The Ultimate Averaged Chart - The BBC Chart Re-Imagined

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending December 20th1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending December 20th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	125	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
4	1	Two Little Boys - Rolf Harris					1	1	1	17250
2	2	Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers and The First Edition					2	2	2	16675
1	3	Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Stevie Wonder					3	3	4	15975
3	4	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					4	3	3	15900
5	5	Melting Pot - Blue Mink					5	5	5	14950
7	6	Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley					6	6	6	14375
8	7	Winter World Of Love - Engelbert Humperdinck					7	7	8	13675
6	8	(Call Me) Number One - The Tremeloes					10	8	9	12700
20	9	All I Have To Do Is Dream - Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell					9	10	7	12650
10	10	The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell					8	9	13	12350
18	11	Tracy - The Cuff Links					12	12	10	11175
16	12	Love Is All - Malcolm Roberts					11	14	15	10250
9	13	Something / Come Together - The Beatles					14	11	18	10025
15	14	Leavin' (Durham Town) - Roger Whittaker					16	13	14	9625
25	15	Without Love - Tom Jones					13	20	12	8725
13	16	The Liquidator - Harry J All Stars					23	15	11	8100
14	17	Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff					17	17	17	8050
19	18	Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival					15	19	21	7450
11	19	Sweet Dream - Jethro Tull					18	18	27	6350
12	20	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					22	16	25	6300
29	21	Good Old Rock'n'Roll - The Dave Clark Five					19	23	16	6275
23	22	Loneliness - Des O'Connor					21	24	19	5250
24	23	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					24	21	24	4775
28	24	The Highway Song - Nancy Sinatra					20	25	23	4700
17	25	Return Of Django - The Upsetters					25	22	26	4075
21	26	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					28	26	28	2225
NEW	27	With The Eyes Of A Child - Cliff Richard					27		20	2175
22	28	What Does It Take - Junior Walker and The All Stars					26	27		2000
NEW	29	But You Love Me Daddy / Snowflake - Jim Reeves						29	22	1625
26	30	Biljo - Clodagh Rodgers					29	28		1150
B		Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross and The Supremes					30		30	325
30		I Miss You Baby - Marv Johnson						30		250
27		Cold Turkey - The Plastic Ono Band							29	250

[Splodj]

It was on 26-November that Lennon returned his MBE "in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam, and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts."

It had dropped only one place in the BMRB chart that week to 16, four places in NME to 17. In MM it had actually gone up to 12!

[kingofskiffle]

Music Business Weekly managed to get the Led Zeppelin song title wrong, listing it as 'Whole Lotta Woman'. That would be the Marvin Rainwater song (and a number 1) from 1958...

The B side of 'Whole Lotta Love' was 'Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's A Woman)' so that may explain the error.

Magazines printing charts where notorious for getting things wrong. From week counts, last week positions (ordering of records at those positions!) correct artist credit, title credit, label credit, cat number - the things they get wrong are fantastic. Most of the time they do get it right. But this is one of the reasons why some charts can be so very fascinating to try and work out the correct information.

[Robbie]

Music Business Weekly managed to get the Led Zeppelin song title wrong, listing it as 'Whole Lotta Woman'. That would be the Marvin Rainwater song (and a number 1) from 1958...

The B side of 'Whole Lotta Love' was 'Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's A Woman)' so that may explain the error.

[Metalweb]

^

Melody Maker 1960's (and 50's) singles charts - UKMIX Forums

[kingofskiffle]

A surprise number 1 on the UAC! I wouldn't have minded either Stevie Wonder or Kenny Rogers at the top.

Is 13/12/69 the week that Led Zeppelin entered the Melody Maker chart with 'Whole Lotta Love'? If I recall from a post here at ukmix from years ago, the single was released by the label without the consent of the band. Manager Peter Grant then applied some of his legendary pressure to have copies of the single recalled but not before a handful had made it into shops and into the hands of record buyers hence the low #48 (?) placing. It would have been in the unpublished part of the chart as the MM was only printing a top 30. I have a feeling jimmypages59 may have posted the information a number of years ago?

It was actually 43 on the charts dated 20 and 27 December 1969 (27 Dec was frozen). The chart was printed in Music Business Weekly.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pstr6kqgci...20Pop.pdf?dl=0

Thats the scan for interest.

[Robbie]

A surprise number 1 on the UAC! I wouldn't have minded either Stevie Wonder or Kenny Rogers at the top.

Is 13/12/69 the week that Led Zeppelin entered the Melody Maker chart with 'Whole Lotta Love'? If I recall from a post here at ukmix from years ago, the single was released by the label without the consent of the band. Manager Peter Grant then applied some of his legendary pressure to have copies of the single recalled but not before a handful had made it into shops and into the hands of record buyers hence the low #48 (?) placing. It would have been in the unpublished part of the chart as the MM was only printing a top 30. I have a feeling jimmypages59 may have posted the information a number of years ago?

edit: found the post by jimmypages59 https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...13#post4474413

[MrTibbs]

Ha Ha there's a surprise for you !

For the first time since the launch of the BMRB chart the number one single goes three ways. This must have been a very close sales week between the three for a split like this. So, in a manner of speaking Stevie Wonder achieves his first number one in 1969 in an averaged chart, albeit the 'fun' UAC.
two little toys
Kenny Rogers by quality should have been next but Rolf and his boys with their two little toys nipped in. Grrrrrrrrrrrr !

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending December 13th1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending December 13th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	125	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
2	1	Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Stevie Wonder					2	1	4	16675
3	2	Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers and The First Edition					1	3	2	16625
1	3	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					3	2	1	16600
9	4	Two Little Boys - Rolf Harris					4	5	3	15400
7	5	Melting Pot - Blue Mink					5	4	5	15200
4	6	(Call Me) Number One - The Tremeloes					6	7	6	14125
14	7	Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley					7	6	8	13925
12	8	Winter World Of Love - Engelbert Humperdinck					8	9	7	13100
6	9	Something / Come Together - The Beatles					9	8	11	12650
18	10	The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell					10	11	9	11950
8	11	Sweet Dream - Jethro Tull					11	12	16	10625
5	12	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					13	10	18	10475
13	13	The Liquidator - Harry J All Stars					12	14	13	10300
10	14	Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff					15	15	10	9825
21	15	Leavin' (Durham Town) - Roger Whittaker					14	17	19	8400
23	16	Love Is All - Malcolm Roberts					16	19	12	8375
11	17	Return Of Django - The Upsetters					19	13	22	8025
27	18	Tracy - The Cuff Links					16	20	15	7750
17	19	Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival					20	16	20	7325
NEW	20	All I Have To Do Is Dream - Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell					18	22	17	6600
15	21	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					22	21	23	5300
16	22	What Does It Take - Junior Walker and The All Stars					23	18	30	4975
29	23	Loneliness - Des O'Connor					26	24	24	3625
22	24	Nobody's Child - Karen Young						25	14	3625
25	25	Without Love - Tom Jones					21	30	21	3500
20	26	Biljo - Clodagh Rodgers					25	26	26	3075
19	27	Cold Turkey - The Plastic Ono Band					28	23	28	2975
NEW	28	The Highway Song - Nancy Sinatra					24	28	27	2650
NEW	29	Good Old Rock'n'Roll - The Dave Clark Five					27	29	25	2050
28	30	I Miss You Baby - Marv Johnson						27		1000
X		Proud Mary - The Checkmates Ltd					29			400
		I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie							29	250
B		With The Eyes Of A Child - Cliff Richard					30			200
24		He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies
26		Teresa - Joe Dolan
30		Long Shot Kick The Bucket - The Pioneers

[MrTibbs]

Lily The Pink was actually a good pop single and Ernie was amusing but Two Little Boys and Grandad are just awful records.

[MrTibbs]

You know me Brian, even between rainy mountains I’d like to see your charts of the 50ies restarted where you left off due to lack of RMs. Good things come to us who wait till you’ve reached Mar 71.

I've actually finished compiling 1970 and am working just now on Feb 71 so just got the last few weeks to do to finish this phase. Then 56 here we come.

[MrTibbs]

I gotta admit I had a sneaking liking for The Archies Sugar Sugar. One thing stands out though down through the years, NME had more no 1 singles that didn't top any other chart. I wonder why that is.

[kjell]

You know me Brian, even between rainy mountains I’d like to see your charts of the 50ies restarted where you left off due to lack of RMs. Good things come to us who wait till you’ve reached Mar 71.

[Robbie]

^

Could make a case for 'Lily The Pink' in '68?

I can't believe I forgot about that one!

[Metalweb]

^

Could make a case for 'Lily The Pink' in '68?

[Robbie]

The latest Beatles record is different to some of their previous offerings and that could also have contributed, but I would agree - you bought the album so why then buy the single?

"Two Little Boys" is, to me, a novelty song in the same vein as "My Old Man's A Dustman" in 1960. A question though: if we do take this as a "Christmas Novelty" song (similar in artistic merit as perhaps Ladbaby from last Christmas for example) then is this the first of those "Christmas Novelty" songs to chart highly (I.e. Top 3)? Dora Bryan springs to mind as an early non chart topper one and I can think of several others (Merry Christmas You Suckers (though only on NME) for example is another one I always quite liked.). None of those made the Top 3 (of any chart).

I was going to mention that 'Two Little Boys' was probably the first big novelty Christmas timed (as opposed to Christmas themed) hit. The following year 'Grandad' by Clive Dunn became the best seller over the Christmas period though both chart dating and a delayed chart meant it wasn't officially number 1 until after the New Year. The year after that Benny Hill was the Christmas number 1. The next number 1 record after that to fall into the "novelty hit that makes big at Christmas" is 'There's No-One Quite Like Grandma then we had another two in the early 1980s.

[Splodj]

I hate to admit it, but think it is indicative that the Beatles were losing popularity. As Larkin said, they had lost the "typists in the Cavern".

The LPs 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Revolver' each had two tracks from them released as singles, yet both those singles went to number one. However, as was pointed out when they featured, 'A Hard Days Night' and 'Help' did under-perform compared to their other singles - so the duplication appeared to have some effect. 'Help' was different in that it had 'I'm Down' (not on the LP) on the b-side, and 'Ticket To Ride' had been released before the album and also with a unique b-side. It should be said that overall the Beatles (with their UK releases) were very good at avoiding duplicating.

There was a non-duplicating single they could have put out instead ... McCartney had recorded 'Come And Get It' on 24-July 1969. Would a Beatles version have got to number one? The trouble is, as Ian MacDonald has written: "Lennon was in the control room throughout and it is a pity that his relationship with McCartney was then too distant to allow him to come out and add a harmony vocal, the lack of which is chiefly what makes Badfinger's version preferable."

Incidentally, I have thought of another possible Ultimate project: a Top 50 for the period that MM did one.

[kingofskiffle]

The latest Beatles record is different to some of their previous offerings and that could also have contributed, but I would agree - you bought the album so why then buy the single?

"Two Little Boys" is, to me, a novelty song in the same vein as "My Old Man's A Dustman" in 1960. A question though: if we do take this as a "Christmas Novelty" song (similar in artistic merit as perhaps Ladbaby from last Christmas for example) then is this the first of those "Christmas Novelty" songs to chart highly (I.e. Top 3)? Dora Bryan springs to mind as an early non chart topper one and I can think of several others (Merry Christmas You Suckers (though only on NME) for example is another one I always quite liked.). None of those made the Top 3 (of any chart).

[Robbie]

The NME are showing taste once again in deposing the dreadful 'Sugar Sugar' for a second time in favour of a much better song. It was 'Oh Well' recently, now it's 'Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday'.

Roger Whittaker original wrote 'Durham Town (The Leavin')' / 'The Leavin' (Durham Town) - the title of the record varied according to where it was released - with Newcastle in mind but switched location to nearby Durham as he thought it sounded better. However he failed to change the river from the Tyne to the Wear and therefore sings about a geographical impossibility.

I always thought of 'Two Little Boys' as a novelty song which was boosted in sales by the arrival of the Christmas silly season.

[MrTibbs]

The Tremeloes, Fleetwood Mac fail to dislodge The Archies. The Beatles fall back not only failing to make #1 but also failing to even make the top three for the first time since Love Me Do. Most dedicated fans already had it on the Abbey Road album and this obviously affected it as a single. The shape of things to come in the album v single future.

I will never understand the popularity of the horrendous Rolf Harris single soaring up the chart. It was an appalling record and criminal that it not only reached the chart summit but reigned there well into January 1970. To make matters worse it ended up as the next best selling single of 1969 behind The Archies.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending December 6th1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending December 6th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	125	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					2	1	1	17050
5	2	Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Stevie Wonder					1	2	2	16875
7	3	Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers and The First Edition					3	3	3	16100
2	4	(Call Me) Number One - The Tremeloes					4	4	4	15525
3	5	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					7	5	6	14425
4	6	Something / Come Together - The Beatles					5	6	8	14325
14	7	Melting Pot - Blue Mink					6	7	7	14000
9	8	Sweet Dream - Jethro Tull					9	8	9	12900
23	9	Two Little Boys - Rolf Harris					8	11	5	12850
6	10	Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff					11	10	11	11750
8	11	Return Of Django - The Upsetters					13	9	14	11225
16	12	Winter World Of Love - Engelbert Humperdinck					10	13	12	11075
12	13	The Liquidator - Harry J All Stars					14	14	13	9900
NEW	14	Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley					12	19	10	9425
11	15	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					17	12	18	9175
10	16	What Does It Take - Junior Walker and The All Stars					15	15	20	8575
19	17	Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival					16	16	24	7625
24	18	The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell					18	18	17	7600
15	19	Cold Turkey - The Plastic Ono Band					20	17	19	7200
20	20	Biljo - Clodagh Rodgers					19	20	22	6275
27	21	Leavin' (Durham Town) - Roger Whittaker					22	21	16	6175
17	22	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					25	22	15	5450
28	23	Love Is All - Malcolm Roberts					23	24	21	4600
13	24	He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies					23	23	25	4350
NEW	25	Without Love - Tom Jones					21			2000
21	26	Teresa - Joe Dolan					25	28		1950
NEW	27	Tracy - The Cuff Links					28	30	23	1850
26	28	I Miss You Baby - Marv Johnson					30	27	28	1575
NEW	29	Loneliness - Des O'Connor					29	29	26	1525
25	30	Long Shot Kick The Bucket - The Pioneers						25		1500
18		Delta Lady - Joe Cocker						26		1250
X		Proud Mary - The Checkmates Ltd					27			800
B		All I Have To Do Is Dream - Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell							27	500
22		I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie							29	250
B		Good Old Rock'n'Roll - The Dave Clark Five							30	125
29		Space Oddity - David Bowie
30		No Mule's Fool - Family

[brian05]

The Beatles still struggling with Something/Come together.

[MrTibbs]

Greetings Pop Pickers !

Here is the Ultimate Averaged Chart for Week Ending November 29th1969

Here are all 'the uppers, the downers, the just hangin' arounders'

The Ultimate Averaged Chart - Week Ending November 29th 1969							NME	MM	BMRB	Total
Last	This		The Sound Survey			Stores	200	250	100	Points
Week	Week		The Top 30 Singles Chart					TOP	30	Scored
1	1	Sugar Sugar - The Archies					1	1	1	16500
3	2	(Call Me) Number One - The Tremeloes					2	2	2	15950
2	3	Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac					3	3	4	15300
5	4	Something / Come Together - The Beatles					5	4	6	14450
15	5	Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday - Stevie Wonder					4	6	3	14450
6	6	Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff					7	5	7	13700
12	7	Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers and The First Edition					8	7	5	13200
4	8	Return Of Django - The Upsetters					6	9	8	12800
8	9	Sweet Dream - Jethro Tull					9	8	10	12250
10	10	What Does It Take - Junior Walker and The All Stars					10	10	13	11250
9	11	Love's Been Good To Me - Frank Sinatra					11	11	12	10900
17	12	The Liquidator - Harry J All Stars					15	14	9	9650
7	13	He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother - The Hollies					13	13	18	9400
29	14	Melting Pot - Blue Mink					14	15	14	9100
14	15	Cold Turkey - The Plastic Ono Band					17	12	16	9050
26	16	Winter World Of Love - Engelbert Humperdinck					12	19	15	8400
13	17	Nobody's Child - Karen Young					20	18	11	7450
11	18	Delta Lady - Joe Cocker					18	16	23	7150
22	19	Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival					18	17	21	7100
20	20	Biljo - Clodagh Rodgers					16	20	24	6450
21	21	Teresa - Joe Dolan					21	21	28	4800
16	22	I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie					24	22	22	4550
NEW	23	Two Little Boys - Rolf Harris					23	25	17	4500
30	24	The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell					22	26	19	4250
18	25	Long Shot Kick The Bucket - The Pioneers					25	23	27	3600
25	26	I Miss You Baby - Marv Johnson					26	24	25	3350
NEW	27	Leavin' (Durham Town) - Roger Whittaker					27	29	26	1800
NEW	28	Love Is All - Malcolm Roberts					29		20	1500
19	29	Space Oddity - David Bowie						27		1000
28	30	No Mule's Fool - Family						28	29	950
B		Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley					28			600
24		A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash						30		250
B		Loneliness - Des O'Connor					30			200
X		Proud Mary - The Checkmates Ltd							30	100
23		Do What You Gotta Do - The Four Tops
27		I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Bobbie Gentry

[Splodj]

then doing 56 to 59, although I am toying with the idea of actually starting it in October 1955 when RM commenced a Top 20. (let me know if you guys would prefer this earlier start).

Or what about starting in 1958 when the BBC did, then going back further after that on another thread?

Going back to Je T'aime, I don't think it is fair to say BMRB were the "odd one out". RR were the odd one out. BMRB produced two versions of their chart; RR used one and the BBC the other. As RR and the BBC were both equal investors in BMRB I don't see that either version should be more regarded as the more 'valid' BMRB chart. Although of course it is obvious which of the two BMRB charts had the larger audience.

[MrTibbs]

[QUOTE Whereas I accept Mr Tibbs, re 50s versus the 70s to carry on with, I personally favour the 50s, mainly because I've already done the straight-average 70s. And the 80s. And the 90s. You will find that this is addictive, and once you have done 1 year of the 1970s, you will want to do another; then another, then another. Before you know it, you will be on the 80s. And then the 90s!
[/QUOTE]

Doing the UAC is addictive you're right membrane. I love the thrill still of seeing each result week by week. But, fear not, I do plan to stick with the original concept of closing this particular phase in March 1971 at which time the BMRB chart really was accepted by most, then doing 56 to 59, although I am toying with the idea of actually starting it in October 1955 when RM commenced a Top 20. (let me know if you guys would prefer this earlier start).
Although aiming for a Top 30 right from the start this may initially be between 20 and 30 positions depending on the number of records placing on the charts, but once NME goes Top 30 in April 1956 this will be a fixed Top 30 each week as we have just now.

Also, I might give you guys a bonus alongside this. You may remember away back that I mentioned it would be interesting to see an averaged weekly chart of NME, MM, Disc, that excluded the weakest link, RR, using it only as a tie breaker.
This is not a hugely time consuming task for me as it simply means an adjustment in the originally compiled spreadsheets to facilitate this.
Is this still of interest ?