'Old hits' set for comeback From correspondents in London
December 29, 2006 05:42am
Article from: Press Association
DOWNLOADED album tracks and "golden oldies" will be eligible for the UK charts under new rules coming into force in Britain next week. Until now, downloads have been included in the Official Singles Chart only if physical copies of the song are available in shops.
But from January 1 the rules will be altered so that all download sales can be counted. It means any song available on the internet could become the next number one.
Chart experts predict artists whose old songs are featured in adverts or films are likely to find themselves heading back up the charts.
The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) decided to change the rules in response to the huge increase in the number of music downloads. Downloads have doubled the size of the UK singles market from 32.3 million in 2004 to 65.1 million in the first 51 weeks of this year.
X Factor winner Leona Lewis recently set a record for the fastest-selling UK download after her debut single A Moment Like This shifted 50,000 copies in its first half hour of release.
OCC director Steve Redmond said: "January 1, 2007, marks a dramatic development in the history of the Official UK Charts.
"For the past 54 years, a single was a track selected by a record company to be pressed on plastic and distributed to stores on a particular date.
"From now on a single can be any track currently available as a download - even an album track or a golden oldie - as well as the established physical formats of CD, DVD, seven- and 12-inch vinyl.
"This new ruling changes the nature of a single and puts the consumer in the driving seat. Literally any track can be a hit - as long as it sells enough."
