1. Initial Ideas
I have decided to follow the styling of the Billboard magazine and create my own
magazine looking at the current music charts. I listen to a range of music myself, and
generally follow the pattern and trends in music, found on the charts such as Billboard
Hot 100, iTunes charts and the Big Top 40.
As I follow these charts closely, I am familiar with them and with the styling of this type
of magazine.

2. What is chart
music?
Chart music is an album or music record with a
certain number of sales worldwide to make it the
most popular, or one of the most popular, songs
around at that current time.
Chart music includes every possible genre of
music, styling and artist, as long as that is
currently popular. Many music fans prefer chart
music because it enables them to range their
music taste and listen to more than one genre.
Magazines and music websites such as Billboard,
Big Top 40 and the iTunes chart highlight that
weeks top chart music.

3. Chart History
The charts were started in 1940 in
America, where the music-trade paper
Billboard compiled the first chart
incorporating sales figures. Record
charts in the UK began in 1952, when
Percy Dickins of the New Musical
Express (NME) gathered a pool of 52
stores willing to report sales figures.
Since then the charts have grown and
becomes a basis around the popularity
of all songs in the music industry – the
importance of success.

4. This are examples of
what typical charts look
like – showing the top
songs in order from the
top, with name of song,
singer, how many weeks
its been in the charts and
where it was in the charts
last week.

5. Chart History 1995 Chart Hits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=HnMn33A3ED4
2000 Chart Hits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
The chart is compiled of a mix-genre basis – =R5RedhkAks4
favouring genres differently depending on
the most popular albums and singles at that 2005 Chart Hits
time. http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=1YpkW2SyZfk
Recent music in the charts is different most
weeks and with the change in individuals 2010 Chart Hits
music tastes, unique singles such as http://www.youtube.com/watc
Gangnam Style have made it to the top of h?v=DSKNFjjoUh0
the chart list.
Over the years since the Charts have been 2012 Chart Hits
compiled, music has varied widely. Here are http://www.youtube.com/watc
a few examples. h?v=awut5Bzls_U
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=mYPvAMrMzwI

6. Billboard is a national weekly magazine
dedicated to chart music and the chart
industry. It publishes the latest music in terms
of most songs sold in that past week, and
publishes it in order from 1-100 of popularity
in the Billboard Hot 100.
Billboard readers:
• 71% are between the ages of
25-54
• 82% are college graduates
• 27.5% post degree graduates
• 65% director level or above
• 37% keep the annual double
year end issue for over a year

7. My Music Magazine
My music magazine is going to be in the style
of Billboard as a chart magazine – however it
will be a UK styled edition and contents and
articles will be dependant on my target
audience research that I will conduct.
I will follow loosely the target audience and
statistics of Billboard magazine – with the key
feature of my magazine being the charts,
however make it more accessible to a younger
age range such as 16-25 year olds.