Canadian Singles Chart

The Canadian Singles Chart was a chart compiled by the American-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan, every Wednesday between 2000 and 2006, and was published by Jam!/Canoe on Thursdays.[1] It was superseded by the Billboard-published Canadian Hot 100 in 2007.

This article is about the singles chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. For the RPM Top 100 Singles chart which existed from 1964–2000, see RPM (magazine).

History

In the 1960s, the Canadian music industry was disparate and regionally focused, and English-speaking Canadian artists were often overlooked in favour of American acts. To encourage a more national focus and ensure that domestic artists were promoted across Canada, the Maple Leaf System (MLS) was set up in 1969.[2] The MLS produced its own national singles chart,[3] which Billboard magazine reproduced as Canada's entry in its weekly Hits of the World section.[4] The MLS struggled to achieve widespread support in Canada, however, particularly as participating radio stations failed to give the nominated Canadian records the requisite national airplay.[2]

In November 1996, Nielsen started compiling sales charts,[5] before that, sales figures were provided by The Record from a sampling of retailers. Originally, when the chart was started in 1996, there were 200 positions (with the top 50 being published by Jam!). However, because of the reduced singles market in Canada, only the top 10 positions appeared on the SoundScan chart (SoundScan had a policy that at least 10 copies had to be sold in order to make its singles chart).

From the early 1990s, single sales in Canada decreased dramatically, and most songs were not available as commercial singles. As a result, the chart rarely reflected the listening habits of Canadians. In perhaps the most notorious example, Elton John's charity single "Candle in the Wind '97"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" stayed in the top twenty for three years.[6] By 2004, sales in Canada declined even further, because of the growing popularity of digital downloading of music. As a result, Canadian sales were not as substantial as they had been before in the 1990s and early 2000s, and singles remained on the chart for even lengthier periods of time. In 2006, most Canadian number-one singles sold less than 200 copies.[7]

Billboard introduced their own singles chart for Canada, called the Canadian Hot 100, on June 7, 2007. It is based on digital download single sales and streaming data from Nielsen SoundScan and radio audience levels from Nielsen BDS.[8]

Other Canadian singles charts
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References
  1. "Hits of the World: Canada (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 06/24/00". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 112 (26): 98. 24 June 2000. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. Green, Richard (February 2015). "RPM, 1964–2000: The Conscience of Canada's Music Industry". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  3. Yorke, Ritchie (15 May 1971). "From the Music Capitals of the World" > "Toronto". Billboard. p. 50. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  4. Tomko, Andy (charts dir.) (5 June 1971). "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. p. 52. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  5. "Canadian Business Has Troubled '96 12/28/96". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 108 (52): 52. 28 December 1996. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. "Chart Beat 09/2/00". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 112 (33): 102. 2 September 2000. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. "Canadian Digital Chart Bows; Jaheim's Third Charms 03/04/06". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 118 (9): 47. 4 March 2006. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. "Billboard Launches Canadian Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. June 7, 2007. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  9. David Farrell (October 29, 1977). "Diversity is the Key to Maple Leaf Market". Billboard.

Further research
  • Lwin, Nanda (August 1996). The Canadian Singles Chart Book – Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-09-3.
  • Lwin, Nanda (September 1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide – Music Data Canada. p. 384. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
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