Official Classical Singles Chart

Colour photograph of Ludovico Einaudi performing live in 2008.
Pianist Ludovico Einaudi has spent longer at number one on the Official Classical Singles Chart than any other artist.

The Official Classical Singles Chart is a music chart based on downloads of classical singles in the United Kingdom. The chart is compiled weekly by the Official Charts Company (OCC) and is first published on Monday afternoons on their official website. Sales data for the chart is compiled from websites such as 7Digital, Amazon.com, HMV.com, iTunes, Sainsburys.com and Tesco.com.[1]

The chart was founded in May 2012, at a time when classical music was becoming more popular in the UK – the previous year, the classical single "Wherever You Are" by Military Wives had become the 2011 UK Singles Chart Christmas number one.[2] During 2012's first quarter, approximately 284,000 classical music downloads had been purchased in the UK – this had been an increase of 34% compared to the previous year.[3] Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, stated that the launch of the chart "further underlines how classical music is reaching into the mainstream".[1] Alongside the singles chart, the Classic Brit Awards announced at the same time that it would launch a Top Single Award at the 2012 ceremony to commemorate the most popular classical single that year.[4]

The chart's first number one, announced on 28 May 2012, was a version of the UK's national anthem, "God Save the Queen", by BBC Concert Orchestra and British conductor Barry Wordsworth. It reached number one during the week of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[5]

Number ones

Key
No. nth song to top the Official Classical Singles Chart
re Return of a single to number one
Contents
2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015
No. Artist[lower-alpha 1] Single[lower-alpha 1] Record label[lower-alpha 2] Reached number one
(for the week ending)[lower-alpha 1]		 Weeks at
number one[lower-alpha 1]
1 BBC Concert Orchestra/Barry Wordsworth "God Save the Queen" Philips 2 June 2012 3
2 Karadaglić, MilošMiloš Karadaglić "Libertango" Deutsche Grammophon 23 June 2012 1
3 Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 30 June 2012 3
4 Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips "Spem in alium" Gimell 21 July 2012 2
5 Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Rise" Sony Classical 4 August 2012 1
6 London Symphony Orchestra/Simon Rattle "Chariots of Fire" UMC 11 August 2012 5
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 15 September 2012 2
7 Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner "Canon in D Major" EMI 29 September 2012 1
8 Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 6 October 2012 3
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 27 October 2012 7
9 Only Boys Aloud "Calon Lân" Relentless 15 December 2012 1
10 Williams, JohnJohn Williams "O Holy Night" Sony 22 December 2012 2
11 Military Wives/Gareth Malone "Wherever You Are" Decca 5 January 2013 2
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 19 January 2013 2
12 Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "Time Lapse" Decca 2 February 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 9 February 2013 8
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 6 April 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 13 April 2013 9
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 15 June 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 22 June 2013 1
13 Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?" Sony Classical 29 June 2013 3
14 Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 20 July 2013 2
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 3 August 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 10 August 2013 2
15 Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Finale" Walt Disney 24 August 2013 1
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 31 August 2013 1
16 Armstrong, CraigCraig Armstrong "Glasgow Love Theme" Sanctuary 7 September 2013 2
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 21 September 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 28 September 2013 3
17 Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "Experience" Decca 19 October 2013 1
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 26 October 2013 5
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 30 November 2013 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 7 December 2013 2
18 Goldstein, JonathanJonathan Goldstein/Victoria Beaumont "Magical Moments (Waiting for You)" Eagle-i 21 December 2013 3
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 11 January 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 18 January 2014 1
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 25 January 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 1 February 2014 3
19 Englishby, PaulPaul Englishby "Carnage" Silva Screen 22 February 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 29 February 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "Experience" Decca 8 March 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 15 March 2014 1
20 Piano Guys, TheThe Piano Guys "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" Sony Classical 22 March 2014 2
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 5 April 2014 1
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 12 April 2014 2
re Piano Guys, TheThe Piano Guys "Beethoven's 5 Secrets" Sony Classical 26 April 2014 1
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 3 May 2014 5
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 7 June 2014 1
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 14 June 2014 4
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 12 July 2014 4
re Pavarotti, LucianoLuciano Pavarotti "Nessun dorma" Decca 9 August 2014 2
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 23 August 2014 7
21 Various artists "Steadfast" Decca 18 October 2014 2
22 Rock, RichardRichard Rock "Harmonium" Motif 1 November 2014 1
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 8 November 2014 3
23 Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Stay" Sony Classical 29 November 2014 2
re Williams, JohnJohn Williams "O Holy Night" Sony 20 December 2014 3
re Zimmer, HansHans Zimmer "Time" Reprise 10 January 2015 4
re Einaudi, LudovicoLudovico Einaudi "I Giorni" Decca 7 February 2015 2
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The artist, single, date of reaching number one and number of weeks at number one are those given by the OCC.[6][7][8]
  2. ↑ The record labels are those given by the OCC.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Classical singles to get official downloads chart". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media). 24 May 2012. ISSN 0307-1235. OCLC 613316876. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  2. ↑ "The UK's first Official Classical Singles Chart to launch next week". London: Official Charts Company. 24 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "Official Classical Singles Chart to launch 1pm Monday". Music Week (London: United Business). 24 May 2012. ISSN 0265-1548. OCLC 60620772. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  4. ↑ Kreisler, Lauren (24 May 2012). "New Official Classical Singles Chart to launch next week". London: Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Kreisler, Lauren (28 May 2012). "God Save The Queen is UK's first Official Classical Singles Chart Number 1". London: Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "2012 Top 40 Official Classical Singles Chart Archive". London: Official Charts Company. 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  7. ↑ "2013 Top 40 Official Classical Singles Chart Archive". London: Official Charts Company. 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "2014 Top 40 Official Classical Singles Chart Archive". London: Official Charts Company. 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Artist Chart History". London: Official Charts Company. 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

External links