Now we're around a third of the way through 2026 I thought I'd have a look to see how the charts are taking shape this year. OK the real reason is I have a music quiz coming up which may feature modern music and I'm struggling to think of a song from 2026 let alone identify it.
These days the official charts website has a play button next to each song where you can listen to a 30 second clip which is quite handy. In terms of new songs they all sound rubbish, but there's not too many of them.
The current number one is "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean and has been number one for 9 weeks, not consecutively but they've all come this year. However the song first hit the charts in June last year so not a 2026 song as such.
Despite one song spending ages at number one there are currently 11 songs in the Top 40 which have topped the charts at some point. Furthermore precisely half the current Top 40 has been in the Top 3.
In addition to the number one, Olivia Dean has 3 other songs in the Top 40 which puts a question mark over the cap of 3 songs per artist in the charts. The rule clearly doesn't work though because just 18 of the songs in the Top 40 are by artists with just a single current Top 40 hit, the other 22 places being occupied by artists with multiple songs in the Top 40.
Also lacking though are authentic 2026 songs. Just using chart entry as a basis just 18 of the current Top 40 records are 2026 ones. Most of the remaining 22 are ones sticking around from 2025 but there are 8 which originally charted prior to that including 3 Michael Jackson songs from the 20th century.
Is 2026 music so bad that people are still listening to the older tunes or are the charts so bad that songs that would have charted in yesteryear don't stand a chance of getting in now? Either way I'm less worried about 2026 questions coming my way in the music quiz.
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