I feel like almost everyday there is a different artist going “number 1” and saying they have a number one song or album all while not having the most streamed song or album for that week in that category. It’s just confusing to see so many number 1’s and not know who’s actually at the top per category.
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It might help to note that the music charts you are talking about would be slightly more actually titled as something along the lines of ‘the weekly music sales charts’.
Back in the days of physical media, every store reported their sales figures back to an official chart body, who would tally up the sales and release a chart of that weeks information to the public. To be number one in the charts is as simple as being the best selling single that week.
The purpose of the charts is basically a big pr and marketing exercise. It was turned into a weekly event that people would tune in and listen to, to see how well their favourite artists were selling, find out what music was popular. Artists gain some free marketing out of being able to reference past successes in the charts, and the record companies are easily able to track what is popular and tailor their output to suit.
In recent years the charts have taken a bit of a hit, firstly through the move to digital/streaming media and the confusion and delay in how this was to be incorporated, and also they move to streaming platforms leaving people less willing to be tuning in to a specific radio chart show at a set time, and more willing to just trust in the equivalent charts produces by Spotify and the other platforms, of their own streaming data directly.
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