Are music charts relevant anymore?
 

If you look at any "what song are you listening to" thread or viral video - none of the songs mentioned are in the current charts? So... are the charts relevant anymore since they are based only on sales??

Well, the charts would indicate the most popular music in terms of downloads and physical releases bought legally.

Chart music is available to the vast majority and the market for pop music tends to be those who are most likely to have disposable income and those most likely to be easily targeted. I.E. It is easier to exploit teenage girls with boy bands than it would be to target the same artists at geriatrics.

And since there are a lot more teenage girls buying music than geriatrics, the markets desired artists will be most successful in a commercial sense.

In short, having greater exposure will allow one to have greater sales.

Top 40 charts have never claimed to contain the best technical pieces of music nor have they claimed to have the most talented artists, they have always been based on sales.

They are no less relevant now than they were at their inception.

hmm.. i see your point. I think I phrased my point incorrectly. I didn't mean to suggest the charts are irrelevant but more so that it would be great to have a chart or some sort of indicator that measured what is being played currently across the globe instead of whats being purchased.

If you have Spotify, they have just that.
It measures which tracks are most played on their service across the world as well as in different countries.

The American charts also incorporate radio airplay into their Top 40 charts.

The bigger question is: were they ever relevant?

Well, they're not relevant to me. I don't need to know what's popular. I buy the music that I like to listen to, whether or not it shows up on a chart.

Thats fair enough Burning Down - but wouldn't you be curious to know what others are listening to - not on a "showing off" or "bragging" level but on the off chance it might lead you to discover some new music?

I doubt it, I think you'll find that most members here kicked the Top 40's to the curb years ago, at least when it comes to determining what new music we listen to. With countless blogs, music forums, last.fm, spotify, and RYM there's no real reason to go back.

Are you asking this on every music forum or something? I think I just filled-out your little questionnaire on another site ;)

Im trying to gather a lot of opinions - so I thought this to be the best method! Thanks for the comments though!