So... what are we called?!?

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   Before the internet, I was unaware that there were so many chart geeks who obsessively followed Billboard and various countdown shows.  

I knew about the "Listener who wants to know" letters that would flood in in to Casey, and I was aware of Paul Grein's ChartBeat column which would end with the "We Get Letters" section, full of chart obsessed missives and corrections.

But not until message-boards and Social Media did I really understand that there was a hobby / subculture of pop music statistics(I bet Paul Haney knew, though!)

But what is this hobby called?  Is there a term for those of us who wait with baited breath for the new chart each week?  It can't just be "Music Fans" or "Chart Watchers"... could it?

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jebsib Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 06 April 2006 Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote jebsib Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: So... what are we called?!? Posted: 12 hours 3 minutes ago at 9:14pm
	Before the internet, I was unaware that there were so many chart geeks who obsessively followed Billboard and various countdown shows. I knew about the "Listener who wants to know" letters that would flood in in to Casey, and I was aware of Paul Grein's ChartBeat column which would end with the "We Get Letters" section, full of chart obsessed missives and corrections. But not until message-boards and Social Media did I really understand that there was a hobby / subculture of pop music statistics(I bet Paul Haney knew, though!) But what is this hobby called? Is there a term for those of us who wait with baited breath for the new chart each week? It can't just be "Music Fans" or "Chart Watchers"... could it?

Hykker Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Music Fan Joined: 30 October 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hykker Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 1 hour 36 minutes ago at 7:41am
	I never was particularly obsessed with charts, but in the late 80s I was a weekender at an oldies station (that had been top 40 from the 50s thru about '88 or so). Sunday afternoons I'd do a "this week in 19xx" countdown of the top 20 from that week in years past, when possible using the station's own surveys (with a little fudging where there were songs we/I didn't have...mostly obscure stiffs). This was before this was a common practice for oldies stations, and it seemed to attract a lot of chart fans. Had one lady who was guaranteed to call & request something contemporary for the featured countdown that was lower-ranked. Don't know if she had a bunch of Whitburn books or just a good memory. No one ever called me out when I'd fudge a chart position.