Music News: Billboard: Are Chart Rule Changes Needed?

umich

WELP...

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Ask Billboard is updated every week. As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to [email protected]. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.

ARE CHART RULE CHANGES NEEDED?

Dear Gary,

When is Billboard going to change its rules so artists such as Katy Perry cannot release multiple versions (original and remixes) of the same song at the same time and have the song reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after all sales are added up?

It would be an insult to music fans to have Perry surpass the late, great Michael Jackson for most No. 1s from one album after she's cheated her way toward the top with her latest song, "The One That Got Away."

Thank you,

Marie Simon
West Palm Beach, Florida

Hi Marie,

Thanks for the e-mail. Some details we should probably go over here, and some that will also address the back-and-forth in the comments sections below some of the stories that we've recently posted about Perry.

First, Billboard has a policy in effect by which remixes of current songs are merged with original versions (and radio edits) as long as all versions are judged to be similar enough. Here is exact wording, in fact, from Billboard's charts manual:

"Billboard will treat re-recorded songs that bear no resemblance to the original recording as a separate and distinctive song for the purposes of chart tracking. The guidelines are lyric and melody: if neither element is similar to the original recording, the two versions will not be merged."

In the case of Perry's "One," which has been remixed featuring B.o.B, all versions will be merged, since the remix does not vastly change the original recording; it merely sports additional rapping.

And, the guiding intent of the Hot 100 is that it's a song, not tracks, chart. Therefore, merging titles helps present the clearest picture of a title's overall popularity. Billboard additionally boasts the weekly Hot Digital Tracks chart, on which individual mixes chart separately in order to show the most popular versions of all digital titles. That's where we'll be able to see the difference in sales rank between the album version of "One" and the B.o.B-assisted remix once the latter has been released digitally.

Marie, you also use the word "cheated" when describing Perry's quest for an unprecedented sixth Hot 100 No. 1 from her album "Teenage Dream," an opinion shared by other Billboard.commenters.

I don't agree.

True, Capitol has discounted "One" to 69 cents in the iTunes Store and released the new remix in hopes of helping "One" reach No. 1. A 69-cent sale price, however, is well within Billboard's chart rules regarding discounted digital tracks. Again, an excerpt from Billboard's sale policy:

" Unit sales for Digital Tracks priced below $0.39 during their first three months of release will not be eligible for inclusion on Billboard's digital songs charts."

That rule is, thus, not applicable to "One."

Also the subject of debate among online readers: a label releasing a remix of a song as it approaches the Hot 100's summit. Such a marketing move is not exclusive to Capitol or Perry. As reported Thursday (Dec. 15), it's already occurred multiple times this year, with, for example, Rihanna's "S&M" and Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends" having been the recipients of guest star-assisted remixes as they scaled the chart's upper ranks.

In my view, Capitol is simply practicing ... capitalism. The label is aware that Perry could surpass Jackson's haul and make history and, of course, it hopes that she does. Ultimately, it's operating within chart rules to help "One" achieve maximum popularity. Still, it's understandable how purists might find some fault when the song is the only one among iTunes' top 75 so discounted, as it has been in the past week. Then again, such is the spotlight in the digital era.

Never before was there such a national store available for scrutiny at any hour in consumers' homes. Tower Records, for instance, may have discounted titles years ago; it's just that perhaps not all stores would've participated. And, certainly, any sale at any store, no matter how far-reaching nationally, was simply not as visible as an iTunes one (or, for that matter, open to message board debate). Any complete account of discounts of singles throughout the rock era would be practically impossible to compile.

Beyond its retail push, "One" is an unquestionable airplay hit, rising 7-6 on Radio Songs this week with 92 million all-format impressions, according to Nielsen BDS (to go along with more than 34 million YouTube views for its video).

OK, last semi-rant: your, and other readers', claim that Perry's passing of Jackson's record would be an "insult" to the King of Pop.

Again, I don't share that view. Chart records are routinely broken. Earlier this year, the "Glee" cast passed Elvis Presley's mark for most Hot 100 hits. Does that mean that the McKinley High singers are better than Presley? Of course not. The facts simply show that they've charted on the Hot 100 more times than Presley, nothing more. Presley's contributions to music, if not - no exaggeration - human, history are, on so many levels, unparalleled. He just doesn't hold every Billboard chart record.

Similarly, Jackson and Perry have notched five Hot 100 No. 1s each from their albums "Bad" and "Teenage Dream," respectively, the most leaders from an album in the chart's archives. Despite differences in eras, consumer tastes, radio preferences and single configurations, each of the 10 No. 1s from the sets faced the same competition: to pass 99 other weekly chart contenders to become the most popular song in the country.

Has Jackson had more overall impact than Perry? Hard to argue against that. Jackson's career spanned more than 40 years. Perry has been scoring hits for three. Jackson broke color barriers on MTV. He was instrumental in making music videos an art form. And, his images of the Moonwalk, his glittering glove and his songcraft have lifted him to, like Presley, elite status among all-time American performers.

Just because one of his records could be broken simply implies that another artist's music has inspired fans of another era.

Who knows, had the internet existed in prior decades before the public became attached to a 24/7 flow of information, Billboard readers in 1964 might've argued that the Beatles wouldn't have placed a record 14 titles simultaneously on the Hot 100 if they hadn't appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show." Cheap ploy or savvy marketing? Same argument. (And, again, one involving Capitol artists).

Times change. Music changes. Music fans' passion to rank artists and their legacies, however, does not.

Thankfully.

It's spirited discussions like these that reinforce our love for music, and charts.

"We take very seriously reader feedback," Billboard editorial director Bill Werde recently stated. "It's important for us to have a genuine exchange and dialogue with you, whether it's via e-mail or comments section(s).

"While further changes in our charting policy are not currently planned, we will always remain responsive to the marketplace so that we maintain our credibility and relevancy."

SOURCE: http://www.billboard.com/#/column/ch...05695952.story

Bliss

Yes, please.

Bliss

WaiT, they better stan.

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Marie, you also use the word "cheated" when describing Perry's quest for an unprecedented sixth Hot 100 No. 1 from her album "Teenage Dream," an opinion shared by other Billboard.commenters.

I don't agree.

Lovely

rihannafan

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Chart records are routinely broken. Earlier this year, the "Glee" cast passed Elvis Presley's mark for most Hot 100 hits. Does that mean that the McKinley High singers are better than Presley? Of course not. The facts simply show that they've charted on the Hot 100 more times than Presley, nothing more. Presley's contributions to music, if not - no exaggeration - human, history are, on so many levels, unparalleled. He just doesn't hold every Billboard chart record.

Cute undercover shade by billboard but i ain't buying it

Ady.

LOL, I don't understand why they always say something like this "The One That Got Away" and then "One"?

Wick

Wow, he gives great response to this whole fiasco. I love it. Katy is taking the title "King of Pop" from him, just one chart's record.

Duca

All songs should cost $.69 tbh.

JC.

I'm happy that Billboard addressed the matter

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Earlier this year, the "Glee" cast passed Elvis Presley's mark for most Hot 100 hits. Does that mean that the McKinley High singers are better than Presley? Of course not. The facts simply show that they've charted on the Hot 100 more times than Presley, nothing more. Presley's contributions to music, if not - no exaggeration - human, history are, on so many levels, unparalleled. He just doesn't hold every Billboard chart record.

I remember saying this before and people said it didn't matter 'cuz Elvis was a thief

Bliss

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Originally posted by iHeartRihanna

LOL, I don't understand why they always say something like this "The One That Got Away" and then "One"?

They shortened the title to avoid redundancy.

Bibliotheque

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Also the subject of debate among online readers: a label releasing a remix of a song as it approaches the Hot 100's summit. Such a marketing move is not exclusive to Capitol or Perry. As reported Thursday (Dec. 15), it's already occurred multiple times this year, with, for example, Rihanna's "S&M" and Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends" having been the recipients of guest star-assisted remixes as they scaled the chart's upper ranks.

and?

SylMacPer

Pressed people!

umich

billboard serves true tea.

zzmyth

the difference with S&M is that it had been 5 weeks inside the Top3 before the #1 week... and the 3 previous weeks it was #2....

TOTGA has reached a new peak AT #4 after being dicounted.....

Vin

I am hoping Katy Perry will break Michael Jackson's record.

It would be a nice wake up call. People are holding on to that Michael Jackson record like
it's The Bible. It's time for them to let it go. If Perry doesn't break the record, another
artist will. Records are broken all the time and it won't last forever.

...Vin

Vertigo Stick

Didn't they change the rules after Born This Way was discounted for one or two days though

MusicTalker

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Originally posted by Duca

All songs should cost $.69 tbh.

This.

TOASTY

ok I love rih but there is no difference between her using a discount/remix and KP doing so. The only reason KP is getting such a bad rep is because her label did the **** 3 consecutive times in order to secure a #1

Foot

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"...we will always remain responsive to the marketplace so that we maintain our credibility and relevancy."

If they want to, something needs to be done.

ChrisRTW

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Originally posted by Vin

I am hoping Katy Perry will break Michael Jackson's record.

It would be a nice wake up call. People are holding on to that Michael Jackson record like
it's The Bible. It's time for them to let it go. If Perry doesn't break the record, another
artists will. Records are broken all the time and it won't last forever.

...Vin

Oh please of course his record is going to get broken,what i don't approve of is Capitol records desperate tacky ways to break it.

Ryan

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Originally posted by Foot

If they want to, something needs to be done.

Or until it no longer suits them.