The Ultimate Averaged Chart - The BBC Chart Re-Imagined

[Robbie]

^
according to 45cat.com 'I'm A Believer' was released in the UK on 30 December 1966. It entered the Record Retailer chart at number 42 on the chart dated 7 January 1967 which would have been based on sales to 31 December 1966.

It's a great song and a complete contrast to the misery of the record that it replaced at the top. That said I don't mind the Tom Jones single but it's hardly a happy song and isn't exactly the sort of record that would bring much Christmas and New Year cheer.

[Splodj]

I was wondering why I'm A Believer took so long to get to the top, having been released in December, then saw that The Monkees TV series did not start in the UK till New Years Eve.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Off to work I go !

But first. Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending January 21st 1967.

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 21st 1967								NME	MM	DISC	RR	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey				Stores	200	250	100	85	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart				BBC			TOP	30	Scored
3	1	I'm A Believer - The Monkees					1	1	1	1	1	19050
1	2	Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones					2	2	2	2	2	18415
6	3	Happy Jack - The Who					3	3	3	3	3	17780
4	4	Morningtown Ride - The Seekers					5=	4	4	13	4	16245
5	5	Anyway That You Want Me - The Troggs					4	6	5	4	9	16070
15	6	Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops					5=	5	8	6	10	15235
13	7	Night Of Fear - The Move					7	8	7	8	7	14940
2	8	Sunshine Superman - Donovan					8	10	6	9	5	14860
22	9	Matthew And Son - Cat Stevens					9	7	11	5	11	14100
8	10	In The Country - Cliff Richard					10	12	10	7	6	13575
7	11	Save Me - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich					11	9	12	12	8	13005
12	12	Sitting In The Park - Georgie Fame					12	13	9	11	12	12715
24	13	Hey Joe - The Jimi Hendrix Experience					13	11	17	10	16	10875
14	14	Pamela Pamela - Wayne Fontana					14	15	13	17	14	10545
20	15	I Feel Free - Cream					15	14	18	15	13	9780
10	16	What Would I Be - Val Doonican					17	16	15	19	18	9305
NEW	17	Let's Spend The Night Together / Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones					18	17	14	14	26	9175
9	18	Dead End Street - The Kinks					16	18	16	18	15	9010
11	19	You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes					19	19	19	16	17	8090
19	20	(I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations					20	23	21	20	19	6220
16	21	Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats					21	25	20	27	21	5200
NEW	22	Single Girl - Sandy Posey					22	21	25	21	27	4840
18	23	Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys					23	27	22	23	23	4530
26	24	Call Her Your Sweetheart - Frank Ifield					24	24	26	22	24	4145
17	25	What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin					25	28	24	24	22	3815
27	26	Nashville Cats - The Lovin' Spoonful					26	26	23	25	30	3685
NEW	27	I've Been A Bad Bad Boy - Paul Jones					27	20	27	28		3500
NEW	28	Sugar Town - Nancy Sinatra					28	22	28	26		3050
NEW	29	A Place In The Sun - Stevie Wonder					29				20	935
RE	30	Heart - Rita Pavona						30	29			700
		Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones						29
		Distant Drums - Jim Reeves					30				25	510
		Tell It To The Rain - The Four Seasons							30	29		450
		Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett								30	28	355
		Under New Management - The Barron Knights									29	170

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

It's entirely possible actually given that back in the sixties the 'Light' programme later to be Radio 1 in 1967 wasn't entirely devoted to programming just 'pop' music. Even then the BBC didn't treat it as serious music.

Meantime, Tally Ho ! Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending January 14th 1967, and believe it or not there is a joint #2 on the BBC chart with different points. Unbelievable.

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 14th 1967								NME	MM	DISC	RR	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey				Stores	200	250	100	85	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart				BBC			TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones					1	1	1	1	1	19050
3	2	Sunshine Superman - Donovan					2=	5	2	3	2	17715
NEW	3	I'm A Believer - The Monkees					2=	2	5	2	4	17495
2	4	Morningtown Ride - The Seekers					4	3	3	7	2	17465
10	5	Anyway That You Want Me - The Troggs					7	7	4	5	8	16105
5	6	Happy Jack - The Who					5	4	8	4	6	15975
4	7	Save Me - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich					6	6	6	6	5	15960
7	8	In The Country - Cliff Richard					8	8	7	8	7	14940
8	9	Dead End Street - The Kinks					9	11	9	12	9	13270
6	10	What Would I Be - Val Doonican					10=	9	10	14	10	13135
9	11	You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes					10=	10	11	11	11	12900
16	12	Sitting In The Park - Georgie Fame					12	13	12	9	13	12080
29	13	Night Of Fear - The Move					13	14	15	13	17	10390
17	14	Pamela Pamela - Wayne Fontana					15=	16	14	22	12	9765
NEW	15	Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops					15=	12	19	10	23	9580
15	16	Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats					14	17	16	16	14	9495
11	17	What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin					17	19	13	18	16	9475
14	18	Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys					18	23	17	20	15	7560
19	19	(I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations					19	20	20	17	19	7370
26	20	I Feel Free - Cream					20	18	22	19	21	6900
13	21	Under New Management - The Barron Knights					21	25	18	24	18	6255
NEW	22	Matthew And Son - Cat Stevens					23	15	23	21		6200
12	23	My Mind's Eye - The Small Faces					22	21	21	25	20	6035
NEW	24	Hey Joe - The Jimi Hendrix Experience					24	24	26	15		4250
20	25	Walk With Faith In Your Heart - The Bachelors					26	27	24	29	26	3175
22	26	Call Her Your Sweetheart - Frank Ifield					25	26	29	23	27	2640
NEW	27	Nashville Cats - The Lovin' Spoonful					29	30	25	27		2100
28	28	Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett					27	22			29	1970
21	29	Distant Drums - Jim Reeves					28		27		22	1765
27	30	There Won't Be Many Coming Home - Roy Orbison					30=	28	30		28	1105
		Deadlier Than The Male - The Walker Brothers							28			750
		Single Girl - Sandy Posey						29		28		700
		Sugar Town - Nancy Sinatra						30		26		700
		Just One Smile - Gene Pitney					30=				24	595
		Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops									25	510
		A Place In The Sun - Stevie Wonder								30		100
		Gimme Some Loving - The Spencer Davis Group									30	85

[BobPatience]

Could it be that they assumed (or hoped) that this kind of music was just a fad, so they didn't think it was worth it to make any extra effort. Who would have known that their charts would be so thoroughly analyzed 50-60 years later, they might have thought it would be irrelevant before the 1970s hit.

[MrTibbs]

I agree. I would have thought that given their chart was broadcast to millions they would have paid more attention to it, would have wanted it to be a robust chart with careful compilation and checking and having a consistent system in place to address ties. But no, it was a casual, cobbled together quickly chart not really fit for purpose. A pity because the principle was sound.

[Splodj]

What mystifies me is that they did not seem at all embarrassed by ties. When one appeared in their initial calculation you would have thought the least they would do is a check.

Beyond that I still can't understand why they did not always apply a tiebreaker system.

[MrTibbs]

Yeah spot on Robin ! I used to watch and listen to them all back then too and can never remember corrections being made public. I think the BBC charts were just accepted at face value. It's only when you see the charts the BBC used lined up side by side that the errors become obvious. At the time to be honest most artists probably followed NME and MM to see how their records were performing. TOTP was most likely seen as just good publicity and promotion of their records by acts.

[RokinRobinOfLocksley]

You would think that since the BBC averaging formula was known (as broadcast on POTP), and thus could have been calculated by anyone, that if an artist was penalized because of bad BBC math errors that they would have appealed to the BBC for a fix. And maybe they did, but they weren't given any press or corrections on the next week's show? I wonder if POTP/TOTP ever announced a correction on the next week's show...

[MrTibbs]

Agree Splodge. It's so obvious an error I wonder why it was never noticed at the time. Obviously not a lot of checking of figures took place on compilation. As Membrane also said above, sloppy compilation.

[Splodj]

The BBC chart is riddled with ties this week but the points don't tally for joint #7 and joint #12.

I would put this down to sloppy miscalculation of the 7s and 12s, because their points do tally for joint 21s, 26s and 29s.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending 7th January 1967 for your interest. Happy reading !

The BBC chart is riddled with ties this week but the points don't tally for joint #7 and joint #12.

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending January 7th 1967								NME	MM	DISC	RR	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey				Stores	200	250	100	85	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart				BBC			TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones					1	1	1	1	1	19050
2	2	Morningtown Ride - The Seekers					2	2	4	2	2	17915
3	3	Sunshine Superman - Donovan					3	4	2	3	3	17830
6	4	Save Me - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich					4	3	3	4	4	17595
10	5	Happy Jack - The Who					5	6	6	5	5	16060
4	6	What Would I Be - Val Doonican					7=	5	7	10	7	15340
11	7	In The Country - Cliff Richard					7=	9	5	8	9	15070
7	8	Dead End Street - The Kinks					6	8	8	6	6	14975
5	9	You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes					9	10	9	7	8	14055
15	10	Anyway That You Want Me - The Troggs					10	7	10	9	13	13780
8	11	What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin					11	11	11	11	14	12445
12	12	My Mind's Eye - The Small Faces					12=	12	14	15	10	11435
16	13	Under New Management - The Barron Knights					15	14	13	14	15	10960
14	14	Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys					14	15	15	13	11	10700
13	15	Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats					12=	13	16	16	12	10465
28	16	Sitting In The Park - Georgie Fame					16	16	18	12	19	9170
21	17	Pamela Pamela - Wayne Fontana					17	17	17	19	16	8775
9	18	If Every Day Was Like Christmas - Elvis Presley					18	22	12	22	22	8215
26	19	(I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations					20	23	20	18	23	6330
18	20	Walk With Faith In Your Heart - The Bachelors					21=	18	22	24	26	5975
22	21	Distant Drums - Jim Reeves					19	19	26	21	17	5840
24	22	Call Her Your Sweetheart - Frank Ifield					21=	20	24	17	29	5520
17	23	Gimme Some Loving - The Spencer Davis Group					23	21	23	26	21	5350
19	24	Just One Smile - Gene Pitney					24	28	19	27	18	5105
27	25	Deadlier Than The Male - The Walker Brothers					26=	25	21	28		4000
NEW	26	I Feel Free - Cream					25	24	27	25	25	3510
20	27	There Won’t Be Many Coming Home - Roy Orbison					26=	25	25		24	3295
NEW	28	Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett					28		29	20	30	1685
NEW	29	Night Of Fear - The Move					29=	27		23		1600
RE	30	Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops					29=	30			20	1135
		Island In The Sun - The Righteous Brothers							28			750
		Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James - Manfred Mann							30		28	505
		I'm A Believer - The Monkees						29				400
		Holy Cow - Lee Dorsey									27	340
		I'm Ready For Love - Martha and The Vandellas								29		200
		That's Life - Frank Sinatra								30		100

[MrTibbs]

Similar to you Splodj I too listened to the sixties Luxembourg Top 20's at 11pm on Sunday night from around 1966. I had a little hand held transistor radio with one ear piece and had to listen under the bed covers so my parents wouldn't hear it and take it away due to it being so late at night.
Like you I'm unsure when they moved away from NME but I know for a fact that by early 1969 they were compiling ( and I say that tongue in cheek) their own chart. Not factual of course but highly entertaining as records were all over the place. Paul Burnett was presenting at that time and he was second only to Alan Freeman as my favourite DJ.

Memories, Memories

[MrTibbs]

Membrane, I'm both pleased and gratified by your support above, and from every other guy who is commenting and contributing to this thread and I sincerely thank you all for this. It continually motivates me to see this project through to completion which I assure you all I will do.

Before I post today's chart here is my usual list of year end injustices, the records which were criminally ignored in 1966 and should (in my humble opinion) have charted here in the UK.

The Young Rascals - Good Lovin' - How could this possibly have missed out !
The Association - Cherish
Samantha Juste - No One Needs My Love Today - This so touches my sentimental side.
Cannibal and The Headhunters - Land Of 1000 Dances
Frankie Valli - The Proud One
The Turtles - You Baby - Pop music perfection.
The Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You

Brian

[Splodj]

From January 1960 Radio Luxembourg belatedly went over to a records based Top 20 using the end of week NME chart published in the music paper.

Then on 1-Aug-65 they started using a special more up-to-date chart provided by the NME. We know this because a recording of that edition is on the internet ...

“This is your ‘DJ BA’ Barry Alldis bidding you welcome to the show which, for the very first time tonight, is based on the latest chart available courtesy of the New Musical Express. It’s a special weekend Top 20 chart supplied by the NME, so we are up to the minute on our hit parade programme.”

https://offri056.home.xs4all.nl/sound/top20-65.mp3

The question is: how long did this last? Dave Taylor said it lasted for two years, and I am inclined to believe him - unless anyone can provide a recording after July 1967 that mentions the NME. I think what happened is that they dropped NME and started making up their own charts, but they did this quietly and so anyone (like me) who didn't listen too closely assumed that they were still using NME.

Cautionary note: There is a site that claims to have Radio Luxembourg's Top 20s from this period https://radiopedia.nl/wiki/Radio_Lux...p_30_(UK)#1966 but when you click on the individual weeks they turn out to be the Top 20s from Record Retailer instead.

[membranemusic]

Hello
Mr Tibbs you must carry on with your full project. Not only is it fascinating to all the forum watchers, but you are researching, correcting and recording British cultural history here.
I don’t think you realise the importance of what you doing here.
Many cultural historians underestimate the worldwide effect of the British “Hit Parade” from the 60s through to recent times on international popular music makers, and the subsequent effect on audiences worldwide. Internationally, those ‘in the know’ in the industry read the Billboard chart, then read the NME or MM chart, and then decided what sort of music the public worldwide wanted to hear. Crucial to this was the BBC chart as broadcast on “Pick Of The Pops” and “Top Of The Pops”.
I don’t give a fig that my rigorous personal notes of the BBC positions for years and years turned out to be incorrect due to the better-researched scheme of things, as stated in your re-imagined charts. I knew then about the BBC sloppiness; I had no idea about the RR sloppiness.
Concerning the joint 2 controversy, I can categorically state that the BBC chart announced by Alan F for 29/10/66 did not have a joint 2 position. I was there at the time.
Concerning the correspondent ACA, I can categorically say that from the early 1960s to 1969 “Pick of The Pops” only used the BBC chart, as stated by other people here. I was there at the time.
I can also categorically say that Radio Luxembourg broadcast the positions of the NME chart throughout the 60s. I was there at the time.
Of course life has its sacrifices. I refused to let my parents take the family abroad for a summer holiday for several years just so I would not miss the weekly BBC chart!
membranemusic

[MrTibbs]

Yeah guys you are correct there. The BBC did not include the RR chart on 31st December.
Thanks Borobear for your continuing support too along with the other guys.

Onward and Upward. Brian.

[Splodj]

Also evidenced by 2 and 3 being separated by the BBC. Had RR been included they would have tied.

[Robbie]

From looking at the tied positions the BBC chart for 31/12/66 appears not to have used the Record Retailer chart. The BBC also have two records tied at #18 but 'Just One Smile' from Gene Pitney should have been placed at number 19 which is where it is placed on the Ultimate Averaged Chart.

[Borobear]

Please keep going. I am really enjoying this thread. I would also like to see you go to the end of 1969 before going back to 1960. Thanks for all the hard work so far.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers ! So, here is the last chart for 1966. A chart where Donovan would have been a much better No 1.

Here is the next Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending 31st December 1966 for your interest.

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending December 31st 1966								NME	MM	DISC	RR	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey				Stores	200	250	100	85	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart				BBC			TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones					1	1	1	3	1	18850
2	2	Morningtown Ride - The Seekers					2	2	3	1	4	18095
3	3	Sunshine Superman - Donovan					3	4	2	2	2	18015
4	4	What Would I Be - Val Doonican					4	3	5	4	6	16925
5	5	You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Supremes					5	5	4	6	10	16235
9	6	Save Me - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich					6	7	7	5	3	15780
6	7	Dead End Street - The Kinks					7	8	6	7	5	15460
7	8	What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin					8	6	9	9	8	14655
12	9	If Every Day Was Like Christmas - Elvis Presley					9	11	8	8	9	13920
15	10	Happy Jack - The Who					10=	9	11	12	13	12830
13	11	In The Country - Cliff Richard					10=	12	10	10	17	12340
8	12	My Mind's Eye - The Small Faces					12	10	12	11	15	12310
10	13	Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats					13	12	13	13	7	12140
11	14	Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys					14=	15	15	14	11	10600
17	15	Anyway That You Want Me - The Troggs					14=	14	14	16	19	10170
20	16	Under New Management - The Barron Knights					16	16	16	18	20	8985
14	17	Gimme Some Loving - The Spencer Davis Group					17	17	19	15	25	7910
19	18	Walk With Faith In Your Heart - The Bachelors					18=	18	18	19	21	7900
16	19	Just One Smile - Gene Pitney					18=	19	17	20	26	7425
21	20	There Won't Be Many Coming Home - Roy Orbison					21	25	20	17	12	6965
25	21	Pamela Pamela - Wayne Fontana					20	21	21	24	23	5880
18	22	Distant Drums - Jim Reeves					22	20	25	23	16	5775
23	23	Holy Cow - Lee Dorsey					25	22	27	25	14	4845
26	24	Call Her Your Sweetheart - Frank Ifield					23	24	26	21		3650
22	25	Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James - Manfred Mann					26	23	23			3600
28	26	(I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations					24	27	24	22		3450
29	27	Deadlier Than The Male - The Walker Brothers					27	30	22	26		2950
NEW	28	Sitting In The Park - Georgie Fame						29			18	1505
27	29	High Time - Paul Jones					28	26			28	1255
NEW	30	Island In The Sun - The Righteous Brothers							29		24	1095
		I'm Ready For Love - Martha and The Vandellas					30=			28	22	1065
		Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops						28	30			850
		Heart - Rita Pavone					30=		28			750
		I Feel Free - Cream								29	27	540
		Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett					29			27		400
		Somewhere My Love - The Mike Sammes Singers									29	170
		Progress - The Pretty Things								30		100
		Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) - Otis Redding									30	85

[Splodj]

This is when Denys Jones took over compilation of the BBC chart, so there may be some changes in it's calculation policy.

Looks like he did the 1966 year end 'points' chart in a burst of initial enthusiasm, and It was not attempted again. In the 3 succeeding years before an annual sales chart was possible they had a Top 3s show at the end of each year.

[MrTibbs]

I'm really happy to see all those comments guys because I'm just as keen to keep on producing these charts as you are to see them. This is not a laborious task for me compiling these charts it's a totally absorbing labour of love.

I'm glad Robin and ACA raised the point on frequency. You will have noted some days I post one chart and other days 2, never sure how many a day you guys want to see, but it seems 1 is ideal as all of you comment how much you like to study and dissect them and can do this better with 1, so I will now do just that going forward.

Don't worry about me not keeping up, it's not a problem I'm already way ahead and working on July 1967 so not a problem giving you a new chart everyday for your reading pleasure.

I got asked in a message if it bothered me when guys picked me up on minor errors etc. My answer was no it doesn't , in fact I welcome it on the rare occasions it happens. It tells me guys are really interested in my charts and gives me the chance to correct retrospectively to ensure all charts are 100% accurate. That is my driving goal, so please continue to flag up any that still slip through my own checking procedures. I really do welcome this.

Lastly, again, just to reassure you, after I get to Feb 1969 I will go back and compile 60 to 63 for you all where you will notice even more differences between March 60 and March 62 when RM and RR are added to the average for the first time ever (on their effective dates within this period).
then 56 to 59.

Groovy Stuff ! Brian.

[ACA]

Let me put it this way. If it is as satisfying to yourself to go through these old charts as it appears to be to many of us, you'd never doubt that you are on the right track.
I agree with Robin - you don't have to pace things, because the study of the single chart brings back so many treasured memories. I myself take time to find many of those tracks in my collection and play them again. So please continue...!

[RokinRobinOfLocksley]

Before I wind up 1966 tomorrow guys is this still a worthwhile project ? Want me to continue ?

YES and YES !! If this is too much work Brian, maybe you could cut back to no more than 1 chart per day. We're not in a hurry, at 1 chart per day, over the next 1 year + 5 months = 10 years of weekly charts done. Plus it would give us more time to study each chart and comment back, maybe more total comments. Just a thought... Rock on...