I’ve noticed that quite often there are anomalies on the UK charts like this. Why does something that is so many years old and divergent from current Pop trends reenter the British Charts?
Aside: Can anybody point me in the direction of a pop singer that I saw tonight in a new video on VH1 and have seen relatively recently in pop history, she is a quite popular modern red headed female singer, she stands out quite prominently because she is a fresh unblemished face (quite sure she wears no makeup) and excellent singer with a kewpee or fauxhawk cut. She reminds me of YAZ stylistically, in music and look, she is quite androgynous or even butch. Think she is from the UK, don;t know if she is a group or singer. Be much obliged.
As I understand it, the British singles chart is based solely on album sales and digital downloads, and airplay isn’t a factor, which means that older songs can find their way into the charts comparatively easy.
That’s how “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine made it to #1 there in 2009 - some internet people started a campaign to mass-buy copies of it in order to keep the X Factor from having the #1 song at Christmas.
Edit: Upon checking Wikipedia, two contestants on X Factor UK both did covers of Iris recently, which would seem to be the impetus for sales of the original version picking up.
Well, singles sales, not album sales. But essentially true. Back in the day, when it used to be single sales only, there had to be an actual release (like I remember buying “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” by The Hollies on 7"after it got popular due to being in this Miller Lite Ad) but now with downloads being included a song can appear in a popular TV show, enough people buy it and bob’s yer uncle, it is in the charts.