Taylor Swift was the big winner in the Triple J Hottest 100 this year but no, not by chart placement. Taylor Swift won by sales.
When list site Buzzfeed set out to sabotage the Triple J Hottest 100 and the contemporary media followed by creating a clickbait trail frenzy sales for the Swift album ‘1989’ soared at the expensive of the album that should have debuted at number one in Australia this week, ‘Uptown Special’ by Mark Ronson.
If the Ronson album was released one week later it would have dodged the Swift Triple bullet. Instead it was slaughtered on the ARIA chart by a narrow 108 sales by Triple J itself.
By not clarifying the Hottest 100 conditions when the Swift hype began, Triple J kept Swift’s profile high in constant view of fans via a tabloid media frenzy. Triple J kneecapped Ronson’s place at the top of this weeks Australian album chart by not being honest with listeners and Swift fans when this Swift sore first began to fester.
Sales were close, very close. Taylor Swift ‘1989’ sold 7804 copies last week, Mark Ronson ‘Uptown Special’ sold 7698. As Maxwell Smart would say “he missed it by that much”.
The truth be known, both Swift and Ronson figures suck anyway but it is January, the worst sales month of the year. New music releases are light on, music fans are in go slow mode following the stretch marks their credit cards have absorbed across December and music sales are focused on live events over recorded music.
Regardless, this week should have been a free kick for Mark Ronson and it would have been without the Taylor Swift diversion.
By the time Triple J clarified its policy for Hottest 100 inclusions it was too late. But then again, Triple J was playing the commercial game as well. Mid January is also the start of radio ratings and while Triple J is a government owned (ie: Taxpayer owned) broadcaster, it cannot resist sucking on the teat of commercial fame.
Triple J milked the Taylor Swift clickbait publicity for all it was worth.
The radio ratings have just recommenced for 2015 and ratings hungry Triple J could not resist the chance to piss on its commercial competitors, a tactic usually restricted (and accepted) within the boundaries of competitive commercial stations but out of character for the ABC.
A high profile popstar wrapped around the Triple J brand at the start of a radio survey is a guaranteed boost for the first ratings period of the year. Triple J blatantly became a ratings slut.
Sure, at the 11th hour, the Taylor Swift disqualification statement was made. Rest assured though, Triple J knew exactly the game it was playing and for the national broadcaster it was an ugly side of its personality.
Taylor Swift did well the Hottest 100. Triple J alone was responsible for ‘1989’ selling more than Triple J core artist Mark Ronson. The national broadcaster derailed one of its premium artists.
But hey, it was good for ratings and sacrificing Mark Ronson’s chart position was a small price to pay if Triple J has secured a competitive 10-17 and 18-24 year old demographic spot against its commercial rivals.
The first radio ratings period for 2015 concludes in February 28. The result will be revealed the following week.
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Triple J Hottest 100 complete winners list
Triple J Hottest 100 by the stats
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