Hit Music

Hit Music was a weekly British chart newsletter; sister publication to Music Week. Hit Music existed for almost nine years, supplying the official UK music charts. The founding editors were Graham Walker and Tony Brown. The first issue was published September 5, 1992, the last issue was May 5, 2001.

History

Originally it ran parallel to Music Week′s other chart newsletter Charts Plus which was also edited by Graham Walker and Tony Brown and which had been established in May 1991, shortly after the demise of Record Mirror. Charts Plus featured the singles chart with positions 76 to 200, albums chart positions 76 to 200, plus several genre and format chart, details on every Top 75 new entry, radio playlists and statistics. An annual subscription to Charts Plus cost £495.
In September 1992, Spotlight, publishers of Music Week, started Hit Music as a cheaper alternative. For only £110 Hit Music printed the singles chart, artist albums, compilation albums, rock chart and dance chart, US Top 10s, plus details on Top 75 new entries, chart statistics, year-to-date charts listings of BPI awards, and national number ones.
From issue no. 36 Hit Music printed the E.R.A. Top 100 Airplay charts, and from January 8, 1994 the Top 40 Network Chart.
In November 1994, Charts Plus ceased publication and from issue no. 111 Hit Music printed the Top 200 singles and Top 200 albums, Top 150 Artists Albums, and Top 50 Compilations. From issue no. 211 the Artist Albums chart extended to a Top 200. Top 100 Airplay chart was dropped from issue 294.
The last issue published was no. 439. Hit Music folded, together with several other Music Week newsletters. This meant that there was no longer a published source for the Top 200 singles and Top 200 albums charts. However, by autumn 2001, a successor publication to Hit Music was founded, independent of Music Week, in order to publish the British Top 200 charts: ChartsPlus. The ChartsPlus which was started in 2001 was renamed UKChartsPlus in 2010.