Boring list refused by MTV

Once again a week chart which is not published at MTV's site. Well the now pay TV channel is having a lot of doubts wether German singles charts are cool and worth be published or not. Troubles at the site are common since years. Once I asked the editors why. They responded somewhat like: we work on it and trying to be reliable. Looks like they did not mean it. I wonder why all these troubles only appaer around the German list. I can’t remember of one week the British or US-charts had some omissions. Speaking clearly: the German sales charts are somehow uncool. Why? – Ask MTV. Or media control.

By the way – I had correspondence with IFPI, the initiator of compiling charts for the music industry. They told me that they are unhappy about this situation. Charts should be more visible and important. But they also told me it's not their business working for it. Seems that the German sales charts will more and more disappear from public life. Instead of them lists compiled by iTunes et al are becoming much more important right now.

The main story here is not about music itself but about the marketing of music. I guess it shows where the music business right now stands in Germany. Let’s go back to the real stuff:
A completely static top 5 lacks of stuff for hot stories. Highest mover are Taio Cruz featuring Kylie who having kind of a slowburner with their Higher. Started shortly before Christmas the track entered at no.10 as the highest new entry. In other weeks that would be the best result they ever would have – not so during the turn of the year. Higher climbed 3 places and stalled there around for three weeks. Now it profits by the weakness of Bruno Mars and rises again one place entering the highest rank for the track: no.6. It is the highest rank Kylie had in Germany since her huge Can’t Get You Out Of My Head hit the top in 2001 and her best selling collaboration ever. For newcomer Taio Cruz it is still only the lowest of its three chart hits here. One could argue who is supporting who more. Concernig recent headlines and news Kylie leads the race as one can find tons of tweets and interviews about her tournee plans and launched parfums.

Higher is successful especially in German speaking countries. I really wonder why. Is it that the lyrics are to simple for English speaking countries? Is it cause German radio stations really love the track and stimulate the online sales by playing it again and again? I don’t know. Fact is Higher climbed up the airplay and download charts almost simultanously even days and weeks after the physical release entered the shops. Maybe the carreer of Higher is once again a story about the digital market and the complete turnover of the whole business.

Still only digital available is Adele’s Rolling In The Deep which rockets up the list entering the top 10 this week. The physical release crashed in the shops after counting was closed for the recent list. Expect her much higher next week cause physical sales count more in Germany as the charts are listing the tracks with the best amount of money not the quantity of sold tracks.

One of the few movers within the list are OneRepublic. The band found some more audience for its Good Life. propelling it into the top 20. I do have no explanation what exactly made the track so popular the last days. A catchy melody well produced … it was it already before. They had a few performances around ... hmm.
Hardly new releases keep the way open for understated tracks. We should take that as the reason.

Finally for today: best sold German track still is Winter by UNHEILIG. I told you before – there are no stories around. Let’s cross fingers for next week.