The 70th anniversary of the UK singles chart later this year is to be marked with a range of activities and collaborations, the first of which has been announced by the Official Charts Company.
The first-ever official UK singles chart was published by New Musical Express on November 14, 1952, famously topped by American crooner Al Martino’s “Here In My Heart.” Across 70 years, it has continued to document the changing trends of popular taste and music consumption, and will be suitably celebrated with the upcoming events.
Joining the Hoopla
On June 4, for the Platinum Jubilee weekend, Official Charts will join forces with rising pop festival Mighty Hoopla for the first-ever festival experience for the chart brand. Mighty Hoopla was launched in 2016 and will now expand into a two-day, 50,000 capacity event in London’s Brockwell Park. It will feature pop stars, drag artists, comedians, and DJs over seven stages, and on June 4, the chart brand will team with Push The Button DJs and The Grand’s Dream Team on the Grand’s Pleasure Palace stage for Official Charts presents…POP INJUSTICE: 70 years of iconic Number 2s.
The feelgood show will present a decade-hopping playlist of songs that never quite made the top spot in the Official Singles Chart, with the addition of “nerdy” pop facts. The partnership will be supported with pre-event editorial, competitions and social media activity across OfficialCharts.com as well as Official Charts and Mighty Hoopla social channels.
Agreements are also being finalised for a range of other anniversary projects to be announced over the coming weeks and months, including brand new charts and other services targeting music fans. As part of the celebrations, the UK’s 1400th No.1 single will be unveiled over the summer.
‘Celebrating a huge range of music’
“Over the past seven decades, the Official Singles Chart has chronicled the story of the UK’s favorite music in the UK, week in, week out, celebrating a huge range of music,” says Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot. “So it is appropriate that we should mark the 70th anniversary with such a huge range of different activities.
“To kick off the celebrations, we are delighted to be working closely with the Mighty Hoopla – it is one of the many touchstones which will form part of this very special birthday, details of which we will begin teasing out over the coming weeks. We can’t wait to begin sharing these events with the nation’s music fans – all in honor of the iconic weekly music event that is the Official Singles Chart.”
Adds Mighty Hoopla Festival founder Jamie Tagg: “As a festival that celebrates all things pop, we are thrilled to be working with the Official Charts and to be part of their 70th anniversary year is a real honor for us.”