THE UK SHEET MUSIC CHARTS - Week By Week From December 1939

[Robbie]

I've got the Music Week issues from 2005/6 and they are now available to download from worldradiohistory.com so if you didn't want to scan all the ringtone charts, they are available to view for anyone who is interested in them.

The charts were compiled on behalf of MEF (as mentioned in the chart scans), MEF being the Mobile Entertainment Forum. MEF is still the trade body for mobile content and commerce.

The Ringtones chart started in May 2004, coincidentally around the same time that the first download chart was being produced. Billboard published an article about the chart back in May 2004 which also included information about the compilation of the chart https://www.billboard.com/articles/b...e-in-two-weeks

[membranemusic]

Thanks Robbie. Saved me the trouble!

[membranemusic]

I have now received confirmation direct for the PRS that they did not publish any more publisher karaoke charts after the one-off 2009 chart above. More's the pity!

[membranemusic]

I have often been puzzled by the disparity of dates on sheet music between 1940 and 1959. I have now checked with various sources and have come to this conclusion on some spot checks, which may help others:


Sheet music dates 1940 to 1959

Re: Tiscali pdfs 1940-1959: all dates are Saturday.

Re: Armstrong book 1947-1959: dates from 29/5/47 to 14/4/49 are Thursday; dates from 22/4/49 to 29/4/49 are Friday; dates from 7/5/49 to 26/12/59 are Saturday.

Re: Radio Luxembourg chart logs 1958-1959: all dates are Sunday.

Published dates during 1948 for the same chart:
Tiscali Melody Maker [3/7/48]
Sales date: Publication date:
Sat 26/6/48 Sat 3/7/48
[Book, MM: Thu 24/6/48]

Published dates during 1954 for the same chart:
Tiscali & book NME [24/4/53] [Radio Luxembourg]
Sales date: Publication date: presumed broadcast date:
Sat 18/4/53 Fri 24/4/53 Sun 26/4/53

Published dates during 1959 for the same chart:
Tiscali & book NME [22/5/59] Radio Luxembourg
Sales date: Publication date: Broadcast date:
Sat 16/5/59 Tue 19/5/59 Sun 24/5/59

[membranemusic]

Blimey, the tabs failed on the last post, making nonsense, so shall I re-write!

[membranemusic]

Hopefully this will be legible:

Sheet music dates 1940 to 1959

Re: Tiscali pdfs 1940-1959: all dates are Saturday.

Re: Armstrong book 1947-1959: dates from 29/5/47 to 14/4/49 are Thursday; dates from 22/4/49 to 29/4/49 are Friday; dates from 7/5/49 to 26/12/59 are Saturday.

Re: Radio Luxembourg chart logs 1958-1959: all dates are Sunday.

Published dates during 1948 for the same chart:
Tiscali
Sales date: Sat 26/6/48 [Book, MM: Thu 24/6/48]

Melody Maker [3/7/48]
Publication date: Sat 3/7/48

Published dates during 1954 for the same chart:
Tiscali & book
Sales date: Sat 18/4/53

NME [24/4/53]
Publication date: Fri 24/4/53

[Radio Luxembourg] presumed broadcast date: Sun 26/4/53

Published dates during 1959 for the same chart:
Tiscali & book
Sales date: Sat 16/5/59

NME [22/5/59]
Publication date: Tue 19/5/59

Radio Luxembourg
Broadcast date: Sun 24/5/59

[MrTibbs]

It is very confusing membrane, I agree. I have therefore always just accepted them as being compiled the week before publication which appears to have been the norm for that era with both the sheet and record charts.

[Polygoner]

Hi Polygoner. You mentioned the Britburn speadsheets, but the files on the website are all corrupted if you download them now (I think they are just the index files from a multi-part archive). Do you by any chance have a copy of the one you mentioned going back to 1939? Thanks.

Sorry for the late reply, I didn't realise the links don't work. If you message me I could provide a copy - or I suppose I could upload the spreadsheet for everyone to download via Dropbox?

[TOMMYROCKLAND]

Hi, via dropbox, please.