Information about Hit Single

A hit single is a recorded track or single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio airplay and/or significant commercial sales.

Chart hits

In the United States and the United Kingdom, a single is usually considered to be a hit when it has reached the top forty position in Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 or the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for at least one week.

A hit single may be described as a "number one hit", a "top 10 hit", a "top 20 hit" or a "top 40 hit", depending on its peak position. In the UK, (where radio play is not included in the official charts) this ranking may not completely reflect the song's overall popularity, as the weekly chart position is solely based on a direct comparison with the sales of other singles released at around the same time. It is therefore quite common for a single to fail to enter the top forty, but to have actually sold more copies than other singles which are regarded as "hits" purely from their higher chart placement during a period of generally low sales.

Sales figures

In the UK the number of sales required to achieve a hit single has been steadily declining in line with the general decline in single sales. Actual figures vary considerably depending on the time of year. In 2006 a number one single has usually sold around 30,000 copies per week. Sales of around 13,000 have been sufficient to reach the top ten. A single selling over 2,500 copies could make the top forty. These figures have approximately halved since 2002, [1] however, the growing popularity of download single sales in the UK and their recent inclusion in the UK charts indicate that sales are now increasing.[2]

Hit singles worldwide

Whether or not a single becomes a hit can depend on geographical location. Musical taste varies considerably and singles which are not hits in their country of origin sometimes become chart topping hits in other parts of the world. For example "Blind To The Groove", released in 1998 by UK band Ultra did not chart in the UK but became a top ten hit in Spain. Most established artists usually release their singles in several different countries in the hope of achieving a worldwide hit.

Re-released hit singles

Some singles which were not popular at the time of their initial release have become hits at a later date when other circumstances have changed: for example "High" by James Blunt. This was first released in 2004 and did not even reach the top 75 in the United Kingdom singles chart. Following the success of Blunt's single "You're Beautiful", "High" was re-released in 2005, and became a top twenty hit worldwide, charting at number three in Italy and at number sixteen in the UK.

Singles that were hits in the past are often re-released and become hits for a second time several years later. In 2005 twenty one of Elvis Presley's hit singles were re-issued in the UK, and they all became top ten hits. "Imagine", a UK top ten hit for John Lennon in 1975, became a hit for the second time when it reached number one in the UK charts after his death in 1980.

In 1967, Cream's single "Sunshine of Your Love" only hit #37 on the U.S. charts. Re-released in 1968, the song hit #5, and became Atlantic Records' best selling single.

Circumstances for Hit singles

While the general belief is that a top forty song would equal to a hit single, there are many cases where a song that peaked inside the top 40 has been labeled a flop because it did not live up to the standards and expectations of the artist. An example of this would be the 2003 collaboration between Britney Spears and Madonna on "Me Against the Music" which served as the first single for Spears' album "In the Zone." The song peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. While many would consider a song that peaked at that position a hit, the song was labelled a flop because it was expected to perform better with two A-list singers on the bill.

There are also cases where a single can miss the top 40 and still be considered a hit for the artist for other reasons. An example of this would be Christina Aguilera's 2002 single "Dirrty." As a song, it performed poorly for an artist of her calliber, only peaking at #48. However, today Dirrty is considered by many to be her signature song, as the media had given her so much attention for the image she portrayed in the song's video. Thus, despite the song's poor chart performance, its popularity has led some to regard it one of her hit singles.

Hit singles created by TV advertising

Many singles have become hits solely due to their use in television advertising. In 2006 a cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats" became a top 10 hit in the UK for José González after it was used in a popular Sony BRAVIA TV commercial featuring 250,000 coloured bouncing balls in San Francisco.

Albums of hit singles

Collections of hit singles by various artists are often released as compilation albums, such as the Now That's What I Call Music! series. Well known bands and artists also frequently release collections of their most popular singles as Greatest hits albums.

See also

• Billboard Hot 100
• Top 40 Mainstream
• UK Singles Chart
• One hit wonder
• Single (music)

External links

• everyhit.com (UK Top 40 Hit Database)