It says the most about Billboard not using a consistent methodology over the years which makes this "record" one that needs a huge asterisk.
Here's the text of the article I wrote for my website the other day explaining why there is no way to compare the two.
"I'll take 'Records That No Longer Mean Anything' for $1000, Alex."
On this week's Billboard Hot 100, the cast of Glee will break a record that has stood for forty-plus years, the most records on the Billboard Hot 100 by a group. The old record holder? The Beatles with 71 charted titles. Glee places six new titles on the chart this week to give them a total of 75, which they attained in one year, four months and two weeks.
Now, here's the difference. The Beatles did it at a time when the Hot 100 was exclusively based on released singles, so a group might only chart four to six in a year. The Fab Four did have 30 chart entries in 1964 but that was at a time when the individual sides of a record were given separate positions and, because of various contracts early in their career, their music was released on six different labels.
Glee: The Music, Volume 1Today, the Hot 100 lists tracks that are mainly sold through digital venues (along with radio play) so individual tracks from a new album can make the chart even if they are not official "singles" or garnering big airplay. In the case of the Glee cast, all of the music performed on the show is released digitally right after each episode airs, so it is not unusual to see anywhere from four to six new entries EACH WEEK.
The real tell-tale sign that this "record" is faulty is the fact that the Glee cast tracks are usually on and off the list in one week. Only 14 of their 75 have made it to week two and, overall, they have totaled 105 cumulative weeks on the chart vs. the Beatles total of 617. The Beatles also lead in top ten tracks at 34-to-1.
Only two solo artists have charted more titles now, James Brown with 91 and Elvis Presley with 108. The Glee cast should be passing them by, oh, about January.
In all seriousness, is it really fair to try and keep these kinds of records when the marketing of music has changed so much in the last few years? Should the Glee cast have an asterisk next to their name to denote the changes much like they do in sports record books? Yes, most certainly they should.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-07 07:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-07 08:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-08 03:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-07 09:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-07 10:26 pm (UTC)Here's the text of the article I wrote for my website the other day explaining why there is no way to compare the two.
"I'll take 'Records That No Longer Mean Anything' for $1000, Alex."
On this week's Billboard Hot 100, the cast of Glee will break a record that has stood for forty-plus years, the most records on the Billboard Hot 100 by a group. The old record holder? The Beatles with 71 charted titles. Glee places six new titles on the chart this week to give them a total of 75, which they attained in one year, four months and two weeks.
Now, here's the difference. The Beatles did it at a time when the Hot 100 was exclusively based on released singles, so a group might only chart four to six in a year. The Fab Four did have 30 chart entries in 1964 but that was at a time when the individual sides of a record were given separate positions and, because of various contracts early in their career, their music was released on six different labels.
Glee: The Music, Volume 1Today, the Hot 100 lists tracks that are mainly sold through digital venues (along with radio play) so individual tracks from a new album can make the chart even if they are not official "singles" or garnering big airplay. In the case of the Glee cast, all of the music performed on the show is released digitally right after each episode airs, so it is not unusual to see anywhere from four to six new entries EACH WEEK.
The real tell-tale sign that this "record" is faulty is the fact that the Glee cast tracks are usually on and off the list in one week. Only 14 of their 75 have made it to week two and, overall, they have totaled 105 cumulative weeks on the chart vs. the Beatles total of 617. The Beatles also lead in top ten tracks at 34-to-1.
Only two solo artists have charted more titles now, James Brown with 91 and Elvis Presley with 108. The Glee cast should be passing them by, oh, about January.
In all seriousness, is it really fair to try and keep these kinds of records when the marketing of music has changed so much in the last few years? Should the Glee cast have an asterisk next to their name to denote the changes much like they do in sports record books? Yes, most certainly they should.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-12 01:57 am (UTC)Plus, people are stupid... I don't even watch Glee anymore. And I have an unhealthy obsession with Jane Lynch.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-08 01:33 am (UTC)The Beatles had to actually write their own songs so it took a little more time.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-08 01:56 pm (UTC)