Irish Singles Chart

The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems. Currently all major record stores and over forty independents submit data for the charts, accounting for over 80% of the market, according to Chart-Track. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday (i.e. the day before issue) . The singles chart was first published on October 1 1962, and covered the top ten singles of the previous week by record label shipments.

History

Prior to 1992, the Irish singles chart was compiled from trade shipments from the labels to record stores, rather than on consumer sales, and were first broadcast on RTÉ on October 1 1962. Before this charts had been printed in the "Evening Herald" newspaper, but are under debate as to whether they are official or not.

In 1992, the singles chart became based on consumer sales after IFPI and the Irish Recorded Music Association granted a contract to Gallup, a market research company. Gallup installed Epson PX-4 devices in sixty record stores to collect singles sales data. In 1996, Chart-Track was formed as a result of a management buy-out from Gallup. Also in 1996, with the development of technology, EPOS systems were installed in multiple music retail stores. The EPOS systems allowed for the collection of more accurate sales information. Currently, Chart-Track collects data daily from major record stores such as HMV and Tower Records, as well as over forty Independent retailers. In total, data from over three-hundred and eighty stores are collected each week. The singles chart is compiled over seven days and released every Friday at noon by the IRMA, while Midweek Charts are produced daily, but only released to IRMA members.

It has been announced that from 1st July 2006, downloads will be counted in the charts. They will also feature their own chart in addition to being counted for the overall chart. Data will be collected from iTunes, Vodafone, eircom, Sony Connect, Wippit and Bleep.com [ [http://www.charttrack.co.uk/index.jsp News on addition of downloads] ] . Although IRMA currently estimate the size of the download market to amount to only 14% of the total market, this is certain to increase rapidly in line with other music markets. The likely losers are the Irish independent labels who are unlikely to have their full repertoire available to buy on these mostly internationally-run websites in the near future.

Chart achievements and trivia

:All information is from 1962 to the present and does not include charts printed in the "Evening Herald" newspaper. [http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_no1s.htm] [http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_weeks_at_no1.htm]

Artists with the most number one hits

1. 19
*U2

2. 13(tie)
*The Beatles
*Westlife

3. 12
*ABBA

4. 9 (tie)
*Cliff Richard
*Michael Jackson

5. 8 (tie)
*Boyzone
*Dickie Rock and The Miami Showband
*Elvis Presley
*Madonna
*Britney Spears

6. 7
*Dustin

ongs with the most weeks at number one

1. 18 weeks
*"Riverdance" – Bill Whelan

2. 13 weeks
*"Put 'Em Under Pressure" – Republic of Ireland Football Squad

3. 11 weeks (tie)
*"Nothing Compares 2 U" – Sinead O Connor
*"Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen
*"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams

5. 10 weeks (tie)
*"Mull of Kintyre" – Wings
*"Maniac 2000" – Mark McCabe

7. 9 weeks (tie)
*"From a Jack to a King" – Ned Miller
*"All Kinds of Everything" – Dana
*"You're the One That I Want" – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
*"Do the Bartman" – The Simpsons
*"Think Twice" – Celine Dion
*"Where Is the Love?" – Black Eyed Peas
*"Hips Don't Lie" – Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
*"I Useta Lover" – The Saw Doctors

ee also

*List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
*List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart

External links

* [http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp Current Irish Singles Chart – Top 50 Positions]