Classic FM Top 300 of 21st Century: 28-31 Dec 2007

[Dave]

EDIT - Top 100 with sales is in this post here

Complete Top 300 (without sales) is here at Classic FM

Hello everyone,

If this chart is what it looks like it is, it should be very interesting!

Classic FM Programme schedule:

Friday 28 December to 31 December 9 am to 9 pm [wrong date corrected by Dave]

Post-Christmas and right up to New Year's Eve, join us as we count down The Classic FM Chart Top 300 - The 21st Century's Biggest Sellers. Mark Forrest kicks off the countdown of the biggest selling classical albums since 2000 at 9am.

That's all I can find about it on the Classic FM website - it looks like they are going to count down the 300 top selling classical albums in the UK since the year 2000 and I think it's reasonable to assume that it will be based on albums which have appeared in the Classic FM chart over the years. They usually do a "chart of the year" but I can't see any mention of this so far... perhaps this top 300 will replace it? The Official Charts Company do keep all the cumulative sales figures so hopefully, this will be an accurate sales chart obtained from them.

Anyway, it's on for 12 hours each day starting at 9 am on Friday 28th December and ending at 9pm on New Year's Eve.

I will record as much as I can of it in case the final top 300 chart isn't posted on the website but anyone who listens in at any time, please make a note of whatever albums and positions you hear, especially the Hayley albums and the albums either side of hers (it may be needed!

Hayley should feature in it with all her albums - possibly including the special editions separately - but what will be the no. 1?[ My guess is Russell Watson, Hayley or perhaps one of the big compilation soundtrack albums. I *think* I know which will win but it's far from certain - and anyway, I'm not telling (but I have mentioned it before in the forum )

Cheers, Dave

[Dave]

Well it's started. After 5 hours 30 minutes they've played 22 tracks and we're now up to no. 278.

I'm hoping they will post the complete chart on the website but if they don't, I can get the tracks from their playlists - then look up the quoted catalogue numbers on the Internet for other details. Bit complicated, is this.

We now know this is an Artist/Performer chart based on total sales per classical CD from 1/1/2000 to "just before christmas 2007". Multi-artist compilations are excluded (thank goodness), sound tracks are included. It is not yet clear if albums released before that date are included if their sales after then would otherwise have qualified it for the chart.

We now have the first CD for which I have some solid sales figures tucked away somewhere:

No. 280 - Nicola Benedetti - Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (my estimate: 12,000 sales).

This is going to be good - it will also answer many questions about who has sold more than whom and I hope to have enough exact sales totals to be able to estimate all the sales reasonably accurately. Hayley will probably have 5 albums in the chart (2 versions each of Pure & Odyssey, and Treasure).

Busy few days, the spreadsheet will be a big 'un. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Dave

[Dave]

Here are some highlights from days one, two and three - with sales (estimates):

291 - Libera - Angel Voices (11,000)
280 - Nicola Benedetti - Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (11,500)
235 - Ludovico Einaudi - Divenere (13,000)
229 - Alfie Boe - Classic FM Presents (15,000)
201 - Paul Mccartney - Ecce Cor Meum (17,000)
186 - Nicola Benedetti - Szymanowski Violin Concerto (18,000
185 - Alfie Boe - Onward (18,000)
163 - Bryn Terfel - Tutto Mozart! (20,000)
157 - Cortes -Cortes (20,500)
152 - Secret Garden - Dreamcatcher (21,000)
149 - Duel - Duel (21,000)
133 - Libera - Free (25,000)
116 - All Angels - Into Paradise (28,000)**
101 - End of Day 3

** The chart seems to have been created as at 9th December 2007 so sales for All Angels and some others currently high in the chart will have to be updated later - these are only to 9th December 2007

Is anyone else listening to this? The most wonderfully varied selection of music is being played that I've ever heard on Classic FM. I can't switch it off!

Dave

Chart details above UPDATED 30 December

[gra7890]

Hi Everyone ( especially Dave)
Have a look a ITV Teletext page 319 (sub page 2) [Presumably UK only SKY ??]

HAYLEY IS NUMBER 1

Is this the same chart Dave ?

Here's hoping,..... Graham

p.s. Yes SKY as well same page etc, ITV Channel 103
Modified @ 22-13

[gra7890]

More info
'Opera' singer Hayley Westenra has the biggest selling record in the 21st century according to the 'Official UK charts company'.
ITV Teletext Page 319 sub page 2/7
Hopefully a near accurate quote.
I am the only UK member online at the moment !!!!!

Oh for somebody to confirm I am seeing straight !!!

Graham

[Stephany]

gra7890 said:

HAYLEY IS NUMBER 1

Is this the same chart Dave ?

WOW, Graham! I hope it is.
Thank you for the marvellous news. Congratulations Hayley!

Stephany

[gra7890]

Still no UK members online !!!

Yes it is also on SKY, same page etc


ITV channel 103, text page 309, sub page 2.

I have recorded it for evidence !!! Please somebody else confirm it !!!
Graham

[gra7890]

Members from :- France, Germany, Holland, Canada, Japan, USA are online
But nobody from the UK!!!!

It is 1 Hour + since my first post the tension is growing !!

Graham

[dutchjoyce]

Hi Graham,

I think everyone is checking if HAYLEY is Number ONE !!!!!!!
Hope she is!!!!Would be great!!!!
Greetings from the Netherlands,JOYCE.

[thomas]

WOW!

Hayley is number ONE?!
I hope she is!

For us she's number one anyway! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Thomas

[James]

If anyone wants to know - there is a 4 liner about it on page 319 (2) of ITV's Teletext service.

But I could tell you that for most of this forum, Hayley has always been number 1!

[Dave]

Calm down calm down everyone

Press generally and teletext doesn't necessarily confirm anything, Classic FM does (or will) and they are only up to no. 101 in the chart so far so let's wait and see, eh?

I want to see if they combine the sales of both versions of Pure - that could be important. Decca may have issued a Press Release and we all know that record companies are like... They could have added together the two releases even if they charted separately - which may or may not affect the final result.

We'll know for sure at 9pm on New Year's Eve but it does look like she's got it, fingers crossed thanks for the information guys! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Cheers, Dave

[Stephany]

dave said:

We'll know for sure at 9pm on New Year's Eve.

Then you'll finally be able to go to bed, Dave!

Cheers,
Stephany

[James]

dave said:

Here are the three albums posted on day one for which I have solid sales (estimates):

291 - Libera - Angel Voices (11,000)

280 - Nicola Benedetti - Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (11,500)

235 - Ludovico Einaudi - Divenere (13,000)

232 - End of Day One.

Dave, where do you get your "reliable" sales estimates from?

I know classical and crossover are "niche" markets, but I'm surprised at how few copies some of the albums in the lower reaches of the top 300 have actually sold. It goes to show that many of these performers must do it for the love of music rather than chasing huge sales and vast riches.

James

[Dave]

Hi James, I have my sources. OK, it's from Music Week, charts forums, my own calculations and insider information, nuff said. I have enough reliable sales figures scattered through out the chart to be able to interpolate the other sales fairly well. The biggest problem will come for "old" albums in the top 10 as I may not have any recent sales data for some and they will be spread well out in sales (but I do know Russell Watson's "The Voice" fairly accurately and that will enable me to update the original version of Hayley's "Pure").

None of the sales information I have published so far is a surprise to me, 10,000 is a good sale for a "core classical" album and many crossover artists too don't sell much more than that in the UK.

I have updated the highlights table above, here.

Cheers, Dave

Edit, I've looked up Russell Watson's The Voice (released in 2000). Music Week quoted its sales upto 2 Dec 2007 as 741,227 so that i think is Hayley's target. I don't think the original edition of Pure sold as many as that "over the counter" so it looks like they have agreed to combine the sales of both editions (which charted separately). If they do, Hayley will have won fair and square - but I'm still a bit nervous about that!