UK OCC Charts: Midweeks Thread 2022

[Blondini]

Apparently - according to The Sun - Taylor is in the lead (quoting BuzzJack)

they didn't post a link and i can't find it

by midnight on Saturday 131,057 copies had been snapped up, while Arctic Monkeys’ The Car had shifted 102,494.

It's a great healthy week for albums from these two alone!

[97mde]

Well said Gambo. A proper and sensible piece.

[Blondini]

Following what i said about opening album tracks they could just downweight the streams of any opening track and possibly the second track. Might be controversial but it would even it out and look less odd on the singles chart. They could do it for the first week or two weeks of an album's release?

[97mde]

And yes, I do agree a single should be a single.

OCC have made a complete mess of this since it’s inception. They make up bizarre rules, then change them when it suits.

As glad as I was Kate Bush got to Number 1, the rules were changed when it got to Number 2. It makes no sense. Also 1200 streams is supposedly a sale. It’s not, no streams are a sale. A download or a physical purchase is a sale.

While I fully expect Taylor’s Machine to reach Number 1, the fact she has released 20+ versions of her albums, it says a lot more about her and her treatment of fans than it does of Arctic Monkeys.

[Blondini]

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart...mber-1__37641/

24 October 2022
Taylor Swift's Midnights already fastest-selling album of 2022 so far as she pulls ahead of Arctic Monkeys in race to Number 1

Both acts have clocked up some huge numbers in the first half of the week.
By George Griffiths
Taylor Swift starts out in front in the biggest Official Chart battle of the year so far, going up against Arctic Monkeys in the race for the UK’s Official Number 1 album.

Taylor’s latest album Midnights takes the lead ahead of Arctic Monkeys and their seventh album The Car (2). A huge week is underway with both records clearing well over 100,000 copies in just three days according to Official Charts Company data. Only one other album has broken that threshold in a full week this year – Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, which managed 113,000 units in its opening week.

The Official Charts Company can also confirm that Midnights is now already the UK’s fastest-selling album of 2022 so far, pulling in an astounding 140,000 chart sales and counting, with only three full days of tracking. Arctic Monkeys follow just behind with 105,000 chart units at the midweek mark.

The race is far from over yet, but if Taylor maintains this early momentum, it would land the pop superstar a ninth UK Number 1 album, as well as ending the Sheffield rockers’ flawless run of six chart-topping studio albums on the bounce.

Taylor Swift has previously topped the Official Albums Chart with; Red (2012), 1989 (2014), reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021) and Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021).

Arctic Monkeys have landed Number 1 with all of their studio albums to date, including 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not, 2007’s Favourite Worst Nightmare, 2009’s Humbug, 2011’s Suck It And See, 2013’s AM and 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.
MORE: Who will come out on top between Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys?


Elsewhere, we could be looking at an all-new Top 5 this week, with South London-born artist Loyle Carner’s third album Hugo (3) which could become his second UK Top 10 record, Scottish rock band Simple Minds’ 19th record Direction of the Heart (4), and Kylie Minogue’s alt-pop opus Impossible Princess (5) which could re-enter thanks to a special 25th anniversary release. It originally peaked at Number 10 under the title Kylie Minogue.


Norwegian 80s pop icons a-ha also return this week with True North (6) which could become their highest-charting studio album in the UK in 13 years.

Cult pop queen Carly Rae Jepsen could secure her highest-ever charting album in the UK with The Loneliest Time (7) and alt-rockers Dry Cleaning are on track for their second Top 10 with Stumpwork (8).

Outside the Top 10, Architects’ The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (11) could become the English metalcore band’s fifth Top 20 album, and Queens of the Stone Age celebrate 25 years of their influential self-titled debut album (16) which could be the album’s first appearance inside the UK Top 40.

Oxymore, the 22nd album from French composer Jean-Michel Jarre, eyes a Number 17 debut, while Christmas comes early to the Official Charts as the Bocelli family – Andrea, Matteo and Virginia – team up for A Family Christmas, which could enter at Number 19.

Former The Stranglers vocalist and guitarist Hugh Cornwell’s new album Moments of Madness (22) is looking to become the 73-year-old musician’s first solo album to reach the Top 40. The Libertines are celebrating 20 years of their debut Up The Bracket (29), which originally peaked at Number 35 in 2002.

And finally, Swedish experimental rock band Goat’s fourth studio album Oh Death could be our final new entry of the week at Number 40.
See the full Official Albums Chart Update Top 100 here from 5.45pm

[Blondini]

And yes, I do agree a single should be a single.

OCC have made a complete mess of this since it’s inception. They make up bizarre rules, then change them when it suits.

As glad as I was Kate Bush got to Number 1, the rules were changed when it got to Number 2. It makes no sense. Also 1200 streams is supposedly a sale. It’s not, no streams are a sale. A download or a physical purchase is a sale.

While I fully expect Taylor’s Machine to reach Number 1, the fact she has released 20+ versions of her albums, it says a lot more about her and her treatment of fans than it does of Arctic Monkeys.

speaking as a fan i do not buy multiple versions - i only need one. I'm sure a lot of people only buy 2 at most. It's giving people a choice - so i'm choosing which version of the CD i want. She's not like BTS where all the fans feel they HAVE to buy every single format.
And the true test will be after opening week. The peak position is far less important than longevity. By week two it will be a level playing field.

[Blondini]

and for the record - as far as i can tell - there are 10 physical formats in the UK and 6 digital downloads (but these include the usual clean and explicit variations and a couple of Apple releases with a short message on them - nobody is going to buy every digital variation and most people have bought the 3am bonus tracks by themselves).
https://storeuk.taylorswift.com/
These CD and vinyl variations are also on general sale and the US Target edition is on Amazon (on import) https://www.amazon.co.uk/%CE%9C%D1%9...s%2C116&sr=8-8

There's a bunch of cassettes only available in the US. https://www.discogs.com/master/28318...wift-Midnights

[97mde]

Which is absolute madness. I mean who in their right mind releases a different version of an album three hours after the initial release.

[braindeadpj]

Which is absolute madness. I mean who in their right mind releases a different version of an album three hours after the initial release.

Someone who wants to guarantee the no.1 spot....

[Robbie]

Excellent sales for both Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys.

Sales to Saturday evening were:

TS: 131,057
AM: 102,494

source: Bizarre column, The Sun

So on Sunday Taylor has about 10k, the AM's have added around 3k

[Blondini]

Official Singles / Albums Chart Update
Source: OCC
Missing Data:

Top 100 Singles

1 Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero (27,888) [719 downloads, the rest streams] *
2 Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze (20,767) [144 downloads] *
3 Taylor Swift feat. Lana Del Rey - Snow On The Beach (19,196) [159 downloads] *
4 Sam Smith & Kim Petras - Unholy (19,070)
5 David Guetta & Bebe Rexha - I'm Good (Blue) (14,648)

6-10
** all 10 remaining standard Midnights tracks are starred out above here **
[7 OneRepublic - I Ain't Worried (10,230)]

11-20
16 Arctic Monkeys - I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am (6,417) *
17 Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures Of Anything Goes (6,261) *
20 Arctic Monkeys - There'd Better Be A Mirrorball (6,106) ^

21-30
29 Dean Lewis - How Do I Say Goodbye?

31-40
32 Dermot Kennedy - Kiss Me
36 Joel Corry & Tom Grennan - Lionheart (Fearless) *
37 Meghan Trainor - Made You Look *
39 Sigala, David Guetta & Sam Ryder - Living Without You *


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Top 100 Albums

1 Taylor Swift - Midnights (140,590) [114,429 physicals, 5,857 downloads, 20,304 streaming] *
2 Arctic Monkeys - The Car (104,874) [97,888 physicals, 2,155 downloads, 4,831 streaming] *
3 Loyle Carner - Hugo (9,387) [7,740 physicals] *
4 Simple Minds - Direction Of The Heart (6,261) *
5 Kylie Minogue - Impossible Princess (FKA Kylie Minogue) (5,879) ^

6-10
6 A-ha - True North *
7 Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time *
8 Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork *

11-20
11 Architects - The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit *
16 Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age *
17 Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxymore: Homage To Pierre Henry *
19 Andrea, Matteo & Virginia Bocelli - A Family Christmas *

21-30
22 Hugh Cornwell - Moments Of Madness *
29 The Libertines - Up The Bracket ^

31-40
40 Goat - Oh Death *

Click on the above relevant links (when they load!!).

[Blondini]

Excellent sales for both Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys.

Sales to Saturday evening were:

TS: 131,057
AM: 102,494

source: Bizarre column, The Sun

already posted this on the previous page

[Blondini]

OCC albums link has finally loaded!

Good result for Carly Rae. Mixed for Meghan.

[Blondini]

This is my last post for the day. But i noticed an unusually high amount of albums timed for Halloween.

40 Goat - Oh Death
42 Siouxsie and The Banshees - All Souls (compilation)
52 Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society
69 Witch Fever - Congregation

[97mde]

Someone who wants to guarantee the no.1 spot....

Thank God Pink Floyd didn’t resort to such stupidity with Dark Side of The Moon.

[jszmiles]

Thank God Pink Floyd didn’t resort to such stupidity with Dark Side of The Moon.

you actually thought AM would be #1....

[97mde]

you actually thought AM would be #1....

Not really no. I guess AM aren’t that bothered either as they would have moved the release date if they were.

I just don’t like Swift’s mechanics of ensuring she will.

[jszmiles]

Not really no. I guess AM aren’t that bothered either as they would have moved the release date if they were.

I just don’t like Swift’s mechanics of ensuring she will.

She isn't first, I could name few that did it as well in the past, 5SOS, Ed Sheeran, etc.

She probably don't even know about this chart fight, actually I think she doesn't care of UK chart position, she has no threat on other markets (US, Aussie, etc) so she could either release one version or 45. She would be #1 anyway.

Thank god I am not her hardcore fan as I would probably already die of hunger spending all my money for those versions.

[SholasBoy]

Dafuq? Who are all these Taylor Swift fans that keep getting her to number one?! Literally never met one.

[jszmiles]

Dafuq? Who are all these Taylor Swift fans that keep getting her to number one?! Literally never met one.

somehow, (I literally opened my mouth to this), she has found 500k owners of her vinyl album (alone) in US.

crazy! i wonder how many of those actually own a vinyl player

[Blondini]

She isn't first, I could name few that did it as well in the past, 5SOS, Ed Sheeran, etc.

She probably don't even know about this chart fight, actually I think she doesn't care of UK chart position, she has no threat on other markets (US, Aussie, etc) so she could either release one version or 45. She would be #1 anyway.

Thank god I am not her hardcore fan as I would probably already die of hunger spending all my money for those versions.

It's not even a new thing in terms of marketing. It used to be the singles chart where you had 3 cds and other formats all to hype up the debut chart position or the second week chart position or a continuous stream of remixes to keep something in the chart. It just transferred to albums because that's the only real physical market left. It's true that Arctics are less popular in the States so it wouldn't be a battle for her there. As you say - in these times when everyone is strapped for cash only the hardcore can afford every single format. I doubt that is many people in these days. And her fans aren't all kids like BTS fans who feel they must have them all.

Those figures are so huge that you can see that it's more than just a format hyping issue. And watch it in week 2 and 3 - she will probably still outlast The Car because her album is more accessible than theirs. Baffles the heck out of me that people that would never buy lounge music go crazy for this stuff just because it's them. Where are all the these people when Jarvis does a lounge album? Where is all the airplay when Jarvis does a lounge album?

[Blondini]

Dafuq? Who are all these Taylor Swift fans that keep getting her to number one?! Literally never met one.

there's a lot of them on this forum. You should try talking to them.
a 16 page thread = "nobody", apparently https://www.ukmix.org/forum/music/al...wift-midnights

[97mde]

It’s also worth remembering she has 'previous' for pitching herself up against major artists. If you remember two years ago, Paul McCartney was asked by Team Taylor to move his album back a week so she could have a clear run at Number 1. The same Paul McCartney that hadn’t had a solo number 1 album since 1989.

I certainly don’t subscribe to the theory she isn’t aware of a chart battle. In fact I think she knows exactly what she is doing. Her career has been masterminded within an inch of its life since day one.

It’s the 'fans' that I feel sorry for.

[SholasBoy]

there's a lot of them on this forum. You should try talking to them.
a 16 page thread = "nobody", apparently https://www.ukmix.org/forum/music/al...wift-midnights

Still never met one

[Robbie]

Tuesday mini-update

Midnights: 157,869
The Car: 110,115

(from online Bizarre column @ The Sun)