Trending Chart launches in UK, Zara Larsson tops it

Having launched its vinyl chart in April, an Americana chart last month, and the inclusion of audio streams to its Albums chart last February, the UK’s Official Charts Company is looking more and more like the US’ Billboard chart.

The OCC’s latest addition is the launch of its Official Trending Chart, to predict future hit singles.

Launched today and published every Tuesday in the UK, the new chart is based on the first four days of sales each week and ranked by audio track sales and streams, with 100 streams being equivalent to 1 sale.

The chart limits each artist to two tracks each, includes only tracks which have been released in the 24 months before the chart’s release, and only counts singles that have never been in the Top 10.

The first Top 20 chart was released today, with Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson becoming the first #1 with her June-released single Lush Life. The track topped the chart in her home country for five weeks and hit #3 in Australia.

Australia’s own Sia made the Top 10 of the first chart, coming in at #8 with her latest single from This Is Acting, Cheap Thrills.

UK band Viola Beach came in at #9 following a fan-led campaign to get the quartet to #1. The indie band were killed in a car crash in Sweden on Saturday when their car fell from a bridge into a canal near Stockholm. The group’s manager Craig Tarrand was also killed in the accident.

The OCC said thenumber of #1 debuting singles in the second half of 2015 was almost halved at just seven, compared to the average for the same period across the previous five years. However, the number of tracks climbing to #1 after entering further down the chart is almost double (11) than the average number of “climbers” seen in the same period between 2010 and 2014 (six).

Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbotsaid in a statement: “This exciting new chart has already been received with huge enthusiasm by the media and record label community, we’re looking forward to sharing it now with music fans via OfficialCharts.com. It’s clear that this is going to be useful insight into the UK’s future hits and breaking new talent each week.”

In March 2014 Billboard launched its up-to-the-minute Trending 140 chart. However it ranks songs based on Twitter shares in the US and ismeasured by acceleration over the past hour.

TMN understands that ARIA has no current plans to incorporate a Trending Chart into its offerings.