(Credits: Far Out / Greg Williams / Warner Music Norway)
Thu 5 March 2026 7:00, UK
There comes a point in any adult’s life when they take a look at the current charts and realise how quickly their lives have shifted from innocent adolescence to cynical adulthood. Or, as One Direction put it, “Just how fast the night changes”.
I imagine that in 2014, when ‘Night Changes’ was released, my music-loving predecessors would have been similarly disillusioned with what they were seeing in the top 100 and related to the boy band’s lyrics for that very reason. What happened to the triumphant days of sonic innovation à la The Beatles, sending a tidal wave of commercial and cultural success through the music industry?
At some point in time, the relationship between genuine artistry and the charts became truly disconnected. Arguably, it was at the turn of the millennium when consumerism ran culturally rife and predatorial moguls like Simon Cowell saw a window of opportunity. They realised that culture had become a commodity and began manufacturing acts like One Direction, whose chart success would translate into bank account earnings, given the swarming nature of their commercial popularity.
If it felt like the beginning of the end, it’s because it was – a steady decline in artistic credibility that culminated in 2017, and in the opening 17 years of this new millennium, the public had been patronised by music labels and their tastes had been treated with the lack of nuance it deserved, and so the chart landscape became a homogenised region of commercial dross.
Independent bands and artists never stood a fighting chance against the might of these big label behemoths, and in March of 2017, they were truly booted out altogether. As they desperately fought for some commercial recognition, they didn’t even get a look in, as pop darling Ed Sheeran released his third album, Divide – all 16 songs from the record stormed the singles charts, and populated 16 of the top 20 slots available, with only Stormzy, Katy Perry, Rag’n’Bone Man and The Chainsmokers taking the remaining spots.
So, how did this change the charts?
While your position on the quality of music is subjective, the ramifications of what this does to music are quite the opposite. Universal chart domination is objectively harmful for an industry that thrives, in fact, desperately needs the contribution of multiple voices.
Moreover, it displayed the chokehold major labels have over chart domination. Sheeran’s third album was distributed by Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros, which represents one of the big four labels. Their ability to leverage their massive marketing budgets, which result in major industry exposure, far surpasses that of any burgeoning independent artists. Within this, it guarantees a level of radio play and television visibility that is simply unattainable for the average musician.
It’s especially troubling when you analyse when this chart domination took place. In 2017, streaming platforms were at the precipice of controlling the music industry, where curated playlists and digital marketing could be influenced by the power of these major labels. Simply put, Sheeran’s success was a worrying indictment of how major labels could monopolise the listening habits of a music nation and completely warp the true reflection of a society, through the charts.