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The Herald Scotland
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
When was the last time anyone cared that a song hit number one?
Thanks to the streaming era, the metrics of old have become irrelevant. But ask the record companies, the streaming platforms, and anyone remaining in the mainstream music industry, and the lingering husk of chart positions and the race to the top is still a major factor in how everything plays out. Read more: Can we move on from thinking pop music is the best thing ever? Today's charts are not any real measure of popularity or success – instead, they now measure which record label has the most sophisticated gaming strategy. Power and influence have been taken from the listener, who once had to be motivated to buy a tangible product, and given over to the levers of the record industry, where they can pretty much make the rules as they like. The Official Charts Company decrees that 100 streams equal one sale, and that 1000 streams equal one album sale. But why these numbers? Besides being plucked from thin air, it is likely the simplest way for a changing industry to enter this new landscape, but it is also impossible to take a numbers game seriously where the rules have had such little thought or weight put behind them. Converting physical and digital purchases into streaming habits and behaviours is just too different and difficult to equate, but record and chart companies are still happy to do it and to be seen as legitimate tallying. The other reason why the record industry still holds onto chart success in a streaming world – it is ridiculously easy to control and manipulate. Some of the manipulation is so blatant that it would make the payola scandals of the 1950s seem quaint. The playbook is depressingly simple. First, secure prime real estate on Spotify's algorithmically generated playlists. This is an important step: major labels now treat playlist placements like medieval lords doling out farmland – so if you're in their stable, you eat; if not, prepare to starve. Then release as many versions of the song as possible. Slow it down, speed it up, remix it ad nauseum. Disguise it as a service to fans while conveniently letting it all consolidate into one chart entry as per the rules. And why not take advantage of the half of the internet that's just bots? In 2024, 49% of all internet traffic was bot traffic, so that is a lot of customers lying in wait. Why should it matter in the game that's been set up if there is a real user at the other end or not? Last year, almost half of internet traffic came from bots (Image: Getty) This week saw heavy suspicion of bot use placed on rapper Travis Scott and his label collective album JackBoys 2. People began to notice that unofficial fan uploads and different songs with the same title were seeing huge listening increases where their official equivalents weren't. It's now assumed that whatever bots were sent to juice the album's numbers were sent on the wrong path, and everyone could see the error in plain sight. Of course, JackBoys 2 is set to debut at number one on the Billboard album chart next week. Even more egregious was in 2020 when Spotify users began to report that their accounts were magically playing the new single from rapper French Montana. Accounts were being hacked left and right to hit play on a single from a flailing rapper dependent on numbers, and all the rapper and his label had to do was deny any involvement. There is a real slimy, nefarious side to this game, and a lot of it has probably not revealed itself to the surface. Read more: Two options for musicians: Struggle to survive or ask your parents Then there are the 'numbers people'. These are dedicated fans of an artist who need their favourite to win no matter what, whether that's Taylor Swift or the many fan armies backing K-pop artists. It doesn't matter how authentic the attention is if the horse being bet on reaches the top. These fans are a record label's dream, setting up mass-streaming campaigns to inflate numbers, and replacing the weathervane of popularity with the gritty competition of sport. The 'numbers people' live in a loophole where outright botting is ostensibly not allowed, but leaving a song on repeat all night with the volume down? Stream away and bolster the illusion. Because, in the end, that's all it is now. The record industry is happy to cling to the current chart system because it provides an illusion of success. But given how irrelevant a number one hit is now, and how little such an achievement makes a dent in our cultural milieu, it seems we all already know the truth.
Leader Live
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Oasis dominate UK album charts following start of world tour
Ahead of their first of five shows at Manchester's Heaton Park, the rock band has re-entered the charts with three top five albums, according to the Official Charts Company. At number one is the band's singles compilation, Time Flies…1994-2009, which returns to the top of the leaderboard for the first time since it was first released in June 2010. It is followed by the group's second studio album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, which went on to become the fifth bestselling album in the UK of all time, according to the Official Charts Company. While this week's number three spot remains with pop star Sabrina Carpenter for her Short N' Sweet album, Oasis claimed number four in the charts with their debut 1994 album Definitely Maybe, relegating Ed Sheeran's +–=÷× Tour Collection to number five. Formed in Manchester in 1991, the rock band was led by lead guitarist Noel and his brother, lead vocalist Liam, during their 18 years together, until their dramatic split in 2009. They are known for their hit songs Don't Look Back In Anger, Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall and Live Forever. The Oasis Live '25 Tour kicked off last week in Cardiff, and a five-show run in Manchester will begin on Friday. Throughout July, August and September, the band will visit London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. Meanwhile, on the singles charts, producer MK, known as Marc Kinchen, landed his first ever UK number one with Dior featuring singer-songwriter Chrystal. He is followed by Carpenter, with her most recent single, Manchild, climbing up the ranks to number two following her two sold-out BST Hyde Park headline shows last weekend. American singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae also jumped up the charts with Love Me Not at number three, while Lewis Capaldi's newest song, which he debuted at Glastonbury Festival, Survive, moved down from the top of the charts to number four. The singles chart is completed with Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club, which remained at number five.
South Wales Guardian
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Oasis dominate UK album charts following start of world tour
Ahead of their first of five shows at Manchester's Heaton Park, the rock band has re-entered the charts with three top five albums, according to the Official Charts Company. At number one is the band's singles compilation, Time Flies…1994-2009, which returns to the top of the leaderboard for the first time since it was first released in June 2010. It is followed by the group's second studio album, (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, which went on to become the fifth bestselling album in the UK of all time, according to the Official Charts Company. While this week's number three spot remains with pop star Sabrina Carpenter for her Short N' Sweet album, Oasis claimed number four in the charts with their debut 1994 album Definitely Maybe, relegating Ed Sheeran's +–=÷× Tour Collection to number five. Formed in Manchester in 1991, the rock band was led by lead guitarist Noel and his brother, lead vocalist Liam, during their 18 years together, until their dramatic split in 2009. They are known for their hit songs Don't Look Back In Anger, Champagne Supernova, Wonderwall and Live Forever. The Oasis Live '25 Tour kicked off last week in Cardiff, and a five-show run in Manchester will begin on Friday. Throughout July, August and September, the band will visit London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. Meanwhile, on the singles charts, producer MK, known as Marc Kinchen, landed his first ever UK number one with Dior featuring singer-songwriter Chrystal. He is followed by Carpenter, with her most recent single, Manchild, climbing up the ranks to number two following her two sold-out BST Hyde Park headline shows last weekend. American singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae also jumped up the charts with Love Me Not at number three, while Lewis Capaldi's newest song, which he debuted at Glastonbury Festival, Survive, moved down from the top of the charts to number four. The singles chart is completed with Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club, which remained at number five.
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Twenty One Pilots Debuts Its Breakout Album Inside The Top 10 A Decade Late
Twenty One Pilots' Blurryface returns to the U.K. charts as its tenth anniversary reissue lands ... More inside the top 10 on vinyl and sales rankings. SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 05: Josh Dun (L) and Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots pose for a photo after performing an EndSession hosted by 107.7 The End on June 5, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by) Blurryface is the album that helped Twenty One Pilots become global superstars when it was released more than a decade ago. Before then, the duo had cultivated a fan base in the alternative space, but with songs like "Stressed Out" and "Ride," the pair successfully crossed into the pop arena, and the rockers haven't looked back since. To celebrate Blurryface turning 10, Twenty One Pilots recently reissued the full-length on a collectible double red double LP. That limited-edition offering has turned the blockbuster effort into a bestseller once again. Blurryface Opens Inside the Top 10 The updated version of Blurryface debuts at No. 9 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart. The title previously reached the vinyl-only ranking in the summer of 2015, when the original spent just one frame at No. 12. Now, it breaks into the top 10 for the first time, as the Official Charts Company credits this edition as separate from the first. Twenty One Pilots Score a Fourth Top 10 Bestseller Twenty One Pilots earn a fourth top 10 win on the Official Vinyl Albums chart thanks to the new release of Blurryface. Both Trench and Clancy spent one turn at No. 1, while Scaled and Icy reached No. 5 in December 2021. Blurryface Reappears on Multiple Tallies This second take on Blurryface also finds its way back to both the Official Physical Albums and Official Albums Sales rankings — and in both instances, it's a top 20 success. Twenty One Pilots return to the list of the top-selling titles on any physical medium at No. 12, buoyed largely by the vinyl reissue, and the rockers appear at No. 18 on the general sales roster. 'Doubt' Debuts Inside the Top 10 "Doubt," a fan-favorite track from Blurryface, also manages to debut several years after its release. The tune — which was never selected as a single, though Twenty One Pilots released the demo version earlier this year to commemorate the album's anniversary — opens inside the top 10 on multiple rosters, starting at No. 2 on the Official Vinyl Singles chart, No. 3 on the Official Physical Singles tally, and No. 9 on the Official Singles Sales ranking.
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Revealed: The most played Oasis song of the 21st century
Following the band's highly anticipated reunion tour, which began last week in Cardiff, the licensing company compiled a list of the top 10 most played songs by the band from the past 25 years. PPL, which licenses the use of recorded music on radio, TV and in public places, used airplay data from radio and TV stations across the UK to put the list together. It revealed that Wonderwall was the second most-played recording on UK radio and TV, followed by She's Electric at number three, Roll With It at number four and Little By Little taking fifth place. The Importance Of Being Idle, Whatever, Some Might Say and Live Forever followed. The top 10 list ends with Champagne Supernova, the closing track to their second studio album (What's The Story) Morning Glory?. Released in 1995, the album became the fifth bestselling album in the UK, according to the Official Charts Company, and contributed six tracks to the top 10 list. The data also found that Oasis have built up more than seven years of cumulative airplay on UK radio and TV stations since 2000, with their songs being played, on average, 120 times per day across the country. Peter Leathem, chief executive of PPL, said: 'Oasis are one of the most iconic, era-defining bands we have ever seen. 'They dominated the 1990s and 2000s, and for many, they personified those decades, but their timeless songs continue to resonate with audiences even long after their release.' This comes after the band performed together at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday for the first time in almost 16 years after their dramatic split in 2009, which was prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in France. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Mr Leathem added: 'With their reunion tour underway, this chart provides the perfect opportunity to look back in admiration at the enduring impact of their music throughout this century, and to celebrate one of the greatest British bands of all time.' After tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on sale last year, there was outrage as some standard tickets appeared to have jumped from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the UK government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge that they would look at the use of dynamic pricing. The band's world tour, Oasis Live '25, will see the band perform at Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September before heading to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. UK's top 10 most played Oasis recordings of the 21st century Don't Look Back In Anger Wonderwall She's Electric Roll With It Little By Little The Importance Of Being Idle Whatever Some Might Say Live Forever Champagne Supernova
