UKChartsPlus

New UKChartsPlus logo (June 2010)

UKChartsPlus is an independent weekly newsletter about the UK music charts. It was first published in September 2001 as ChartsPlus in order to record authoritatively the official music chart information in the United Kingdom, as compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Its publication began after Hit Music ceased publication in May 2001. The newsletter was established to be totally independent of Music Week, licensing the chart data directly from OCC and other chart providers.

History

Old ChartsPlus logo (2001-2010)

Initially it covered:

• The UK Singles Chart up to number 200
• The UK Albums Chart up to number 200
• The Compilation Album Chart up to number 50

It also included a New Entries Spotlight on all new top 200 singles, and a Year to Date collection of all the current year's Top 200 albums and singles.

Since then, it has expanded to include the BPI silver, gold or platinum sales awards, predictions of the success of forthcoming releases, Budget Albums Top 50, Airplay Top 100, and Downloads Top 40. The Welsh Singles and Albums Top 75s and the Scottish Singles and Albums Top 75s are published in reference to the main UK Top 200 listings. It also published genre specific charts, for Indie, Dance, Rock and R & B.

Some of these charts are exclusive to ChartsPlus and it is the only place where the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart positions below 75 are published, as is the case for the Compilation Album Chart for positions below 40.

In October 2008, publisher Musiqware Ltd. (formerly IQware Ltd.) stopped production of ChartsPlus: the last issue published was number 371 (4 October 2008). In December 2008 ChartsPlus was relaunched by new publisher UKChartsPlus, the first issue under new control was number 383 (27 December 2008). Issues 372-382 were issued retrospectively between January and March 2009.

2010 Relaunch

With issue no. 463 (10 July 2010) the publication was relaunched under new title UKChartsPlus featuring a new cover (with hyperlinked index)^[1], several new charts, and some expanded charts, and a new colour scheme. It now also features a singles index and an albums index showing each entry's chart positions across all charts featured in UKChartsPlus.^[2][3]

The range of charts (chart provider in brackets):^[1]

• Top 200 Singles (OCC)
• Top 200 Artist Albums (OCC)
• Top 200 Download Singles (OCC)
• Top 100 Download Albums (OCC)
• Top 50 Compilation Albums (OCC)
• Top 50 Budget Albums (OCC)
• Top 40 Vinyl Albums (OCC)
• Top 40 Dance Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 50 R&B Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 40 Rock/Metal Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 50 Indie Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 20 Indie Breakers Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 100 Year So Far Singles & Albums (OCC)
• Top 75 Scottish Singles & Albums (in reference to main chart) (OCC)
• Top 75 Welsh Singles & Albums (in reference to main chart) (OCC)
• UK Radio Airplay Top 100 (NMC)
• UK TV Airplay Top 40 (NMC)
• The Big Top 40 (Global Radio)

Other features:^[1]

• New Entries Spotlight: Singles (Top 200)
• New Entries Spotlight: Albums (Top 100)
• UKChartsPlus Singles Index
• UKChartsPlus Albums Index
• BPI Sales Awards (BPI)
• NMC Airplay Awards (NMC)
• Lonnie's Random Observations

Occasional additions:

• Michael Jackson Performance Chart^[1]
• Football Songs Chart (based on OCC data)^[1]
• Christmas Songs Chart (based on OCC data)

Subscriptions

As of February 2011, two versions are available for subscription:^[4]

• "Full Version": £145 p.a., £43.75 (three months), £17.50 (four issues)
• "Express Version" (Downloads: only Top 50, Year So Far: only Top 75s, no UK TV Airplay Top 40, The Big Top 40, Indie Breakers, Vinyl Top 40, Index): £120 p.a., £36.25 (three months), £13 (four issues)

Individual back issues are available at £5 each or in quarterly or annual batches.^[5]

See also

• UK Singles Chart
• UK Albums Chart
• Hit Music
• Music Week

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "UKChartsPlus Index". ChartsPlus (Liverpool: UKChartsPlus) (463): 1. 
2. ^ Chris Wall. "Editorial". ChartsPlus (Liverpool: UKChartsPlus) (463): 24. 
3. ^ Lonnie Readioff. "Lonnie's Random Observations". ChartsPlus (Liverpool: UKChartsPlus) (463): 38. 
4. ^ "UKChartsPlus Prices". UKChartsPlus. 2011-02. http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/prices.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
5. ^ "UKChartsPlus Back Issues". UKChartsPlus. 2011-02. http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/back_issues.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 

External links

• UKChartsPlus website
• Bibliography of British Chart books (History of predecessors publications Hit Music, Charts+Plus, et al.)
• Website of rival chart publisher Music Week Magazine