Official Record Store Chart

The Official Charts Company has teamed up with Record Store Day to launch a brand new chart reflecting sales through the UK's coolest and most vibrant independent record shops.

The new albums chart will reflect the cutting edge music purchased through independent record stores the length and breadth of the UK. Counting solely physical sales, the very first chart will be unveiled at 5pm this Friday 20 April at OfficialCharts.com and counted down on Steve Lamacq's BBC 6Music show between 5-6pm, as part of the 2012 Record Store Day celebrations.  Beyond this, the new weekly chart will be revealed at 7pm every Sunday at OfficialCharts.com.

The Official Record Store Chart will reflect sales of albums from the just approaching 100 independent record retailers right across the country who participate in Record Store Day UK, including pioneering shops such as Rough Trade, Eastern Bloc, Rounder Records, Rise, Jumbo, Sound It Out and Avalanche. Record Store Day this year runs on Saturday 21 April.

According to Official Charts Company data, in 2011 independent retailers accounted for 4.4% of physical albums sold in stores across the country (more than 2.5m albums), but disproportionately were responsible for a phenomenal 95.8% of all vinyl albums sold through stores last year, supporting the significant resurgence seen in the vinyl albums market last year.  In 2011, sales of vinyl albums increased an astounding 43% year on year, a six year high.  Original story here: bit.ly/xKDkG1

Over the past month, releases by acts including The Shins, Paul Weller, Michael Kiwanuka, Dry The River and Blood Red Shoes would have been among the acts showcased by the Official Record Store Chart, which will be published weekly on OfficialCharts.com and will be displayed by the retailers contributing sales to the chart.

Official Record Store Chart: Biggest sellers of 2012 to date

"A record store is for life, not just for Record Store Day"

Official Charts Company Managing Director Martin Talbot says, "Independent record shops are more important than ever in helping introduce music fans to new, interesting music, so we are delighted to be working with the Record Store Day team to launch this chart.  A record store is for life, not just for Record Store Day, so we very much hope that the Official Record Store Chart will serve to harness the focus created by Record Store Day and help maintain it week in, week out, through the year."

OfficialCharts.com spoke to inimitable punk legend John Lydon whose band Public Image Ltd is to release their new EP, One Drop, on Record Store Day 2012 - the band's first new material for 18 years. "By nature I'm a record purchaser. I love vinyl. I grew up with vinyl; you cannot have a proper blues dance without vinyl!  You will never, ever beat the bass drop [of vinyl] in a club. I can DJ you to death on any kind of music you'd care to mention. Vinyl - the youth need it. 

Gossip front-woman Beth Ditto, who released a solo EP for last year's Record Store Day, and fellow bandmates Brace Paine and Hannah Blilie also spoke to OfficialCharts.com about the new Official Record Store Chart, leading a call to action for UK music fans to show their support for their local independent record store "Indie record stores are very important. Imagine if they were gone. Imagine that!"

The band then proceeded to ponder the merits of independent record stores, "If you want boobs on your record covers - indie record stores. If you want cuss words on your records - indie record stores. If you want interesting music - indie record stores. You want to be in a band and put out your own record? INDIE RECORD STORES!"

Watch and embed this special interview featuring John Lydon, Gossip and Rough Trade East and Record Store Day organiser, Spencer Hickman:

VIEW VIDEO:  http://youtu.be/cITMwaIf7lQ

EMBED CODE:  <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cITMwaIf7lQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
What the independent retailers say:

London's Rough Trade East Manager and Record Store Day organiser Spencer Hickman says: "Record Store Day is a world-wide celebration of record shops and their unique position that they have in their local community. The idea of the Official Record Store Chart is to take Record Store Day and keep it in people's minds throughout the whole year. It will give a true representation of physical sales across all the indie stores up and down the country."

Lawrence Montgomery, MD of Rise, Bristol Ltd:
"The launch of the Official Record Store Chart will be able to provide a platform for the tastes of the discerning music fan and help us as shops to further showcase the scores of great albums released every month that often slip under the radar. '

Alan Jordan, owner of Reflex, Newcastle says:
"People love charts and lists of all kinds, this gives us a chance to highlight some of the more leftfield albums which indie stores sell in decent numbers, but which fail to impact the mainstream charts."

Rupert Morrison, Manager of The Drift Record Shop, Devon:
"Events like Record Store Day and Black Friday highlight that independent music retailers are still a very important part of music consumption. The Official Record Store Chart will be a fascinating insight into the musical identity of these fine independent institutions… and of course the people that frequent them!"

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For more information:
Press contact: Lauren Kreisler 07789 886263 | lauren@officialcharts.com
Please note, Official Charts Company has spokespeople available for media comment on this announcement, please get in touch with your requests.
Ends
Notes for editors
Chart information quoted from this release must be credited to the Official Charts Company, online outlets please link to www.officialcharts.com

Who we are
The Official Charts Company are the providers of the UK's only official music and video charts, compiling its charts purely from sales information gathered across all key distribution (or entertainment) channels including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets, mail order internet retailers and digital music service providers. This market research sample equates to 99% of the total UK singles market; 98% of the total UK albums market and 90% of the total UK DVD market.
The Official Charts Company is a joint venture between record labels' body the BPI and ERA, the Entertainment Retailers Association. The Official Charts Company are responsible for the commissioning, marketing, distribution and management of the UK's industry standard music charts and industry sales data.

View the Official Charts
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