Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 (Dutch: Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the pirate radio channel was forced to stop. Joost den Draaijer was the initiator of the top 40 in the Netherlands. The chart is similar to the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
History
On January 2, 1965, the first Top 40 was compiled, with "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles becoming the first #1 hit in the Netherlands. Due to its huge success, many similar charts as the Nationale Hitparade ("National Hitparade"), Mega Top 100 and the Hilversum Top 30 were created. In 1974, the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 bought the Top 40 and named it De Nederlandse Top 40.
Currently, Radio 538 is airing the Dutch Top 40 on radio. Jeroen Nieuwenhuize is presenting the program every Friday afternoon from 14.00 until 18.00. The Dutch Top 40 is the 'most-listened-to' program on Dutch radio during its timeslot.
Compilation
Composition
Like the Mega Top 50, the chart is a combination of single sales and airplay. The more often a song gets played on the radio, the higher its place in the Top 40. As of 2003, digital downloads are also counted.
For year end chart positions: #1 position gets 40 points, #2 position gets 39 points .... #40 position get one point. This way you just count up all numbers and sort them from most points till least points.
Rules
There is a set of rules, of which some have existed since 1972, that are still maintained. Because of these rules the Top 40 has been criticised.
- Singles must remain minimal two weeks in the chart. If a single officially no longer belongs in the top 40, these are placed on #40.
- Example: Missy Elliott's "Lose Control": Remained two weeks on #40 in the chart, because it did not sell enough and also wasn't played enough on the radio.
- Singles noted with the superstip, may not fall down in chart position the following week. If a single in fact was to drop, it remains on the position it ended, so the following week it drops hard in chart positions.
- Recent example: Guus Meeuwis' "Ik Wil Dat Ons Land Juicht": The song entered the chart at #11 (superstip), rose up to #5 (superstip again) in its second week. The following week it was meant to drop in chart position, but remained on the #5 position. The following two weeks, it went from #5 to #39.
- Re-entry only takes place when the single re-enters within the top 30, if differently, these re-entried singles are ignored.
- Example: Racoon recently re-entered the Dutch Top 40 at #31 though with the song "Love You More".
- Singles with double A-side are noted separately in the top 40; due the (possible) different number of airplay the two songs get.
- Example: Robbie Williams' first single off his 2005 album Intensive Care was Tripping with the B-side being Make Me Pure. While "Tripping" topped the chart by peaking at #1, "Make Me Pure" peaked at #15 in the Top 40.
Records in the Dutch Top 40
Artist | weeks | points |
---|---|---|
Madonna | 470 | 12550 |
Rolling Stones | 448 | 11649 |
The Beatles | 312 | 9220 |
Golden Earring | 365 | 9093 |
Michael Jackson | 336 | 8563 |
BZN | 373 | 8249 |
The Cats | 335 | 8077 |
Bee Gees | 326 | 7625 |
Queen | 323 | 7577 |
ABBA | 247 | 7349 |
Artist | singles |
---|---|
BZN | 54 |
Madonna | 52 |
Rolling Stones | 48 |
Golden Earring | 47 |
Normaal | 42 |
Bee Gees | 41 |
Michael Jackson | 38 |
U2 | 38 |
Queen | 38 |
The Cats | 36 |
- Update on July 15, 2008.
Artist | weeks | points |
---|---|---|
BZN | 1106 | 60375 |
The Rolling Stones | 1117 | 57200 |
Madonna | 1107 | 53994 |
Golden Earring | 1039 | 53833 |
Queen | 1014 | 53647 |
André Hazes | 972 | 49412 |
ABBA | 761 | 46439 |
U2 | 906 | 45913 |
Michael Jackson | 873 | 44240 |
Celine Dion | 775 | 43119 |
- Updated on January 1, 2004.
See also
References