The Official UK Chart will celebrate its 50th anniversary on 14 Nov, and you’ll find it hard to avoid the celebrations. Channel 4 will stage a three-hour special (16 Nov, 9-12 pm) counting down the top selling 100 singles of all time. There will be a book published by NME/Chrysalis and a double CD released through EMI/ Virgin and Universal. Radio 1’s Mark Goodier will present his final chart run-down on 17 Nov, which will be followed by an hour-long behind the scenes special. BBC1 will broadcast a special programme in December, featuring contemporary acts performing number ones from the last 50 years, and Paul Gambaccini will host three weekly Radio 2 documentaries starting 5 Nov. On 9 Nov Richard Allinson will host a countdown of listeners favourite numbers ones on Radio 2.
Elsewhere the National Sound Archive will be hosting an interactive exhibition at the British Library (from 11 Oct to 7 Jan) where visitors will be able to hear every number one and HMV will run an exhibition at its flagship Oxford Street store in November. Oh yes, and the Official Charts Company will publish an Icons calendar featuring the biggest acts of the past five decades.
As we said yesterday, with Elvis at number one in the album charts, and a Beatles/Elvis cover double-a side at number one in the singles chart, you’d be forgiven for wondering which end of chart history we’re at.