Irish Singles Chart

{{Short description|Music sales chart}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Use Irish English|date=November 2024}}

The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically each day from retailers' EPOS systems. All major record shops, digital retailers and streaming services contribute to the chart, accounting for over 95% of the market. A new chart is compiled and released to the public by the Irish Recorded Music Association on Friday at noon. Each chart is dated with the "week-ending" date of the previous Thursday (i.e., the day before issue). The singles chart was first published on 1 October 1962, and covered the top ten singles of the previous week by record label shipments.

As of the issue dated 6 June 2025, the current number-one single on the chart is "Undressed" by Sombr.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-singles-chart/20250606/ie7501/|title=Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 12 June 2025|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=6 June 2025}}

History

The charts were first broadcast on RTÉ on 1 October 1962. Before this charts had been printed in the Evening Herald newspaper, but it is debated as to whether they are official or not. Up until 1972 the Irish Chart was based on telephone sales received from record retailers based on over the counter sales to the public. The compilers of the chart changed several times and in January 1972 the chart changed to one based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. From October 1975 to February 1977 the chart was compiled from votes from readers in the Evening Herald newspaper. There was a separate Irish and International artists chart for a time during this period. From 1977 the chart once again became based on sales from retailers to the public but during the early 1980s this again changed and was once more based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. RTÉ 2fm broadcasts the top 30 of the chart every Friday night from 8pm to 10pm.

In 1992, the singles chart became based on consumer sales after IFPI and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) granted a contract to Gallup, a market research company. Gallup installed Epson PX-4 devices in sixty record stores to collect singles sales data. In 1996, Chart-Track was formed as a result of a management buy-out from Gallup. Also in 1996, with the development of technology, EPOS systems were installed in multiple music retail stores. The EPOS systems allowed for the collection of more accurate sales information. Chart-Track collects data daily from major record stores such as HMV and Tower Records, as well as over forty Independent retailers. In total, data from over four-hundred and ninety stores are collected each week. The singles chart is compiled over seven days and released every Friday at noon by the IRMA, while Midweek Charts are produced daily, but only released to IRMA members.

It was announced that from 1 July 2006, downloads would be counted in the charts. They would also feature in their own chart in addition to being counted for the overall chart. Data was initially collected from iTunes, Vodafone, eircom, Sony Connect, Wippit and Bleep.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.charttrack.co.uk/index.jsp|title=News on addition of downloads|access-date=2006-06-30|archive-date=2006-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629062510/http://www.charttrack.co.uk/index.jsp|url-status=dead}} Although IRMA estimated the size of the download market to amount to only 14% of the total market in 2006, this has increased in more recent years.

In 2014, the Irish charts first included music streaming data and in 2018, music video streaming data was included for the first time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-history-of-the-official-irish-charts__23351/|title=The history of the Official Irish Charts|date=19 July 2018|website=www.officialcharts.com|language=en|access-date=3 August 2019}}

Chart achievements

:All information is from 1962 to the present and does not include charts printed in the Evening Herald newspaper.{{cite web |author=Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_no1s.htm |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |publisher=Irishcharts.ie |access-date=2007-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606020456/http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_no1s.htm |archive-date=2011-06-06 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |author=Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_weeks_at_no1.htm |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |publisher=Irishcharts.ie |access-date=2007-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907023415/http://www.irishcharts.ie/facts/most_weeks_at_no1.htm |archive-date=2012-09-07 |url-status=dead }}

=First Irish artist to debut at number one=

Dickie Rock & the Miami Showband with "Every Step of the Way" (1965)

=Artists with the most number one hits=

class="wikitable"
TotalArtist
21U2
rowspan=2| 13The Beatles
Westlife
12ABBA
rowspan=5| 9Cliff Richard
Michael Jackson
Boyzone
Eminem
Ed Sheeran{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/ed-sheeran-and-elton-john-s-merry-christmas-claims-ireland-s-2021-christmas-number-1__34824/|title=Ed Sheeran and Elton John's Merry Christmas claims Ireland's 2021 Christmas Number 1|date=24 December 2021|work=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=24 December 2021}}
rowspan=6| 8Dickie Rock
Elvis Presley
Madonna
Britney Spears
Rihanna
Calvin Harris{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-singles-chart/20230331/ie7501/|title=Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 6 April 2023|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=31 March 2023}}

Source:{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/acts-with-the-most-number-1-singles-in-ireland__23468/|title=Acts with the most Number 1 singles in Ireland|date=30 October 2020|work=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=30 October 2020}}

=Songs with the most weeks at number one=

class="wikitable"
Weeks

!Artist(s)

!Song

!Year(s)

{{center|18}}

|Bill Whelan

|"Riverdance"

|1994

{{center|15}}

|Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber

|"Despacito"

|rowspan=2|2017

rowspan=2|{{center|14}}

|Ed Sheeran

|"Shape of You"*

Noah Kahan

|"Stick Season"*{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-singles-chart/20240216/ie7501/|title=Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 16 February 2024|date=16 February 2024|work=Official Charts Company|access-date=16 February 2024}}

|2023–24

rowspan=2|{{center|13}}

|Republic of Ireland Football Squad

|"Put 'Em Under Pressure"

|1990

Gracie Abrams

|"That's So True"*{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-singles-chart/20250314/ie7501/|title=Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 20 March 2025|date=14 March 2025|work=Official Charts Company|access-date=14 March 2025}}

|2024–25

rowspan=2|{{center|12}}

|The Black Eyed Peas

|"I Gotta Feeling"*

|2009

Pharrell Williams

|"Happy"*

|2014

rowspan=5|{{center|11}}

|Bryan Adams

|"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"*

|1991

rowspan=2|Queen

|rowspan=2|"Bohemian Rhapsody"* {{refn|group="Note"|The 1975–76 original release of "Bohemian Rhapsody" b/w "I'm in Love with My Car" spent 6 weeks atop the chart.
The 1991–92 re-release of "Bohemian Rhapsody" b/w "These Are the Days of Our Lives" spent 5 weeks atop the chart.}}

|1975–76

1991–92
Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla

|"One Dance"*

|2016

Ed Sheeran

|"Bad Habits"{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/ed-sheeran-fends-off-the-kid-laroi-and-drake-for-11th-week-at-number-1-on-the-official-irish-singles-chart-with-bad-habits__34004/|title=Ed Sheeran fends off The Kid Laroi and Drake for 11th week at Number 1 on the Official Irish Singles Chart with Bad Habits|date=10 September 2021|work=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=10 September 2021}}

|2021

rowspan=5|{{center|10}}

|Wings

|"Mull of Kintyre"

|1977–78

Mark McCabe

|"Maniac 2000"

|2000

Drake

|"God's Plan"

|2018

Harry Styles

|"As It Was"{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/harry-styles-marks-tenth-consecutive-week-at-number-1-in-ireland-with-as-it-was__36566/|title=Harry Styles marks tenth consecutive week at Number 1 in Ireland with As It Was|date=10 June 2022|work=Official Charts Company|access-date=11 June 2022}}

|2022

Miley Cyrus

|"Flowers"{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-singles-chart/20230330/ie7501/|title=Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 30 March 2023|date=24 March 2023|work=Official Charts Company|access-date=24 March 2023}}

|2023

Note: Songs denoted with an asterisk (*) spent non-consecutive weeks at number one.

Source:{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-longest-reigning-number-1s-on-the-official-irish-singles-chart__24866/|title=The longest reigning Number 1s on the Official Irish Singles Chart|date=28 November 2018|work=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=30 October 2020}}

=Acts to occupy the top two simultaneously=

In addition, in the fifth and seventh week that Justin Bieber was at #1 and #2 with "Love Yourself" and "Sorry", "What Do You Mean" was at #3. For the sixth week that Ed Sheeran was at #1 and #2 with "Galway Girl" and "Shape of You", he also occupied #3 to #16 with the remaining tracks from "÷". In the second week, "Castle on the Hill", "Nancy Mulligan" and "New Man" occupied #3, #4 and #5 respectively and "Castle on the Hill" remained at #3 for the third week. For the first two weeks that Olivia Rodrigo occupied the top two spots with "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu", "Traitor" was also at #3.

= Artists with the most top fifty hits=

class="wikitable"
TotalArtist
73Michael Jackson{{cite web|access-date=31 March 2023|title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know|url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement|website=The Irish Charts|publisher=IRMA}}
70Cliff Richard
70Elvis Presley
68Taylor Swift{{Cite web|title=Discography Taylor Swift|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Taylor+Swift|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
66Madonna
61Ed Sheeran{{Cite web|title=Discography Ed Sheeran|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Ed+Sheeran|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
61Justin Bieber{{Cite web|title=Discography Justin Bieber|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Justin+Bieber|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
56Eminem{{Cite web|title=Discography Eminem|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Eminem|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
54Rihanna{{Cite web|title=Discography Rihanna|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Rihanna|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
49U2
43Post Malone{{Cite web|title=Discography Post Malone|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Post+Malone|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
42Beyoncé{{Cite web|title=Discography Beyoncé|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Beyonc%E9|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
40Calvin Harris{{Cite web|title=Discography Calvin Harris|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Calvin+harris|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
39The Weeknd{{Cite web|title=Discography The Weeknd|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=The+Weeknd|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
38Ariana Grande{{Cite web|title=Discography Ariana Grande|url=http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Ariana+Grande|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
34P!nk{{Cite web|title=Discography P!nk|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=P!nk|access-date=2024-06-16|website=www.irish-charts.com|language=en}}
33The Beatles
32ABBA
31Westlife
30Britney Spears

See also

Notes

{{reflist|group=Note}}

References

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