How biased are the current UK song charts?
 

There are a couple of reasons why I feel that the charts are biased at the moment, most obviously being that since about 2007 everything has been pop on the main chart, with all other entities being shifted into a separate chart. In addition, I've found channels such as MTV promote an "upcoming hit" several weeks before it's even out officially, then place it as a #1 new entry the first week it's in the charts. How do they do this? And why do I never see anything alternative in the chart anymore? Would it be that alternative music is not in fashion, or do they place it in a different area now?

Does MTV still exist? Do "official charts" still exist?

The "alternative scene" is more of an album market in my opinion.

These days "streaming" seems to be also included. You can't open a streaming program (Spotify etc.) where they suggest you to play Ed Sheeran. I guess major label crappy artists are everywhere. Some people are just too lazy to search for good music and are listening to this kind of stuff because they don't know any better. For us music might be a big deal, for them it's just background noise.

I've read an article about "singles charts" in Belgium and Holland. The reality is that some weeks the number 1 hardly sells "1000 downloads". There are weeks that there aren't even 1000 downloads for the number 1 singles ...

Which means that (major) labels easily can manipulate the charts for little money. There are systems to buy number 1 hits (it happened with the Beatport charts), but they can also download their own stuff 1000 times (I don't know exactly how, but it's possible).

From time to time there are still a couple of interesting tracks in the charts over the last years (live performances in tv shows can boost a song). At the moment Tame Impala's "The Less I Know the Better" has been a couple of weeks in the charts and is the radiohit of the moment at almost every station...

Over the past years: Arsenal, School Is Cool, Editors, Amatorski, Balthazar, Christine and the Queens, Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Trixie Whitley, Elbow, The National, Fleet Foxes,... had mainstream crossover hits.

Who cares?

Many people still think that charts are relevant, especially people over 35 because back in the days everybody was listening to the charts on the radio. If the music in the charts sucks, all new music will suck for them ... because they think the charts represent the best current music.

Btw the album charts are pretty good here. This week Trixie Whitley at number 1 with "Porta Bohemica". Last week "Highway Cruiser" by Black Box Revelation. Can't complain ;)