The charts aren't a patch on what they used to be like

Did you know the chart is now on a Friday afternoon? When exactly did that happen?

What a stupid time to do it. Kids are either doing their homework or playing on their Xboxes.

Here is my evidence to show the charts aren’t a patch on what they were back in the day and that their demise started in 1992 when the charts began to become rubbish (save for a renaissance in 1996).

This week’s top four singles are from Canadians for the second week running.

I mean, Canadians.

From the country that’s given us maple syrup and…erm?

Sales of singles are actually very strong and have been for a while, so to make No 1 nowadays you do have to shift a few copies.

But outside of the top three you don’t, so if your song peaks at No 5 it’s a flop, whereas in, say, 1985, that would be a success.

When I choose the music for my 7pm Golden Hours show, I pick the songs from the chart of this week from that year.

For example, yesterday’s was in fact 1985.

Not a vintage year, but when you consider there were too many excellent songs to pick to fill the hour, you realise how strong the charts were.

In fact, the same can be said of most charts between 1964 and 1992.

But by the time I reach 1998, I struggle. And you can forget 2003, as that was a truly awful year for music.

So here are some of the artists I featured from this week in 1985 – Tears For Fears, Madonna, Prince, King, Strawberry Switchblade, Paul Young and Bryan Adams.

In this week’s Top 40, Adele hangs on like a bad smell at No 7, while Naughty Boy and The Weeknd (spelt ridiculously) are falling.

Poor old Naughty Boy, he must have been very bad. Sorry, that’s a dad joke there.

I really am starting to sound like my folks, aren’t I?