BPI Award Help

[kingofskiffle]

I spent ages a while ago having the BPI Awards database, from their website, as an xlsx file well, actually, many XLSX files because it was easier) and have started to add these to the database so I can add the awards alongside my charts. I find it interesting what was - and what was not - given an award.

However this leads to some interesting confusion as they have, as you would expect, errors. The first I found was for a Queen Greatest Hits album, apparently awarded a BPI award in January 1974. Now, whilst it is conceivable they could have had a Greatest Hits out in 1974, that would be before even their first single charted, so I have moved that entry to 1981 where it belongs.

Another - and where I would like some assistance - is in locating which entry this award is talking about

ARTIST	TITLE	LABEL	AWARD	FORMAT	CERTIFIED
Neil Diamond	Neil Diamond	Unknown	Silver	Album	01.01.1975

I simply have no idea.... Any thoughts?

Is there a book (from the 1970's preferably) which lists the awards at that point? All help gratefully received!

[BobPatience]

The date for the Queen certifications should have been corrected about 2 years ago, and it looks fine for me in the live databse (silver, gold and platinum all show Oktober 27th 1981).

As for Neil Diamond, it would not surprise me if that is just a false entry. All of his albums that charted in the 1970s from 1973 and on seem to be certified. And even if it is a misnamed certification for something like Moods, it'd be weird that they never updated it to gold a few years later like they did for Serenade and JLS.

[fiesta]

Neil Diamond issued an album in the UK in 1967 on London records titled The Feel Of Neil Diamond, which did not chart. Could it be that one?

[BobPatience]

possible, but it would be odd if that had a certification while his first three 1970s albums did not.

[jimmypages59]

Neil Diamond issued an album in the UK in 1967 on London records titled The Feel Of Neil Diamond, which did not chart. Could it be that one?

The supposed problem with it being that album, is that the BPI only inaugurated the awards on the 1st April 1973 and albums released prior, were not allowed to be retrospectively certified. Strangely though, there are a good few cases of albums released prior to that date, receiving certification.

Deep Purples Machine Head, which the BPI give as being released on 01/04/1972, which is about right, has a Silver and Gold award from 1st January 1974!

[kingofskiffle]

Thanks. I saved the data 2 years ago so it is highly likely saved after that - I had figured out how to do it on their website and didn't;t want them to change how it worked. I thought about doing the same thing for RIAA but I can't actually extract everything properly as it is images displaying so I need to go into the HTML. But I digress..

The Neil Diamond odd entry has been deleted. I did find some entitled 'Neil Diamond' from other countries, but they seem so unlikely to be it that I dismissed them. I mean, would a French release sell enough to make Silver in the UK? Given at the time it was sale value rather than copies sold? I think not - given the higher cost of import and the fact that if the album had been selling well enough any self respecting record company would have simply issued it in the UK and got more money.

Deep Purples Machine Head: As to BPI certifying releases after 1973, they may well have 'forgotten' that for larger sellers, or specific versions. I saw a few re-issues with different numbers in the mid 1970's so it could be that an initial pressing sold well and they made another one. Or, as is likely, they forgot sometimes. After all, the record companies had to request certification so if the company had gone to the trouble of sending all the right documentation through and it was checked prior to them realising they may well have just issued the award. It is unlikely that any sales from post 1973 counted towards certification as it only charted in 1972....

[MFR]

Hi Lonnie,

Yes, of course there are lots of errors in the BPI database and some of them have been introduced since the database was first populated. Many cases where the certifying company / label is shown as "unknown" were lost from the database and restored without that information.

I know of at least one other example beyond that Neil Diamond album where something released after 1975 is shown as having been certified on January 1st 1975. It suggests the Neil Diamond certification is a restored entry.

The main point of my post is that lists of BPI awards can be found in the BPI Yearbooks dated 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979. These were at the British Library near St Pancras, although I haven't been there since 2012. The BPI may have copies for sale.

These books list all the awards cumulatively, so the BPI Yearbook 1979 is the best one for this. It lists everything from April 1973 to February 1979. I say 'everything' but of course there are omissions already by this point (e.g. Waterloo by Abba) but nevertheless nothing that made it into a Yearbook got dropped in a later one during this period.

After this the BPI Library has copies of BPI Review which was half-yearly in 1980 and 1981 and lists the awards from 1979 and 1980 over 4 editions, but pre-1979 awards were dropped by this point. There's nothing for 1981 or 1982, but then the BPI Yearbook returned with annual lists from 1983 to 1988.

I study this area from time to time, but rarely get the time, so I'd be interested in what you find.

[Robbie]

The BPI did used to have some pre-2000 Yearbooks for sale until a couple of years ago but when the website was given an overhaul those old books vanished. I had toyed with the idea of buying the 1979 one (if I recall it was only £10) but never got around to it and now I wish I had. The earliest Yearbook I recall being on there was the 1979 one then a small handful of 1980s and 1990s books with a full set from around 2004 onwards. Now the earliest book at their online shop is 2009 and that is an eye watering £40.

https://www.bpi.co.uk/shop/

[kingofskiffle]

I have just bought a copy of the 1977 Year Book (from America) and when that arrives I'll check with that. I have seen the Yearbooks in the British Library (tucked away on a shelf behind the Billboard's) but had left alone - limited time so I wanted the charts themselves. The plan is to link to the dates so that the award - on the data awarded - appears next to the chart entries. I've exported a few weekly charts and it looks quite good (not in the least being modest!!) I'll keep asking if I spot anything else odd.

Actually, the really odd thing is the list from 2013 they produced which adds certifications to entries previously certified in some cases. So we get some singles getting silver twice. Once in original run (i.e. 1980's say) and again in the Great Data Dump of 2013. Will make adding those interesting when I get to them...

[brian05]

I spent ages a while ago having the BPI Awards database, from their website, as an xlsx file well ..

A few questions.

How do you import data from the BPI web site into an Excel file?

How many entries does your Excel file(s) have?

What size is your Excel file(s)?

Would you make it downloadable from DropBox or is it copyright? Or would you like a fee for your hard work (you spent ages)?


An Excel file can be easily imported into Access to set up all types of Searches and display results as Reports.

[kingofskiffle]

A few questions.

Always happy to help

How do you import data from the BPI web site into an Excel file?

Sorted the listing by oldest first, showed about 100 rows on the screen and copied. Pasted this into Excel, which throws up all sorts of weird images etc. Saved that as CSV, which removes anything non text and you have all the right columns. It took ages - the individual files (I saved a new file every few years so I could more easily see where I got to) are quite small (200kb or so each) except 22 July 2013 which is almost 500kb - 4737 entries for that one week, as that was the Great Data Dump.

How many entries does your Excel file(s) have?

I saved all they had between 1973 and 4 May 2018. Comes to 21,769 Albums, 7,347 Singles and 880 Video awards - 29,996 in total.

What size is your Excel file(s)?

1.6Mb

Would you make it downloadable from DropBox or is it copyright? Or would you like a fee for your hard work (you spent ages)?

Yes
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qvlryttduo...File.xlsx?dl=0

Took a few days to sort it all - I think I spent 6 hours on it over several days in April and May 2018 - judging by the save times on the files.

If anybody wants to send me anything for the use of the file then please feel free to send me whatever you feel would be appropriate to
https://paypal.me/LReadioff?locale.x=en_GB

An Excel file can be easily imported into Access to set up all types of Searches and display results as Reports.

It can indeed - I got the details above in about 4 seconds from using this database file
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvbf1wmbgj...rds.accdb?dl=0

Do be aware that the errors noted above are included in the file as I have not amended this original download.

[brian05]

Thanks very much. Was able to download both files (after adjusting my Firewall).
Excel has 29,997 rows!

Hope you receive the small gift via PayPal. Greatly appreciated.

[kingofskiffle]

Thanks very much. Was able to download both files (after adjusting my Firewall).
Excel has 29,997 rows!

Hope you receive the small gift via PayPal. Greatly appreciated.

I did indeed thank you, much appreciated.

[kingofskiffle]

I've now gone through and added the data for 11 May 2018 to the current (27 August) data. This is from files I get sent each week to make ChartsPlus, so does not have the release date (largely in error anyway - when checking these I have only ever found about a 10% match with iTunes release - for digital only - etc).

Shout if the links no longer work.

[brian05]

Yes, that's fine. Thanks.

[BobPatience]

Just for completeness sake: the Excel file is currently missing two of the manual updates for the all-time best sellling albums (according to the OCC) that are dated December 20th, 2018 and August 10th, 2020.

[kingofskiffle]

Just for completeness sake: the Excel file is currently missing two of the manual updates for the all-time best sellling albums (according to the OCC) that are dated December 20th, 2018 and August 10th, 2020.

Interesting... I don't think I have those! Will go and look.

EDIT: Now added to the file (and my archive - and more importantly the ChartsPlus BPI Award Archive, so the charts will accurately reflect these from now on.)

[BobPatience]

This is odd. Your file shows a total of 50 releases being certified on August 27th. Selecting a range consisting of only August 27th in the bpi database only shows 43 entries. Searching the database for the name of any of the 7 missing entries (as identified through the file) show a certification date of August 26th. Yet selecting a date range of just August 26th returns nil. Now I did find a why to get these entries to show up through a date range search, but, and here's the kicker, they will only show up if you date range contains both August 26th and August 27th!

So it turns out it is not just the old entries that have odd things going on, even with the newest, automated certification entries the database cannot be trusted.

[kingofskiffle]

One of the strangest things is how their website works.... or does not work. Hopefully they can be found if you search for a specific entry by name?

[Robbie]

This is odd. Your file shows a total of 50 releases being certified on August 27th. Selecting a range consisting of only August 27th in the bpi database only shows 43 entries. Searching the database for the name of any of the 7 missing entries (as identified through the file) show a certification date of August 26th. Yet selecting a date range of just August 26th returns nil. Now I did find a why to get these entries to show up through a date range search, but, and here's the kicker, they will only show up if you date range contains both August 26th and August 27th!

So it turns out it is not just the old entries that have odd things going on, even with the newest, automated certification entries the database cannot be trusted.

I think the August 26 / 27 dates is simply an error as somone at another board pointed out a specific title had been certified on August 26.

It appears that the search by Certification Date will only return a search if the search date includes a Friday date. Quite how far back that goes I don't know but it seems to be from at least the mid 00s.

[BobPatience]

I think the August 26 / 27 dates is simply an error as somone at another board pointed out a specific title had been certified on August 26.

It appears that the search by Certification Date will only return a search if the search date includes a Friday date. Quite how far back that goes I don't know but it seems to be from at least the mid 00s.

While an interesting thought, that is not true for the manual album updates I noted earlier in the thread. Those will show up if you just give their (non-Friday) date as a range.

But what I find most puzzling is how the SQL query is set up. It makes no sense to me that the entries will not show up if your date range is either august 26th OR 27th but they do show up if the date range includes BOTH. It makes absolutely no sense at all.

[brian05]

ARTIST - TITLE - LABEL - AWARD - FORMAT - CERTIFIED- RELEASED
Queen - Greatest Hits - Virgin - Platinum X - Album - 26.11.2021 - 03.01.2011
Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Apple Corps - Platinum 18x - Album 26.11.2021 - 09.09.2009
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon - Rhino Platinum 15x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 26.09.2011
Michael Jackson - Thriller - Epic - Platinum 15x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 28.06.2009
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Rhino/Warner Records - Platinum 15x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 11.03.1977
Michael Jackson - Bad - Sony Music Cg - Platinum 14x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 31.08.1987
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend - Tuff Gong - Platinum 13x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 08.05.1984
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Columbia - Platinum 11x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 20.08.2001
Beatles Abbey Road - Apple Corps - Platinum 8x - Album - 26.11.2021 - 09.09.2009

4 albums were previously certified.
Don't know what Queen's award is. Was already 22 x Platinum on 10/8/2020. Is it now 23x Platinum?
Sgt. Pepper was already 18 x Platinum on 10/8/20.
Bob Marley Legends was previously 13x Platinum
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over troubled water was previously 11x Platinum

Perhaps duplication because 10/8/20 was a MONDAY.

[Robbie]

Re: 'Greatest Hits' by Queen: it may be a BPI error and no entry was meant to be there at all though that seems unlikely. It's not on the weekly list of certifications as it hasn't been listed by UKChrtsPlus. Music Week is also still showing the album as 22xP. The first chart where Music Week showed a 22xP sales level was the chart published on 21/08/20. I don't know where the BPI got the date 10/08/20 from. The award isn't showing on the UKChartsPlus weekly list of certifications for any of the weeks from back then. That would suggest it wasn't an automatic award and therefore could have been certified on any day of the week.

[brian05]

There was a manual upgrade on Monday 10/8/20. I captured these upgrades. UKChartsPlus did not have them - see post #17 above.

Abba - Gold - Greatest Hits - Polydor - Platinum 19x - Album - 10/08/2020
Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Apple Corps - Platinum 18x - Album -10/08/2020
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend - Tuff Gong - Platinum 13x - Album - 10/08/2020
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Rhino/Warner Records - Platinum 14x - Album - 10/08/2020
Queen - Greatest Hits - Virgin - Platinum 22x - Album - 10/08/2020
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Columbia - Platinum 11x - Album - 10/08/2020
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman - Elektra - Platinum 9x - Album - 10/08/2020

[BobPatience]

It's the semi regular update of albums from this list: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart...-chart__15551/
The sales for these certifications seem to include historical estimates, rather than just from the mid-1990s onward.
Previous updates on: 05.02.2016 (Friday), 20.12.2018 (Thursday),10.08.2020 (Monday)
And last week ABBA's Gold was updated to 20xP