhostsIV]

Pro tip - don't use the UK Top 40 to find music. It's crap (and has been since I was but a boy).

Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist is a good gateway to discovering new music.

Also, Ed Sheeran's material is about as enticing as a lukewarm cup of over-milked tea, I have no idea why people enjoy it on such a significant scale but hey ho.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

I don't even know who the people streaming/buying all of those Ed Sheeran tracks are. Seems like it's a mixture of teenage girls and 40+ mums.


Or just people who like the blandest, most inoffensive pop currently available.

 

[Matty77]

I think this is interesting from the perspective of how the industry has changed with streaming and a move to downloadable purchases from when I was a kid when a single had to be bought, unless you were a chart topping artist your album might only have one or two so it was hard to domintate because of how sales were counted. The mark to shoot for was consecutive weeks.

Though I also have to echo the why are using any sales charts from any era to find music? It's interesting data but has no creative or artistic merit.

 

[radios shipping overview]

What is Ed Sheeran and why does it exist?

 

[Eidan]

What is Ed Sheeran and why does it exist?

Ed Sheeran is a musician, and human male.

He exists because of Mr. and Mrs. Sheeran.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Ed Sheeran is a musician, and human male.

Okay, if you say so.

 

[Slayven]

.

 

[Jonnax]

Ed Sheeran's album is pretty excellent. It's well deserved.

Please tell me what amazing music you all listen to.

 

[Magus1234]

I always used those charts as a "what to avoid" list.

 

[Damaniel]

Ed Sheeran's album is pretty excellent. It's well deserved.

Please tell me what amazing music you all listen to.

I'm not going to bother - you probably haven't heard of any of them anyway.

Spoiler

/s, obviously. I swear I'm not a hipster!

 

[autumnleaf]

To be fair to Ed he himself has pointed out how weird this is and that something is probably broken the way the charts are determined.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Dudes got talent. Jealousy is a bitch.

 

[cordy]

After Cole's music did it, that should have been enough proof. No offense to Sheeran since he's a cool dude but charts suck.

 

[Eidan]

Haha, Christ. I just checked the Top UK list on Spotify. The article isn't kidding. The entire top 15 are Ed Sheeran songs.

 

[milanbaros]

I don't think it's broken. A ratio of 150 to 1 probably fairly represents the income ratio, which seems about right. I don't think there is any doubt that these songs were the most popular this week.

Just don't use the chart to discover new music.

 

[ghostjoke]

If The Magnetic Fields could get this big for the release of "50 song Memoir".

 

[Winters_Solace]

Can't stop listening to most of these. The guy is ridiculously talented.

 

[Lan Dong Mik]

I'm not into his music too much but the dude is fucking talented and can play some mean guitar! I'm all for that being on the charts or whatever. I'm always happy too see string based musicians/song writers doing well. I should listen to his new album

 

[Yado]

Dudes got talent. Jealousy is a bitch.

Yeah everyone who doesn't like his dreck is just jealous.

 

[Etzer]

Why would you use charts to discover new music? There are so many better ways. Spotify has great recommendations based on what you listen to, for example.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Oh fuck that's the guy who sings that horrible shape of you song I heard on the radio? That insufferable thing is #1? *shudders* Well, I already knew people had no taste, but seriously, fuck that song.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Ed Sheeran's album is pretty excellent. It's well deserved.

Please tell me what amazing music you all listen to.

Personally? Lately it's been the deluxe version of Sia's latest album, the new Katy Perry single, some Battle Beast and Backstreet Girls. I don't mind pop or even dislike Sheeran, his music is just very bland and forgettable IMO. He seems like a rather nice guy though, especially since he apparently got drunk and hit Justin Bieber in the face with a golf club.

 

[Poor GRIMES]

Hi.

- Pitchfork gave Ted's album a 2.8/10
- Ted has admitted to sharting on stage
- Ted bragged about sleeping with Taylor Swift's celebrity friends, saying it's surprisingly "easy"
- Ted thinks Adele is the only artist who has sold more than him in the last 10 years and that he is the biggest male artist in the world
- Ted thinks this album will be the biggest of the year and decade

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

Ditch the radio and get Spotify.

 

[Lan Dong Mik]

Hi.

- Pitchfork gave Ted's album a 2.8/10
- Ted has admitted to sharting on stage
- Ted bragged about sleeping with Taylor Swift's celebrity friends, saying it's surprisingly "easy"
- Ted thinks Adele is the only artist who has sold more than him in the last 10 years and that he is the biggest male artist in the world
- Ted thinks this album will be the biggest of the year and decade

Who's Ted?

 

[gerg]

Why would you use charts to discover new music? There are so many better ways. Spotify has great recommendations based on what you listen to, for example.

I don't have an account with any music streaming service, and I've not yet taken to manually checking releases. Maybe it's time I redownloaded Spotify again, however.

 

[Lan Dong Mik]

I don't have an account with any music streaming service, and I've not yet taken to manually checking releases. Maybe it's time I redownloaded Spotify again, however.

You should definitely get back on spotify! I wouldn't be able to live without it. There is a free version, but the commercials are so out of control I couldn't handle it so I just pay for premium. You'll discover so many great bands/artists

 

[lord quas]

Dudes got talent. Jealousy is a bitch.

I'd honestly rather be jealous of Ed Sheeran than listen to Ed Sheeran.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Who's Ted?

Ed Sheeran. His full name is Edward, and Ted is a nickname for Edward.

 

[SecretMoblin]

king of pop tbh

 

[LionPride]

Ed Sheeran. His full name is Edward, and Ted is a nickname for Edward.

Where

 

[gerg]

You should definitely get back on spotify! I wouldn't be able to live without it. There is a free version, but the commercials are so out of control I couldn't handle it so I just pay for premium. You'll discover so many great bands/artists

At the moment whenever I want to listen to music I go to YouTube.

 

[D23]

I love Ed Sheeran!! i dont know how anyone can hate him!

 

[cartographer]

Where

I'm guessing most English speaking countries? It's not the most common nickname for Edward but it is one. I go by Ted because of older family members that go by Ed.

 

[Phobophile]

Ed Sheeran. His full name is Edward, and Ted is a nickname for Edward.

Where

To the English, who decided that John needed to have Jack as a nickname

 

[Frankenstrat]

Shape of You's music video is ∞ better than the song itself

 

[jbug617]

I like his interviews and his music is not bad.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I actually like his new album.

¯_(&#12484_/¯

 

[Talents]

I usually don't care about music but he is one of the musicians I like. Deserves his success.

 

[Takuan]

Shrug, the dude is talented. I don't even particularly like his music, but he's good at what he does.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

Ed Sheeran. His full name is Edward, and Ted is a nickname for Edward.

Isn't Ted the nickname for Theodore?

 

[beato_angelico]

I usually don't care about music but he is one of the musicians I like.

well that does explain it

 

[Otheradam]

To the English, who decided that John needed to have Jack as a nickname

This is off topic but what is it with the brits and nicknames? I work for a British company and everyone has a weird nickname that's not shorthand for their full name.

 

[SecretMoblin]

This is off topic but what is it with the brits and nicknames? I work for a British company and everyone has a weird nickname that's not shorthand for their full name.

With few exceptions, linguists believe most of them are derived from people trying to pronounce the real names while choking down British food.