Sales music singles in the U.K.

Content

• History of UK single market

• Official UK Charts Company

• Physical sales

• Digital sales

• Profit divide

• Music sales per person

• UK sales hit records 2009

• Best selling singles of 2009

• Sales after Live Aid

• Best selling singles ever

History of UK single market

• New musical express (1952)

• Melody Maker (1958)

• Record Retailer (1960)

• Top of the Pops (1964)

• Research organisation Gallup (1983)

• Chart Information Network (CIN) (1994)

• The Official UK Charts Company (2001)

Official UK Charts company

• Only sales = no airplay

• 99% singles market

• 6.500 retail outlets (sales data)

• 1.115 singles reached charts

• Published on sundays

• Broadcasted on BBC Radio 1

Physical sales

• Counting since 1952

• “Al Martino – Here in my heart”

• Breakthrough The Beatles in the 60s

• Popularity “Top of the Pops” 70s&80s

• “Candle in the wind” best sold ever

• Sales decreased since late 90’s

• Physical sales ended 2008

Digital sales

• Legal downloads since 2004

• “Gnarls Barkley – Crazy” scoop

• Digital sales increased

• Old songs returned

• “Leona Lewis – Run” first digital nr.1

• Digital sales only since 2008

Physical vs. Digital sales

Profit divide

• Artist: 15%

• Record label: 35%

• Retailer: 50%

• Example: CD in a retail shop costs $20The retailer gets $10, record label $7 & the artist just...$3.

Music sales per person

UK Singles sales hit record in 2009

• Single sales have hit 117,6 million

• “Lady GaGa” most successful artist

• British music market could “explode”

• 2009 “The era of the digital single”

Top 10 UK’s best selling singles of 2009

• 1. Lady GaGa – Poker Face (848,450 x)

• 2. Black Eyed Peas – I gotta feeling (762,860 x)

• 3. Lady GaGa – Just Dance (746,610 x)

• 4. La Roux – In for the kill (650,310 x)

• 5. Cheryl Cole – Fight for this love (632,090 x)

• 6. Black Eyed Peas – Boom boom pow (592,585 x)

• 7. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz – Number 1 (530,145 x)

• 8. Alexandra Burke ft. Flo Rida– Bad Boys (490,815 x)

• 9. David Guetta ft. Akon – Sexy Bitch (478,715 x)

• 10. Kings of Leon – Use somebody (477,940 x)

Black Eyed Peas - I gotta feeling.wav

Lady GaGa - Poker Face.wav

Sales increased after Live Aid

• Bob Geldoff organisator

• Live aid (1985)• Live8 (2005)

Pink Floyd ‘Echoes - Best Of’ - 1343%The Who ‘Then & Now’ – 863%Annie Lennox ‘Eurythmics Greatest Hits’ - 500% Dido ‘Life for Rent’ - 412% Razorlight ‘Up all Night’ - 335%

Robbie Williams ‘Greatest Hits’ - 320%

Top 10 UK’s best selling singles ever

• 1. Elton John – Candle in the wind (1997)

• 2. Band Aid – Do they know it’s christmas time? (1985)

• 3. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

• 4. Wings – Mull of Kintyre (1977)

• 5. Boney M – Rivers of Babylon (1978)

• 6. Frankie goes to Hollywood – Relax (1984)

• 7. The Beatles – She love you (1965)

• 8. John Travolta & Olivia Newton John – You’re the that I want (1978)

• 9. Robson & Jerome – Unchained Melody (1995)

• 10. Boney M – Mary’s boy child (1978)

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody.wav

Band Aid - Do they know it's christmas.wav

Elton John - Candle in the wind.wav

Thanks for your attention !

Discussion

Statement 1

“It is not fair that artists earn just 15% of the total sales amount”

Statement 2

“Illegal download sites have to be stopped by the government”

Statement 3

“The Live Aid concerts did not help at all. Only the artists are getting whealty, the African people are

still poor”