The people behind the music charts have changed their rules to stop downloads given away in competitions from counting towards a track's chart rating. The ruling, of course, follows that promotion in July in which fans who entered a competition to see Elton John perform in Las Vegas received a digital copy of his single 'Electricity'. Those downloads were included in the statistics used to compile both the download and overall singles chart and, many argued, that helped the singer get a higher chart position than he probably deserved - number five in the overall singles chart.
The new ruling from the Chart Supervisory Committee, which came into effect this weekend, means downloads distributed as part of promotions like the Elton John one would not count in overall sales data. Omar Maskatiya of the Official UK Charts Company told reporters: "The previous rules were too vague for either physical or digital singles but until recently the prizes on offer have been of very little value. We acted to ensure the chart is a reflection of the best-selling singles rather than the best competitions. Competitions are still allowed around releases but not those dependent on the purchase of a single."