Gennaro Castaldo watch: HMV junks the singles charts

It's been a while since Woolworths displayed the singles chart; WH Smith do apparently still consider themselves CD retailers but it's hard to see where they are; and the mighty Boots Audio has long since been replaced with extra soaps and one of the most depressing gift stores on the British high street. HMV was one of the few retailers to keep faith with the Top 40 but now they, too, are junking the only chart what counts. Gennaro, of course, rushes to explain:

"Whilst we signed up to a change," said HMV spokesman Genarro Castaldo, "it was always on the understanding that retailers would be free to do what was most practical in stores. The new chart is not appropriate for the purpose of merchandising singles."

In other words, it was going to prove tricky to display the top 20 singles when, for example, numbers nine, thirteen and sixteen hadn't been released as singles.

Now, of course, HMV will be free to make up its own chart, which will be every bit as exciting as Tescos and Woolworths album charts - i.e. free to magically include whatever HMV is interested in flogging this week. It'll be just a little bit harder to find the few interesting singles which trouble the top end of the charts in HMV shops, and it's another reason to not bother shopping at HMV.

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