Irish Singles Chart Explained

The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems. All major record shops, digital retailers and streaming services contribute to the chart, accounting for over 95% of the market. A new chart is compiled and released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday (i.e., the day before issue). The singles chart was first published on 1 October 1962, and covered the top ten singles of the previous week by record label shipments.

As of the week ending 22 August 2024, the current number-one single on the chart is "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan.[1]

History

The charts were first broadcast on RTÉ on 1 October 1962. Before this charts had been printed in the Evening Herald newspaper, but it is debated as to whether they are official or not. Up until 1972 the Irish Chart was based on telephone sales received from record retailers based on over the counter sales to the public. The compilers of the chart changed several times and in January 1972 the chart changed to one based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. From October 1975 to February 1977 the chart was compiled from votes from readers in the Evening Herald newspaper. There was a separate Irish and International artists chart for a time during this period. From 1977 the chart once again became based on sales from retailers to the public but during the early 1980s this again changed and was once more based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. RTÉ 2fm broadcasts the top 30 of the chart every Friday night from 8pm to 10pm.

In 1992, the singles chart became based on consumer sales after IFPI and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) granted a contract to Gallup, a market research company. Gallup installed Epson PX-4 devices in sixty record stores to collect singles sales data. In 1996, Chart-Track was formed as a result of a management buy-out from Gallup. Also in 1996, with the development of technology, EPOS systems were installed in multiple music retail stores. The EPOS systems allowed for the collection of more accurate sales information. Chart-Track collects data daily from major record stores such as HMV and Tower Records, as well as over forty Independent retailers. In total, data from over four-hundred and ninety stores are collected each week. The singles chart is compiled over seven days and released every Friday at noon by the IRMA, while Midweek Charts are produced daily, but only released to IRMA members.

It was announced that from 1 July 2006, downloads would be counted in the charts. They would also feature in their own chart in addition to being counted for the overall chart. Data was initially collected from iTunes, Vodafone, eircom, Sony Connect, Wippit and Bleep.com.[2] Although IRMA estimated the size of the download market to amount to only 14% of the total market in 2006, this has increased in more recent years.

In 2014, the Irish charts first included music streaming data and in 2018, music video streaming data was included for the first time.[3]

Chart achievements

All information is from 1962 to the present and does not include charts printed in the Evening Herald newspaper.[4] [5]

First Irish artist to debut at number one

Dickie Rock & the Miami Showband with "Every Step of the Way" (1965)

Artists with the most number one hits

Total Artist
21 U2
13 The Beatles
Westlife
12 ABBA
9 Cliff Richard
Michael Jackson
Boyzone
Eminem
Ed Sheeran[6]
8 Dickie Rock
Elvis Presley
Madonna
Britney Spears
Rihanna
Calvin Harris[7]

Source:[8]

Songs with the most weeks at number one

WeeksArtist(s)SongYear(s)
Bill Whelan"Riverdance"1994
"Despacito"2017
"Shape of You"*
Noah Kahan"Stick Season"*[9] 2023–24
Republic of Ireland Football Squad"Put 'Em Under Pressure" 1990
The Black Eyed Peas"I Gotta Feeling"*2009
Pharrell Williams"Happy"*2014
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"*1991
Queen"Bohemian Rhapsody"*1975–76
1991–92
Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla"One Dance"*2016
Ed Sheeran"Bad Habits"[10] 2021
Wings"Mull of Kintyre"1977–78
"Maniac 2000"2000
Drake"God's Plan"2018
Harry Styles"As It Was"[11] 2022
Miley Cyrus"Flowers"[12] 2023

Note: Songs denoted with an asterisk (*) spent non-consecutive weeks at number one.

Source:[13]

Acts to occupy the top two positions

In addition, in the fifth and seventh week that Justin Bieber was at #1 and #2 with "Love Yourself" and "Sorry", "What Do You Mean" was at #3. For the sixth week that Ed Sheeran was at #1 and #2 with "Galway Girl" and "Shape of You", he also occupied #3 to #16 with the remaining tracks from "÷". In the second week, "Castle on the Hill", "Nancy Mulligan" and "New Man" occupied #3, #4 and #5 respectively and "Castle on the Hill" remained at #3 for the third week. For the first two weeks that Olivia Rodrigo occupied the top two spots with "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu", "Traitor" was also at #3.

Artists with the most top fifty hits

Total Artist
73 Michael Jackson[15]
70 Cliff Richard
70 Elvis Presley
68 Taylor Swift[16]
66 Madonna
61 Ed Sheeran[17]
61 Justin Bieber[18]
56 Eminem[19]
54 Rihanna[20]
49 U2
43 Post Malone[21]
42 Beyoncé[22]
40 Calvin Harris[23]
39 The Weeknd[24]
38 Ariana Grande[25]
34 P!nk[26]
33 The Beatles
32 ABBA
31 Westlife
30 Britney Spears

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 22 August 2024. Official Charts Company. 9 August 2024.
  2. Web site: News on addition of downloads. 2006-06-30. 2006-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20060629062510/http://www.charttrack.co.uk/index.jsp. dead.
  3. Web site: The history of the Official Irish Charts. 19 July 2018. www.officialcharts.com. en. 3 August 2019.
  4. Web site: Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. . The Irish Charts - All there is to know . Irishcharts.ie . 2007-05-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606020456/http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_no1s.htm . 2011-06-06 . dead .
  5. Web site: Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. . The Irish Charts - All there is to know . Irishcharts.ie . 2007-05-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907023415/http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_weeks_at_no1.htm . 2012-09-07 . dead .
  6. Web site: Ed Sheeran and Elton John's Merry Christmas claims Ireland's 2021 Christmas Number 1. 24 December 2021. Official Charts Company. en. 24 December 2021.
  7. Web site: Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 6 April 2023. Official Charts Company. 31 March 2023.
  8. Web site: Acts with the most Number 1 singles in Ireland. 30 October 2020. Official Charts Company. en. 30 October 2020.
  9. Web site: Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 16 February 2024. 16 February 2024. Official Charts Company. 16 February 2024.
  10. Web site: Ed Sheeran fends off The Kid Laroi and Drake for 11th week at Number 1 on the Official Irish Singles Chart with Bad Habits. 10 September 2021. Official Charts Company. en. 10 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Harry Styles marks tenth consecutive week at Number 1 in Ireland with As It Was. 10 June 2022. Official Charts Company. 11 June 2022.
  12. Web site: Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 30 March 2023. 24 March 2023. Official Charts Company. 24 March 2023.
  13. Web site: The longest reigning Number 1s on the Official Irish Singles Chart. 28 November 2018. Official Charts Company. en. 30 October 2020.
  14. Web site: Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 5 July 2024. Official Charts Company. 5 July 2024.
  15. Web site: 31 March 2023. The Irish Charts - All there is to know. The Irish Charts. IRMA.
  16. Web site: Discography Taylor Swift. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  17. Web site: Discography Ed Sheeran. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  18. Web site: Discography Justin Bieber. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  19. Web site: Discography Eminem. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  20. Web site: Discography Rihanna. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  21. Web site: Discography Post Malone. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  22. Web site: Discography Beyoncé. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  23. Web site: Discography Calvin Harris. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  24. Web site: Discography The Weeknd. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  25. Web site: Discography Ariana Grande. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.
  26. Web site: Discography P!nk. 2024-06-16. www.irish-charts.com. en.