Streaming (and Ed Sheeran) have ruined the charts

[StrawberryBlond 14,819]

The problem is, now that they've started, they can't exactly stop. It'll make them look foolish if they do. Streaming is too much of a force now. Like it or hate it, it's here to stay. You can't un-invent it. Just like downloads eventually got counted, streaming went the same way. When a new way to listen to music becomes huge, you have to start taking it into account in the charts, it's just how it works. But there could definitely be adjustments. Streams are accounting for way too much, they should be a miniscule amount. By making streams have such a big platform, it means all an artist needs to do is release a very controversial hit with a similar video, to draw people into checking it out. That way, even if people are only tuning in to hear how terrible it's rumoured to be, it still counts towards their chart position. It makes it too easy to do well with a bad song. The amount of dislikes for videos like We Can't Stop, Wrecking Ball, Anaconda and of course, Baby, shows that plenty of people check out a song on YouTube purely to watch its rumoured controversial video and/or its terrible song. No other reason. Streaming operates in the same way. There is no way of telling what someone thought of a song by finding out that they merely listened to it. Radio's the same. Just because a song is played constantly on the radio because the station are being paid to do so and millions heard it, it doesn't mean that all of them liked it. They just heard it. That's why I disapprove of radio play being counted towards anything on the official charts, especially in places like America where radio is still a huge force that can really generate the beginnings of a hit.

People could simply stream a song over and over because it's so bad it's good, but they would never actually pay money for it. That's why streaming is really useful for people with guilty pleasures - they can enjoy the song whenever they want without actually ever actually lining the pockets of the artist. But the problem is that by simply clicking on a track now, just to check it out, you are making that song successful. That's when it gets a bit silly. There should be a way of ensuring that only people who liked the track count towards its sales. The amount of likes it received on YouTube for the week (but not the dislikes) would be ideal, but then, we don't know what countries the votes come from, so we can't use it. But maybe a like or dislike box on Spotify after you've streamed a song would work?

14 hours ago, perfectdance said:

I'm starting to think Ed's cockiness and slayage is backfiring on him and he's going to become overexposed and everyone will start hating him 

That's what I'm starting to think too. I mean, Katy was at #5 last week on the official chart - this week, thanks to Ed, she's #17, even though she's still holding strong at #5 on itunes and still getting streaming and various support. Her fans must be fuming about this. I mean, could you imagine if Gaga had been in the top ten for almost 2 months straight with her lead single, and then she unceremoniously got knocked near enough out the top 20 in a single week by an artist's entire 16 track album? Katy's said a few times now that she cares about the charts (she even made a very tense joke to Ed's face about him keeping her new song off the #1 spot). She was devastated when ET didn't chart well in the UK initially. To know that she got kicked out our top 10 because of a ridiculously generous streaming rule and a very overrated local artist...she must be mad. It's going to be a big enough blow that it's her first lead single not to go to #1 in the UK, to end her consecutive run of weeks in the top ten so suddenly and unfairly must really sting. I imagine it's annoying fans of the other artists who got knocked down the chart as well.

So, yeah, a backlash is already starting. I actually saw someone comment on the official charts page that the site made a mockery of itself because it doesn't even do what it says on the tin - "official singles charts." How can it be a singles chart if any album song can chart? Someone else also said that Ed's apparently also said that the rules should change, which is very convenient for him because if they did change, he would be the only person in history to ever hold this record. The public are seeing through him on this one. But rest assured, this will be his biggest album. He can't possibly get any bigger than this. Achieving what he has must be a weird anticlimax because think about it...every song in your 16 track album making the top 20? A plain old album track currently heading to the #1 spot? The best opening week sales for a male artist in UK chart history? There's no way of topping that. It's all downhill from here. Maybe we'll get the fallout when Subtract/Minus is released.

[gagajandro25 6,103]

53 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

The problem is, now that they've started, they can't exactly stop. It'll make them look foolish if they do. Streaming is too much of a force now. Like it or hate it, it's here to stay. You can't un-invent it. Just like downloads eventually got counted, streaming went the same way. When a new way to listen to music becomes huge, you have to start taking it into account in the charts, it's just how it works. But there could definitely be adjustments. Streams are accounting for way too much, they should be a miniscule amount. By making streams have such a big platform, it means all an artist needs to do is release a very controversial hit with a similar video, to draw people into checking it out. That way, even if people are only tuning in to hear how terrible it's rumoured to be, it still counts towards their chart position. It makes it too easy to do well with a bad song. The amount of dislikes for videos like We Can't Stop, Wrecking Ball, Anaconda and of course, Baby, shows that plenty of people check out a song on YouTube purely to watch its rumoured controversial video and/or its terrible song. No other reason. Streaming operates in the same way. There is no way of telling what someone thought of a song by finding out that they merely listened to it. Radio's the same. Just because a song is played constantly on the radio because the station are being paid to do so and millions heard it, it doesn't mean that all of them liked it. They just heard it. That's why I disapprove of radio play being counted towards anything on the official charts, especially in places like America where radio is still a huge force that can really generate the beginnings of a hit.

People could simply stream a song over and over because it's so bad it's good, but they would never actually pay money for it. That's why streaming is really useful for people with guilty pleasures - they can enjoy the song whenever they want without actually ever actually lining the pockets of the artist. But the problem is that by simply clicking on a track now, just to check it out, you are making that song successful. That's when it gets a bit silly. There should be a way of ensuring that only people who liked the track count towards its sales. The amount of likes it received on YouTube for the week (but not the dislikes) would be ideal, but then, we don't know what countries the votes come from, so we can't use it. But maybe a like or dislike box on Spotify after you've streamed a song would work?

That's what I'm starting to think too. I mean, Katy was at #5 last week on the official chart - this week, thanks to Ed, she's #17, even though she's still holding strong at #5 on itunes and still getting streaming and various support. Her fans must be fuming about this. I mean, could you imagine if Gaga had been in the top ten for almost 2 months straight with her lead single, and then she unceremoniously got knocked near enough out the top 20 in a single week by an artist's entire 16 track album? Katy's said a few times now that she cares about the charts (she even made a very tense joke to Ed's face about him keeping her new song off the #1 spot). She was devastated when ET didn't chart well in the UK initially. To know that she got kicked out our top 10 because of a ridiculously generous streaming rule and a very overrated local artist...she must be mad. It's going to be a big enough blow that it's her first lead single not to go to #1 in the UK, to end her consecutive run of weeks in the top ten so suddenly and unfairly must really sting. I imagine it's annoying fans of the other artists who got knocked down the chart as well.

So, yeah, a backlash is already starting. I actually saw someone comment on the official charts page that the site made a mockery of itself because it doesn't even do what it says on the tin - "official singles charts." How can it be a singles chart if any album song can chart? Someone else also said that Ed's apparently also said that the rules should change, which is very convenient for him because if they did change, he would be the only person in history to ever hold this record. The public are seeing through him on this one. But rest assured, this will be his biggest album. He can't possibly get any bigger than this. Achieving what he has must be a weird anticlimax because think about it...every song in your 16 track album making the top 20? A plain old album track currently heading to the #1 spot? The best opening week sales for a male artist in UK chart history? There's no way of topping that. It's all downhill from here. Maybe we'll get the fallout when Subtract/Minus is released.

So much tea in one post 

[gagajandro25 6,103]

I wonder if Gaga uses a streaming service at all, and if so which one?

[gagajandro25 6,103]

Imagine Gaga listening to the carcinogens  

[ImpossiblePrincess 3,867]

Can't we just go back to a simple download and cd??????????? Streaming is pointless for the charts 

[gagajandro25 6,103]

8 minutes ago, littlemonsterL5 said:

Can't we just go back to a simple download and cd??????????? Streaming is pointless for the charts 

Ahh the good ol' days

 

[gagajandro25 6,103]

Remember when we had CDs, album downloads, and single downloads? Now streaming is skewing everything

[JustAnotherDay 8,402]

you can't discount streaming, it's the way many many people listen to music. I want Gaga to be high on the charts too but I'd rather them serve their purpose and show the most popular music in the country than lie so I can see artists I like on the top. Eventually, streaming will become the norm for every artist, just like digital downloads did, but we can't pretend like it doesn't exist until that happens. (I do agree that Ed Sheeran is ruining the charts though)

[PeterPan 0]

I felt like the article was unprofessional. He should keep his opinions of Drake and Ed out of why streaming has ruined the charts. 

[FrozenKookie 2,638]

Streaming ruins charts unless your fave slays on streaming.