Features: The Best of 2003

The Best Charts of 2003

Top40-Charts presents the best and worst national charts of 2003 (according to our users votes).

The Best charts

1) Australia 13%: brilliant mix culture and stability
According to Top40 Charts users the Australian chart it is best for 2003. This is a chart which binds in a unique way variety, stability, openness to foreign cultures and artistic quality.

The findings between those who voted show us that 36% of them prefer it for its stability. The appearance average on the Australian singles for the new songs is 4-6 new songs, having a life cycle inside the chart, around 6-8 weeks. This duration is satisfactory, in order for the public to watch, learn and select or reject the products.

However, 20% voted "quality" and still 17% voted the "diversity" component. This is confirmed by the elements: within the Australian singles chart, in 2003 all the musical categories/style (jazz, pop / rock, rnb, classical, country, film music) were represented!

Moreover, the chart is particularly open (the biggest advantage) and many times latin / world music tracks entered in lower spots. The chart had few "Pop Stars" or "Pop Idol" appearances on the 10 first spots (concretely 6) when the world mean is 9 reality songs. It has corresponded to all worldwide hits and has a very satisfactory integration.
Stability and quality have an absolutely positive impact and show to everyone out of Australia that the "players" of the Australian music market (ARIAA, labels, media, artists, government, etc.) collaborate harmoniously.

ARIAA also, achieves a compilation chart between local musical production (25-30%) and foreign production (70-75%).
After all these, it isn't by accident that last year a lot of Australians sprang up through this chart and made worldwide success (examples are Delta Goodrem, Sleepy Jackson etc.) And it isn't a strange phenomenon anymore that foreign media struggled to the bitter end in order to get the exclusive broadcasting rights about this years' "Australian Music Awards" (ARIAA awards)!

2. German chart 12%: the demand and diversity
The differences with the Australian chart are very small at the voting, falling in the category of "statistical error". The Media Control accomplished, afterwards the singles chart changes within 2001, to transform this country singles chart to be leader not only in the European market but also all over the world.

The proportion of local production with foreign production in the German singles chart is 23%-77% (roughly as much as the Australians, for 2003). In this chart there were presented songs of all the music styles and particularly difficult as the Jazz, Country and Classical. The research between voters shows that the German chart is selected by 27%, for its diversity; openness to foreign cultures/songs accounts for 21%, stability 23%, integration 15% and quality of songs 14%.

The only thing that the Germans failed 2003, was limiting the number of reality TV songs (this explains why people believe on charts' diversity and rank 'quality' as last). Perhaps the number of reality songs costs the Germans the first place in the research of Top40 Charts.

According to the statistical records most songs on German singles chart are having a life cycle of 6 weeks. The stability is remarkable (the mean is 5 new songs/week) and its main qualification is the big variety: open to Latin and the biggest track/song number of country and jazz in world level - except Canada and US! The German Top100 is produced by the Media Control; the first 40 songs are freely, creating the biggest 'quantity of songs' market except Northern America and Japan.

The German music industry is supporting this policy for German chart and this year it achieved the bigger increase of concerts compared to the rest countries of the European Union. All the North-American and Latin artists (B. Springsteen, Sum 41, Norah Jones, Dixie Chicks, Alejandro Sanz, Aventura, 50 Cent, Eminem) have been select as start - up music place in Europe, the German market.
In music history for first time, one British artist released his circulated album in Germany before its own country (UK) or US: Robbie Williams!

Also there is a continuous development of the "music" market: the english version of Deutsche Welle has the biggest TV audience share at Europe; MTV.de is a rising star and www.amazon.de is the biggest CD/DVD distributor in the whole EU market. These above data probably say it all; a triumph in 2003 for German Phonographic Association, Media Control and Germans in the global competitive environment.

3. Canada 9%: the quality chart!
Quality factor: full domination by Canada! This is the chart, which depends on most 'artistic' songs. Canadian chart is the most accessible from music styles as classic, jazz, RnB, modern rock and movie/soundtrack music.

The chart had less 'reality' songs than anyone else worldwide. The stability is a very basic factor and a songs' life cycle, is the biggest than everywhere else: 10-20 weeks!

There aren't fast changes and the Europeans/Australians use the Canadian market as the pilot-model about future hits. Sigur Ros for example - the newcomers from Iceland, which took later, the best European MTV Video Award - had their first single hit worldwide at the Canadian singles chart.

The market influences by these successful policies of local IFPI and is rising: press, radio stations and TV channels help a lot the newcomers. If you believe that you produce an innovative sound then the Canadian market is just for you. TV Channels like MuchMusic can help you to define your commercial limits in every music field. This is an open chart to world, especially to Latin, French and Italian songs because of the mixing population culture (english-american/french communities).

In the 2003, the Canadian chart had all the known film hits, spread amount of jazz, classical, modern rock and country-style songs. It is not also strange that many British artists like Dido, Robbie Williams, Travis or Basement Jaxx have most cd-single hits on Canadian chart than UK singles...
Definitely one of the best charts for 2003!

The best of the best national charts for 2003 (review):

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