[LINK] ARIA Top 40 ignores Internet-only songs

Glen Turner glen.turner at aarnet.edu.au
Sun Dec 31 11:21:50 AEDT 2006


<http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=your%20say&subclass=general&story_id=543345&category=Opinion&m=12&y=2006>

Self-interest calls the tune in local singles chart success
Alex Malik

ON October 8, the Australian Recording Industry Association proudly
announced the creation of a new singles chart, "integrating for the
first time data from sales of physical singles and their digital
counterparts". The new chart would combine its digital track chart
which measures authorised digital download singles, and its physical
CD singles chart. The new combined chart would effectively replace
the old ARIA singles chart for use by TV and radio in their "top 40
countdown" shows.

...

But how much of the recording industry's digital revolution is real,
and how much of the revolution remains rhetoric? Currently, the most
popular song in Australia is Chasing Cars by English band Snow Patrol.
Dominating Australian radio playlists, the melodic track was heard by
1.8 million Australians over the closing credits of the Grey's Anatomy
season finale, as well as in ER, The 4400 and One Tree Hill. Chasing Cars
has been the most downloaded song from authorised Australian services
for the past two months. Yet an examination of the ARIA national singles
chart finds that the track is absent from the top 50. Why?

...



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