Morrissey Central "UK OFFICIAL CHART THIS WEEK" (May 23, 2023)

SOUND OF THE SMITHS
re-enters at number 30

HATFUL OF HOLLOW
re-enters at number 49

UK OFFICIAL CHART THIS WEEK - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - UK OFFICIAL CHART THIS WEEK

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[Famous when dead]

Hatful Of Hollow re-entered the vinyl charts via: Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 @ #37 (May 12 - 18, 2023) as it was just re-stocked by Warners.
That obviously pre-dates Andy's death does it not?
It dropped out of this week's top 40 vinyl chart - which tends to indicate it was the availability of the vinyl driving sales and subsequent charting.
I'd guess it may move again or other albums re-enter by the end of this week's placings.

---

The Sound Of The Smiths re-entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100 @ #90 (May 12 - 18, 2023).
This, again, pre-dates the death. It is not available on vinyl & I'm not aware of Rhino reissuing a new CD version, so this movement is likely to be via streams & downloads as opposed to Hatful's boost in physical sales.

This week's information (May 19 - 25) shows via the Official Albums Chart Top 100 that The Sound Of The Smiths actually dropped to #96.

The Sound Of The Smiths has fluctuated at the lower end of the "Official Albums Streaming Chart Top 100" for a few months now too. Again, tending to confirm this is the most popular digital compilation to buy/stream.

Edit:
The chart used by Central ignoring all of the pre-information above courtesy of @Thewlis .
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Thewlis]

View attachment 91334

Hatful Of Hollow re-entered the vinyl charts via: Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 @ #37 (May 12 - 18, 2023) as it was just re-stocked by Warners.
That obviously pre-dates Andy's death does it not?
It dropped out of this week's top 40 vinyl chart - which tends to indicate it was the availability of the vinyl driving sales and subsequent charting.
I'd guess it may move again or other albums re-enter by the end of this week's placings.

---

View attachment 91335

The Sound Of The Smiths re-entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100 @ #90 (May 12 - 18, 2023).
This, again, pre-dates the death. It is not available on vinyl & I'm not aware of Rhino reissuing a new CD version, so this movement is likely to be via streams & downloads as opposed to Hatful's boost in physical sales.

This week's information (May 19 - 25) shows via the Official Albums Chart Top 100 that The Sound Of The Smiths actually dropped to #96.

View attachment 91336

The Sound Of The Smiths has fluctuated at the lower end of the "Official Albums Streaming Chart Top 100" for a few months now too. Again, tending to confirm this is the most popular digital compilation to buy/stream.

Edit:
The chart used by Central ignoring all of the pre-information above courtesy of @Thewlis .
Regards,
FWD.

Here:

Official Albums Chart Update | Official Charts

The UK's midweek official Top 100 biggest artist albums, based on sales of CDs, downloads, vinyl, audio and video streams and other formats. Compiled by the Official Charts Company from Friday to Sunday.

www.officialcharts.com

 

[ninetimesfined]

I’m dubious as to how much input our Moz has into some of these posts, particularly the ‘chart rundown’ ones. I don’t think there’s acknowledgement that this could have been because of Andy, even though as a previous poster mentioned, the charts following his sad death aren’t even out yet

 

[Thewlis]

I’m dubious as to how much input our Moz has into some of these posts, particularly the ‘chart rundown’ ones. I don’t think there’s acknowledgement that this could have been because of Andy, even though as a previous poster mentioned, the charts following his sad death aren’t even out yet

They are. And these two records are climbing.

 

[Famous when dead]

Here:

Official Albums Chart Update | Official Charts

The UK's midweek official Top 100 biggest artist albums, based on sales of CDs, downloads, vinyl, audio and video streams and other formats. Compiled by the Official Charts Company from Friday to Sunday.

www.officialcharts.com

Thank you.
Information duly amended.
FWD.

 

[Famous when dead]

So to rehash:
Hatful was already in and out of the vinyl chart before Andy's death.
Sound Of... has been in the streaming chart for months and as of May 22 - 28, both have re-entered "Official Albums Chart Update Top 100" since the announcement.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Anonymous]

I’m dubious as to how much input our Moz has into some of these posts, particularly the ‘chart rundown’ ones.

I actually think these ones are the most likely to have his direct input. Anyone who's read his autobiography will know that Morrissey is obsessed with chart placings.

 

[Nobody Knows Me]

Why do people buy records immediately after someone has passed away? I cannot fathom the thinking behind it. If you like the singer or band you will own the record already surely?

It's most likely streaming rather than punters rushing out to Woolworths. I own the back catalogue multiple times but inevitably have found myself lurking longer than usual at the Smiths counter in my local branch of Spotify this week.

 

[ACTON]

What a GREAT Smiths record! The best introduction to The Smiths for a first-time listener (plus, if they manage to get a physical copy they get the very nice photos too). Andy plays masterfully on the majority of this album, and even though it's a compilation of sorts - it's the album that showcases his talent the most I think. Also, people may still think that's Andy on the cover!

100%. I always think my Hatful vinyl is a 2LP because it has so many songs and they sound fantastic, and then I realise that they packed the record with songs without compromising on sound quality somehow.

 

[Phranc & Open]

Organise a memorial concert and show the world, that The Smiths'great songs have outlasted everything and that some tragic circumstances can also build a bridge. Do it in remembrance, not for commercial reasons or with a world tour afterwards. Do it in style and with dignity as "A concert for Andy Rourke".

 

[Les Tameside]

‘Do it in style and with dignity as "A concert for Andy Rourke".’

It might just be me, but that title seems really crass.

 

[terrancestamp]

Why do people buy records immediately after someone has passed away? I cannot fathom the thinking behind it. If you like the singer or band you will own the record already surely?

People want to create a memory linked the artist. They do this by buying albums and various stuff of the artist. Your brain might just not think like that. It's not wrong that people do that it might not be the way your brain works.

 

[Alan Ye]

View attachment 91334

Hatful Of Hollow re-entered the vinyl charts via: Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 @ #37 (May 12 - 18, 2023) as it was just re-stocked by Warners.
That obviously pre-dates Andy's death does it not?
It dropped out of this week's top 40 vinyl chart - which tends to indicate it was the availability of the vinyl driving sales and subsequent charting.
I'd guess it may move again or other albums re-enter by the end of this week's placings.

---

View attachment 91335

The Sound Of The Smiths re-entered the Official Albums Chart Top 100 @ #90 (May 12 - 18, 2023).
This, again, pre-dates the death. It is not available on vinyl & I'm not aware of Rhino reissuing a new CD version, so this movement is likely to be via streams & downloads as opposed to Hatful's boost in physical sales.

This week's information (May 19 - 25) shows via the Official Albums Chart Top 100 that The Sound Of The Smiths actually dropped to #96.

View attachment 91336

The Sound Of The Smiths has fluctuated at the lower end of the "Official Albums Streaming Chart Top 100" for a few months now too. Again, tending to confirm this is the most popular digital compilation to buy/stream.

Edit:
The chart used by Central ignoring all of the pre-information above courtesy of @Thewlis .
Regards,
FWD.

The re-release of the Smiths records still may be tied to Andy’s health. If they knew he had pancreatic cancer which is almost always terminal. Cynical I know, but it’s the music business.

 

[gashonthenail]

Why do people buy records immediately after someone has passed away? I cannot fathom the thinking behind it. If you like the singer or band you will own the record already surely?

It's a subject that has been written about and studied. From a Freudian point of view the 2 main drivers of the human psyche are sex and death. Both are used to sell things in the world of advertising. Sex sells. Death sells.

Copyranter: Forget sex, it's death that sells these days

Advertising is having a morbid moment.

digiday.com

 

[goinghome]

The Smiths' 12 Best Bass-Driven Bangers, according to Exclaim - https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_smiths_12_best_bass-driven_bangers

 

[Ghastly]

The re-release of the Smiths records still may be tied to Andy’s health. If they knew he had pancreatic cancer which is almost always terminal. Cynical I know, but it’s the music business.

Of course the record company knew and did this. It's a business. Not cynicism. It's almost as if his very band wrote a song about it.

 

[Cornflakes]

What percentage should Andy get of the royalties bump resulting from his death?

 

[Eldritch]

Nice tribute for Andy.
Both of these albums are platinum already.
Interesting that these are selling the most and not, say, The Queen Is Dead or Singles, also platinum.
But let’s wait for Friday when the charts are announced to see where the others might be.

The album chart is mostly streaming too, so my guess is that this is the first Smiths compilation that pops up when you want to listen to the band on Spotify.

 

[BookishBoy]

The two albums ended up at #39 and #61 respectively, in the official album chart released yesterday. (This is the chart that will be used for historical chart purposes, not the midweek one referenced in the original MC post.)

 

[Thewlis]

From Music Week:

Following the death of The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke, there has been a big increase in consumption of the esteemed Mancunian band’s catalogue, with compilations The Sound Of The Smiths (2008) and Hatful Of Hollow (1984) jumping 96-39 (2,852 sales) and 157-61 (2,021 sales) – their highest chart positions for 15 and 38 years, respectively. The death of Tina Turner, not made public until Wednesday evening, was too late to have a major impression on the chart, not least because streaming is by far the biggest component of both charts and even though she has probably dominated the medium since her passing, this week’s chart – like most – is missing Amazon, Apple, Spotify and YouTube streaming data for Thursday, with upweights to compensate, which means no uplift whatever for Tina. She will, of course, make a bigger impression next week, though Thursday’s streaming is lost forever. Despite this, there were enough sales to propel three of her albums into the Top 200, with 1991 compilation Simply The Best (No.79, 1,911 sales) making the best impression. Nineteen tracks by Turner invade the Top 200 digital track sales chart, with The Best (No.8) leading the influx.