{{short description|British record chart}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Use British English|date=March 2024}} The '''UK Independent Singles Chart''' and '''UK Independent Albums Chart''' are charts of the best-selling [[independent music|independent]] [[Single (music)|singles]] and [[studio album|albums]], respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980,<ref name="Stanley"/> and widely known as the '''indie chart''', the relevance of the chart dwindled in the 1990s as major-label ownership blurred the boundary between independent and major labels.
Separate independent charts are currently published weekly by the [[Official Charts Company]].
== History == In the wake of [[Punk rock|punk]], small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered commercially attractive to those companies. By 1978, labels like [[Cherry Red Records|Cherry Red]], [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]], and [[Mute Records|Mute]] had started up, and a support structure soon followed, including independent pressing, distribution and promotion.<ref name="Lazell">{{Cite book|last1=Lazell|first1=Barry|title=Indie hits : 1980-1989 : the complete U.K. independent charts (singles & albums)|year=1997|publisher=[[Cherry Red Records|Cherry Red]]|location=[[London]]|pages=i-vii|isbn=978-0-9517206-9-1|oclc=38292499}}</ref> These labels got bigger and bigger, and by 1980 they were having Top 10 hits in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="Lazell" /> Chart success was limited, however, since the official Top 40 was based on sales at large chains and ignored significant sales at the scores of independent record shops that existed. Iain McNay, of Cherry Red, suggested to the weekly trade paper ''[[Record Business]]'' the idea of an independent record chart to address the problem, and the first independent chart appeared in 1980, published in ''Record Business'', and later licensed to ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''.<ref name="Lazell" />
The definition of whether or not a single was 'indie' had depended on the [[distribution channel]] by which it was [[Shipping|shipped]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=Chart rules to benefit small labels|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/entertainment/Chart-rules-benefit-small-labels/article-1077503-detail/article.html|newspaper=[[Bristol Evening Post]]|publisher=[[Northcliffe Media]]|location=[[Bristol]]|oclc=428435947|date=15 June 2009|access-date=3 March 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no}}</ref>—the record needed to be delivered by a distribution service that was independent of the four major record companies: [[EMI]], [[Sony Music Entertainment]], [[Warner Music Group]] and [[Universal Music Group]].<ref name="Lazell"/><ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news|title=New chart to boost indie acts|first=Mike|last=Collett-White|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-independents-britain-idUKTRE55D23U20090614|publisher=[[Reuters]]|location=[[London]]|date=15 June 2009|access-date=3 March 2011}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1981, compilation of the chart switched to research company [[Media Research Information Bureau|MRIB]].<ref name="Lazell" /> The chart served to give exposure to the independent labels and the artists on those labels. In 1985 the trade publication ''[[Music Week]]'' started compiling its own indie chart,<ref>{{cite news |date=16 March 1985 |title=More scope for independents' chart |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1985/Music-Week-1985-03-16-IDX-1.pdf |work=[[Music Week]] |page=1 |access-date=11 September 2021}}</ref> and both ''Sounds'' and ''[[Melody Maker]]'' later switched from the MRIB chart and adopted the ''Music Week'' chart instead. Other weekly music papers also published their own charts, often compiled from single record shops.<ref name="Stanley">Stanley, Bob (2009) "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/31/indie-chart-rise-again Will the indie chart rise again?]", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 31 July 2009, retrieved 2012-01-12</ref> However, none of them were as widespread as the MRIB chart which was even being published in countries abroad.<ref name="Lazell" /> By 1990, the significance of the chart had been diluted by major record companies forming their own 'indie' labels, with independent distribution, in order to break new acts via exposure from the indie chart.<ref name="Lazell" /><ref name="Stanley" /><ref name="kitty">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/07/we_won_the_indie_wars_but_at_w.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114065106/http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/07/we_won_the_indie_wars_but_at_w.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 January 2013 |title=We won the indie wars - but at what price? |access-date=10 February 2008 |author=Kitty Empire |author-link=Kitty Empire |date=July 2007 |work=Guardian Unlimited |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited }} </ref>
To be included in the indie chart, a record had to be distributed independently of the corporate framework of the major record companies; the genre of music was irrelevant. Large independent distributors emerged such as Pinnacle and Spartan, and there later emerged The Cartel, an association of regional distributors including Rough Trade, Backs, and [[Red Rhino]].<ref name="Lazell" />
The first weekly independent chart was published on 19 January 1980, with "[[Where's Captain Kirk]]" by [[Spizzenergi]] topping the singles chart, and ''[[Dirk Wears White Sox]]'' by [[Adam and the Ants]] topping the album chart.<ref name="Lazell" />
==Official Charts Company== Although the independent chart has less relevance today, [[The Official UK Charts Company]] still compiles a chart, consisting of those singles from the main chart on independent labels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/indiesingles/ |title=Top 30 Independent Label Singles |access-date=10 February 2008 |publisher=BBC }}</ref>
The OCC's Independent Chart was significantly altered in June 2009. Its new system altered the qualification criteria to include only singles from labels that were at least fifty per cent owned by a record company that was not one of the main four record companies.<ref name="Stanley" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/news/national/5826/Official+Charts+Company+Re-Launch+UKs+Independent+Charts|title=Official Charts Company Re-Launch UK's Independent Charts|first=Leanne|last=Durr|date=15 June 2009|publisher=Glasswerk National|location=[[Liverpool]]|access-date=3 March 2011|archive-date=25 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325071139/http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/news/national/5826/Official+Charts+Company+Re-Launch+UKs+Independent+Charts|url-status=dead}}</ref> This prevented major record companies from qualifying for the chart by [[outsourcing]] the shipping of their singles to smaller distribution services.<ref name="Reuters"/> These new changes were first unveiled at the 2008 [[annual general meeting]] of the [[British Phonographic Industry]] on 9 July,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cardew|first=Ben|date=7 July 2008|title=Independent labels to top BPI agenda|journal=[[Music Week]]|issue=7.07.08|location=[[London]]|publisher=[[United Business Media]]|editor1-first=Paul|editor1-last=Williams|issn=0265-1548|oclc=60620772|access-date=3 March 2011|url=http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storycode=1034771}}</ref> and the new chart went live on 29 June 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tourdates.co.uk/news/13928-uk-to-gain-independent-charts|title=UK to gain independent charts|author=News desk|date=15 June 2009|publisher=Tourdates.co.uk|location=[[London]]|access-date=3 March 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003083212/http://www.tourdates.co.uk/news/13928-uk-to-gain-independent-charts|archive-date=3 October 2012}}</ref> The first song to top the chart under the new system was "[[Bonkers (song)|Bonkers]]" by [[Dizzee Rascal]], which also made it to No. 1 in the main [[UK Singles Chart]].{{fact|date=March 2024}}
During the 2000s and 2010s, even though many [[indie rock]]/[[post-punk revival]] bands like [[Arctic Monkeys]] topped the OCC's chart (with Arctic Monkeys' single "[[Do I Wanna Know?]]" reaching No. 2 in the chart in June 2013 while also making it to No. 11 in the main chart), many more dance, rap and heritage acts (in this case due to new large independent [[BMG Rights Management|BMG]]) ended up in the chart with number ones coming from people like [[DVBBS]] and [[Borgeous]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-singles-chart/20140504/130/|title=Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=19 June 2021}}</ref> (who reached number one with "[[Tsunami (Dvbbs and Borgeous song)|Tsunami]]" featuring Tinie Tempah) or Major Lazer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-singles-chart/20170623/130/|title=Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=19 June 2021}}</ref>
==Network/Music Week charts== * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1990]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1991]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1992]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1993]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1994]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1995]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1996]] * [[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 1997]]
==See also== *[[List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s]] *[[List of UK Independent Albums Chart number ones of the 1980s]] *[[Lists of UK Independent Albums Chart number ones]] (2005–present) *[[Lists of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones]] *[[List of artists by number of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones]] *[[UK Albums Chart]] *[[UK Independent Singles and Album Breakers Charts]] *[[UK Singles Chart]] *[[Official Charts Company]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/ UK Official Charts] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110608044958/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/ Complete listing of Indie singles and album charts between January 1980 and December 1989] "Indie Hits 1980-89, compiled by Barry Lazell, {{ISBN|0-9517206-9-4}}, {{ISBN|978-0-9517206-9-1}}"
{{UK Independent Albums Chart}} {{UK Independent Singles Chart}} {{UK Music Charts}} {{Music of the United Kingdom}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uk Indie Chart}} [[Category:British record charts]]