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Still No 1? How the music charts lost their lustre

The Top 40 used to bring the UK together. But since the streaming revolution, what we listen to has become increasingly hard to tally

Acts will put out multiple vinyl editions and do in-store tours of record shops (where fans often get in for the price of a CD or LP purchase), and this can add thousands of sales to their week-one tally. “The album chart to me is a relic of a bygone era,” says Alex Hardee of live agency Wasserman Music, who represent acts such as Billie Eilish, Blackpink, Blur, Raye and SZA. It has snowballed, and major acts, including Taylor Swift and the Rolling Stones, now diligently pose with their award and post the photos on social media, giving the OCC brand enormous reach.

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