From: jamie@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Jamie Scuglia)
Subject: Re: CHART: Top 10 singles -> Australia
Followup-To: aus.music
Originator: int376f@mdw045.cc.monash.edu.au
Organization: Monash University
Distribution: aus
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 00:27:23 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.152839.19724@tpl68k0.tplrd.tpl.oz.au> andrewj@tplrd.tpl.oz.au (Andrew Joyner) writes:
>
>Does Jamie or anyone else have any information on the demographics
>of the Australian single buying audience? I've always been under the
>impression it was 13 year old kids and hence a completely useless guide
>as to what is really popular. The album/CD chart I'd be more willing to
>believe as being representative.
>And has anyone over the age of 13 actually bought a Kris Kross single? 

Singles charts are not completely 'ruled' by 13 year olds.  Take a look
at the singles chart this week - the biggest selling single in Australia
is AMIGOS PARA SIEMPRE (FRIENDS FOR LIFE), featuring Spanish Opera
singer Jose Carrera and stage performer Sarah Brightman.  Hardly
13 year old stuff!!! :-)  Sure, a large proportion of single buyers
are teenagers, but you will find many older people also buying
singles.  Most of the older people aren't really into rap or
dance or heavy metal, while quite a lot of younger people are,
hence the success of a lot of these records.
Speaking of Kris Kross, the two teen-agers held a concert in the U.S.,
and at the end of it, adults (including men and women over 40 who
attended the concert) were grabbing at the two young performers and trying
to rip their clothes off!!!  Obviously, such music appeals to some older
people!
The albums chart are probably more orientated to the mature music
market.  Young people often would rather buy (over a period of time) a
stack of popular singles rather than commit a lump sum of money into
buying an album.  Hence you see artists like Micheal Crawford, Kamahl,
and music from plays, etc often do very well on our albums chart.
I do not have any statistics on the music buyer's market, so I
can only speculate about it.   Go to your local record store and ask
the staff about who buys what - they would have a good idea
about that I think.

>And what actually constitutes a single anyway? Vinyl, CD, 12", alternative
>mixes?

Very interesting question!  Apparently, even the music industry
in Australia has no clear criteria for classifying E.P.'s, singles
and albums.  Last year, the TINGLES (E.P.) was classed as a single
by A.R.I.A. on their charts, while A.M.R. (Australian Music Report)
happily ranked TINGLES on their albums chart!  Very broadly speaking,
an album contains 10 or more songs, and E.P. contains 4 or more
NEW songs, while whatever is left over is a single.
Last year, UB40 had a single out, called HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE
ME), with the CD version having 5 tracks! (i.e. E.P. size).  But, one
of the other tracks was RED RED WINE (from 1980 something), and
some re-mixes of the title track.  Some Michael Jackson singles
(like IN THE CLOSET) contain 6 songs, but most of the tracks are
just remixes of the title track.  Vinyl singles are now almost
history, leaving only 3 formats for a single now:
	- Cassingle (on cassette)
	- CD single (on CD)
	- Video single (on laser video disk)

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3rd Year Student at Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
* E-mail: jamie@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au
          int376f@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au