Fairytale of New York Chartwatch

[philipchevron]

CHRISTMAS WEEK 2012

UK 12 (18)
IRL 12 (9)

[Low D]

CHRISTMAS WEEK 2012

UK 12 (18)
IRL 12 (9)

Clearly, they could not hear me across the pond (although the way my daughter was going on, you'd think they COULD)

[DzM]

CHRISTMAS WEEK 2012

UK 12 (18)
IRL 12 (9)

So I'm a bit confused by this. Is the Official Chart We Care About from last week or this week (the week containing, you know, the big holiday thingy)?

[philipchevron]

CHRISTMAS WEEK 2012

UK 12 (18)
IRL 12 (9)

So I'm a bit confused by this. Is the Official Chart We Care About from last week or this week (the week containing, you know, the big holiday thingy)?

The UK Charts are published every Sunday at 19.00, so the final Christmas week chart - the one during which Christmas day falls - the one with the "Christmas Number One" in it, is the one from the closest prior Sunday. Invariably, I think, though there may be sophistry involved when Xmas falls on that day itself (meaning there would be nobody manning his/her posts to deliver and tally the vital stats). Or are you asking a different question?

The Irish charts are published a few days earlier, on a weekday, Friday most likely.

[DzM]

Nope. I think that's the question I was asking. Mostly I'm just surprised that the "Christmas No. 1" is determined by the prior week's chart, not by the chart on which Christmas falls.

Crazy, that music business!

[philipchevron]

Nope. I think that's the question I was asking. Mostly I'm just surprised that the "Christmas No. 1" is determined by the prior week's chart, not by the chart on which Christmas falls.

Crazy, that music business!

Well. it's a retail thing, so perhaps outdatedly overlinked to fossilized retail models, all the more so in an era in which FoNY, as a textbook example, re-charts almost entirely on Downloads, having bothered with physical formats on only two occasions this century (2005/20012). Record stores have only one more day (Christmas Eve) to sell product. As the industry patrols the chart, it figures, not unreasonably, it is entitled to call the chart whichever day it wishes, but as the prime purpose of the chart is to generate hype and excitement and competition (the Xmas Number One), it has to be of considerably less significant value in the following week, when record stores, such as they are, are shut and the appetite for Christmas songs is likely to be as robust as that for cold turkey wings.

Ironically, given the extraordinary amount of TV coverage FoNY got on Saturday alone, not least through the countdown to #1 on The Nation's Favourite.......Christmas Song, next week could just be the first year in which it has not instantly sunk like a stone the first week after Xmas, though I suppose it would take an unprecedented level of Christmas Eve sales for that to significantly alter the governing curve. Indeed, it's even possible that FoNY's leap to #12 having reversed downwards in the previous week (from #15 to #18) may already be explained in full by sales from today, Sunday.

[skeeper]

its a fucked up world where this is not number one every year

[firehazard]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.

The perennial Christmas favourite, a heartfelt tale of festive excess, reached the milestone after getting to number 12 this Christmas, the Official Charts Company said.

The song by the band – led by distinctive singer Shane MacGowan – and singer-songwriter McColl, who died in a boat accident in Mexico aged 41 in 2001, has made the festive top 20 every year for the last eight years.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, said: "It is apt that, in the year of its 25th anniversary, Fairytale Of New York has entered into the pantheon of the UK's all-time favourite singles to become the latest – and 126th – million-selling single in the history of the British charts.

"It has been a festive favourite ever since it was first released in 1987, so it is great that it can now claim this new honour."

Fairytale of New York, which was re-released this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary, has never made it to number one.

Fifty of the 126 million-sellers have made it to the milestone in the last 10 years thanks to the advent of digital downloading, the OCC said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/31/fairytale-of-new-york-1m-sales

"distinctive singer..."

[philipchevron]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.

The perennial Christmas favourite, a heartfelt tale of festive excess, reached the milestone after getting to number 12 this Christmas, the Official Charts Company said.

The song by the band – led by distinctive singer Shane MacGowan – and singer-songwriter McColl, who died in a boat accident in Mexico aged 41 in 2001, has made the festive top 20 every year for the last eight years.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, said: "It is apt that, in the year of its 25th anniversary, Fairytale Of New York has entered into the pantheon of the UK's all-time favourite singles to become the latest – and 126th – million-selling single in the history of the British charts.

"It has been a festive favourite ever since it was first released in 1987, so it is great that it can now claim this new honour."

Fairytale of New York, which was re-released this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary, has never made it to number one.

Fifty of the 126 million-sellers have made it to the milestone in the last 10 years thanks to the advent of digital downloading, the OCC said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/31/fairytale-of-new-york-1m-sales

"distinctive singer..."

There is some dispute over this figure. Official stats released to myself and Mark Addis in October indicate that we have exceeded two million copies, including downloads. It seems likely that as Warners and OCC neglected the one mill landmark when it happened, there is a degree of catching up going on.

[Spin85]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.

The perennial Christmas favourite, a heartfelt tale of festive excess, reached the milestone after getting to number 12 this Christmas, the Official Charts Company said.

The song by the band – led by distinctive singer Shane MacGowan – and singer-songwriter McColl, who died in a boat accident in Mexico aged 41 in 2001, has made the festive top 20 every year for the last eight years.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, said: "It is apt that, in the year of its 25th anniversary, Fairytale Of New York has entered into the pantheon of the UK's all-time favourite singles to become the latest – and 126th – million-selling single in the history of the British charts.

"It has been a festive favourite ever since it was first released in 1987, so it is great that it can now claim this new honour."

Fairytale of New York, which was re-released this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary, has never made it to number one.

Fifty of the 126 million-sellers have made it to the milestone in the last 10 years thanks to the advent of digital downloading, the OCC said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/31/fairytale-of-new-york-1m-sales

"distinctive singer..."

There is some dispute over this figure. Official stats released to myself and Mark Addis in October indicate that we have exceeded two million copies, including downloads. It seems likely that as Warners and OCC neglected the one mill landmark when it happened, there is a degree of catching up going on.

Hi Phil,

I often wondered, what kind of worldwide album sales do the band ?

[philipchevron]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.

The perennial Christmas favourite, a heartfelt tale of festive excess, reached the milestone after getting to number 12 this Christmas, the Official Charts Company said.

The song by the band – led by distinctive singer Shane MacGowan – and singer-songwriter McColl, who died in a boat accident in Mexico aged 41 in 2001, has made the festive top 20 every year for the last eight years.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, said: "It is apt that, in the year of its 25th anniversary, Fairytale Of New York has entered into the pantheon of the UK's all-time favourite singles to become the latest – and 126th – million-selling single in the history of the British charts.

"It has been a festive favourite ever since it was first released in 1987, so it is great that it can now claim this new honour."

Fairytale of New York, which was re-released this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary, has never made it to number one.

Fifty of the 126 million-sellers have made it to the milestone in the last 10 years thanks to the advent of digital downloading, the OCC said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/31/fairytale-of-new-york-1m-sales

"distinctive singer..."

There is some dispute over this figure. Official stats released to myself and Mark Addis in October indicate that we have exceeded two million copies, including downloads. It seems likely that as Warners and OCC neglected the one mill landmark when it happened, there is a degree of catching up going on.

Hi Phil,

I often wondered, what kind of worldwide album sales do the band ?

About 6 million

[firehazard]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.
...

There is some dispute over this figure. Official stats released to myself and Mark Addis in October indicate that we have exceeded two million copies, including downloads. It seems likely that as Warners and OCC neglected the one mill landmark when it happened, there is a degree of catching up going on.

I was rather surprised at the OCC report as I'd assumed the million figure had been passed some time ago...

[Smoz]

Fairytale of New York hits 1m sales
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has reached one million sales, 25 years after it was first released.
...

There is some dispute over this figure. Official stats released to myself and Mark Addis in October indicate that we have exceeded two million copies, including downloads. It seems likely that as Warners and OCC neglected the one mill landmark when it happened, there is a degree of catching up going on.

I was rather surprised at the OCC report as I'd assumed the million figure had been passed some time ago...

Could the discrepancy between the two figures be that the song has recently hit the one million mark solely in terms of singles sold whereas the higher (true) figure may be taking into account sales of various Christmas compilation albums on which the song is included? Also it may include the sales of If I Should Fall From Grace With God and various Best Of The Pogues and Live albums? Though if all of these were included I would imagine that the figure would be even higher.